Hungry at the MOMA? Check out Cafe 2

Cafe 2 at the MOMA
11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY

Food is always a top priority when we're visiting New York. Even when we were perusing the Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA, food was completely and 100 percent on my mind. Thankfully we were able to squeeze into MOMA's Cafe 2, which serves up variety of fresh, delicious Italian food.

The most reasonably priced of all the MOMA restaurants, Cafe 2 holds a pleasant Italian surprise. We arrived for lunch to discover that the cafe dishes up a wide array of tasty, fresh Italian foods, including antipasti, tramezzini, panini, cured meats, pasta, cheese, salads and soups. The space is large and airy, designed with a modern, minimalist Danish bent. Guests order and pay at the large room-length glass food counter, which displays almost all the menu items, before being seated and served at large communal tables.

A trio of bruschetta

Looking for a lighter meal, the hubs and I ordered a trio of bruschetta - 1) cured tuna, black olives and lemon; 2) mozzarella di bufala and olive tapenade; 3) lemon chickpea hummus and prosciutto.

Panini

He also ordered a panini filled with ricotta and pesto. The food was good. It was Italian through and through - simple, high-quality ingredients dished up in a clean, low-maintenance manner. We were highly impressed and very pleased - Executive Chef Lynn Bound definitely nailed the spirit of Italian food correct with her offerings. The next time we visit the MOMA, you'll find us hanging out along the window counters, glasses of Pinot Grigio in hand.

The cafe is only available to museum visitors. Reservations not accepted - Cafe 2 is on a first-come, first-serve basis.