Release Date: September 28, 2006

POPULAR “SUMMER IN VENICE” MENU CONTINUES IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART’S GARDEN CAFÉ THROUGH NOVEMBER 13, 2006

Washington, DC—The National Gallery of Art’s Garden Café will continue to celebrate “Summer in Venice” through Monday, November 13, in conjunction with the exhibition The Poetry of Light: Venetian Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, which closes October 1, 2006. Visitors may enjoy the exquisite flavors of delicious Venetian-inspired specialties including zucchini frittata, grilled calamari with pepperade, roasted guinea hen with black pepper sauce, beef carpaccio with arugula and tarragon dressing, goat cheese and tomato salad, soppressata and caprino sandwich, and fresh peach tart with peach sorbetto and fig syrup. The menu, developed by chef Thomas Marr of Restaurant Associates, features two signature dishes—grilled polenta diamonds and bigoli pasta with onion confit, anchovies, and garlic—created by renowned chef Fabrizio Aielli, who honed his culinary skills in Venice, Italy, and is the chef and owner of the Teatro Goldoni restaurant in Washington, DC.

The serene and verdant Garden Café, situated around a fountain enhanced by Girl with Water Lilies, a 1928 sculpture by Herbert Adams, is located on the ground floor of the West Building near the entrance at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW. The Café is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. A concert menu of light fare is available Sundays from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in conjunction with the free Sunday evening concerts that begin October 1, at 6:30 p.m., in the West Garden Court through July 1, 2007. Beginning the first Sunday in October, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the café will offer a special “afternoon tea” menu reminiscent of the traditional English tea party. Selections will include a variety of teas, scones, Devonshire cream, preserves, assorted tea sandwiches, pastries, and cheeses. To make reservations for eight or more, call (202) 216-2884. For more information about the Gallery and its restaurants, visit www.nga.gov.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

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