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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.

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