Answering the Studio Museum's Most-Asked Question

Lunch at the Atrium Cafe

We have many exciting and challenging discussions at the Studio Museum. Many of them are sparked by deeply intellectual and challenging questions, which is part of what makes this a wonderful place to work. But then there is the one question we ask day after day, year after year, generally beginning at about 10:45am.

“What are we doing for lunch?”

One of the great challenges of working in at the Studio Museum, and being too busy (or lazy, depending on who you ask!) to brown-bag it every day, is finding a delicious, affordable answer to this question. We’ve got some allies: Ollie’s and Saga for delivery; Fisher’s of Men or Manna’s for a splurge on fried fish or chicken; the newcomer Island Salad, a sometimes-intimidating 8-minute walk away; the guilty, greasy, pleasure of a Jimbo’s burger; Chez Lucienne for the days we actually want to sit down somewhere; and our beloved standby, the Welcome to Harlem Gourmet Deli.

But since the Atrium Café opened last month, the entire Studio Museum staff has been dreaming about the day that we would find a satisfactory answer to our perennial question, without even having to leave the building. Friends, that day is here. The Atrium Café is now open on Thursdays and Fridays, and I am thrilled to report on my first-ever lunch experience.
I had a porchetta (oven-roasted pork loin) sandwich with pickles, sauerkraut, and mustard on a fresh pumpernickel baguette. It was delicious. It was 7 bucks. It was, according to my calculations, 6 weight watchers points. And in the hottest summer to hit NYC in my lifetime, it didn’t require going outside. But the best part—when the 3pm snack craving hits, we don’t even have to walk the 2 blocks to Tonnie’s minis to get cupcakes any more. They’re right here in the lobby (but please don’t ask me to figure out their point value).

Working at the best museum in New York just got that much better. Thank you Atrium Café!