When asked about his philosophy behind the Terrace Café’s new fall menu, Executive Chef Yajan (“Yaj”) Upadhyaya gave a straightforward answer.

“Food should be fun,” says Yaj. “Why? Why not?”

And Yaj, indeed, had fun creating the Café’s new dishes, including sandwiches inspired by the museum’s current blockbuster exhibition, Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds—closing soon on Sunday, October 15. Bocadillo de Pollo, Bocadillo de Verduras, and Mixto currently keep company with favorite lunchtime classics, including the Terrace Club, Chicken Salad sandwich, and Three Grain Vegan Burger.

Other new items celebrate the season with fall flavors, including Steak & Delicata Squash Salad and Quinoa Salad made with pomegranate arils, sun-dried Turkish apricots, and toasted pecans. (yum!)

Pseudo Waldorf Salad also premieres on the Café’s fall menu. What makes it “pseudo”? Substituting celery with local greens and swapping mayonnaise dressing with Champagne Vinaigrette—santé!

Speaking of local, you can’t get more local than ingredients harvested from the museum’s own gardens. Andrew McKenrick, CAM’s in-house horticulturist, grows tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, and three types of peppers (baby bell, banana, and jalapeno) in the museum’s vegetable and herb gardens. Yaj incorporates these home-grown foods in the Café’s soups, salads, and catered dishes for special events.

For produce not harvested from the museum’s gardens, Yaj does the next best thing. He buys locally grown ingredients—notably mixed greens and basil—from 80 Acres Farms, a hydroponic vertical farm located in Hamilton, Ohio. 80 Acres grows produce indoors using 100% renewable energy, 95% less water, and zero pesticides.

“Food should make you happy,” says Yaj—and what’s not to be happy about, knowing that your menu items are grown locally using sustainable methods?

Next time you visit the museum, stop by the Terrace Café, and have a taste of the new menu items. You can browse the menu here and make reservations by calling the Café at 513-639-2986. The Terrace Café is open Tuesday–Sunday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and Thursday from 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Museum members receive a 10% discount.

Enjoy!