By Chanda Temple | City of Birmingham
As Jason Mezrano worked in the kitchen at the Birmingham Museum of Art earlier this month, everything felt familiar to him.
Real familiar.
He’s part of Kathy G. & Company, which once used to run the café at the museum. The company’s museum café closed more than 12 years ago. But this month, the company returned to run the cafe again, which is now called Café BMA by Kathy G. Within one hour of its soft opening, people were at tables, ordering house salads, angus beef burgers, chicken salad, quiche and more.
“It’s an honor to come back. I feel at home at the Museum of Art,’’ said Jason, executive chef. “We are so glad to be here.’’
The café officially opened on Feb. 11, and have regular operating days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jason said they are planning to have a Sunday Easter Brunch and a Sunday Mother’s Day Brunch with jazz music. He said more details will be provided soon on those events.
Jason is the son of Kathy G. Mezrano, founder of Kathy G. He said his mother played a major role in the look of the café, from the wait staff’s aprons and uniforms to the white linens and each table topped with glass vases filled with a fresh flower and greenery.
One lunch table on Wednesday was full of museum staffers, including Museum Director Graham Boettcher.
“Kathy G. and Jason Mezrano have knocked it out of the park. They know the food that people will enjoy most,’’ Graham said. “They know how to prepare it and know this community really well. I know that they will be really successful in this space.’’
“When I arrived at the museum 20 years ago, they ran the (museum) restaurant. So, having them back feels like a full circle moment.’’
The café menu features Kathy G’s classic French recipe chicken salad, which can come on whole wheatberry bread for a sandwich or with a salad. As a salad plate, it is topped with toasted almond slivers, has a touch of Dijonnaise, has tarragon and is accented with a whole wheat sourdough crostini and two, long flatbread crackers from Continental Bakery. The chicken salad plate comes with seasonal fruit, such as kiwi, grapes, blueberries and a slice of cantaloupe.
Some other menu items include:
• Cedar Planked Salmon, which is topped with a grilled onion crust and apple smoked bacon and presented on a bed of freshly made vegetable ratatouille
• Pan Seared Herbed Chicken “Nicoise” Salad on local greens with marinated cherry tomatoes, French green beans, grilled fingerling potatoes, a soft boiled egg, and a citrus vinaigrette
• White Truffle and Oil Parmesan Pommes Frites that when dipped into the accompanying roasted garlic aioli, taste close to a Lay’s Sour Cream and Onion potato chip
• The Café BMA House Salad made with mixed greens and frisse, spiced pecans, grilled honey glazed pears, crumbled belle chevre cheese and homemade sourdough from Continental Bakery
• Butternut Squash Soup, which has a little nutmeg and a trace of cinnamon blended in with roasted butternut squash. Each creamy and hearty serving is accented with fried sage on top to add additional flavor and texture.
• Flourless Chocolate Torte with Whipped Cream and Raspberries served on plate drizzled in chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce
• A kid’s menu includes a grilled cheese sandwich and fries; chicken finger and fries; or a PBJ sandwich served with strawberries and blueberries
“Café BMA is about creating food that feels thoughtful, welcoming, and connected to the experience of being in the museum,” said Jason. “It’s an honor to be part of the BMA and to contribute to how visitors gather and enjoy their time here.”
