around the hall by the coat check, take the secret elevator to the top and put your name on the list to spend forty five minutes waiting to get a table. Second, though the museum is a most splendid place, chock full of amazing and beautiful art, the restaurant has absolutely no color, it is stark white, the true absence of color. Not a painting, not a doodle, not even the lights had color. I felt like I was in a fancy, modern cafeteria, which wouldn't have been a problem if I was paying cafeteria prices and snatching a grilled cheese sandwich and jello. There was no ambiance. I was thinking that if I wore surgical scrubs I would have really felt at home in this sterile environment. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I need color...maybe I need motion and buzz in a place. Thirdly, in upholding my dutiful responsibilities to DC as a food blogger, I have to tell you that either I left my taste buds at home that day or this food had no flavor whatsoever. I started with the Fennel soup which came in a ginormous bowl. As the server brought it over I was already licking my lips with the smell and portion size of this delightful trough-like bowl. Not so much. There was about three tiny inches of soup in the bottom of the bowl. I almost asked if they forgot to fill it up. This soup made me break one of my cardinal rules...never add salt. I NEVER add salt...to anything. But for me to choke down this $8 bite of soup it required salt. The soup was followed by a wood fired pizza with a broccoli/asparagus type vegetable, and fresh mozzarella, garlic, and butter. Ugh. This was not good. I like broccoli. I like asparagus. But what the heck was this? Brospargus? Asparocolli? Not so much. So I asked for a side of pasta with marinara, thinking that no one can mess up a simple marinara. Not so much. There was no flavor. It was completely without flavor. How is this possible? Did the chef not even try these dishes? Were they lean cuisine that someone was heating up and transferring to white plates in the back?
Two redeeming things: My date was beautiful, and had a smile that could light up a room (and a kiss that could fuel a jet engine), and my most favorite painting in the Art Institute by Georges Seurat "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte". Perfection.
(Photo: seriously asking myself "really?")
Next time, spend the afternoon at the museum (gorgeous date in tow), then head over to ANY other restaurant in walking distance.
Terzo Piano is located in the Art Institute 312.443.8650
(these are new...check out DC's section on Tru ratings!)
Ratings are 1-4 T's, 1 being the lowest, small t is half rating)
Palate: t
Assist Me: T
Buzz Factor: n/a
Pretty People Alert: T
Pocket Change/Checking/Savings: Checking
I'll be back: t
Really? is all I can say. You know what really bothers me? when people rave about a restaurant and insist that people go there and then you go there, because they demanded you go there...only to find yourself holding a $50 bill that leaves you going "Really?". Dare I say the "cat is out of the bag" on this one, but this was supposed to be the perfect Valentine's Day Date. A trip to the Art Institute to meandor down Picasso Lane, Georges Seurat (my personal favorite), Van Gogh and the new Modern Wing, of course. Standing atop the steps between the majestic lions outside the Art Institute the day had real potential. I heard so many great things about Terzo Piano that it seemed a virtual must on my "bucket list" for 2010. First, and in no particular order, we could hardly find the place. It was like searching for Narnia with a trip through Ancient Asia, then left through the Modern Wing, 
(This photo from the deck outside the restaurant...very cool view)