If “gourmet” and “grab and go” seem like opposite poles on the dining axis to you, the new Maestro’s Café could change your mind.
Javier Rasmussen, vice president of Food and Beverage at the Straz, is confident that the café’s new concept will unite gourmet and grab and go in a way that’s both convenient and delicious.
In switching from the buffet format, Javier says his “goal was to capture the audience that came to the cafe that was used to the salad bar and the hot food and desserts.” That means the food in the packages must equal the quality of the food previously served on the buffet.
And it will, in fact, because the food in packaging will be prepared on-site by Maestro’s chefs with the same care and expertise as were the selections on the buffet.
So soggy sandwiches and bodega sushi won’t be on the bill of fare. Instead, Maestro’s Café will offer lobster macaroni and cheese, grilled Reuben sandwiches, lasagna cupcakes and desserts, all homemade right here, down to the last macaroon.
“I wanted to do something that you don’t find everywhere,” Javier said. “We’re creating unique culinary experiences, unique choices.”
The Straz’s upcoming expansion also influenced the format change. The changes brought about by the Master Plan will mean the loss of the Café’s kitchen, which made the buffet unfeasible. The project also will eliminate Maestro’s on the River. Javier sees the new Café answering the needs brought on by the changes.
The lobby, Javier explained, will now be open two hours prior to a show “so that the guests who would go to Maestro’s on the River will be able to come inside the lobby and have a sandwich or a salad or one of the hot items.”
It’s vital that the new café maintain the high standards set by Maestro’s. Javier and staff are making sure of that, covering all details diligently right down to the packaging.
“When you go to a restaurant and your server puts the plate in front of you can see how they took their time to present a meal to you,” Javier said. “It’s the same if the food is packaged. It needs to be attractive. It needs to be appealing to the eye.
“That was probably my biggest pet peeve because I didn’t want it to be a clear container that you see in the grocery,” Javier said. “I want it to be something that is unique and elegant and attractive. Obviously, the food is delicious, but we just want to make sure that people see something and say, ‘Ooh, that looks good. Let me try.’”
For more information about dining options at the Straz, visit our website.