Tucked inside the center of the Heard Museum is a little foodie treasure, The Heard Courtyard Café. Priding themselves on serving natural, organic and locally sourced products you can find a variety of southwest specialties. Open to the public, the café’s outside courtyard would have been prime choice to sit and enjoy our lunch if it wasn’t 106 on this particular day. Inside, the café has about a dozen tables and gives off a relaxed vibe with a hint of sophistication.
I started with a Prickly Pear Lemonade, sweet and tart this cacti based beverage was the perfect way to cool off (also, a great drink to show tourists Prickly Pear is not only edible but delicious!) For lunch I ordered the Indian Fair Salad. Grilled squash, red bell pepper, corn, tepary beans, red onion, pepitas, tortilla strips over crisp romaine with a cilantro lime dressing (I added shrimp for protein.) You could taste the freshness in every bite as the veggie combination represented flavors of the traditional southwest and the cilantro lime dressing gave a light summery finish. Perfect salad for this sweltering July afternoon. I stole a bite of my dining companion’s Oven-Roasted Turkey & Melted Brie Sandwich with sliced Granny Smith apples, chipotle mayo on cranberry-walnut bread that is freshly baked daily. The brie was perfectly melted by the warm turkey as it oozed out of the delightful homemade bread, the crisp apples gave a cool finish to this perfect combination of flavors. Other items that caught my eye were the Posole’, Smoked Shredded Chicken Street Tacos and the Totopos. For dessert we indulged in the Fry Bread Sundae, traditional fry bread topped with hot fudge, caramel and vanilla ice cream. I already am a huge fan of fry bread, add these scrumptious toppings and you get a sinful treat! The café is open daily from 11am to 3pm and Heard Museum members receive 10% discount off their bill.
Taking in some of the 130,000 square feet of the Heard Museum was a great way to walk off this wonderful meal. This beautiful museum has been showcasing arts and culture of the Native peoples of the Americas for more than 80 years. One current exhibit caught my eye: “Chocolate, Chili & Cochineal: Changing Taste Around The World.” This fascinating exhibit displays edibles native to the Americas and the role these edibles have played throughout history. I also couldn’t resist the fun of the Lego exhibit: “Build! Toy Brick Art at The Heard.” This exhibit is a sure way to feel like a kid again as you enjoy this colorful and playful art.
So if you are touring the museum or just stop there on your lunch hour, the Heard Courtyard Café is a unlikely delicious choice for an afternoon meal!
Heard Musuem
2301 N. Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 252-8840
www.Heard.org
*Special Thanks to Mark Scarp for taking the time to show me The Heard!