Art and the Plate

It will become immediately clear when you venture into the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art that Johnson County has come of cultural age. Chances are you'll fall instantly for this big block of limestone with a very chic soul. 

Like its contemporary, the other big Bloch building at the Nelson, housing high art plus cafe, the 38,000-square-foot Nerman is a relatively new beacon on the cultural landscape.

Situated on the eastern flank of the Johnson County Community College campus and designed by international architect Kyu Sung Woo, this bold, white building, just a little over a year old, is a standout. You can't miss it.

Once inside, stands of sheer glass flood the grand foyer with streams of light. There are no deep, dark passageways, only the recesses of individual galleries, ample and beckoning with notable new works.

Café Tempo, settled demurely inside the atrium, will wait for you to begin or finish your tour. Like the galleries beyond, it's unfussy and sleek. What gives it life are the patrons and the food.

Happily, my visit with a high-school pal encountered a win-win dilemma: eat first or tour first? 

Though the Café opens at 7 a.m., we were ready for lunch along with a line starting to snake. “I've heard the breakfast is worth a nod, though horses couldn't drag me up and out,” I overheard.

Meanwhile, it was refreshing to see   that art and the plate is taking precedence over the no art/no plate mentality during a fairly steady noontime influx.

We studied the menu and decided quickly. Not before lingering just a tad too long at the sumptuous confections, we passed along the buffet-style way. Our seating, in a room holding 110, was a brushed-acrylic table that's simple and fitting for this artistic venue.

I settled on a Mesquite chicken wrap ($7.95). Toasty warm and spilling over with Spanish rice and Monterey Jack cheese, it was more than enough for two. Homemade chips (greasy good) and confetti of fresh fruit accompanied. 

More satisfying still was the pasta dish my pal ordered. “If you think yours is good, try this,” she urged. Chunks of organic beef and barley swimming in the heartiest broth of fresh vegetables, fennel and brandy beef stock was wonderfully satisfying. “This is ideal on a winter day,” I mentioned, wishing only that it came with bread to mop up the savory remains.

Chef Tim Johnson stopped by. He's been around since the Café opened. Affable and certainly experienced (he opened and tendered 18 years of service at Webster House), Tim mused a bit on what he has planned. “We're in full swing, catering to teachers, students, the public and private parties,” he said. “People are finding out this is a great place for breakfast and lunch, easy for students and faculty, and different from the run of the mill. I fully intend to start a sustainable farmers' market, which is just now in the works.”

He commented that the menu changes seasonally, noting that comfort food from the Ultimate Grilled Cheese with basil pesto on sour dough ($6.95) to the Meatball Grinder ($7.95) were examples of heartier fare for the fall and winter.

Sandwiched out? You could always pop for one of five big salads (Mango Chicken, Café Steak, Tuna Nicoise...), bowl of soup ($5) or half soup/salad combo ($8.25). Fresh fish, pasta and wraps routinely star accordingly.

Those show-stopping desserts, some made in-house by the culinary crew, some made especially for the Café by Jamie Washington, definitely caught our eye. The tiramisu is not to be missed, unless the coconut, chocolate or bread pudding mile-high slabs grab you first. We polished off the delightful fluff of sin in the time it takes to say “decaf, please.”

Jan Affalter oversees the Café, meeting and greeting to make sure everyone is happy. She's assisted by a staff of able student servers who deliver orders promptly to your table. The only glitch, and a small one at that, is that the service line is sometimes not in complete sync. Cold food may come before hot, but it's a study in minor patience at best.

We weren't rushed and gladly soaked  in the ambience that the Museum, overlooking the soaring glass atrium, provided. This café is a refreshing twist to the daily grind that really doesn't compete. 

Art awaits, and the tour (self-guided or docent-led), was next on our agenda. But that's a whole different story.

Café Tempo
913.469.3000
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday