artspace’s new chef makes edible art, tasty cuisine

Tricia Smith is all about creating a picture on the plate, which is very fitting for her new role as chef at the Café at artspace.

“You eat with your eyes,” Smith said.

“I chose cooking because of the instant gratitude you get from seeing the food first.”

After cooking at artspace for more than four months, Smith is changing up the menu this fall to offer seasonal cuisine.

“[The new menu] will have more fall items and more of the comfort foods,” Smith said.

She said some of the classic sandwiches and salads will stay on the menu yearlong. Her current favorite menu item is the black and bleu salad.

“I’m a balsamic vinaigrette fan, so I love it,” she said. “That sweet and tangy up against that savory chicken is just so good. And that blue cheese adds a break in all that sweet.”

Smith took an interest in cooking at a young age.

“It all started out when I was 7 years old and got that Easy Bake Oven for Christmas. From then on, I was just in the kitchen with my parents,” Smith said.

She said her parents were always cooking dishes from scratch, and she began to pick up their recipes and tricks.

“I’ve always been very familyoriented,” Smith said.

Being part of the café family is Smith’s goal for her customers.

“We want to make [customers] feel instantly invited in,” Smith said. “Make them feel at home because you can be yourself when you feel at home.”

Smith said she wants customers to want more of her cooking and come back often.

Certainly any specials of the day will make customers come back for more.

In the past, Smith has served fried chicken as a special menu item. She said if she could, she would serve that every Friday, but she likes to change things around and cook new dishes.

Starting with the salads, Smith plates the perfect harmony of favors for the black and bleu salad. The vinaigrette is seasoned and blends perfect with the bleu cheese. This cheese is crumbled but not your average overpowering bleu cheese. Instead, its a complement to the other ingredients.

If you want something a little different but not off the beaten path, go for the boiled shrimp salad. Fresh greens create a line up to the star – the speciallyseasoned shrimp. This mount of shrimp is not spicy but paired well with a tartar sauce for dipping.

Get a meaty fill with the Café’s signature staples.

For the chicken, go with the chicken pesto. This sandwhich is a feast for the eyes and much as it is for the stomach. The pesto is simple and balances well with the delicious chicken piled high. Sliced tomatoes and mozzarella are chunked together with the chicken. Open wide for this one, so you don’t miss any of the flavors.

On the turkey side: Be a snob. The Turkey Snob, named for the snobby cheese, is unique in that it isn’t quite a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich but has all the signature ingredients – minus the stuffing. If you hate cranberries, you might be fooled by the subtle cranberry mayo. This unique condiment is not overpowering by any means but adds a bit of sweetness to the sandwich. Paired with the brie, this turkey is piled so high you almost have to stick your nose up to eat it.

Sharing a sandwich will leave room for dessert. Here is where Smith’s painting a picture skills come into play.

The bread pudding comes out looking like a party on a plate on the table. Confetti-like white chocolate chips fall around the plate, accompanied with strawberries.

The bread pudding is warm and settled into a rum sauce. It’s sweet and tender but filling.

For a quick dessert, grab a cookie.

Made fresh daily in a variety of flavors, these sweets bring a happy ending to a great lunch in an artistic atmosphere.

–Lydia Earhart