Scene: Step out from the intimate galleries of the Taft Museum of Art to enjoy garden dining at the Tea Room. It's a formal lawn gridded with brick walkways and rectangular flowerbeds and dotted with young magnolia trees. You'd never guess that beneath this deep layer of earth is a parking garage -- which, by the way, is free to Tea Room patrons even if you don't have time to visit the museum.
Eats: The Tea Room offers a contemporary selection of soups, salads and sandwiches. You'll be surprised if your idea of museum food still consists of a pre-packaged ham sandwich and a sorry piece of fruit. New features include roasted red pepper and Brie on ciabatta with lemon-garlic aioli. A London Broil Salad pairs fresh greens with roasted new potatoes, asparagus, red onions and horseradish-basil vinaigrette. (Emily Lieb)
Tea Room at the Taft Museum of Art 316 Pike St., Downtown, 513-241-0343. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-2:30 p.m. Sunday.
