Global Flavors, Local Ingredients

Café Allegro’s local partnerships fuel fresh, healthy food for guests

At Café Allegro, guests can savor the flavors of the world through dishes made with ingredients grown in Arizona. Partnerships with local farmers and vendors help the café serve a rotating menu of fresh, healthy food that fosters appreciation for cuisine from around the world while honoring the museum’s home state.

“MIM is an international museum with amazing instruments from all over the world, but it’s uniquely Arizonan at the same time,” says Thomas Painter of Guest Services, Inc., the general manager for Café Allegro and Beats Coffee Bar^®. “It’s exciting to be able to reflect the museum’s mission in the food we serve.”

Arizona-grown ingredients are essential to many of Café Allegro’s offerings—the café’s breads, beef, dairy products, potatoes, and greens, among other foods, are sourced locally. When planning menus, executive chef Paul Steele consults with local partners about growing conditions and farming timelines.

“Cooking in the seasons is really important,” Steele says. “Utilizing the produce when it’s in season and at its peak quality tastes better and is healthier.”

This season, guests can enjoy dishes such as a salad made with organic beets and fennel from Duncan Family Farms and honey-whipped goat cheese from Crow’s Dairy and a sandwich featuring braised short rib from Vera Earl Ranch on a toasted baguette from Barrio Bread.

Café Allegro’s commitment to local partnerships inspires connections with both cultures from around the world and Arizona during each delicious meal.

“Serving local food gives a feeling and sense of community,” Steele says.

Café Allegro is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. See what the café is serving today at MIM.org/cafe-allegro!
Members receive a 10% discount on most items.