Delightful, Delovely, DeYoung

Okay, I know the new deYoung gets a lot of flak for staging blockbuster shows that rake in the cash for the museum and cater to the middle-of-the-road art lovers. Even I can admit that one more fashion design show will be two too many. However, I have to admit to enjoying thoroughly the two latest blockbusters, parts one and two of the Impressionists from the Musée d'Orsay.

Not only is the art amazing and the staging of the shows informative, they've got the lunch thing down to a science. In a clear vinyl bubble that lets the sun in but not the chilly San Francisco winds, they serve the overflow of thousands of people daily and the food is pretty darn good. Cousin Jan enjoyed the grilled salmon plate, pal Barbara is still ooohing and aaahing over her potato soup and I tucked into a lovely salad.

Here's the Chicken Provençal salad I ordered when we went to take in the second half of the show. Stacked in the salad were greens (mainly arugula), steamed artichoke hearts, radicchio, pimento, dressed chicken breast strips, olives, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes and chives, served on a pure white plate with a breadstick exclamation point. The food was as crowded together as we viewers in line for the show were but, like the viewers, it was a cheerful crowding. We all knew we were in for a treat.

After being overwhelmed by the show (are there fully twice as many masterpieces in this half of the show as the first, or am I imagining things?), we stopped into the alcove that holds the elevators for the tower to visit the collection of Ruth Asawa's splendid sculptures. It's a must for me every time I visit the museum - her work is simple and amazing.

So, we went home with our heads full of beauty and our stomachs full of good food. The new deYoung may be controversial but count me among its boosters.