MUSEUM MUNCHIES

Let’s face it-the Gallery Buffet lunchroom in the old Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in Fair Park was one of the most boring places in the city to have lunch. Sure, the food was great, and the gift shop was right next door, but it lacked style. To be honest, most men wouldn’t have been caught dead there. Lunchroom manager Nancy Wallof says that it was hard to find even four or five volunteers to work.

It’s a different story now that the Gallery Buffet has a cozy section in the new downtown Dallas Museum of Art. On most weekdays, there’s about a 20-minute wait for lunch. The new facility can serve almost 200 people (the old room’s capacity was about 100); and now the buffet requires between 18 and 20 volunteers to serve lunch. The kitchen is four times the size of the old one, and it’s run by a full-time chef, Allan Boles, who is busily looking for an assistant.

Wallof couldn’t be happier about the lunchroom’s success. The menu is still the same (homemade soups, salad, hot bread, dessert, coffee and tea), but the price has increased from $5 to $6.50.

Wallof says she sees more men dropping by for lunch now, and two serving lines have helped speed up service. The only room for improvement is in busing tables, she says. It seems that table turnover is a little slow because the ladies who volunteer to work in the lunchroom aren’t accustomed to the work.

The Gallery Buffet’s new dining hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and tea is served from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday brunch is from noon to 2:30 p.m. and Thursday dinner is from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Both brunch and dinner cost $10 per person; reservations are required.