Chef Eric Dantis’s Mosaic of Flavors

Only a month or so had passed since the Museum’s restaurant, Mosaic, made its debut, and Executive Chef Eric Dantis was already in the process of creating the first new addition to its globally inspired menu: a cauliflower Caesar salad. “The main star is the dressing, which I reworked so there is no mayo, oil, egg yolk, or anchovy,” he says. The base is a cauliflower puree, “which makes it much lighter” than the traditional version.

It’s an innovative take on a familiar dish, characteristic of Chef Dantis’s approach to crafting exciting but accessible selections. “I like to take things that people are familiar with and twist it up,” Dantis says. For instance, the cappelletti—one of Mosaic’s most popular main courses—appears to be a typical squash-filled ravioli, but it “is seasoned in a much different way than an Italian sensibility would have it.” Coriander, cumin, and a smidge of smoked paprika “give it something a little bit different,” he notes.

Mosaic takes its name from both the Museum’s ancient Roman mosaics and the hand-painted tile mosaic that adorns the restaurant’s north wall. Crafted by artisans in Mexico and inspired by a painting by the French artist Odilon Redon in the Museum’s collections, the mosaic mirrors the international sensibility of the menu, which draws from Dantis’s experience cooking for fine-dining restaurants serving fusion cuisine. “Mosaics are made up of pieces of cut glass or tile that are put together to make one larger picture. That’s my eclectic style in a nutshell, developed through the places I’ve worked that have had a very global sense of things,” he explains. It’s second nature for Dantis to weave Japanese elements into the classic American BLT, as he does in the restaurant’s BLT katsu sandwich, elevating standard fare in a surprising and sophisticated way.

Originally an English major from central New Jersey, Dantis spent his early career in the corporate world before realizing that cooking better suited his creative aspirations. He worked full-time while attending the French Culinary Institute in the evenings, graduating at the top of his class. “I started out in email marketing, which was lovely, but it just wasn’t for me. When I decided to take the plunge and go to culinary school, I was enthralled by the creativity, the drive of the other cooks, and the satisfaction of seeing a direct result of your work,” he explains. 

This creativity is reflected in the artistry of both Mosaic’s food and its presentation. Each meal is a visual feast, carefully plated on wheel-thrown pottery made by ceramic artists in Union City, New Jersey. “I love the plates, especially their colors, and I try as hard as I can to pair each dish with a plate that complements it,” Dantis says.

Like the ceramics, many of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced from local purveyors, the majority of which are located within ten miles of the Museum. “We get apples from Terhune Orchards, and our chickens are from Griggstown Farm,” explains the chef. Blue Moon Acres, in Pennington, and Lawrenceville’s Cherry Grove Farm provide microgreens and raw milk cheeses, respectively. Dantis expects to create new dishes for the menu every few weeks that emphasize the region’s bounty.

Museum Director James Steward says that it was always his vision for the Museum’s restaurant to mirror the institution’s commitment to excellence, artistry, and celebrating “the senses in all their forms.” He notes, “Chef Eric kindly invited me to taste every prospective item he was developing for his menu, and I knew from the first that he was the chef for us.”

Mosaic’s meals are served in the cozy-chic atmosphere of the Museum’s third-floor dining room, with rich wooden accents, plush upholstery, and an expansive outdoor terrace. To Dantis, the restaurant stands out as “a gorgeous space with a beautiful view” and for its overall warmth, the quality of its food, and its friendly staff, who “work very hard to make the dining experience worthwhile.”