Metropolitan. The name says it all—this West Street hot spot could be a transplant from Manhattan or Miami. A hip host dressed in black greets you at the glass doors, which open into a three-story establishment with a busy bar on the ground floor. Warning: Reservations can be hard to come by, unless you prefer to dine at 5:30 or 9:30 p.m. And depending on your hipness quotient, you will either be intimidated or fascinated by what goes on here.
Menus inserted in weighty, wedding album-like leather folders are the first tip that something important is about to happen. The heft of the cutlery, the elegance of the wine glasses, and the assertiveness of our waiter were additional clues that Metropolitan takes itself very seriously. Some people (like yours truly) are automatically wary of such flair. It has been my experience that those who have a
tendency to “show off” fall into the beauty-is-only-skin-deep category. But our waiter warmed us up with a graceful “gift from the kitchen,” a delicious cucumber-flecked scallop bisque served in tiny white cups with tiny white spoons on tiny white trays. A nice touch, and a fine first impression.
White is the prevailing “color” at Metropolitan, from the floor-to-ceiling curtains separating the main dining room into two intimate spaces, to the crisp napery and stylishly geometrical china. Wood panels sheathe the walls, and well-spaced tables (seating seventy in total) are outfitted with handsome contemporary leather chairs. From the formal second-floor dining room and bar on the second floor to the al fresco dining space/bar on the rooftop, the pristine décor is serene and sophisticated, complemented by the mood-setting jazz drifting from the sound system.
Bring an open mind to the Metropolitan table, and be prepared to ask questions of your waiter. Our fellow Sunday evening diners, from the celebratory table of six casually dressed folks chatting with local restaurateur Mike Ashford (owner of Annapolis’s McGarvey’s) to four fashionable wenty-somethings, were given a knowledgeable tour of the menu, which requires a bit more navigation than some. “What’s a ‘small plate’?” inquired one. “Sort of like tapas,” the waiter replied. “What’s tapas?” she asked. He patiently described it as “a very small portion—more like a taste.” Finding good help is a challenge for new restaurants, but Metropolitan seems to have attracted the cream of the crop.
The four sections of the menu include those first plates (appetizers), next (salads and soup), mains (entrees), small plates (tapas), and table plates (side dishes). It’s a lot of fun to read—and difficult to choose from—the delights prepared by chef J.J. Minetola, who says he graduated from “the school of hard work,” including the Annapolis kitchens of O’Learys, Northwoods, and Tsunami, plus a year’s apprenticeship under chef Todd Grey of Equinox in Washington, D.C.
Minetola has dreamed up some adventuresome combinations: hazelnut-roasted quail with chocolate sauce, a foie gras BLT with applewood bacon and heirloom tomatoes, black truffle lobster risotto, truffled poached egg with asparagus and bacon, organic Scottish salmon with baby artichokes and oyster mushrooms. We loved the looks—and taste—of our “first plate”: a pair of impeccably fresh grilled sea scallops wrapped round with prosciutto ham and garnished with a sand-like mound of pistachio dust and a swirl of savory pomegranate foam. We also admired the simple elegance of a pale pink consommé made with heirloom tomatoes, expertly poured by our waiter from a carafe into a bowl centered with an island of crabmeat and garnished with shavings of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. Lovely.
While our salad of roasted beets, arugula, and candied walnuts encircled with soft brioche croutons was tasty, I coveted a salad at an adjoining table that featured white grapes, blue cheese, and rhubarb on a bed of red oak leaf greens. For the main course, with selections including salmon, short ribs, cod, lamb, lobster tail with lobster risotto, and asparagus tortellini, we opted for a classic steak frites and lightly seared spearfish, cradled on a mound of creamy cauliflower with baby carrots and swirls of spiced carrot puree. I predict that Metropolitan’s steak frites will become a favorite of the meat and potato crowd. Broiled medium rare, the meat was fork-tender and the thin fries, served in a wire cone lined with parchment paper, were crisp and delicious. My partner, who reluctantly rations his beef intake, was irrationally happy with his dinner.
Desserts vary from day to day, depending on the season. We skipped over the panna cotta for the over-the-top cappuccino cake, featuring
a rich chocolate cake sandwiched between chocolate and coffee mousses. Served in a goblet with homemade chocolate ice cream and topped with a coffee bean, it was a chocoholic’s fantasy come true. Good coffee rounded out a culinary adventure not soon forgotten.
Despite a fair amount of experience with wine lists over the years, I found theirs sprinkled with the names of many unfamiliar boutique vineyards. But the by-the-glass Hunig Sauvignon Blanc recommended by our waiter was pleasantly dry and cold, poured with a generous hand into a graceful long-stemmed goblet. With more than 100 selections, Metropolitan’s wine options are far-reaching and fairly priced.
Metropolitan is just one of the bold ventures undertaken by a group of visionary risk-takers, Gavin and Julie Buckley, Jody Danek, and Kristin Lewis, who have literally changed the complexion of a formerly downtrodden section of West Street. In somewhat rapid succession, they opened Metropolitan, Lemongrass (the Thai restaurant next door), Astrid (an upscale women’s boutique), and Object, a gift shop.
Metropolitan is by far the most ambitious of their ventures, which also include Tsunami, the wildly popular Asian restaurant closer to Church Circle. Like any new restaurant, Metropolitan has some kinks to work out (like serving cold bread and getting entrees to the table before they cool off), but it has tremendous eye appeal, the service is superb, and its innovative fare is different from any other dining establishment in the area. With a hard-working and savvy team, Metropolitan seems destined to occupy a special niche on the Annapolis dining scene. Be prepared for a splurge, however. These are big-city prices.
Mary Lou Baker has been a food and travel writer for more than twenty years.
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