Metropolis Cafe: South End Chic

Metropolis Cafe in Boston's historic South End first caught my eye when I noticed its Parisian cafe style facade, but the food was not exactly that of the City of Light. Still, with an intimate setting - Metropolis can accomodate less than a few dozen diners at a time - the cafe is a good pick for a romantic date. Strolling down fashionable Tremont Street, one can pretend it's a trip to Paris ... Metropolis Cafe's servers were certainly as snooty as the French stereotype. And the wine list offers a nice selection.

One of the Aquitaine Group's restaurants, which include its namesake Aquitaine and the Gaslight Brasserie (also in the South End), Metropolis is Executive Chef Seth Woods' first Boston restaurant after his move from Manhattan's world renowned Union Square Cafe. Yet it's clear the cafe is lackluster in comparison to his more recent ventures, as the menu lacks a certain "je ne sais quoi." Offering the standard bistro entrees- chicken, steak, pork chop, fish, it lacked creativity. The gnocchi with duck confit, Vermont brussel sprouts, rosemary jus and parmiggiano reggiano was the highlight of the meal, with a nice hint of herb infused in the dish without overpowering it. The warm beet carpaccio with crumbled feta, toasted walnuts and frisee was poorly executed, however, with the beets overcooked so that they melded to the plate, forming an almost leathery skin. The risotto simmered in "market ingredients" (code for root vegetables in the winter, take into account) and sweet butter had the gluey consistency of so many risotto attempts outside of Italy; to be fair, achieving perfectly-cooked risotto is a difficult feat. The seared sea scallops with lemon fragola, golden corn and sweet pepper salsa was quite tasty, but the meager portion hardly satisfied the appetite or justified the price of a $20 plate. Though a pleasant, mellow atmosphere, the poor execution of the first courses left an unenthused impression. The chic decor may have reeled me in but the food itself left me unimpressed.

A better choice for a nice glass of wine to enjoy the atmosphere, perhaps after an evening at one of the local jazz hot spots as it's open until 11 pm most nights, than for a sit-down meal.

3/5 stars.