572130 Thu Nov 13 20:43:09 -0800 2008 1 6 Southwest 0 4142369 We tried Metro last night. And really enjoyed it! We went with a couple of our friends. We were expecting to find the restaurant packed and busy in downtown Scottsdale on a Friday night but were surprised that inside was completely empty and less than half the patio was full. It was Halloween so maybe that's why...or maybe it's just another sign of economic times. Anyway, we were sat right away on the patio. Tried to read the cocktail menu but the dim light, the teeny type, and the darker paper it was printed on was too much for our middle aged eyes. The waiter did offer a magnifying light...but only had one....would be good if they invest in a couple of those so we could have used one on each side of the table(and I guess it's time to start carrying our own). Many interesting cocktails on the menu...but the love of rosewater trumped and I went with a champagne cocktail that was rose champagne with rosewater(La Vie en Rose I believe it was called). My girlfriend also had one of these and her husband had a wine by the glass(I can't remember which). We both enjoyed the champagne...just enough rosewater to make it interesting without overpowering. We started with salad: One autumn leaves for me which I enjoyed very much with the escarole, frisee and beet greens . Husband had a beet salad which he loved(he loves all things beet). One friend had the roasted veggie salad and the other the field greens. Both enjoyed theirs very much. For entrees it was tough to choose- so many delicious sounding options! My girlfriend and I agreed to have the Daily Dish, which last night was a Striped Bass served with a seafood chowder sauce. This comes with a carafe of wine and we chose the white for the evening which was a Pouilly-Fuisse. The fish was DELICIOUS! A whole fish with wonderfully crispy fish stuffed wiht thyme, parsley, garlic, lemon. The fish itself was moist and flavorful with just enough flavor infusion from the goodies it had been stuffed with. THe sauce included some a couple mussels per person and was itself a nice complement to the fish - creamy, rich and a bit of sweetness with some diced carrots, potatoes in it. The only flaw here was no serving utensils were brought iwth the fish and we had to ask to have that brought back out. Also, no bread to sop up the delicious sauce but that's easy to fix by asking for it(bread was brought at the beginning of the meal with a great herb butter alongside it. we should have asked for more and thought of it too late) The men had the mussels and the steak frites. I tasted my husband's steak...steaks don't excite me but I will say it was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. He had sherry mustard jus with this and we both liked the sauce a lot. The frites were pretty food...a tad overcooked maybe but not so much to make them inedible. Might have benefited from a bit more salt also. Our friend enjoyed his mussels a great deal. Nice touch to serve them in a Staub mussel pot so you can add the frites behind the cage and then tilt to combine with the broth. We passed on dessert this time but definitely want to try some crepes next time. Overall it was a wonderful evening on the patio. The service pace was relaxed and it was nice to enjoy a great meal, a beautiful evening, and each other's company without being at all rushed. We all agreed the prices were more than fair for what was being offered...our total bill was $150 before tip including the two champagne cocktails at and two glasses of wine by the glass. Definitely a great addition to the Valley. We don't head to downtown Scottsdale very often but this new addition will probably change that. We're already looking forward to our next visit and exploring more of the menu. Sat Nov 01 07:05:19 -0700 2008 16406 ziggylu 1 4169496 another lovely night at metro this eve. Just drinks but again fabulous service and great bartender. I had the raspberry presse and my husnad the lemon presse and gin fizz drink. The rasperry presse was as if I was drinking a rasp shake but intoxicating at every level. just fab prob hitting the place up for sat brunch. A must try if you enjoy great cocktails. I also went to dicks hideaway and ordered a pizza and pasta heidi to go..another winner in town that it too long forgotten to say the least. Wed Nov 12 22:07:38 -0800 2008 4142369 63433 drewb123