Weekday lunches at Metropolitan restaurant constitute the sort of bargain that those of us suffering in a staggering economy need. For only slightly more than you’d pay for a sandwich, chips and soda at a soul-crushing fast-food joint, you can enjoy a full-service lunch in one of Utah’s most inviting and attractive restaurants. For real.
The place is posh, but trust me: Metro’s servers don’t bite. Come in wearing cargo shorts and flip-flops. Nobody will scowl. Nor will they try to upsell you when you order the big, juicy Metro bison burger, which comes with a generous helping of sweet potato frites—all for a mere $12. For $9, the toasted tuna-melt panini comes on caraway-spiked foccacia with artisanal cheddar and house-made caper mustard. And every lunch features a daily sandwich special, plus salad, for $12.
The chicken pot pie ($12) I ate for lunch at Metropolitan was hands-down the best pot pie I’ve ever had the pleasure of busting into, although it seemed nearly criminal to destroy that beautiful artwork with a fork. The gorgeous, golden crust was light and ultra-flaky—nearly ethereal in texture and taste, adorned by two simple fried sage leaves. The filling was chunks of chicken, carrots and Yukon gold potatoes and peas (no frozen veggies here), all bathed in a silky sage-infused gravy and served in an individual terrine. Pair it with a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Gris and you’ve just turned an otherwise humdrum midday lunch break into an event.
With food this good—at prices this reasonable—it’s a mystery to me why there aren’t lines down the block outside Metropolitan at lunchtime. I can’t think of another place where $10 or $12 goes so far.
METROPOLITAN
173 W. Broadway
801-364-3472
TheMetropolitan.com