2 Dishes by 2 Chefs @ Le Metro
A couple of us were fortunate the other night when we stopped into Le Metro and discovered that there were two sous chefs on duty. Mark Zanghi (left), who prepared my friend Lorne's meal, and Joe Ferro (right) who cooked up mine. We had an ulterior motive upon stopping in - Le Metro is a sweet place to catch a Sabre's Game. The food was a bonus, so we grabbed a couple of stools at the bar and settled into the game. The game was unsettling, but the food made up for the action.
After going through the menu three times (and getting advice from the staff), I chose the flank steak. It had been a long time since I had ordered this type of steak solely because my mom and dad cooked it so often when I was younger. It was always a family favorite and I was suspicious of anyone else attempting to cook it. For some reason I decided that it was the perfect night to retry a favorite dish. It didn't hurt that the offering came with a side of truffle-whipped potatoes, sautéed rapini (a cruciferous green vegetable), and chimichurri sauce (for a little bite). "Bam!" The thinly carved meat was served tender and rare, though the outside was cooked just as a flank should be. The combo of the rest of the ingredients was also good because with meals like this I tend to mix and match each bite. It was imperative that all of the tastes worked well with each other... and they did. My friend Lorne had an equally enjoyable experience, as you will read below.
Le Metro Bakery & Café has flavor to savor!
Upon settling into my favorite spot at Le Metro Bakery & Café’s (Elmwood Avenue) urban-chic bar to watch another Sabres’ game with a glass of red wine (Arte Zin 2004 Malbec – great call, Laurie!) and relaxed conversation with staff and other patrons, I ordered the Beef Short Rib Bourguignonne (below) as a late dinner.
The burgundy wine-and-veggie braised short ribs were succulent, lean and delicious. Adorned with a sprig of rosemary, the dish was served with roasted fingerling potatoes, pearl onions, baby carrots, and button shitake mushrooms – each bite was flavorful and satisfying. The entrée was complemented by fresh sliced ciabatta bread, butter spread and a second glass of robust Malbec wine.
Although our revered swashbucklers on skates lost their game to the Sens, the disappointment was more than offset by the meal, warm atmosphere and good company…a dining experience that Alyssa Crotchtingle would savor! -Lorne
Le Metro is located at 520 Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. (716) 885-1500
How nice to find this posting about your excellent experience at Le Metro!
What I find even more
satisfying is that your visit came on a night when my Exec Chef, Louis
Zanghi, was off for
the evening -- which confirms not only his talent, but his leadership as
well. One of the great things about having access to a chef of this calibre
is that his culinary personality shines through seven days a week, and
inevitably filters into his talented staff (like sous chefs Joe Ferro and
Mark Zanghi (brother to Louis, and who has worked by his side for six years;
need I say more). Again, kudos to my kitchen and my entire staff, and yes,
lucky me.
A quick aside! In the coming weeks you will see some exciting new changes in time for 2007. In addition to some aesthetic improvments, Le Metro on Elmwood will be unveiling a new name. That's right, we'll be standing apart from our suburb location! Most notably, our staff, food, and patrons will all remain the same! To our patrons, we thank you for making this possible.
Again -- see you soon,
Jon DiBernardo