Metro Brasserie & Bar

It was a Saturday afternoon, and my sister wanted to get out of the house for a bit, so she called me up to see if I was interested in joining her. While I really wanted to be at home watching the NFL draft, I agreed to just read about it later and said that I would join her. I asked her what it was she wanted to do; but that she did not have an answer for. We tossed around some ideas back and forth and finally she decided that she really wanted some beignets. We had become hooked on beignets ever since we first had them at the Grand Lux Cafe a little over a year ago, and while we don't indulge in them often, sometimes you just need a beignet! Since it was Saturday afternoon, I didn't want to deal with the madness trying to park at the mall where Grand Lux Cafe is located, so I suggested that we try a new French place that is across the street from the mall where the parking would be easier. She agreed and then suggested that we call our "sister" Karen. We called Karen and she was up for it, so off we went to Metro.

Metro is located on the Scottsdale Waterfront (aka canal) right by Fashion Square. About two years ago the area was redeveloped and a bunch of new restaurants have popped up, though Metro is only about 6 months old. Metro occupies the space that was originally called The Foodbar, which didn't last long due to its confusing layout and lack of indoor seating (I mean who wants to sit outside in July???). I had been to Foodbar once, and wasn't impressed, so I was anxious to try its replacement.

It was around 3 o'clock by the time that we arrived, and we happened to be having an unusually cool day, so we decided to sit on the patio. Not surprisingly, there was only one other table occupied, but as we walked through the restaurant I did notice that indoor seating options had greatly improved. Laura and I scanned the menu while we waited for Karen to arrive. Our mission for the afternoon was beignets, but since we had both not had lunch, we decided that we would just order some snacks to share before we got down to business. Once Karen arrived, we decided to order the Onion Soup Gratin ($8), a side of Macaroni & Cheese ($5) and the Moules Frites ($18).

The food came out very quickly, which should have not been surprising considering we were basically the only ones there. The Onion Soup Gratin looked decadent as it was placed on our table. It was quite a large crock's worth of soup, so it was plenty for us to share. The bread used to hold the thick layer of Gruyere cheese was a brioche, which added a rich element to the dish. The soup was excellent, we all agreed that it had great flavor without being overly salty. And we were very happy with the generous amount of cheese on top of the soup. It was a great beginning to our lazy afternoon.


Laura was the first to try the Macaroni & Cheese, and she immediately declared it to be excellent. I tried a bite and had to agree. It had just the right amount of cheese sauce covering the noodles, which were cooked perfectly. The sauce was not overwhelming or rich, it just had a nice smooth flavor. Karen tried a bite next and agreed that it was a very good dish. Laura ultimately decided that this was her favorite Macaroni & Cheese to date, and the portion was just the right size.


Next, a large cast iron black pot was placed on our table, when the waiter removed the lid we were in awe at the huge amount of mussels that were hidden inside. The pot was filled to the brim; Laura grabbed her fork and grabbed the first one. She scooped it out of the shell and dipped it in the broth below before popping it into her mouth. I went to grab one myself, and noticed that Karen was being a bit hesitant. She said that she had never had mussels before, so we gave her a little lesson on what to do, and she was then ready to dig in! She really enjoyed her first mussel experience. The broth that the mussels had been steamed in was light and flavorful, with the most prominent flavor being garlic. Next we tried the Frites (fries) that came with the mussels. They were served in a tin bucket with a dipping sauce on the side. The Frites were delicious; they were served hot and had been sprinkled with sea salt and herbs, and the dipping sauce was an herb mayonnaise. The dipping sauce really made these Frites, it was spectacular, the Frites were good as well, but in general, I like mine to be a bit thinner than these were. We had only made it about halfway through the giant pot of mussels when we realized that if we didn't stop now, we wouldn't be able to complete our mission; beignets!. So we gave up on the mussels (with great sadness) and awaited for the star of our meal to arrive.

The beignets came out, and before I could snap a picture, both Laura and Karen grabbed one off the plate! For those of you not familiar with beignets, they are basically a sweet dough, deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar (very similar to a donut). These were served with three different sauces on the side; chocolate Nutella, vanilla bean and raspberry coulis. Laura's favorite way to eat these is to mix the vanilla and the raspberry, while I like all three together! Since this was also Karen's first beignet experience, she experimented with the different sauces and determined that she liked the vanilla best. Laura and I decided that these beignets were the best we had had yet! They were warm and cooked all the way through, so they were not doughy in the middle. They were the perfect finale to our mid-afternoon snack!

The three of us had a very nice time and a wonderful meal at Metro. We are all eager to return for a "real" meal so that we can explore the menu a bit further. Unlike most of the restaurants in the area, they are also open for breakfast, which I am eager to try, as is Laura once she noticed that they have Eggs Benedict! We left Metro and strolled around the shops at the Waterfront for a bit to "walk off" our meal, it was a lovely afternoon and I can't wait to go back!

Metro Brasserie & Bar

7114 E. Stetson Dr.

Suite 105

Scottsdale, AZ 85281

www.metrosouthbridge.com