Thursday, September 25, 2008
Roanoke's best Sunday brunch
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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OK, there I've said, right up front. I have a lot of favorite Sunday breakfast and brunch places these days, but a recent brunch at Metro in downtown Roanoke found my table completely satisfied in every way with the quality of food, service and the menu items offered.
We started with a dark, delicious and spicy bloody mary: a perfect blend of vodka, horseradish, lime, tomato, Worcestershire and tomato juice. The "bloody" can be messed up pretty easily. It's a delicate blend of the aforementioned ingredients, and too much of any of them will totally throw the drink off balance. Metro bartenders make a darned good martini, too. They tend to be consistent, which is important to regular who expect that a drink arrive as they last remember enjoying it. For those wanting a refreshing drink that's out of the ordinary, you might try the house Peach Bellini, which is a lovely creation of Gratien & Meyer Champagne with peach puree!
Our drink order was taken by our waitperson, then delivered from the bar by another pleasant lady, and follow-ups throughout the remainder of the meal found us talking to various other staff who checked on us regularly for one thing or another. I have no idea how many staff members worked brunch this particular day, but we must have been served by each and every one. Yet the service was not overbearing or intrusive. It was service on the level of the Greenbrier's main dining room!
Before the food arrived and I think even before the drink orders were taken, a cigar box arrives=d at the table. One opened it to find, piping hot mini-rolls. They're quite yeasty and hot enough to melt the accompanying butter. Nice presentation.
And the food. This menu is a tough one from which to make a decision. Nearly every listed item was of interest to me, though I decided on the filet mignon and eggs served with French toast on the side.
It's the most expensive brunch item at $22, but well worth it. The filet was done medium-well (slightly pink inside and grilled on the outside), the eggs poached to light perfection, and the hollandaise was creamy and lemony -- just as you would expect. The real surprise though, were the two slices of French toast the a drizzle of syrup. This French toast is offered as a separate brunch item, and no wonder. It's an unusual recipe, not simply bread that's been dragged through egg and fried on the stove. This one is a sweet slice of heaven with toasted pecans to give it crunch and served with apricot-vanilla pure maple syrup. I had to fight to keep any on my plate once my friends started mooching off me.
Another fellow diner had the "Rustic omelet," featuring ham and cheddar cheese. You may choose two other omelets: the smoked salmon and cream cheese or the roasted market vegetables and gruyere. I recently ran into Chef Scott shopping the nearby Farmer's Market for those very fresh vegetables that are used daily in many recipes at Metro. We were celebrating a birthday, so dear Cynthia enjoyed her choice of eggs Chesapeake: perfectly poached eggs with hollandaise over crab cakes. I'm glad she shared a bite with me. The crab cakes are truly made in the fine Chesapeake tradition with little or no filling whatsoever and little to override the taste of the sweet white meat.
Just for fun (we didn't need it) we ordered a side of hash browns, nicely served in a special side dish ... a nice serving. Heck, the three of us shared this one with some left over. And one of my friends had the she-crab soup. The smoked paprika and croutons make this a standout. My friend went on about the volume of crab for this dish -- it's a crab-fest in a bowl.
Prices are reasonable and the menu gives you lots of options, everything from a $9 sausage gravy over toasted egg bread on up to shrimp and grits for $16 and the prime rib at $22. Brunch offers something for everyone, including linguini with white clam sauce and freshly-shaved Parmigiana.
Heck, I wasn't even freshly-shaved; and neither by the way, is Chef Scott, who has perfected the art of the three day beard.
As with most meals at Metro -- lunch, dinner or brunch -- you may choose many regular menu items from the sushi side, as were nearby diners enjoying wraps, sandwiches and sushi dishes.
Our only disappointment of the day: We filled up before we could try anything else. But we gave it a good try.
Metro
13 E. Campbell Ave.
Roanoke, VA. 24011
540-345-6645
