Restaurant Review

Last night laurion and I managed to go out for our anniversary (was supposed to happen the 16th, but the snow prevented it). We had decided that we wanted to find a nice restaurant locally and ended up going to the new Metro 9 Steakhouse (where Desmond O'Malley's used to be). It was really excellent.

We arrived around 7:30 with no reservation and were given an accurate and friendly time estimate (took about 30 minutes to get seated). We had a lovely table in a semi-secluded nook. Our waitress gave some of the most professional service I've encountered in a long time. She explained the menu very well, without being condescending. She knew when to be invisible and exactly when to come over and see if we were ready to order.

We ordered our meals and just as I was mentioning that I hoped bread would come, because I was hungry, the salads arrived, just about literally 2 minutes after we ordered, but obviously freshly prepared. I had their chopped salad, which was a lovely vegetable mix with spiced pecans, blue cheese and a dijon vinaigrette. My one complaint about it was that everything was chopped so finely (to be well mixed) that it was a bit difficult to eat. laurion had their arugula and green apple salad. The apple was finely julienned so it was really a part of the salad and not a salad with apple on it as so often happens with that type of salad.

Being a steakhouse we each got a steak, which are served with choice of sauce and also a selection of different sea salts. I had their small filet mingon and found that the smoked sea salt was a bit too intense for me, but that the orange Hawaiian salt was just lovely. The White Zinfandel I had went really well with it. laurion seemed to enjoy his prime rib with peppercorn sauce, though I did not try it and his watermelon martini was very nice. As a note to steak lovers they are willing to cook the steak to your preference including rare. The speed at which it came out was as amazing as the salads and prompted our waitress to apologize, as she didn't want us to feel rushed, though we didn't and it was nice to have the main course come within five minutes of finishing bread and salad.

For dessert we split their Cappuccino Chocolate Cake. It was much lighter than expected (which was nice), a flavorful chocolate cake, filled with a mild cappuccino mousse and covered in a shell of chocolate ganache, served with a very nice coffee ice cream. Dessert again came at amazing speed and beat my coffee to the table, surprising even the waitress. The coffee is good, though not excellent, but I most like that even though it came in the very small cups popular at many fancy restaurant, it also came with extra in a small pot so I could continue to serve myself refills. All in all it was a lovely night and well reccommended. I agree with laurion's assesment, everything is an 8 or a 9 out of 10, there aren't any tens, but there are no fives either.