This short article at first appeared in Connecticut Journal.
Here, in alphabetical purchase, we sing the praises of our Greatest Places to eat 2021 Experts’ Picks in the group of Total Excellence. These are the 15 Connecticut dining establishments that we believe signify the quite ideal of the greatest eating in the state.
Metro Bis, Simsbury
Due to the fact 1998, chef Chris Prosperi and his husband or wife, Courtney Febbroriello, have been delighting regulars with bistro foodstuff showcasing a wide selection of culinary influences and neighborhood, seasonal components. Given that 2019 the restaurant has occupied the rambling ground ground of a gorgeously renovated 1906 brownstone mansion. Just one eating space, in a former analyze, boasts wooden paneling, a carved mahogany fireplace mantel, and Art Nouveau gentle fixtures salvaged from the Paris Métro.
The kitchen area turns out fare to match the classy environment. Starters aspect such clever novelties as cauliflower waffles, even though entrées favor the hearty: a peppery duck confit, or flat-iron steak paved with a crust of gorgonzola. You will find upscale consolation food items, these kinds of as jumbo shrimp atop cheddary grits and braised collard greens in a smoked bacon and tomatillo gravy. And then there is certainly the extremely-opulent Metro Bis meatloaf – ground tenderloin in an intensely flavored wine reduction with wild mushrooms – that Prosperi jokingly phone calls “the bane of my existence,” considering that he has to make these types of colossal amounts. Often the chef’s bane is the customer’s blessing.
Prosperi notes that nowadays he serves the grandchildren of partners present at Metro Bis’ starting. “We are a fixture right here,” he claims. “We’re portion of the city, and these prospects are section of our family.” This is won’t be able to-skip eating, set forth by a cafe continuing to function at the peak of its electricity. – RRC
860-651-1908 • metrobis.com • Instagram: @metro_bis_restaurant