Dining Out Boston

"Underwhelming" was the word that kept coming to mind as I struggled to digest my food after leaving Metropolis Cafe.

My foodie friends and I selected Metropolis Cafe for a birthday brunch because research and word-of-mouth had consistently pointed to it being one of best restaurants in the South End. Today, in addition to failing to live up to its reputation, it also soured my iron stomach, a feat achieved usually by only low-quality chain establishments

Metropolis doesn't take reservations for brunch, so we waited approximately thirty minutes before securing a table in the crowded, red-walled dining room. Our server was pleasant enough, but after the fact we noticed he failed to tell us about any of the brunch specials, which were scrawled on a misplaced sandwich board outside.

The brunch menu at Metropolis offers an appropriate mix of sweet and savory items for very reasonable prices, as well as some breakfast cocktails like the grapefruit mimosa. After weighing the merits of Huevos Rancheros ($10) and banana pancakes ($7), I decided instead to go for the unusual Boursin and Chive Scrambled Eggs ($7).

Twenty minutes later the waiter returned with our orders. I recovered from my initial shock over the small portions and dug into my little pile of potatoes, hoping for a huge burst in flavor. They were decidedly dull and tasted way too similar to a version I myself had once prepared at home, which is never a promising sign. Disappointed, I moved onto to the eggs, which packed small bursts of cheese, but displayed no visible or visceral sign of the chives. Rounding out the mediocre plate was one lone slice of wheat bread (cold), which brightened up with a package of strawberry jelly from the condiment bin.

I considered initially that I simply had ordered the wrong thing, but little by little my friends also dropped hints that their food was not quite up to snuff. Feng's chorizo and scrambled eggs were so salty that she was forced to consume three-plus tall glasses of water and Genevieve's granola, yogurt, and berries seemed more like scattered oats with a side of fruit. Our birthday girl Juliana finished most of her Huevos Rancheros withou complaint, but I couldn't help but notice the inadequate dollops of sour cream and salsa, and the needle-thin strips of tortilla. For God's sake, give the girl a whole chip or two.

Others will probably continue to eat at Metropolis and enjoy it, but I'm waiting a good while before giving them a second try. There are way too many other great brunch places in this city and I'm not wasting any more of my Sunday mornings rationing out bland toast and eggs.

The Info
Metropolis Cafe
584 Tremont St., Boston