Le Metro French Bistro - Divisadero - San Francisco

Ooh la la, pour un brunch joyeux!
Le Metro Cafe: 311 Divisadero, San Francisco, CA 94117, tel: 415 552 0903

Please note - Le Metro Bistro has since closed.

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As I made my way past the kitchen to Le Metro's patio garden, which is open for brunch only, I spied these little jewel-like cubes of beet and goat cheese being prepared in the kitchen. Bright and zingy with a pronounced basil dressing that was fresh and fragrant, this side dish was the perfect foil for the rich, eggy dishes that dominate the brunch menu.

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New to that menu is a Vegetarian Tartlette, a puff pastry base topped with meltingly tender leeks, tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. The egg is an optional extra that comes soft-poached with a dribble of the hollandaise that makes Le Metro's many Benedict options crowd-pleasers. A vibrant red pepper sauce paints a colourful flourish that rounds off the dish. Wash down with a generous glass of Cremant Rose.

My friend Vinny, (Happy Birthday today, Vinny), remarked of his Croque Madame that he wish it hadn't been served actually on top of the green salad. The same could be said of my green leaves too which became a little wilted under the warm tart.

Le Metro is the only place of in San Francisco I know of where you are served Potatoes Dauphine. These are large puffy balls made from a mix of pate choux and potato that put a big smile on Fred's face (and mine too).

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All of our visits to Le Metro so far, have been for brunch. The waitress hinted we should try dinner instead, unfortunately served inside the little bistro only, (we love the garden), that is rumoured to be remarkably good value. That makes sense - Le Metro was immortalized by our favourite playgirl chef Rachael Ray when she visited San Francisco on her $40-a day budget. We'll have to return and try dinner soon.

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Another good reason for food-loving types to get over to this part of town during the day is that Le Metro is just a few doors away from Cookin' - Recycled Gourmet Appurtenances. This place is a treasure-chest beyond the dreams of any food blogger. You can find just about anything in this cluttered little shop packed to the rafters with glasses, saucepans, baking trays, foundu sets, waffle presses, etc. It's certainly not a cheap place to shop and we couldn't get the proprietor to budge on any of her prices, but it might be just the place to find the wierd old kitchen-something you have always been looking for. Check out Kevin's Cookin' post at Bacon Press for more details and pictures from inside the store too.




PS This overview was tried & tested, which means we have visited Le Metro at least three times.

Links, Resources and Further Reading

Bay Area Resources:
Cookin' | Location
Le Metro | reserve via Opentable

Other Resources:
Pommes Dauphine | Recipes

And on this day in 2004: It was Vinny's birthday two years ago too.

Food | French | Western Addition | San Francisco | Bay Area | Restaurant | Brunch

Le Metro French Bistro - Divisadero - San Francisco