The Metro Café

Cuisine: Modern American
Address: 303 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI
Telephone: (734) 213 9100
Web: http://www.metrocafea2.com
Price: $$

The restaurant space is on its fourth incarnation that we are aware of. The interior has been slightly updated - new artwork and (thankfully!) no dolphins in sight - to create a modern, comfortable atmosphere without pushing the envelope too much. Dinner starts with a bread basket many sizes too large for the three rolls inside it. The rolls were a little greasy and chewy - stay away unless you are starving! We sampled three small plates - beef empanadas ($7), teriyaki tofu ($8) and spiced vegetable tempura ($7). There were three beef empanadas on a bed of mesclun greens and an orange sauce drizzle. The teriyaki tofu came slightly charred, layered with gently sautéed spinach and mushrooms. The tempura was a mix of sweet potatoes, peppers, asparagus, etc. and came with a rather heavy cream-based dipping sauce instead of the traditional soy sauce based one. All three dishes were tasty and nicely presented. Although we ordered from the "small plates" section of the menu, the portions were larger than expected and enough to feed two hungry diners. The dessert platter looked tempting and decidedly more original than anticipated. We tried the raspberry passion fruit tart ($6) and the molten lava cake ($7). The passion fruit tart was pleasantly tangy offering a nice contrast to the intense chocolate of the lava cake. The molten lava cake came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and both desserts were accompanied by a raspberry sauce drizzle. Very tasty!