Metropole

Metropole Restaurant Review:

Occupying an urban space across from the Aronoff Center for the Arts, Metropole is a place to see and be seen --- starting at the rooftop terrace. Those in the know head there first (via a specially marked door off Gano Alley, which leads to the service elevator that goes to the 11th floor). You can enjoy cocktails or beer, wine and bar snacks before proceeding to the farm-to-fireplace goodness of the American restaurant in the 21c Museum Hotel. It is a place that pays attention to service, food preparation and an artistic ambience. The seasonal menu focuses on dishes cooked in a custom-built, wood-burning fireplace. For starters, try the seven-hour egg, seared radishes and charred olives. Salad options include burnt carrot with avocado, pickled onion, feta, cilantro and pumpkin seeds. Then try the Woodland Farm pork served with celery root, fiddlehead ferns and orange, with a side of shaved kohlrabi that mingles with apples, mustard seeds, dill and Parmesan. Finish with the pineapple upside-down cake or a frozen vanilla bean parfait.