Once Great, Now Just Over-Rated
Monday, July 02, 2007
Dining at 'The Met' in the last couple of years is like watching an old friend who has sunk into mediocrity after years of excellence. It hurts, but you have to speak the truth for their own good. It's time for an intervention.
To be clear I've been a long-time fan of 'The Met', making it my go-to restaurant for any occassion big or small. I've been lucky enough to enjoy some of the best steak houses in the world but The Met was always my personal favorite with truly superior food, staff and ambience. This makes it all the harder to admit that over the last couple of years The Met has lost its tradition of excellence.
Example, on a recent Sunday my wife and I were entertaining out of town guests. They'd heard me rave about The Met for years so fingers crossed, we made reservations. Sad to say the experience was a let down. The wait staff was robotic and showed no real interest or initiative in our dining experience. The ceaser salad drowned in dressing, the cheese sauce for the brocolli had a curdled film on top, the filet was poorly cut with a layer of fat on the edges, and there was so much grissle in our friend's Poterhouse that he had to leave a thrid on the plate. To be fair the desserts were all superior, with every choice better than the last.
The Maitre D' seemed to be occupied in some gossip with the waitstaff, stopping only for a plastic smile to customers on their way out. Someone needs to tell this guy to lead by example, and the service will improve.
Suffice to say our guests were disappointed. For about $90 a person, plus tip, we expected a lot more. I hope the Met has a shake-up soon because there was nothing like the old Met experience. Until then, save yourself the disappointment and dine at one of the other excellent steak houses in town.
Pros: Excellent ambiance, great bar, wonderful tradition over many years
Cons: Robotic wait-staff, good food but over-prepared, needs to get back to their tradition of excellence