The power of the internet is something that is still awe inspiring for me. My latest fascination with Facebook has not only gotten me in touch with highschool pals (some dear and some less so), my baby cousins (not babies anymore- most of them are getting married and graduating from colleges), friends I’ve met via the internet (hurray for Andra Sue!) and people who knew me way way way back in the beginnings of my adulthood or as my friend said tonight, “I’ve known you since you were a just a baby dyke”. Indeed.
Two old friends, Lisabeth and Lisa, I had lost contact with contacted me last week via Facebook. Both of them knew me, well, it feels like a lifetime ago. Before I was a storeowner, I was hugely involved in grassroots community organizing work. I attended a lot of retreats centered around “undoing racism” “diversity training” “creating change”…worthy causes but I’ve always been someone who takes everything to heart and so it was always hard for me to feel crushed under the weight of all the oppressions in the world and not really get very far in changing much. I wasn’t cut out for the front line of social change activism. And so I left the work and a huge portion of my networks and friends as a result. How could I justify sitting at a queer women’s community organizer potluck if I not only didn’t organize anymore but I also kinda sold out?
Lisabeth has a new job that brings her to Boston from DC on a monthly basis. And she wanted to have dinner and catch up. So where to go with a dear old friend? What restaurant would live up to this special reunion?
After going thru my mental rolodex of restaurants in Boston, I remembered Metropolis. I always forget about this place! But it’s kinda like a long lost friend. This tiny little wine bar is also home to some of the best meals I’ve had in the city. It’s cozy and unpretentious. Metropolis was the perfect place to meet Lisabeth.
I arrived to find her at the bar flirting with all those around her, the bartender the guy and the girl on either side of her. Some things won’t ever change; Lisabeth is a natural charmer. She gets along with everyone and b/c of her easy going nature I felt instantly at home. I got a great big hug from her before we were led to a cozy corner table for our “date”. Next month Lisa will be coming down to Boston with Lisabeth and I can barely wait to see her!
The food is great. I can’t stress enough how good the food at this place really is. Lisabeth had a grilled calamari appetizer and I swear I think she might have started to lick the bowl it came in, if the waitress hadn’t come in the nix of time. I had a yummy gnocchi and dock confit starter. The gnocchi was truly featherly light. And the sauce was very flavorful. It wasn’t very thick but the crusty bread set down at our table before our dishes came out helped me to mop up the juice.
Lisabeth moved onto a medium rare 8oz steak served with argula and mash potatoes. She was very happy. I stuck with my tried and true dish…the pan roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and a sautéed mushroom gravy. I consider my own home roasted chicken pretty damn tasty but Metropolis’ chicken is highly addictive. It’s seasoned perfectly with a very crisp crackling skin. I watch the woman sitting next to me finish her chicken and leave the skin. Seemed like a crying shame to me, but eh I guess crunchy salty animal fat isn’t for everyone.
The desserts at Metropolis are fantastic. They’re homey and generously sized. Enough to share - as long as you’re not eating with me. Otherwise you’ll need to get your own. Lisabeth and I finished with two orders of banana bread pudding. I love bananas and I love bread pudding so it seemed like a perfect pairing to me. It was divine and the perfect way to end a meal with a dear old friend.
We lingered over our coffees and prolonged our farewells. I’m very happy it was only goodbye until next month. As we walked outside we felt the snowflakes starting to fall. Oye Boston!
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