Serbian Satisfaction
Savor a taste of Adriatic cuisine at Metro Caf
By Richard Foss
I was at the Metro Café when someone at the next table got a call on his cellphone. “I can’t hear you,” he bellowed, even though the room wasn’t loud. “Where am I? I’m in some little Mediterranean place in Culver City.”
He was both rude and wrong. Serbia is on the Adriatic, not the Mediterranean, and the Metro Café gives Angelenos a taste of that cuisine. It’s not all that’s served in this odd little place, which looks like a typical motel eatery but isn’t. The motel was built around the café, and operated for years by an eccentric who made it a dog-friendly restaurant with monogrammed water bowls for favored canines. It changed hands last year, becoming a combination diner and Serbian restaurant.
The Metro offers a printed menu with nice graphics and unexceptional selections, and a daily list that has all the interesting items, with hand-scrawled notes telling which are sold out. Naturally, I focused on the interesting stuff, ordering a mozzarella, eggplant, and basil stack ($9.95) as a starter and a plate of chevapchichi ($13.95), a Balkan kebab, for a main course. Not to neglect the regular menu completely, my companion ordered a California burger ($9.95).
The mozzarella eggplant stack was delicious but messy; real mozzarella can be stringy, and it took dexterity to get bites that didn’t trail melted cheese in all directions. It was worth it, though – the tangy herbed tomato and red pepper sauce that accompanied the cheese and vegetables was robust but not overwhelming, and the dish was fresh and fragrant.
The chevapchichi was authentic to a fault. Serbian food is milder than the other cuisines of the region, using simple flavors rather than the high doses of spice that are popular in Greece and Italy. The cylinders of grilled ground beef tasted mainly of beef, garlic, and onion, with just a dash of salt and pepper – wholesome, but not much more interesting than any other hamburger. It was served with a sweet red pepper paste on the side, which helped considerably, and some good herbed home fries.
The burger proved that the “Diner” sign outside wasn’t just decoration – it was quite decent, with a healthy portion of avocado and mozzarella, and fresh-tasting meat on a slightly sweet bun. The sweet potato fries were good too, crisp and lightly sweet.
I liked the meal so much that I returned the next day, this time ordering zucchini pancakes ($6.95), trout with basil and tomato ($13.95), and Wienerschnitzel ($13.95). The pancakes were golden-brown discs of grated zucchini, egg, and flour, drizzled with garlic mayonnaise that gave a shot of herb and sharpness. The Serbian fondness for simplicity warred with my Californian palate; though they were good, I added salt and pepper and wished for a little dill. My companion went through them like a chainsaw but mentioned a desire for a little more assertive seasoning.
The trout had the flavor I craved, the fish fried in olive oil and herbs, then topped with fresh tomato, red bell pepper, and basil. I’m a sucker for fresh trout, and this hit the mark. The fluffy mashed potatoes and Serbian salad (identical to a Greek salad) made a fine lunch. The schnitzel was just a bit less satisfying – the breaded beef was commendably greaseless and crisp, but the meat was a bit too thin and so became a bit leathery when cooked. It was very close to right, but not quite.
We had hoped to try one of the house crepes but had no room left, thanks to the substantial portions. We’re likely to return, since the welcome here was hearty, the service attentive, and the food generally good and cheap. The Metro isn’t a destination restaurant, but it’s a useful place only a block off Sepulveda in an area without many other good choices. If you crave Adriatic comfort food and you’re on the West Side, this is the place.
Metro Café, 11188 Washington Place, Culver City, (310) 559-6821. Breakfast and lunch daily; dinner daily except Mon. No alcohol; wheelchair access good; off-street parking.
Published: 01/16/2008
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT
