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Lunch at Metropulos
updated: May 22, 2010, 9:30 AM
By Ms Lemonjelly
There was a time I worked close to the area of Metropulos, near the Funk Zone. During that time I became a big fan of their breakfast burrito. I was actually a breakfast burrito newbie when I started eating there. But their combination of soft creamy eggs, grilled potatoes, cheese and my favorite addition of bacon, all came together with a dollop of sour cream that set my benchmark for a breakfast burrito. Perhaps it's not the "classic" breakfast burrito, lacking salsa or chorizo, but a breakfast burrito is hardly authentic Mexican...even a burrito isn't, as far as I know. But I'm not here to debate that. It's an item I enjoy from this deli that I rarely sample these days, and I'm pining away for it. Back in the day, it would fill me up past lunchtime, or was great split with a friend. I've heard that in recent times the portion has gotten a little smaller, and the price has gotten a little higher. It's probably in the $7 range now, on par with other breakfast burritos, and less expensive than other higher end delis and cafes.
My favorite sandwich in this town also comes from Metropulos. It's their very own Metro Firehouse: thin-sliced smoked turkey, smoked mozzarella, spicy chipotle aioli, roasted red peppers, mixed organic greens, all served warm and melt-y on a toasted soft roll. The critical points here are the creamy chipotle sauce and the sandwich being served warm. It is truly melt-y goodness. Add bacon, and it becomes the Ultimate Firehouse. Photo enclosed.
While I do consider these offers to be very special, there is one item at Metropulos that is not available anywhere else in town, and that's really what I'm here to chatter about. This deli market is the only place I'm aware of that makes its own gyros from scratch. The owners found that all commercially produced gyro meat contained MSG. They did not want MSG in their food, so the only solution was to make their own, using a mixture of beef and lamb. No preservatives and no MSG. There are a number of other places in town that serve gyros, and each has its own charms, but I've asked, and they bring their gyro meat in.
The gyros are the Metropulos Friday special. If they don't sell out, some might be available for Saturday, but that is an exception to the norm. On Fridays at lunch 11-2, Metropulos serves them up and often sells out the whole lot! LUNCH ONLY! They are in the $9 range, equal with other sit-down eateries offering gyros. The enclosed photo does not do it justice.
Order at the counter, then shop around their extensive selection of balsamics, sea salts, or stock up on cheese and charcuterie (4 oz minimum per cheese or meat), then pay for it all at the cashier. They also have an in-house pastry chef, whipping up yummy desserts, I like their housemade toasted coconut marshmallow when it's available, $1.
There's indoor and outdoor casual seating, parking can be tight during peak lunchtimes, and traffic gets noisy at that corner. Hot deli items also tend to take longer to prepare, keep that in mind. On the rare occasions I might have a Friday afternoon off, I'll hit up the deli around 11:30, to beat the rush.
Metropulos Fine Foods
216 East Yanonali Street
www.metrofinefoods.com
Related blog entry from gutfud.com
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