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October 6, 2005

Tale of two Shelton eateries: Not going to play favorites

By MIKE WOOD

It was the best of times, it was the best of times. Thus begins my tale of two Shelton eateries. But unlike the Dickens' novel, this story only has one head facing the guillotine: mine. You see, a good friend recently opened Madison's, which, unfortunately (for me), is in direct competition with the Metro Grille and Bar, another Shelton establishment that's been around for years — and also where my brother-in-law David works.

Now, I've been going to The Metro (882 Bridgeport Ave. 929-1000) forever, but, as (bad) luck would have it, I never wrote about it because I wanted to save it for a case of writer's block or an unexpected deadline. This decision led to a lot of good-natured ribbing from my brother-in-law, but since many of my columns were not necessarily restaurant related, I was able to hold him off. But then Madison's (514 Bridgeport Ave., 402-0353) came along.

And, of course, my first instinct was to write about it, so I went there twice during its opening week. Once with a group of friends for dinner and drinks in the bar and later for a quiet evening with my wife in the dining room. On each trip it was excellent, and I left satisfied and eager to share my experience.

But as I sat at my computer, all I could hear were the voices of David, and owners Fran and Howard, and the rest of the staff at the Metro haunting me with their hurt feelings. "We've provided nothing but great food, good times and fine service for you for the past 10 years. What do they have that we don't?"

And the truth is not much. Sure, it's beautiful, exciting, and new, but so is the Metro (minus the new part.) And take away the shiny sparkle and palpable energy of Madison's (typical of a new restaurant certain of its success), and the two really do have a lot in common — and much to offer. Madison's does have a bit more in size, entertainment and functionality, with a huge bar surrounded by TVs, live music on the weekends and a banquet room that can handle events of up to 200 people. In these areas, the Metro simply can not compete, and instead wisely put its efforts into catering to the individual, while providing a more intimate setting for smaller parties, like bridal showers and birthdays.

As far as the food, they're both outstanding. Their kitchens are manned by creative chefs who, when they aren't adding personal touches to classics, are creating original dishes that make it deliciously difficult to decide what to order. Some nights I don't make it to the Metro until after the kitchen has closed, but I always ask to see the specials, just to read about the interesting combinations of exotic and unexpected flavors Fran came up with for the night. While over at Madison's, Chef Andy Thanassi has created a menu that includes several signature dishes featuring my favorite item, cherry peppers. Both restaurants sport a city theme, with Madison's having a midtown feel, complete with a photo mural of the New York City skyline, Yankees' memorabilia and replicas of manhole covers dotting the floor. The Metro has more of an East Village thing going on, with eclectic paintings, provocative statuary and plenty of cool objets d'art (which I think must be French for "everyday items dressed up as art") scattered about.

And each maintains a casual, yet classy, atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable in a suit or confident in a pair of jeans. The staffs just know how to read their guests and adjust to provide either a formal fine-dining experience or a friendly, relaxed service.

Which probably explains the diverse crowds that fill the dining rooms and bars — for whether you want to discuss business, impress a date, meet people, or just hang out with friends, both places provide it all.

And hopefully I have provided all of you with enough information to make you want to go to each place again and again. I tried not to play favorites, because I really don't have one.

Posted by getout on October 6, 2005 8:17 AM