Table Talk Portland: Metrovino Begins Happy Hour Today (Last Night For Some of Us)

Friday, May 29, 2009

Metrovino Begins Happy Hour Today (Last Night For Some of Us)

Last night Jen and I decided to try Metrovino's new happy hour menu and upon arrival we found out it didn't actually start until today. Jen and I both started crying when the hostess told us that we would have to order off the regular menu and Jen started going on and on to Todd the owner about how this was the worst day of her entire life, because she wore two different colored flip flops to work and everyone kept starting at her and now she wouldn't be able to try the happy hour menu.

Todd, being the nice gentleman that he was and wanting to avoid more of Jen's sobs told us that he would let us order of the happy hour menu. We were intstantly happy and ordered a bottle of the Prieure de Montezargues Tavel Rose ($25) to celebrate. It is a grenache Rose with beautiful with hints of strawberry pie and a light mineral taste.

We almost ordered one of everything to compensate for Jen's bad day...

We started with the delicious 3 Oysters ($3) served cucumber mignonette, ponzu wasabi and horseradish cocktail.

Tataki of hawaiian yellowtail with radish, meyer lemon and white soy ($9), which is the epitome of a perfect summer dish with the tender slices of tuna and the tartness of the meyer lemon, and perfectly salted from the white soy.

The charcuterie of the day, which was housemade pork and duck rillette ($3) with a pickled beet.

The perfect chilled cream of asparagus soup with cauliflower mousse and oregon bay shrimp $5.

After all that Jen and I were still feeling like we needed something small so we orderd a bowl of the new england style seafood chowder with bacon lardons and garlic croutons $6... I am going to say that it was the BEST chowder I have ever had. It was so chunky with clams, halibut, oregon bay shrip, and pototoes and topped with a pile of lardo on top.

As Jen and I were enjoying the patio and our very full bellys, staring out at the sun soaked Pearl we thought our Rose had made us look at everything with rose colored glasses when we saw this Pearlie couple walking by in matching pink shirts.