This Thursday March 1, Josh DeLoach, the chef from the Hook & Ladder Winery, will be at MetroPrime for a wine dinner organized by International Wines. The wine is a pretty fair representative of California’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Cab, Zinfandel and Gewurztraminer, but it is certainly more than a good enough excuse for a four-course dinner at MetroPrime, which opened in the most visible of all 5 Points South locations in November.
So if the restaurant is still new to you, you should know that it is a serious steak house, notwithstanding the frivolity you may associate with the Southside.
How serious? MetroPrime has its own artisan butcher, Ben Plesic, who made the bacon in-house for the first course of Shrimp and Grits by putting a dry-rub on skin-on Duroc pork bellies, curing them for a week, and then smoking them for 4-5 hours in MetroPrime’s own in-house smoker. That smoker is the secret to much of MetroPrime’s carnal excellence.
Similarly, for the hors d’oeuvres, MetroPrime made its own bratwurst in natural casings and simmered in beer with sweet mustards and served with, instead of the typical champagne aperitif, Avondale Brewing Company Spring Street Saison. I know that is good beer because Avondale Brewery is right across the street from the Birmingham Weekly, so we have done our research. Again, MetroPrime smoked the bratwurst in-house.
Chef Warren Weiss, who trained in the kitchens of FonFon and Bottega, has another big treat in store, I know since I tried it myself, individual portions of the classic Beef Wellington, right down to the delicious mushroom duxelles, the dried mushroom paste that lines the pastry shell encasing the meat. And he will finish you up with a poached pear crisp topped with vanilla ice cream from Wright Dairies (note the focus on local suppliers from the beer to the ice cream).
Go to http://www. metroprimesteak.com/ for more information. MetroPrime Steakhouse 1035 20th Street South 205 623-5288
