Metro Bis Moves Into The Simsbury 1820 House

Metro Bis has moved less than a mile, and yet it seems like a big move, because the highly regarded restaurant is now ensconced in the historic Simsbury 1820 House, an elegant country inn with a rich history.

The welcoming inn

has 32 rooms, some upstairs

and some in what was originally the carriage house. There are many nice touches throughout the inn.

Of course, we’re here not for lodging but for an evening repast. Those who have visited Metro Bis before may notice that the attractive dining areas feature the same color scheme as the prior location.

We’re greeted both by celebrity chef Chris Prosperi

and ever-gracious Courtney Febbroriello,

whose book Wife of the Chef—A True Story of a Restaurant and Romance

was a big hit a few years ago.

We order a nice glass of Chardonnay

and a lovely bottle of red wine

from the Metro Bis cellar.

Pita bread is served with what appears to be a red pepper hummus.

The menu is so intriguing we take a while making up our minds.

For our first course, we share small servings of the lobster bisque.

For our second course, one companion has the autumn arugula salad with ingredients from nearby Holcomb Farm,

one the crab cocktail

and I the Asian tuna and salmon tartare.

For our third course, the entrées,

one companion has the Block Island swordfish in a corn and clam chowder,

one the Gorgonzola-encrusted flat iron steak,

and I the pan-seared rainbow trout.

For sides, we have a delightful farro salad,

a couscous flavored with sumac

and polenta made with corn flour from nearby Young’s Farm.

For our final course, dessert,

one companion has decaf coffee, one has tea,

and I have a cappuccino.

One companion has the lemon posset,

one some Cold Fusion gelatos with liqueur,

and I a maple white chocolate bread pudding with white chocolate crème anglaise.

Besides these main dining areas, upstairs there will be porch dining in warm weather

and a bar area, which will include this wood taken from a fallen branch of Simsbury’s famous Pinchot sycamore, Connecticut’s largest tree and one of the three largest sycamores in the United States.