Metropolitan Caterers in Glen Cove repurposes rooms for restaurant dining

"We aim to give our customers a place to celebrate life and life’s special moments," reads the mission statement of Metropolitan Caterers, a Glen Cove venue that has become something of an expert at special moments over its 30-plus years of existence, hosting innumerable weddings, Sweet Sixteens, and all the milestones that have gone uncelebrated over the past year.

Things are slowly improving in the events business, but in the meantime, Rushi Patel and Rekha Maini, two of Metropolitan’s owners, are focusing on the "celebrate life," offering diners the chance to make every day special — or most days, anyway — with their new Metropolitan Restaurant & Bar, which opened March 10.

Chef Anthony Falco, who worked the kitchen at the long-shuttered Tupelo Honey in Sea Cliff, has collaborated with the Metropolitan team to create an American menu "with a hint of Latin flair" and a few beloved menu items from his old gig. Among the latter is the Tupelo Honey s’mores tart ($9), a beyond-decadent creation that features a mousse-like cake, graham cracker crumbs, caramel sauce and shards of chocolate from a beehive mold.

Starters include pan-seared scallops ($18) served with a shrimpy butter, and a gingered tuna tartare with tobiko and pickled mushrooms. Among the entrees are a sizable rib-eye steak ($39) served with garlicky spinach and potatoes au gratin, and Baja shrimp tacos ($14) accompanied by a slaw of radishes and cucumber.

"Everything was going well and then Covid happened," said Maini. "We shut down for almost a year. Our employees were suffering, we were suffering." As more and more diners began returning to restaurants, however, the Metropolitan saw an opening. "We thought, people are eating out anyway, but maybe they won’t like to eat in a compact place." Its setup is so capacious, the restaurant seats almost 200 while still keeping its tables comfortably spaced.

"It’s an ideal spot," said Patel of the two rooms Metropolitan repurposed for restaurant dining, adding that the outdoor patio, which seats 20, should be a hit with diners as the weather warms.

"Summertime is coming and we can give them more options," added Maina.

Metropolitan Restaurant & Bar is at 3 Pratt Blvd. in Glen Cove, 516-671-4444, metropolitandining.com. Opening hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

By Scott Vogel

scott.vogel@newsday.com

Newsday writer and restaurant critic Scott Vogel aims for a refreshing, gimlet-eyed take on the Long Island food scene, often while drinking a refreshing gimlet.