Thursday, January 9, 7:00 P.M.
Members $85, guests $110

Metro Bis is a find—an intimate, understated spot in Simsbury, Connecticut, with consistently superb food. It is a labor of love from husband-and-wife team Chris Prosperi and Courtney Febbroriello, who opened it in 1998 just three months after they wed. She runs the front of the house, he the kitchen. He is, by the way, the son and brother of chefs and has been described by Northeast Magazine as a "genial genius." When critics dine at Metro Bis, they sometimes sound like they're on assignment for the Michelin Guide, as in this comment from Stacey Webb: "Metro Bis is a lovely place to dine and worthy of a special visit."

But if this setup sounds like something in rural France, the food is anything but. Prosperi cooks what he terms American Bistro cuisine, which ranges from nori-wrapped tuna with jasmine rice, pickled ginger, wasabi, and wakame salad to Maryland crabcakes with yukon gold potato hash, greens and spicy tomato tartare. The 2002 Zagat Survey included Metro Bis among its best restaurants, writing that Prosperi oversees a "consistently enticing, innovative menu that just keeps getting better." Douglas Clement of the Litchfield County Times praised the "eclectic and robust flavors of the cuisine" and the "terrific, interesting food."

Prosperi trained at the CIA, where his father was an instructor. After graduating in 1992, he worked at the West Street Grill in Litchfield, Mark's Place in Miami, Florida, and The Bistro Cafe in New Milford, Connecticut, readying himself for a restaurant of his own. When the time came, he was more than ready. D.A. Dibble of The Farmington Valley Post liked his dinner at Metro Bis so much, he ended his review with this statement: "We plan to kidnap the chef." Here at the Beard House, we don't need to resort to such extreme measures. We've simply invited Prosperi to cook dinner.

It makes sense to pair an American original with, well, an American original, which is why we'll be pouring the wines of Robert Mondavi. Like Metro Bis, Mondavi is a family concern and, like the restaurant, it's grounded in America but with plenty of international know-how. Robert Mondavi Winery was founded in 1966 by Robert Mondavi (a 1994 Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner) and his eldest son, Michael; soon the other children joined the business. Today, Robert Mondavi, the man, is recognized for his almost single-handed transformation of the American wine industry, while Mondavi wines are esteemed for their consistently excellent quality.