Profile

Large, reasonably priced portions of classic French fare adapted with local ingredients make Métisse a rare breed among the fast-and-cheap eateries in the Columbia University area. After revamping its interior and its menu in early 2005, the restaurant now plays up its rustic roots with tile floors, wooden banquettes and cast-iron lighting fixtures, while French tapestries and still-life paintings of flowers and kittens give the place a countryside appeal. The menu pulls from the cuisine of southwestern France with its frequent use of duck fat, foie gras, escargot, and porcini mushrooms. Entrées are comprised of seasonal, indigenous ingredients and use classic French techniques. Aside from the standard steak frites and coq au vin, entrees emphasize cuisine du terroir—a French-derived, tied-to-the-land movement that combines seasonal, indigenous ingredients with classic French techniques. This is evident in the canard mandarin cerise, an enormous portion of roasted Long Island duck, its crunchy skin perfectly offset by the sweet stewed cherries. Some seafood dishes go beyond cuisine du terroir, using Indian spices, chutneys, couscous and baby bok choy. Large portions and fresh local ingredients with an occasional international twist, all served in a newly redesigned, homey atmosphere make Métisse hard to pass up. — Timothy Cooper

Pâté de mousse an foie gras, $8.95; canard Mandarin cerise, $24