When I think of Serbia, things like Darko Milicic and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It’s just about never that the mention of Serbia gives me thoughts of food, but a little place called Metro Diner (or Cafe) in Culver City might just change that for me. Metro Diner is situated at the bottom of a Travelodge, and judging it by its cover, it would appear to be a dilapidated old diner. But while the majority of the menu items are reminiscent of a diner, it has a touch of Serbian.
This side of Metro Diner is much more prominent in its dinner menu than the breakfast menu I was given, but I still made my way to a unique offering called the Serbian Americana. This was three scrambled eggs mixed with bacon and served with cured meats and fresh mozzarella cheese. It also came with toast (I chose sourdough) and hash browns. All in all, it sounded like a meaty breakfast feast.
And it did not disappoint. The scramble of eggs and bacon was all I could have hoped for it, while the cured meats and mozzarella were a fascinating and welcome addition to the breakfast plate. The mozzarella especially stood out as perfectly moist and tasty. The hash browns weren’t the shredded type, but more along the lines of the sliced potatoes used for au gratin and they were pressed together nicely in an easy-to-consume way. They were nicely browned and crispy on the outside, but soft and giving on the inside. And then the bread was…well…bread. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done.
Plus, the meal even came with a slice of papaya. Papaya is by no means my favorite fruit, but any place that uses fruit as a bonus side instead some terrible vegetable automatically gets some extra points in my book.
Altogether, I’m pretty sure Metro Diner is a new favorite of mine in Culver City. It is an amazingly unique twist on the diner and introduced me to an ethnic option that I had never even considered seeking out before. Whether an old school American Diner or a Serbian Cafe, it is a winner.
