TRAVERSE CITY — Downtown Traverse City restaurant Brasserie Amie served its last customers on Dec. 31, 2022.
A little over a year later, Chef Eric Fritch has opened Le Metropolitain, a French-themed food truck located outside of Right Brain Brewery. He was aiming to open last summer, but said he is glad to have found a spot this year.
"It's totally something I've always wanted to do to get away from brick and mortar and be able to roam around," Fritch said.
He is serving French-themed cuisine from a small green food truck.
"I'm trying to keep my French fans happy," he said. "It's inspired by a trip to Paris. The metro stations have a distressed, oxidized color — a Parisian green. We love the pod."
The menu, Fritch said, will bring back some classics from Brasserie Amie like the croque monsieur (hot ham and cheese sandwich), crepes and beignets. New items include the French Bulldog, a long hot dog topped with gruyere and bacon, and the French tacos, a griddled sandwich made with chicken, ham and cheese.
"It's like a tortilla wrap of whatever," he said. "It's always stuffed with French fries and sauce, and you can load in anything you want really. It's like cheap fast food."
Many of these are common streets foods in Paris, he said.
Additionally, Fritch said they offer appetizers, steamed mussels, "plates of the day," soup and a few 11-inch pizzas like the Flammekueche. This pie involves fromage blanc (a soft cheese), bacon and onions.
Right Brain Brewery Marketing Director Jim Young said they have been planning to bring Le Metropolitain to the brewery for at least a month.
"We're always looking for a solid partnership with a food truck," Young said. "Having food in general — that's something a lot of people want."
Young said they are hearing good things about the food so far and that the crepes, sandwiches and pizza pair well with their beer.
"I had a smoked salmon pizza," he said. "Everything has a slight French flair to it, but it's not too out there."
Le Metropolitain is currently open from 3-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Right Brain Brewery to "catch that happy hour/dinner crowd," Fritch said.
Fritch said they should be there for the next few seasons and hope to expand their hours in the summer. He is also planning to add brunch service.
[Originally published online and in print Feb. 17, 2024]
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