Finally, SDT galz and hungry APES fellas can gab and gossip at a more spacious Metropolitan location! Metro’s Chef Barrett has decided to open the new Metropolitan Cafe on 264 S. 19th Street.

Brand new menu items will be introduced: savory pot pies (a winter favorite), grain salads (for the phyllo-dough-challenged), warm fennel pretzels with Victory Brewing mustard (we like warm things), homemade root chips (how exotic!) and of course, tangy house pickles (because you’re not a real cafe without pickles).

Doors open this Monday, February 4th. You’ll finally get a chance to sit with your meal and not get stink-eyed for taking your sweet, sweet time while picking at your cranberry loaf.

If you stole one of the small trees from outside Metro, the fine dining establishment (prone to many petty thefts) asks that you please return it. And don’t try to compensate with a larger, better tree that you found outside Tap House, okay, wise guy? They just want their original small tree back. There is planter symmetry at stake!

In other news, who stole the grilled onion cheddar burger sign from McDonald’s?

We may groan endlessly about Penn’s dining options (that shudder you’re now experiencing comes courtesy of Houston Market), but as West Philadelphians, we’re actually very lucky when it comes to food. In fact, some of our Philly favorites (White Dog, Sabrina’s, Marigold Kitchen– to name a few) are just a short walk away, and for the next two weeks, they’re cheap, thanks to Uni City Dining Days.

Starting tonight and running through July 26th, and sponsored the neatest Philly organizations like the DP (ever heard of it?), Metro, and the local Jewish newspaper, Dining Days really just mean one thing: cheap, good food.

Three-course menu options will be offered at 34 local restaurants for the fixed price of $15, $25, or $30 per person. All in all, a pretty sweet idea. (Except for these three promotional vids.)

Because Metro’s are probably too big and clunky to warrant the effort. Using our Nancy Drew problem-solving skills, we figure that the thief needed accomplices, a getaway truck, a couple of balaclavas and the balls to take on the best granola in the country. But every story has two sides, so maybe this is some kind of twisted karma for Metro after trying to pass off that dragonfly salad on an unsuspecting customer. Who knows!

We pegged Metropolitan Bakery less granola-crunching and more BBMing-while-latte-sipping, but food blog Epicurius begs to differ. They deemed Metro’s granola the best in the entire country! Our little hangover haven beat out seventeen other recipes to claim such an honor.

But just because the morning hotspot has reached fame and fortune doesn’t mean they’re going to forget the neighborhood homies. To celebrate the big victory, they’re offering 20% off the granola from now until September 8th.

Feeling down in this gloomy weather? Half-priced hot drinks at Metropolitan Bakery may help soothe the soul. Metro celebrates its sixth birthday today, for which they’re offering coffee, tea, chai and espresso at 50% off all day.