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Category: Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: South LoopHarrison (Red)
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I thought Amada in Philly had ruined me for all other tapas - but flying to the city of brotherly love every time I wanted Spanish food was really starting to become unrealistic - luckily Mercat right here in my own home town opened!
The menu is wonderful, and on both of my visits, we had amazing service and even better food. The chef here trained at Amada (James Beard awarding winning restaurant) - and he is doing to same great things with small plates here that Jose Garces is doing there.
The sangria is wonderful (really really wonderful), but they also have a fantastic grilled pineapple mojito that rocked my world. If the menu looks overwhelming, do yourself a favor and just order the tasting menu, you will end up with tons of food and the best stuff the kitchen is doing that day.
I am in love with the goat cheese and balsamic strawberries off the cheese menu, as well as anything "a la planxa" style.
Beware though, portions are not huge and prices are relatively high (which is part of the reason I think the tasting is such a great value), but the food is really well done and I don't think you could fine better tasting tapas in the city!
Fancy space in a fancy hotel that serves fancy food. I like it. Mercat has really good food. I'm a vegetarian, and I LOVED that there was more for me to eat on this menu than a cheese plate and a random salad. Automatic bonus points for any tapas place. It was crazy crowded on a recent Friday night, and we decided to skip the wait and eat in the circular lounge area. We had attentive service there, which is always a concern for a bar-type area, although the table got immediately crowded between our pitcher of sangria, our glasses, our personal (tiny) plate, and one dish of food.
I highly recommend the seasonal sangria, and at $29 for a pitcher that probably contains at least six servings, it's one of the best deals on the menu. Although the food here is great, it's also overpriced. I don't mind paying a lot for food when it's "worth it," and although the quality of food here is high, the portions are so tiny I just couldn't justify it, especially when you plan on ordering several plates per person.
A lot of loooong reviews for this restaurant.
I'll spare you the heavy reading then:
1. Beautiful interior, you'll feel very classay.
2. Clientele is mixed, tourists, hotel guests, and dressy thirty-somethings
3. Food was very tastey, but expect to get about 2 [small] bites per item if you're sharing with one other person.
4. Very expensive. We paid $13 for three tiny butternut squash dumplings. While they were delicious...they weren't $4.33/each delicious.
5. Sangria = EXCELLENTE. We had the seasonal, which incorporated red wine and peppercorn without being heavy at all. Yum.
Go for the interior, stay for the sangria. Pass on the food unless you're ready to spend some bank, oh, or already ate a full meal.
Yes, it's a beautiful space. The food was good but there are more delicious (and price-appropriate) tapas to be had here in Chicago. There were four of us and the waiter really pushed us to order 3 plates each. The result was that we had way more food than any of us could finish. It was ridiculously over the top in amount and came out spradically so you would alternately be inundated with plates or sitting and waiting for the next item. We asked several times for bread and never got it. Our waiter disappeared at one point and we all sat there drinkless for what seemed an eternity, then were inundated with 4 plates from the servers (that's one way to really irritate, leave me sitting dry). The two stars here are for the service. I'll stick to Las Ramblas in Andersonville or Azucar in Logan Square. Better food and more fabulously attentive staff and service.
Jose Garces is an Iron Chef now. Have fun getting resos. Spoiler alert.
I guess I should probably update this review huh?
There's something a bit unrefined about this…
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After being referred to Mercat for its beauty, I was excited about having dinner with my family and friends there. The place is absolutely stunning and we were seated quickly, our reservations were for 6:30pm on a Wednesday night, things were going fine, however our waiter looked like he belonged in an episode of Entourage, beauty did not come with the brains! He was not very knowledgeable about the things on the menu, was vague about the menu in general, and we never heard about any specials of the night or suggestions on what to order, even when asked, he seemed very preoccupied by things going on around him and not at all focused on us.
With eight of us there we decided to order two tapas each to start, with tapas ranging from $9-18 we thought that we would have plenty to start with and share. The bread that they served was topped with a tomato bruschetta was so sodium filled it was inedible, one of my dishes, the Arros con Morels tasted like a combination of soap and dirty dish water. When trying to ask for help or get our waiter, it was almost completely impossible.
I had to get up to find someone to fill my water glass after waiting for 10 min with an empty one. As a group we decided not to waste anymore money on the over priced tapas and substandard service, we all agreed we were still hungry and thought of going to Harold's chicken Shack around the corner for some real food, however my sister who is a restaurant owner herself wanted to see if they could redeem themselves with dessert and coffee service, so she offered to treat us all to dessert.
We ordered desserts and tried to order espresso and cappuccino, 'wouldn't ya know, a Spanish tapas place without an espresso machine! I asked the waiter what type of coffee they served, he came back and said he was unable to find out and did not know, so we ordered coffee, it was served cold and you could tell it had been sitting around a while.
The desserts on the other hand were amazing, we had the Bread Pudding that was served in a filo shell and not your typical bread pudding, we also had the Chocolate Hazelnut dessert that was very good.
This did not redeem them from having a so-so meal and sub standard service, 18% tip was already added to the bill so our waiter, the cute and elusive one, got an undeserved $56 and it is unfortunate, but I would not recommend Mercat to anyone that I know.
Its a pretty place in the beautiful Blackstone Hotel, but other than that . . . save your money, if you want good tapas and better service go to Cafe Iberico or Harold Chicken Shack !!!
5 Star for food and decor. 1 star taken for quantity.
A restaurant for small stomach with a big wallet!
This is probably the most RIDICULOUS restaurants Hungry Chicago has ever been to out of the 90 restaurants in Chicago in terms of quantity of food and price proportion. A tilapia that is smaller than half of your palm is $17. Five thin slices of duck is (size of your thumb/slice) is $16. All the dishes are ridiculously small. We have been there twice, and every time we saw people's eyes popping out when they saw the dishes. One couple sitting next to us actually ordered 3 dishes and only finished half of their think sliced steak plate, which is priced $48. We peaked at their bill and it's about $161. SO I am sure there are people appreciating the concept of "fine dining" in the Mercat way. Of course, here is not the place to get full. It's just for an experience or small eats.
If you want to impress your date with your wallet, here is the place to go. The atmosphere is unbelievably amazing, very modern, luxurious, classy and sexy!
TAPAS DE UPSCALE-EO
A little history on tapas - originating in Spain, it was really its meant to be inexpensive, locally sourced, bar food. It was to keep people from getting too drunk and too sick. Luckily, tapas was born out of Spain, and the food there consisted of most things being cooked in garlic and olive oil, and only the freshest local ingredients. So, any of you Twilight vampirers, or New Mooners or other wise, you can't eat the garlic tapas (more for us!).
Back to the present, Spain is now the world center of new cuisine, and Barcelona is their growing jewel. Being just there a month ago, I ate as many forms of tapas as I could EVERY DAY for two weeks. Even in the pricey places, its not that expensive (8-10 Euro, depending on the place), and the plates are a sharable size, with no more than 3 plates needed to make a very complete meal. Meats, cheeses, vegetables, seafood, whatever was closest was served.
At Mercat a la Planxa, I will say the food tastes GREAT. The only thing is, due to the location and the overhead, you will only get to TASTE the food. Some portions are small, some are translucent (meat plate). Don't expect enough to share a tapas portion with anyone but aspiring models (4 models to a plate, which means you will need to order a lot more food to avoid that midnight after dinner Whopper, if you came in hungry earlier). It is not a local style restaurant - it is a big name one, and with the big overhead comes an artisan tasting gallery (i.e. small samples) of very tasty food, possibly leaving you hungry for more - LITERALLY. So be warned, Chicago appetites! If you are a skinny European, then this place is PERFECT.
As for understanding the food, the staff had little knowledge outside of reciting the ingredients. For instance, the first dish (which was complementary) was "pan con tomate" - a simple piece of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and crushed tomato, drizzled with olive oil. I asked the bartenders where this dish came from, or its origins. The only spanish person working mentioned a story of how it was made, but really, it is a Catalan dish - meant to make something special out of day-old bread. Here, the interpretation was much more advanced, even for a piece of bread.
The rest:
Charcuterie Mixta - 3 kinds of meat served with bread and condiments. The slices were ultra thin, and the size of a silver dollar.
Nice flavor, but that was our protein for the night.
Setas a la planxa - Nice mix of 3 different mushrooms, perfectly cooked and seasoned. This was the best main dish of the night.
Paella Negra - Squid ink rice with squid, very good and rich. Nice dish, but just enough for 2 to share, for one to finish. Protein here too.
Croquetas de Chocolate - little fried chocolate balls with marshmallow pillows and caramel. Tasty - 6 bites was enough. The croquetas were hot and the execution perfect.
Datiles con bacon - not much you can do with a date wrapped in bacon, but they put a little frise salad with a light blue cheese dressing (almost a play on a buffalo wing presentation). If they had added a bit of heat to the date, it would have been over the top.
So, to summarize, expect a great flavor, great food, but make sure you're on a diet, cause you will be wanting a bit more.
I was not impressed.
I went for lunch on a weekday, and we probably ordered 1 of each item off of the menu for our party of 5. The portions were disappointingly small, and every item was entirely too salty.
After spending $40/pp, we did walk away full, but I don't think I'd come back here again. They do offer a special pre-fixe for lunch, but it still seems way overpriced for the food you get. I guess some people are willing to pay for the decor but not me.
Service was also very spotty even though we were 1 of 5 tables in the restaurant for lunch.
Mercat starts with a bang and ends with a whimper.
After urging from the waitress, we decided to go with the tasting menu at about 58$ per person. Everyone at the table has to order the tasting menu. So. We eat.
The first course consisted of a salad: cured meat wrapped around a spinach salad tossed in a light vinaigrette, complete with walnuts and blue cheese. This was a hit. Completely delicious and the flavor was just right. The cheese plate was also good. Paired well with slices of apple, except I noticed the slices were bruised.
Next, came the shrimp boiling in a bowl of sizzling spicy butter. While the spices complemented the seafood well, the shrimps themselves were about mediocre in freshness. Along with this course came the butternut squash ravioli. Two. In a large bowl. And it was lacking flavor. And honestly, nothing smells more like gimick than the cheesey flavored foam on top. If Anthony Bourdain complained about this kind of douchy behavior on Top Chef in 2000 and late, fast forward to 2009, who still uses this technique/shat?
Next, we were served sliced beef medallions/sirloin/jerky cut by a kindergartner. Every piece was jagged, uneven, and we were served horribly burnt end pieces that were doused in salt. The prawns were also a definite miss. Freshness was not on the menu. The last item we were served was a bowl of baked cabbage/broccoli. Except that it was thrown into a vat of salt and retrieved to be served on my dinner plate.
Honestly, we were off to a great start. How did it end so, so terribly wrong? It's definitely you, not me.
This place was delicious.
I went with a part of 7-- and we decided to order the CHEF CHOICE menu. Basically, throughout the 2 hours we were there, delicious tapas plates kept coming out.
I liked:
- there was a vegetarian option that was more than just salads
- the decor
I didn't like:
- the price
- food runners throwing food down on the table and either not explaining what it was we were about to eat, or talking way too fast or quietly about what it was.
I recommend getting the chef's menu-- if you can dish out $58 per person.
I am not a big fan of tapas as i am always left pretty hungry and this was no exception. I had friends visiting and after tearing into some sausage from Hot Doug's earlier, they decided tapas was a good idea. I heard good things from friends, but I was very disappointed in my meal. Food was good, sometimes great, but not enough moments of greatness. Service was seriously lacking. It was a busy night, but doesn't give them a pass for the sometimes lousy service.
When we arrived we were told there was a 45 minute wait. No problem, my friends wanted to sit in the lounge anyways because it was more private and secluded. Sure enough, it was so secluded a server never showed up. We waited 20 minutes and asked twice for a server but got nothing. My friend got up and asked the hostess, who was very gracious and apologized, and then suddenly a table was open for us in the main area. Funny how this works.
Other comments about the flatbreads are right, they are very good. The porcini and catalan sausage was quite tasty. Other selections -
braised rabbit pasta - i think this was my favorite in terms of flavor, but the portion was small
slow-cooked shortribs and diver scallops - i was disappointed in this, the meat was a little rough and lacking. The scallops were ok, not enough to save the dish though.
patatas bravas - spicy potatoes were flavorful, but not spicy
paella - it took almost an hour for the paella to come out. In fact we ordered the potatoes after the other dishes came out, and even that came out before the paella! For that long of a wait it better have been the greatest paella ever, but alas it was mediocre.
When finished we asked the waiter for dessert menus. 15 minutes later, nothing. We flagged down a busser to retrieve menus, and he got them quickly. We ordered the chocolate croquettes with banana marshmallows. Pretty flat and disappointing, but it is a dish to try.
It was pretty busy for a Thursday night, but the service misfires were too much to overcome. I hope others had a better experience than I did. Skip.
I finally got back to Mercat, nine months after a mediocre experience, and enjoyed it. I was with two of my besties, and we had a fantastic night of delicious food, cocktails and laughs. I still think it lacks a certain level of refinement, but I enjoyed the energy and crowd on a Thursday night.
We did the chef's tasting, and while it was way too much food for me, it was very good.
We had:
Serrano Ham & Fig Salad
Cana de Cabra - Goats Milk and Balsamic Strawberries - This was fantastic. I could not stop eating the balsamic strawberry spread.
The beef shortrib flatbread - How could you go wrong?? It was beefy, cheesy deliciousness.
Garlic Shrimp - VERY GARLICEY - You do not want to eat this if you are on a date.
Jumbo Prawns
Seafood Ceviche - This was probably my favorite. It was light and refreshing.
Rabbit Ravioli
Lamb - This was probably my second favorite. It came out pretty rare, tender and flavorful.
For dessert, we had the chocolate croquettes with banana marshmallows. It was definitely something to try, but a bit disappointing. The three of us were not satisfied, so we got ice cream. :)
The drink menu was good... but what do I know? I got drunk on half a glass of wine.
Service was a little slow, but not bad. The lighting is excellent.
I can't believe I'm agreeing with Matt L.
I had dinner here last night with my gay hubbie and…
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Oh sweet flatbreads, I would marry you and have your babies if I could. Between the two flatbreads I got my greedy little hands on - the margherita one and the shortrib one - my ass was in heaven. To me they tasted fresh, different, and damn good. The rest of the menu - I've gotta admit, I was a little wtf. A lot of cool tasty looking variety, but def not cheap. Since I'm a total pussy and the last person to try something new I stuck with the flatbreads, which of course didn't stop my fat ass from sampling everything else that came to the table. It was all tasty as hell, I've gotta admit.
On the stupid fruity drink front I rocked their mojito, which was tasty tasty - but totally fucking weak. Seriously, I downed two in minutes and I didn't even feel a buzz or remotely slutty - which equals fail on the drink front. Especially when I blew $24 on the two of them. And the entire time we kept having to turn away other people's food which was mistakenly brought to our table. At first I thought damn, am I really ordering all this shit and can't remember anything - maybe those drinks were stronger than I thought. But no, and of course they mistakenly brought some flatbreads - way to screw with my mind Mercat! Anyways, totally dug our server, who was super knowledgable about the menu and was free with the good suggestions. Next time I'm in the mood to satisfy my flatbread whore tendencies - this is where I'll be.
I'm sticking with my 5-star rating, love this place. We actually split the Chef's tasting menu and just added the lobster and another dish i can't recall. It was more than enough and will definitely be back to experience Jose Garces take on Catalan tapas.
Side note: Grab a drink at the downstairs bar pre-meal and you'll be treated to a few tapas dishes free of charge. I'd also submit that the downstairs bar has some of the coolest bathrooms in Chicago....after all, it is the Blackstone, one of the sharpest hotels in the City imo.
Even though Exec Chef Jose Garces (u know, that bloke who actually *beat* Bobby Flay on Iron Chef… Read more »
I celebrated my sister's birthday with a few of her closest friends. Being the punctual type, I arrived (first) on the dot and the hostess seated me promptly. The overall ambiance is really appealing and it's set in the "majestic" (as one of our dinner guests described it) Blackstone Hotel right off of Balbo and Michigan. Service was so-so. The waitress was very knowledgeable but a little over zealous about everything, it took time to get used to her but that's just my opinion. The food runner was very fast, but not very audible or articulate so we found ourselves wondering what was put on our table.
Tonight's meal:
Assorted Cheeses - good pairings, i enjoyed them. They were pretty standard
Datiles - I liked these a lot. I've had datiles elsewhere but i always find my bacon soggy, these maintained a nice crunch that was a good (and much needed) contrast to the softness of the dates. The almonds were also a good addition.
Calamari (a la planxa) - I love calamari so whenever I get the chance, I like to try it at different places. It amazes me how so many people mess it up... Mercat did a beautiful job with their calamari. It was grilled so it was still tender and not chewy, some pieces had a really nice charred crust and it was dressed with a really herbaceous sauce that I had really taken a liking to.
Gambas al ajillo - I was happy to see that the oil was still sizzling as it was brought to our table. The shrimps were cooked just right and the crostini was a good tool to sop up the delicious juices.
Pimientos de padron - These weren't my favorite. I didn't care much for the pepper because of the way it was prepared. I feel it would've been more successful if they had stuffed, battered, and then fried the peppers.
Tocino con cidra - Let it be known, I absolutely love pork belly and I'm very particular with how it's prepared. I think it was delicious with the apple slaw. The pork was succulent and had a nice slight crunch on the skin. I'd order this again.
Mar i muntanya - Extremely tender steak. Classic beef and scallop pairing. I wish they had a better sear on the scallop. Scallops are a little thinner than I am used to. The parmesan artichokes were good. I thought the eggplant puree was tasty but the presentation was questionable.. I don't like brown smears on my plate.
Habas a la catalana - it's a warm bean salad. Surprisingly robust in flavor in various levels. I'm not usually a fan of beans but I enjoyed this dish.
We also indulged in a cauliflower gratin that was absolutely to die for. There were also these squash dumplings that I believe are seasonal because it's not on their main menu (which I'm using to reference the names) via internet, but those were also very flavorful. You will also want to try to bacalao croquettes as they're very light and flavorful.
We finished the night off with complimentary desserts (birthday). They gave us the milk chocolate croquettes with banana marshmallow, rosemary caramel finished with a specialty olive oil. Wonderful way to end the night.
I've been to Mercat twice now and had good meals both times though neither has been for dinner.
My first visit to this South Loop hotel gem was for dessert. I sat outside (this was in the summer) and it truly was an experience for the senses. Not only did I get to hear a free concert but I got to watch all the tourists along Michigan Ave. and the desserts were cutting edge (too pretty to almost taste!) and delicious.
I came for a real tapas treat during brunch again this morning. The brunch menu itself has a few plays on eggs benedict and some french toast, probably in catering to hotel guests. No worries though there are still some delicious tapas entrees to choose from and strong coffee to boot. I enjoyed my spanish omelette with a large dollop of saffron aioli, the chef's selection of cheeses (which luckily included a manchego), the fried peppers which had a delicious sea salt and dipping sauce, a creamy mushroom soup with truffle oil on top and the house cut fries with a paprika aioli. I was not crazy about the selection of meats chosen for our charcuterie nor the seafood croquettes.
Brunch drinks (a Spanish play on mimosa and a blood mary) were good but pricey for brunch. All in all a solid meal and I look forward to going back for dinner and trying more tapas entrees.
My husband and I ate hear last year for Valentine's day and had a fantastic experience. I had seen it on Check, Please. It is beautiful and the food and drinks were fantastic. This is not a cheap place but for a romantic date night, it was wonderful.
So, so tasty. I am a big fan of tapas, and had never tried Catalonian-inspired tapas -- I was definitely inspired myself! I met a friend for a drink at the downstairs bar, where the service was friendly and the Spanish wine options delicious. I enjoy a temprenillo or granache, and they had many varieties (and varietals) of each. Even though we got there at 7pm, they didn't mind that we just wanted to hang at the bar for a bit past our reservation, and kept our table ready.
The food -- what can I say? You just can't go wrong with a meat and cheese plate. Period. The jamon serrano and chorizo plates were HUGE (probably could've gone with one or the other) and the goat and cow cheese were a delightful pairing. I've never seen nutella involved in a cheese plate, but I am officially converted. Bring on the chocolate AND cheese!
We then shared the squash dumplings with lamb ragout and bacon, which was a titch salty but still quite tasty. The gambas ajilo were nicely sized, as sometimes you get the little baby-looking tidbit shrimp -- these were nice and meaty. Then the shortrib flatbread, which was a heavenly end to the meal. I couldn't possibly fit any more food or wine in my body by the end, so I'll have to go back for dessert!
i really liked this place. a great place for a nice night out with friends or a date
went with a group of friends for dinner. we ordered just about everything on the menu, but i wont list it all off. among the highlights were the short rib + scallop (flavor explosion), mushroom risotto, and octopus. but really i thought everything was great except for the cauliflower (psh vegetables...).
and i'm usually not into cocktails, but after a strong recommendation from the server i got the cha cha, which was great as well. we ended up getting a few pitchers of sangria too
the restaurant space itself is pretty cool; nice design and a lot of open space. the restaurant was full and had a nice, lively energy about it. made you really feel like you were out and part of the city, if that makes any sense
the service was good; attentive, friendly and helpful.
the only real issue i have is that it's a bit too expensive to go to on a regular basis. each dish is around $12 each. add in the drinks, which was half our tab; i paid about $100 for the night. worth it for a nicer night out with the buddies, but just a bit unsustainable. which is too bad because i'd love to come back often
This is a good place to celebrate something special. It's unique, and the food is interesting. You'll end up dropping some cash, and you might not be able to hear any conversation, but hey, you're looking good.
Try to get a window seat; otherwise you're kind of crowded in and overwhelmed by the crazy high ceilings.
My two trips here - one a business dinner for ten, the other an evening for two - both resulted in great meals. Over these two visits, I tried many of the dishes on the menu, and each was quite good. The service was spotty, and the bar less than fully stocked, however.
I was pretty impressed by Mercat, with the exception of one thing: the food had cooled by the time we got it, so it was not served at the right temperature.
In every other respect, it was pretty good. We started with a glass of seasonal sangria. It was a white sangria with pear flavors - outstanding. I loved it. I am going to try to recreate it soon. After that, we did the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings. The first wine we were served is one of the best wines I have had in a very long time. It was the Gramona Vino Blanco "Gessami" - a mix of sauvion blanc grapes and muscat. The minerality and crispness was a perfect pairing for the goat's milk cheese we were served.
Everything we were served was delicious - except the patas bravas (only average - skip them) - but sometimes the temperature was off. Like the flatbread. We were served a flatbread with beef shortrib with amazing flavor but slightly cold temperature.
I would love to go back, despite the temperature. Note: we went on a Monday, and a reservation was definitely needed.
3.5 stars. I shave a 1/2 point for price.
i'm tired so this may be my absolute shortest review. I am going to number everything...
1. I couldn't find the damn door.
2. when I finally found the damn door, I couldn't find my way upstairs to the damn main dining room
3. once i got upstairs, everything was fine
4. I was a little surprised by how tall the ceilings were.
5. I neither liked or dislike the light bulb light fixtures hanging from the ceiling.
6. we ordered a bunch of small plates
7. I liked the potatoe omlette
8. I liked the wild striped bass
9. I thought the cocktails were un-original
10. I thought the service was pretty good, nothing special, but on par for a restaurant of this type
11. I thought the desserts were mediocre
12. I liked the cheese selection
13. I thought it was very expensive. We spent about $350 for 4 people (inclusive of tax/service) and we had 1 drink each an NO entrees, just small plates.
14. I think if I went back, I could get a great meal for a lot less by ordering more efficiently.
The location caught our attention (very close to the Chicago Auditorium) and the venue sealed the deal. Spanish tapas is a treat when it is done right -- and this is done right - for the most part. The gambas al ajillo - garlic shrimp was excellent. Sauce was bubbling on delivery and plenty of it soak up with the excellent bread that was served (ask for More bread - they accommodated us) The wine selection is good - but expect to pay over $60/bottle for something other than "cheap red wine" but maybe that is the wine snob in me talking. The beef short rib flatbread was disappointing in that it tasted like ordinary BBQ sauce - we were expecting something unusual. The shaved cauliflower salad was excellent - as were the bacon wrapped dates. The cheese was good - but they brought us the wrong selection -- we were trying to figure out how the walnuts turned to jelly - until wee realized we had jelly - no walnuts.
We sat in the upper section which miffed us at first - no view - but the noise was less and we could talk easily. We made our show - but were hungary later that night - such is the nature of tapas. I'll go back for drinks at the bar to get the full atmosphere.
I thought I was a foodie, but maybe I'm not.
Sure being a foodie is about the food. But its also about the culture, its about the restaurants, its about the locales and its about the Chefs and the restauranteurs -- Essentially too much obsessive info for my ADD brain.
Enter Jose Garces, this guy is huge in the food world. Classically trained, latin-global cuisine perspectives; 4 successful restaurants in philly. Iron-Chef winner and has a restaurant 4 blocks away from me! Sweet.
So without even tasting the food, I root for this guy already. Just had brunch but was very pleased. I opted for yet another eggs benedict variation (Such a sucker for these) - Tuffle hollandaise (list truffle as an ingredient and I'm a sucker for that too), over poached eggs, chorizo and a perfect rectangle of chiabatta toast - Simple, sophisticated twist, great balance and delicious. The sea bass tapa was very delicate and compex - intentionally unsubstanial and the french toast i sampled was made unique by a fresh berry compote and cheese.
Some things you should note when you go here that the portions are small and the prices are up there, tapas or entrees. This is the kinda place where I want to sample a lot so unfortunately I must save up to eat here again.
The locale - its well, in the middle of nowhere. It is by me after all. Ok, if I'm being honest its on the south part of michigan right next to grant park, a few blocks away from the lake, a few blocks south of the art museum, millennium park and the rest of commerical michigan ave as we know it. Its a good food stop for the sophisticated day planner and/or tourist.
So now i just gotta get my food & wine subscription mailed, keep watching (more) bravo/foot network/travel channel until I inevitably get bored and refocus on the pure simplicity of just getting food into my belly~ south siiide!
I'm just now trying to put into words my astonishing experience at this place. Simply, as an often picky-ass person who loves/hates restos like SushiSamba, Tru, Topo, NoMi, Francesca, Danko SF, Mr. Chow LA, etc, I had one of the most satisfying, explosive and complete dinners of my dining life. Period.
Don't read below, just go.
Mercat...uh oh! Absolutely phenomenal experience in appreciation of sesnual, robust, bright flavors...almost brought tears to my eyes. I'm still...struggling to put it into words. Also amazingly after only a few months in operation, the place... is spinning like a top with the kitchen, servers (Sam), all, working, throbbing in perfect harmony, doing, saying, delivering at the right time, in just the right way!
Mercat does not, thankfully, aspire to the new haute vanguard of Spanish cuisine but takes the best of Spanish sensibilities, combinations, passions, together with elements of French and Euro rustic (whole suckling pig?!) to hit a glorious and ...perfectly priced sweetspot for pleasure seekers.
First ballet in the "big city!" Ballet to see at 7:30...may get hungry before the show...what to do what to do. Google location of the the auditorium...google restaurants within walking distance....less than .1 mile please....my feet will be on fire when walking more than that in heels.
Results: Mercat a la Planxa. Reviews: Average 4 stars. Ding ding...we have a winner! Reservations for 5:30pm...a little "snack" before going to the ballet.
I walk in a bit early because I wanted to tell the server that we have to make the ballet. Hate rushing dinner, but my nightmares of the Joffrey usher slamming the doors in my group's face because we arrived at 7:31pm were just too vivid.
The waitress was very knowledgeable and very nice. However, my alarm bells went off because she suggested the Chef Selection for the group because that'd make it easy. I didn't want too...$58 was already $15 more than I wanted to spend on actual food....but, had to...EVERYONE at the table is required if anyone wants to do the chef selection.
Ok, fine. I'll do it. Experience right? Splurge. A plus...they accommodated for the vegetarians at the table and brought out some fantastic veggie side dishes when the rest of us had meat.
What do I remember that was good? The little chili pepper dipped in mayo sauce was tasty. The lamb was excellent. The veggie dishes that had Murielles (spelling?) were awesome...I adore those mushrooms tho...best fungus of all. The beef...I got stuck with a butt piece so I didn't get to taste the pieces that were cooked rare...I like my meat bloody. I guess it may have been good...I did stare longingly at the red red pieces, but the little piggy in me said to share. The chef brought out some "complimentary" tator tot things topped with spicy mayo...fine, but they showed up on our table again. Seriously? If it's complimentary, send a salad or something...something we won't see again! Bacon wrapped dates...bacon was seared and way blacker than I like...if that's possible. Oh the prawns...the size of my hand (literally...I have small hands) and the heads were still attached! My Chinese self squealed with delight...too bad I wasn't comfy enough around my party to ask for their prawn heads so I could eat the brains. I think I grossed out the vegetarians that surrounded me. Sorry! That's pretty much all I can remember....Chef Selection didn't include dessert. :(
As with any large party, there was some discrepancy over the bill, but the waitress was nice about it. I was more embarrassed than anything. Charged a 19% gratuity...that was fine..we had table of 7 and I thought it'd be more along the lines of 20%. The waitress did a great job bringing the bill when I asked for it, and we split it among several cards. Tip: Ask your server for a pen and piece of paper so you can write down the appropriate amounts for each card...make the server's life easy. A+ to Mercat for accommodating. At the end of the day, for me alone, tip+tax+food, I was at $83...I kept having to tell myself...it's a special occasion.
We ran a bit late and weren't out of there by 7pm like I wanted but no biggie.
Bottom line: I need a side job here. $100 for a table of 7 when I hardly did anything? Jeez, I wish I had food runners, bus boys, water refillers when I was a waitress!!! The food was good...small portions, but there are tapas places that are more worth the $. Come here for a splurge or special occasion or when a rich relative is paying. I saw no other Asians there...they probably knew better! I left hungry...went to Ping Pong later for calamari (yum yum). Oh yeah, set aside 2 hours for dinner...great rule of thumb. Good food, but you pay for the experience more. Everyone else loved it. I would have too, if the hole in my wallet wasn't screaming at me...if I had left full, I think it wouldn't have been yelling quite as loud.
PS. We did get out in time, and my feet needed a cab. Yes, I was a lazy person and took a cab 4 blocks. By the time it was time to go out and get "crazy"....my feet didn't allow me to. I'm never wearing heels again.
Okay, this place has to fix their damn service. This place is very close to us, and we went there before the U2 concert and a few days ago for my wife's birthday. I really like the tapas here, but something has to be done about the service! Please fix it. Fix it...now!
Visit #1 - Made a reservation through opentable and was promptly seated. We ordered a few drinks, and six tapas. Everything was going great until our last two tapas took 20-30 minutes to come out. Our waiter stopped by and basically asked us if we were done. My wife said we were done ordering but we were still waiting for our last two dishes. He pretended like he knew what we were talking about, but the look on his face told us otherwise. He said there must be a hold up, but I knew that he didn't even remember that we were waiting for two dishes. The dishes finally come out and they were very good, it was just annoying to have to wait and then have some pretend that they didn't screw up.
Visit #2 - I called for the reservation since we had six people. They told me that if I wanted eight people, that we would have to be seated at 5:30 or 6, which was too early. So I didn't invite my other friends. We get there promptly at 8:30 and the people at our table have paid their check and we are waiting for them to get up and go. I'm not blaming Mercat for having to wait 20 minutes to get seated, but I'm annoyed that the table we are waiting for has eight people! Ugh. Luckily the hostess had "hot shoes" and she was very nice and it was entertaining to look at her shoes. Anyway, we wait to order our drinks after we get seated. Drinks take 10 to 15 minutes to get to our table. Seriously? I asked the waiter if I could order my next beer right away, cause if it takes that long I should just order right now. I don't think he appreciated that. The bar was "backed up", and each drink took way too long to get. The food service was actually pretty good, other than the fact that I was moving dishes off to the side all night long because nobody was clearing our table.
So three stars...I think the food was excellent. But I'm dinging them for the service. Read on for food comments.
If you are hungry, get the chef's selection for $58. You can't go wrong and you can swap dishes out that you don't want. You'll be stuffed at the end of the night.
Ham & Fig Salad...wow, delicious! Looked like a burrito wrapped in ham, but the inside was salad.
Bacon Wrapped Dates...sweet, delicious, crunch with an almond inside. everyone raved about these.
Flatbreads...in my mind these are just okay.
Butternut Squash Dumplings...yum yum give me dim sum!
Lambchops...oh so good.
Carnes Y Aves section of the menu is all good.
Cheese that we had was very good.
Shrimp dishes were just okay, and the cauliflower tapa was no good.
My wife said her mojito was fantastic.
Wow. This place was amazing! We went on a Saturday night to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday. Since there were 9 of us, we knew we wanted to get the chef's tasting which would make deciding what dishes to get (and splitting the bill) much easier.
We also knew we wanted Sangria. And lots of it. We wanted to try all of the three different varieties, but our waiter convinced us to get the seasonal and then just one more. He said we would love the seasonal and shouldn't even get another type. We should have listened. There was nothing wrong with the red, but the seasonal was really amazing. So amazing, in fact, we ended up getting 6 carafes by the end of the night.
Ok, on to the food. The Chef's tasting was amazing. The food came out consistently and with enough time to enjoy it and say "oh my GOD!" after each bite. Out of all of the items, the prawns were the only thing that we probably could have done without. Highlights include: Bacon-wrapped-walnut-filled-dates, tomato flat bread, chorizo and cheese plates, beans with pine nuts, and the lamb chops...oh the lamb chops!!! We couldn't quite figure out what made them so good, but then determined that they must have been dipped in s*x. That really could be the only explanation. They were that good.
The atmosphere was very "hip" but without feeling intimidating. There were some tables of people that I'm pretty sure thought they were in Vegas, but we honestly were too focused on our food to really notice.
Overall, we loved this place. Highly recommend the Sangria and the Chef's tasting, and would jump at the opportunity to go back again!
I really like their take on tapas. Although I love Cafe ba-ba-reba, this was a nice change of pace. The portions are pretty small and dishes are pricey, so it is probably better suited for a special occasion rather than casual everyday dining. My only qualm would be the service. Our waiter was not very attentive nor friendly. We described our likes, but yet he was unable to formulate any recommendations.
I ate here in August 2008 and LOVED it. when I returned to Chicago last month, I didn't go back and now I'm kicking myself for it. every detail of that dinner a year ago is still engrained in my memory. the magic began in the bar downstairs. The Merengue is the very reason that Absolut Grapefruit has become my vodka of choice. it's blended with fresh strawberries and a mango and lime puree. Yeah, a girly drink, but so what. Turns out it was the best cocktail I've ever had. Then we headed upstairs and had a variety of tapas and cocas: patatas bravas, espinacas a la Catalana, almejas y tocino, costillas de ternera, and lucky for us, one of Jose Garces' iron-chef-winning dishes was on the menu that night: sliced iberico and cantaloupe terrine. The patatas bravas were like grown-up tater tots. they didn't have that hashbrown texture, but were more refined and served with a paprika aioli. Delicious. The almejas/tocino and costillas cocas were excellent Spanish-style "pizzas." a little on the salty side, tho; the former combined bacon, clams, and brandade (which is a like a salt lick all by itself), and the latter consisted of shredded beef shortribs, horseradish, parmesan cheese, and more bacon. Pairing these with salads instead of tapas would have been a better choice. Next time...
The terrine was the best thing I had that night. It was simple but had a stunning presentation, with layers of thinly sliced serrano ham and cantaloupe; that classic pork-fruit combination doesn't get any better than this.
Mercat is pricey, but well worth it, in my opinion. Aside from the mind-blowing food, the atmosphere was lively, the music was fun, and the vibe was vibrant. I'll be back next year.
I have eaten here several times and each time have really enjoyed myself. I love the wine list. Several good, reasonably priced options. I have also had the sangria which is also quite good. Some favorites of mine: bacon wrapped dates, all of their salads, lamb chops, flatbreads, and the pork belly. A bit pricier than Iberico or BabaReeba but much better in my opinion.
Did I miss something? 3 stars doesn't seem quite fitting so I would venture to say that this place was more like 3.5 stars (3.75 if I want to get picky).
The ambiance is wonderful. I love the high ceilings and the light bulb light fixtures. The hostesses were friendly. Not even remotely pretentious as they tend to be along Michigan Ave.
Their specialty drink are delicious. For someone like me who likes a nice girly drink, my Merengue hit the spot. I tried their red sangria as well. Its good. But nothing special.
On to the food...
For starters, this is not your traditional tapas place. I think that's what I just didn't like about it. Mentally, I set myself up for just tapas. However, when the friendly waiter came over and started explaining the menu, he threw me a curve ball when he said, "generally people order 2-4 plates to share and then an entree." I asked him, "so you're saying that everything BUT the entree is tapas style?" He said yes. So what's the point. Don't call it tapas. Call it an appetizer.
We came for tapas, so we ordered like it was all tapas. For our first course, we had:
-Garrotxa: yummy goats milk cheese with roasted garlic-dulce de leche. DLISH!!! The garlic-dulche de leche is so wonderful.
-Da'tlies: bacon wrapped dates stuffed with almonds. WARNING...if there are more than 2 of you at the table, get two orders of these. Trust me. You only get 4 dates per order.
-Gambas al Ajillo: garlic shrimp. Really good. The garlic was not over-powering at all.
Second course, we had:
-Arroz con Morels: morel mushroom bomba rice with asparagus. Wonderful. Would have been "unbelievable" if it came out hot (temperature wise).
-Butifarra con Judias: pork & apple sausage. Ok this is actually an "entree". However, when we got the plate with 3 little jimmy dean looking sausages, I was severely disappointed. It tasted great, don't get me wrong. But I would have been quite angry if I ordered this as an actual entree.
-Patatas Bravas: Spicy potatoes with spicy paprika aioli. Terrible. Just terrible. The seasoning was just too much. I couldn't even tell that it was a potato.
I may have just ordered the wrong food that night. I didn't read Dennis S.' review until afterwards. His selections looked much better. So alas, we will try it again and next time not be disappointed by the no-so-tapas menu.
3.5 stars - the sangria could've been a bit tastier and it is on the pricey side!
We were here for a group celebration and had a really nice time! Overall ambiance was nice and our service was consistent and joyful. We sat at a table near the window - it looked right over Michigan Avenue. Since we were in a large group, we just ordered a bunch of small plates; I was really pleased to see a large selection of vegetarian/fish options. In addition to the deliciousness, I thought the dishes were quite imaginative. Would definitely recommend for those that like this type of food.
Lucky me, my girl took me to a fancy place.
First of all the service was positively kind. The first time we showed up was on a busy Friday night, and we tried to weasel our way into an outdoor seat. They were really nice about it, and did their best to accommodate us. When we told them we couldn't wait 45 minutes, they they told us in a sincere manner that they hoped we'd come back another time.
So we did, this time with a reservation. Service was immediate, friendly, and unobtrusive. When it started to rain, and we apologetically asked if we could move from our table for two to a table with an umbrella -- even though the umbrella-table seated four -- they cheerfully told us that we could do it, no problem. When it came time to explain the menu, the waitress was highly knowledgeable -- without a trace of condescension or pretension. This was important for me, as I know next to nothing about wine in general or Spanish food in particular.
When the waitress asked what I would like to drink, I started with lemonade, which turned out to be a good choice as the light lemonade she brought out went really well with the food. I asked her to choose my wine, and told her that all I know about wine is that I like Sangiovese. She brought me a perfect Tempranillo. When I told her how much I liked it, she was genuinely overjoyed -- and wrote down the name of the bottle for me.
I also should point out that the food came out McDonald's-quick. (That's a compliment!)
We started with escalivada, which is plate of different cooked vegetables. While all of it was good, the onion was scrumptious. I really would have liked a whole plate of onions like that.
Then came the rabbit ravioli, which I wasn't that excited about because I don't know about eating... foam. But my girlfriend really liked it.
We then had the morel mushroom rice, which was like a mushroom-asparagus risotto. It was OUT OF THIS WORLD. They used some kind of top-quality Spanish olive oil that created an extra layer of flavor between the vegetables. My girlfriend said it was so good that she could eat another plate of it -- more on that later.
The next dish was the only one that neither of us liked -- the patatas bravas, which are non-greasy tater tots with some kind of aioli that coats your tongue.
As our next dish came out, they brought us another plate of the delicious morel/asparagus rice. When we pointed out that we had already had ours, and that it probably belonged to someone else, the guy said "Uh, okay," shrugged and said "it's a compliment." My sweetie got her wish - more of her favorite dish!
The last two dishes were OFF THE CHAIN they were so good -- tender, sweet lobster in creamed corn and...
A hearty, non-tapas-like bowl of fava beans, lima beans and serrano ham with some kind of Spanish cheese that made it pop! I could eat this ham-and-beans dish every day! It seems like something you'd eat every morning before going out to work the fields in a Catalan winter.
I went on the recommendation of a couple of friends that had gone to this place and were they right! I loved Mercat. I went on a Tuesday night so it wasn't crowded at all.
We started off with a white sangria, mojito, and the seasonal sangria. The drinks were ok but the food was what really blew me away.
1) Serrano ham and fig salad: I liked it but it was slightly salty.
2) Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with almonds with a creamy cheese sauce: I loved the combo of the sweet, salty, and creamy. I've had the bacon wrapped dates at Twist and Avec and I think Mercat has the best ones hands down (although Avec's is pretty rockin' because of the chorizo).
3) Tocino con cidra (pork belly with a cider glaze): this was my FAVORITE dish of the night. I've had bbq'ed pork belly before but the cider glaze at this place was awesome
4) Short ribs + diver scallops: the scallops and short ribs were so tender. This dish was my dining partner's favorite but it was a little salty for me
5) Australian sea bass: the fish was super fresh
6) Butternut squash dumplings: I thought this dish was ok. I didn't like how creamy and running the filling was
7) Arroz con morels: this was a pretty good risotto-style dish. I didn't think it had quite the texture of risotto because it was a bit too mushy for me but i can't tell whether this was really a risotto
8) Milk chocolate croquettes: at first I was hesitant but this dessert won me over. I LOVED the soft creamy banana marshmallow. This was my second favorite dish of the night.
I would definitely go back to Mercat to try other dishes.
I don't understand why Mercat has such great reviews. I saw it Mercat on Check Please! so when my husband and I went to Millennium Park, we decided to check it out.
We arrived without reservations. Opps. but not a prob. We sat outside and it was a gorgeous evening and we had Dancing At the Park across the street. Great setting. While waiting at the hostess stand this very nice woman, obviously a tourist, recommend the dates. She was so sweet and excited to be there. It was cute.The lounge area was filled with tourists, doesn't really bother me, just throwing it in here 'cause I know some people prefer to stay away from touristy areas, and this was.
The service was excellent! The hostess, the servers, everyone was great. However, the food wasn't. We ordered:
1. Gambas con garbanzo, which is a flat bread with shrimp, chorizo and garbanzo bean puree. Reminded us of a pepperoni pizza with shrimp. My husband said it was like a fancy Pepperidge Farm pizza.
2. Paella Negra. Very salty
3. Peolotas de Calabaza y Cordero, butternut quash dumplings, were ok. Not very exciting.
4.Butifarra Con Judias; house made pork and apple sausage. Kind of sweet, I would prefer to use the sausage for breakfast or brunch with some pancakes, and without the truffled white beans.
The best item of the night was compliments of the chef, the Bacon-wrapped dates. I would have been happy just eating this alone.
We also had the Ajo y Tomate Flatbread. It's like a bruschetta, only I prefer brushetta when it's warm and crispy.
Desserts were good. Had the Croquettes, my husband loved it. Chocolate balls with banana and marshmallow, crisp on the outside. Not bad.
The ambiance it great, service wonderful, food-just eat the dates.
Chicago "owns" Mercat about as much as it owns, say, Rick Bayless or Boul Mich--that is, not at all. It's inevitable, I suppose, that a whole micro-verse is necessary to serve the convention and tourist crowds, but it's also unfortunate that the city's best "Spanish" restaurant belongs, and wants to belong, squarely in the realm of the out-of-towners rather than in the cold (and overweight) embrace of area foodies. You gets no love.
Ah, air quotes--nature's pretense. But work with me here: this is largely not a Spanish restaurant. Sure, Mercat advertises itself as Catalonian, but it's serving tapas (uh, Madrid), with lots of non-native elements (see: eggplant puree)--definitely not Catalan. That's bourgeois American conceptualization of Spanish food, folks, and that is pretty fascinating to observe...sort of like watching old people run frantically to catch a Blue Line Train that has, in fact, been stalled in the station for the last five minutes. Okay, kidding: watching old people run is much fascinating. But isn't it amazing that what we perceive as contemporary Italian or Spanish is really American, rid of regional dogmas and nationalist preoccupations? Let's have a little more faith, people!
Well. It had been a year since my last visit; they did, finally, change the opening menu--which must have been in place for a year--but took off the one knockout dish, a squid ink pasta with aioli that was among the better things I ate in 2008. Jose Garces, for what it's worth, is one of the most consistent whole-menu visionaries I've come across--there isn't a single thing on the menu I wouldn't want to eat--but rare is the truly memorable, truly unforgettable dish. That's by design, surely: you come here, max out your per diem, enjoy your meal, and poop it out a day later. Ephemera.
But plenty of pop, though. With tomatoes in season, the introductory pan de tomato (Catalan!) sings--so much so, that I'm not sure why Garces serves this the rest of the year. The cheese plates are nice, bowing to tradition with a little contemporary flair: we had a hard goat cheese that came with a garlic dulce de leche, allowing us to make nice little sandwiches of cheese, granny smith apple, and the caramel. Pasta remains a strong point: the squash dumplings were beautifully creamy, a glimpse of fall; I found the lamb ragu and lamb bacon superfluous, however. Of the two surf-and-turf dishes, skip the scallop-short rib dish--over-salted, and the additional parts (eggplant puree, artichoke salad), while tasty, did not cohere--and go for the serrano-wrapped tuna, which is a fun textural experiment thanks to the accompanying foie gras and croquette. Because my father doesn't eat pork, we also ordered a couple of classics--tortilla Espanola, gambas al ajillo--that were entirely inoffensive but were presumably far below what we could have gotten if the, well, 85% of the menu was more amenable.
To the part where I get to being an old maid: the pricing is getting obnoxious. This place was never cheap, but the 10-20% per-dish increase over the past year is especially gnawing in light of the steadfastly small portion size. On a per-bite basis, only Spiaggia has more expensive pastas: we're talking three small dumplings (smaller than Urban Belly) for $14. Really. Some of the vegetable sides were also $14. We had the Escalivida, a "plate" of marinated vegetables that literally had one small pepper, three grape tomatoes, a cippolini onion, a small mound of eggplant puree, and some figged-out bread--it was great; it was $11. Again, really. We had to prompt our server to get the once customary petit fours.
In other news, I've now officially become my mother.
Last year I would not have hesitated to bestow a four-star-er on this place, but natural's not in it, no longer. The cooking is (generally) great, but it is not true. It is, in spite of the talent behind it and the consistency within, depressingly corporate. I never thought I'd say this--and apologies for doing so--but this place has no soul.
I went to Mercat a la Planxa on a Sunday evening. We got a great table inside. Overall, I'm very positive on this place. A few major points are as follows:
- Food was excellent -- everything we ordered was great. (Don't miss the bacon wrapped dates.)
- Service was very good, friendly, and helpful.
- The space (i.e., the dining room) sets a great mood. It's large, open, and warm, and still fairly dramatic with high ceilings and big windows looking onto Michigan Avenue and the park.
The only negative: It's a bit pricey. There were four of us, and we paid about $68 per person which included tax and tip. This is not something I want to pay for every weekend, but definitely worth going from time to time.
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