Much ado about Mercer
There’s a positive vibe evident the moment one walks into the busy bar area of Mercer Kitchen and Beer Hall. Strings of Edison bulbs, reflected by attractive coppercoloured faux-tin walls, beckon warmly from the restaurant proper. Expectations heightened.
Having asked over the phone for a quiet table, and having arriving on time, I was surprised to be offered seating in the bar area in a highly-trafficked corridor. My companion and I had to firmly insist we’d prefer one of the three unoccupied two-tops in the restaurant proper. Expectations dampened.
We ended up comfortably tucked away in the “Fox’s Den,” a comfortable nook housing a couple of tables that ultimately allowed for a relaxed tête-à-tête. The menu, printed on a table-wide place mat was enticing and included many gluten-free items, a boon for my companion who is a celiac. The low lighting level made it difficult to read, however, while the plethora of enticing options made it challenging to settle on a bill of fare.
Having heard my preferences, and considered the dishes we chose, our server suggested a Beau’s All Natural Blood Simple beer ($7 for 12 oz). Brewed with blood orange juice and organic cacao, and appropriately served in a short-stemmed tulip glass, the zesty take on a Belgian-style witbier, was a terrific pairing with my dinner. My guest enjoyed his suggestion of a glass of Californian Painted Gate Pinot Noir ($12 for 6 oz) to accompany her main course.
I began the meal with a “Mash Up” Steamed Bun ($9): It was a cultural mix for sure, incorporating elements of a couple of dishes on the menu I had considered ordering. Win-win. The steamed dough bun was essentially a well-executed Chinese bao, and contained Japanese-style Karaage (deep fried) chicken, on a white miso Caesar-dressed lettuce. Surprisingly, it was not as flavourful as I expected, given the thought and multiple ingredients that went into its preparation.
The server explained key personnel at the restaurant, including the chef, had spent time in Japan exploring Izakaya tavern style food, and the menu reflected that experience to some extent. My companion ordered a Whole Grilled Sardine ($6) which arrived deboned and served with sliced scallions and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. The inherently oily fish was prepped with canola oil prior to being cooked over gas, the combusting excess oil imparting an off flavour to some bites. Though she ate it all, my guest mentioned this to the server who removed the dish from the bill without our asking.
My friend ordered the generous-sized Pasture Fed Duck Rice Bowl ($20): While the confit, vegetables, cilantro, and sesame soy BBQ sauce were delicious, the roasted duck breast was also heavily smoked and cured, a surprise. My Beef Brisket Wellington ($28) was a novel take on a classic dish. The tasty, but very fatty, brisket was wrapped in Phyllo pastry and served with sautéed spinach, puffed wild rice and a plentiful serving of grilled mushrooms. The stems of many of the larger organic shitake mushrooms were tough: unfortunately I had a good twenty minutes to contemplate the unappetizing pile of stems and fat pushed to the side of my plate before it was cleared without comment.
The modestly-priced desserts were fair. Black currant Coconut Panna Cotta ($7) came in a tall glass, the currant coulis deliciously-tart. The subtle taste of micro red leaf sorrel incorporated in the dish was indiscernible. Several shards of coconut tuile, though not entirely crisp, provided a welcome crunchy element to the dish. My companion’s flourless chocolate brownie ($7) was served in a Mason jar: studded with Speculoos cookie crumble, it was on the dry side. Delightfully, it sported a scatter of tart sea buckthorn berries, sourced from a local farm, as is the case with many of the restaurant’s ingredients.
So, ultimately dinner at the Mercer was a mixed bag. Expectations partially met. Assessing food, atmosphere, service and prices, Dining Out restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Alex Bielak can be reached at www.twitter.com/alexbielak.