Restaurant Review: Mercantile, Denver

andychalk
Sep 17
3 min read

by Andrew Chalk

We went for a lunch media event at this stylish spot in Union Station. They do a two-course set lunch for $35 with wine pairings at $15. It turns out those prices are as reasonable as they look. There is a choice of four first and seven second courses and they incorporate vegetarian choices for those that want them.

First Courses

The Moll chose Roasted Broccoli Caesar for her first course, a bowl of broccoli segments with Brunson bacon, miso dressing, savory crumb and grana padano cheese grated over the top. It looked like a Lord of The Rings mystery requiring a secret password to enter. Luckily, a fork turned out to be as effective. Smoky bacon flavors melded with creamy cheese, and crumbly savory dots made the whole mass interesting to the mouth. It may be a stretch to call it a Caesar, but we all need to stretch now and then.

I established that the soup of the day was broccoli and potato, which sounded like the perfect antidote to a morning getting museum feet at the Denver Art Museum. The presentation, served in a contrasting grey ceramic bowl with drizzle garnish, wowed me more than a lot of the contemporary art in the museum. The hearty flavors lived up to the visual effects as well.

Broccoli and potato soup of the day was a picture

The wine pairing excited me too. A Roussanne from Colorado. The Storm Cellar Côtes du Co, 2023, Grand Valley. It was fruitier than its Rhône counterparts and omitted the gout de terre of many white Rhône wines. However, it paired well with the soup, and stolen mouthfuls of the Caesar Salad. Kudos to the staff at Mercantile for having the balles to showcase a Colorado wine so prominently. Like my state of Texas, Colorado is making better and better wines, but the state’s consumers are not habitually asking for them yet.

Second Courses

The Moll chose Kvarøy Salmon, a real treat in downtown Denver. It was firmly crisp on the outside and softly succulent in the center. Most importantly, in a world where too much salmon looks the part, but is anemic to taste, this fillet was loud and proud of its salmon flavors. It was served mounted on a bed of farro and accompanied by a sweet and rich soubise to scoop onto each mouthful. On top, a concassé of sun-dried tomatoes in olive relish delivered a firm whack of unmistakable tomato flavor.

My second course choice was the Mercantile Kewpie Burger, a plate-hogging mountain of beef, American cheese, ethereal caramelized onion, lettuce, and a sauce made from that most divine of mayonnaises, Kewpie. I actually finished it, vowing to walk to the other end of the Rockies to work off the calories, along with its perfectly crisp-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside fries (each of which I dipped in a mesmerizing chipotle aioli until that was gone, at which point I worked through ketchup).

The wine pairing worked with both. The unusually named Scar of the Sea Pinot Noir, 2023 San Luis Obispo, CA. A soft, earthy expression pairable with everything we had.

We had to decline dessert lest we exceeded the weight limit on the Uber back to the hotel.

Big Picture

If you cannot make lunch, dinner looks good (see menu below)

This was a helluva’ good lunch that I recommend unreservedly. The creative leadership in the kitchen is Alen Grenier, Executive Chef, and Chris Henschen, Sous Chef, who, it should be said, was visibly active mit hat on the day we visited.

As well as enjoying the airy, light dining room, take a walk through the rest of Union Station. While still a functioning train station, it has been totally restored with a Michelin-rated hotel (The Crawford Hotel) and numerous restaurants in the grand hall.