Tasting Tuesday's @ Mercato

Mercato is definitely one of those restaurants where you gather with your loved ones to celebrate a special occasion. For the past few years, my sister, Catherine and I take each other here for our birthdays to enjoy delicious food over great company. This time, we were celebrating Catherine getting a new job! Unfortunately, she will be moving out of the city. I asked her if there was one place she wanted to go to before she leaves, and Mercato is where she selected.

The reason why we enjoy this restaurant so much is because of the wonderful staff and food. Over the years, we have gotten close with the staff that they are like our second family to us. They always make our dining experience great and as if it’s our first time there each time. Also, how could you not love fresh and seasonal Italian cuisine cooked right in front of your eyes by the wonderful Executive Chef, Ryan?!

Over the course of this summer, Mercato is offering Tasting Tuesdays, where they feature and incorporate a food item into three courses and all for $33! The key ingredient this week was balsamic with your choice of entrée and dessert.

The first course was a “Chilled Jersey Tomato Soup” which had crab fritters, basil, sparrow lakes and white balsamic as a garnish.  The tomatoes were very fresh and the crab fritters reminded me of being down the shore in the summer, a true summer dish.

In between the first and second course, Catherine and I got the “Trio of Bruschetta” complimentary of the chef! Our favorite was the pickled watermelon with whipped ricotta cheese. Not your average bruschetta!

For Catherine’s entrée, she ordered the “Balsamic Bucatini with Lamb Bolognese” which included pistachio, oregano, piave cheese and manicardi 25 year old balsamic. She loved how the balsamic really brought out the flavors in the sauce. For my entrée, I had the “Corn and Portobello Mushroom Pappardelle” ricotta, rosemary  and saba aged balsamic which was the perfect summer pasta dish, light and full of flavor.

Somehow we still had room for dessert! Catherine chose the Cherry Torta and I had the Balsamic Poached Pear. Catherine loved the basil and balsamic flavors that came out and I loved the goat cheese gelato that accompanied mine. I’d say that Tasting Tuesday was a success!

Thank you as always Mercato for making our family your own and always treating us so well!

I love you very much Catherine and I am sending you love and warm wishes on this next journey in your life!

Birthday Tradition at Mercato

Mercato

My sister, Catherine and I have made it tradition now that on our birthdays, we treat each other and indulge at one of our favorite restaurants, Mercato! Out of the entire city of Philadelphia, Mercato is my favorite Italian restaurant. It offers traditional Italian cuisine with a New Italian American Cuisine twist to it. I love the local market fresh ingredients that make the menu change daily.

For our appetizer, we got the Grilled Whole Artichoke, because it is a staple of Mercato. The leaves of the artichoke were cooked and crisp just right. A citrus aioli was served to pair with it.

One of the main reasons why I love Mercato is because they take the time to recognize their Guests and go above and beyond to make their dining experience memorable. Since it was my birthday, the pasta special of the night was sent to my sister and I compliments of the chef! The pasta special included: Cacio e Pepe which is pasta with breadcrumbs, cheese and pepper! The breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese made the dish unique and tasteful!

For Catherine’s entrée she got the Short Rib Ragu. It’s one of her favorites on the menu because she loves the homemade gnocchi and how that the meat is so tender, that you can cut it with only using your fork.

For my entrée, I got the Summer Corn Risotto which included: roasted Jersey corn, maitake mushrooms, corn veloute, pecorino romano, truffle and micro arugula. This was probably the best risotto I have ever had with the combination of the corn and truffle.

We were getting full, but there’s always room for dessert! Catherine had the blueberry sorbet, which was light and refreshing. Yet, I had the Chocolate Molten Cake served with vanilla ice-cream! It was moist with the warm chocolate and the perfect size. And to make it special, it was served with a candle on top!

So this is why Mercato is my favorite restaurant. The service and staff is exceptional. I don’t think I’ve been to a restaurant who pays close attention to detail and sincerely cares for their Guests like Mercato does. Also, the food is phenomenal! I suggest coming here on any special occasion!

Birthday Celebrations at Mercato

Mercato

Mercato by far is my favorite Italian restaurant here in Philadelphia! They introduce traditional Italian cuisine with New Italian American cuisine. This combination opens up your horizon to a home-cooked style dishes with a unique twist on it. My sis and I love this restaurant and we decided it’s our new place to go to when we’re celebrating each other’s birthdays.

For our appetizer, we split the Mercato Antipasto which includes: Italian cured meats & cheeses, grilled and roasted vegetables, crostini and marinated olives. Our favorite part of this dish was the pepperoni because it had fennel in it. The roasted vegetables were also good! This Antipasto reminds me of my mom’s with all the ingredients and display. It was very comforting because it reminded me of family holidays.

Since it was Catherine’s birthday, two appetizers were sent to our table compliments of the chef! The first  item was the Roasted Pork Belly Salad which had house cured pork belly, watercress, pistachio, charred scallion roasted pear mostarda, balsamic reduction. The pork belly was so crisp and flavorful! The best part was the pistachios and whole-grain mustard. The second item was the Cacio Pepe which included tonarelli pasta, extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper, pecorino romano, bread crumbs, parsley. The Parmesan crisps on top of the pasta made the dish!

For Catherine’s entrée, she got the Short Rib Ragu which was ricotta gnocchi, broccoli race and shaved locatelli cheese. She loved how tender the meat was and that you could break it apart with a fork. I got the Chicken Cacciatore which included boneless chicken roulade, soft polenta, sautéed spinach, bell pepper, wild mushroom & tomato ragu. I loved the display of the chicken and creamy polenta!

For dessert, Catherine and I split the Trio of Gelato. The flavors of the night were raspberry, chocolate chip and peanut butter. They all were so good and fresh! You could tell they are homemade. They even lit a candle for Catherine’s birthday!

Mercato is a great restaurant to celebrate any special occasion! Between the relaxing atmosphere, impeccable food and excellent staff, you won’t be disappointed! Oh, and it’s BYOB which is always a plus!

  

Mercato BYOB: Birthday Celebration

By Christina Logan
August 24, 2013

Ever since I moved to the city, Mercato has been on top of my list of restaurants to try! I was grateful enough to get the opportunity to go with my sister for my birthday present!

What attracted me to this restaurant the most was the historic charm of the building and the seasonal menu items. Located right on 12th and Spruce in the old Camac Food Market building, you feel as if you are stepping back into time to enjoy authentic cuisine! Mercato offers Old World Italy food with a new twist on up to date, fresh and local ingredients. According to the season, menu options can change at anytime. 

To start off, they give bread with an olive oil/herbed butter. The butter was out of this world! Then, my sister and I split the Whole Grilled Artichoke for an appetizer which is what Mercato is known for. It is served in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt with a side of citrus aioli. Now my sister and I are very particular about artichokes because our Italian grandmother’s recipe can’t be beat. But, I think Mercato has won me over with the sea salt and citrus aioli!

Then for another appetizer, they sent out Salmon Tartar compliments of the chef for my birthday! I am not a huge salmon fan, but this dish had made me fall in love with salmon!
A second appetizer that was brought out complimentary was a salad that was the special of night! The salad included heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, slivered almonds and the best of all, peaches! It was the perfect summer salad due to fresh ingredients that are in season.

For my entree, I ordered the Lemon Pepper Fettuccine. I’ve been craving a great pasta meal and this appealed to my eye the most. The fettuccine had roasted zucchini, summer squash, roasted garlic, pistachio-mint pesto, burrata mozzarella. I’m sure you’re used to the typical basil-pine nut pesto. But the pistachio-minto was so nutty and fresh tasting. It was great on the local summer vegetables.

For dessert, we were sent three different treats to try! The Peach Sorbet, Mascarpone Cheesecake and tiramisu. The Peach Sorbet was so refreshing. The Mascarpone Cheesecake was very rich in flavor. The Tiramisu was my absolute favorite! I am a huge coffee lover and the flavor if this specific dessert was so decadent with the chocolate covered espresso bean and the ladyfingers of the tiramisu drenched in Kahula. Perfect end to a perfect meal!

The staff was wonderful and very accommodating. They all helped each other serving. It was honestly the best service I’ve had in awhile because they were very on top of things with knowledge of the menu even with it always changing and serving of the food using teamwork. Special thanks to CJ to making this birthday dinner the best!

What was also great about this dining experience was since the tables are close to each other, we were able to talk with our “neighbors” and have a nice conversation! Turns out they’re foodies just like my sister and I! We talked about about our favorite dining experiences in Philly and how Mercato was going to be on top of our list for a new one you definitely feel as if you’re stepping into a second home between the atmosphere, people and home-style meals. Come see for yourself!