After visiting Fruition Farms earlier in the day and seeing my partner off to the airport, I thought it would be a good opportunity to have dinner at Alex Seigel’s other restaurant: Mercantile. Located at the Union Station in Denver, it seemed to fit in perfectly with the vibe of the area and I called ahead to reserve a table. I was informed that the only spots open were at the chef’s table, so I reluctantly obliged not sure what that entailed. When I arrived inside Mercantile, I was seated right in front of the kitchen…which was the best spot in the house. I daydreamed about food and reflected on my trip so far as I watched the chefs frantically cook. The dinner itself was a paused moment in time; no stress, no obligations, just existing to enjoy food in its finest form. A dinner alone at such a place was a rare occasion for myself and looking back I remember Mercantile fondly…
My server was cordial and just so happened to be an Evergreen State College alumni (what are the chances of that?!). She recommended I get the ‘Toucan Sam’ cocktail when I couldn’t make a decision myself. Interestingly enough the cocktail menu had the most lavish descriptions with mine being “layers of rich tropical flavors amidst fresh grass.” It was made with rhum clement select barrel, brugal extra viejo, batavia arrack, campari, pineapple, lime, and pomegranate.
As usual, before my cocktail was served I was presented with table wine and a complimentary starter featuring pork and other ingredients from the farm. All of which met my expectations and were perfectly lovely.
Choosing a starter was easy. I saw the Fruition Farms salad and knew that was the best way to enjoy the terroir of the farm, especially having the experience so fresh in my head, Nothing says farm-to-table more than a salad fresh from the farm in my opinion. Featuring ricotta made on the farm, grilled farm squash, marinated fennel, squash blossom, and puffed grains. It certainly didn’t disappoint with delicately fresh ingredients paired alongside the robust squash, all tied together with the creamy earthy notes of the sheep’s milk ricotta.
For my entree, I went back and forth between the char or the tuna. In the end, I decided to venture outside of my usual favorite (being tuna) and order the ‘pan roasted arctic char’ featuring heirloom cucumbers, blue crab aioli, and farm radish. The aioli was rich and not quite the lore of health food fanatics, but I enjoyed every last drop of it. Once again, Alex Seigel didn’t disapoint and I adored Mercantile as equally as I did Fruition.
Surprisingly enough, I didn’t have room for dessert once in my life, but I asked for a peak of the menu anyways. All the desserts were making my mouth water, but my stomach angrily protested against anymore food (I blame the heavy crab aioli), so I handed the menu back and asked for my check. After paying, my fellow Greener gave me a parting gift of a dessert and a breakfast pastry much to my delight! When I finally made it back to my room that night, I opened the brown paper bag and found myself rummaging through the kitchen looking for a spoon. I dug into the ‘Milk Chocolate Pot de Crème’, complete with salted cardamom caramel, chocolate sablé, and vanilla chantilly. To be honest, it hadn’t even been an hour since I had finished dinner, but when chocolate is involved you can’t just let it sit in the fridge overnight.