Tres Francaise
Menu at Mercat cosmopolitan downtown eatery reveals very French tastes
If you're into French food and tapas, you'll probably like Mercat, the new sibling restaurant to Saint Ann in the Harwood International building downtown.
Named for the Spanish Catalàn word for market, Mercat is the thoughtful gift from Harwood International CEO Gabriel Barbier-Mueller to his employees in the building and residents of nearby high-rises such as the Azure. The food and beverage manager is Stephane Courseau.
The restaurant won't open for another week, and the menu is still under formulation. Some of the dishes listed below may not materialize once the place opens; the prices listed may change. But it's still interesting to get a peek at the direction the restaurant is taking.
Starters include some prototypical tapas, priced at around $3 to $5. Appetizers like the charcuterie plate and duck terrine are classic French. Sandwiches average about $10 and include the new favorite, that fancy ham-and-cheese known as the Croque Madame. Entrées range from $13 to $25 and are even Frenchier, with roast chicken, hanger steak in red wine sauce, and an omelet for dinner.
Hors d’Oeuvre (Small Plates/Tapas)
- Marinated olives
- Fried Marcona almonds with rosemary
- Bruschetta with tomatoes and burrata
- Bruschetta with white anchovies, lemon zest
- House ricotta and honeycomb lavender
- Scotch Eggs with tarragon-malt vinegar aioli
- Jamon Iberico
Appetizers
- Charcuterie plate
- Cheese plate
- Onion soup
- Duck terrine
- Mushroom ragu with fried egg
- Goat cheese tomato tart
- Shrimp and crabmeat avocado cocktail
- Asparagus mimosa — chilled asparagus, lemon vinaigrette, grated hard-boiled egg
- Dinner salad, house Dijon champagne vinaigrette
Salads and Sandwiches
- Bresaola arugula salad
- Frisee aux lardons
- Crispy veal sweetbreads, bacon vinaigrette, frisee, shallots, garlic, butter
- Cold lentils and shallots in vinaigrette
- Farro and kale, with mint, cucumber and diced tomatoes
- Croque Madame, with ham, three cheeses, béarnaise and fried egg, with fries or salad
- Three cheeses grilled cheese sandwich, with fries or salad
- Quiche Lorraine or mushroom quiche, with bibb lettuce
Main course
- Salmon Koulibiak, in puff pastry, with mushrooms, shallot, spinach, garlic
- Braised short ribs, celery root puree, green apple
- Cote de boeuf — a 20- to 24-ounce rib-eye for two, with French fries
- Whole roasted chicken for two, with French fries
- Grilled chicken salad
- Bar skirt steak, with French fries
- Hanger steak in shallot red wine sauce
- French omelet with sautéed greens and Brie, served with bibb lettuce
- Grilled snapper with Greek potatoes, tomatoes, capers and red onions
- Whole grilled fish, small red potatoes (room temp) vinegar
- Giant prawns in Provencale sauce
Desserts still haven't been resolved yet but will probably include the following:
- Lemon tart
- Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce
- Warm apple tart, vanilla ice cream
- Fruit salad with Kirsch
- Dessert "shooters," available separately or as a tray, in flavors such as lemon curd, chocolate mousse, tiramisu and berries shortcake
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Takeout
Mercat Grab and Go, the takeout portion, has a menu that's nearly as big as the sit-down menu. It includes a large selection of soups, salads and sandwiches.
Salads
- Tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil
- Cobb salad
- Chicken salad with whole grain mustard, grapes and walnuts
- Greek salad of arugula, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives and feta
- Farro and kale salad, cucumber, tomato and fresh mint
- Chicken Caesar
- Chef salad
Sandwiches
- Turkey on jalapeño bread
- Chicken salad on jalapeño bread
- Tuna salad on wheat
- Grilled marinated portobello, mozzarella di buffala, roasted peppers and pesto aioli
- Salami and sopresatta with provolone and olive tapenade
- "The French One" — Plugra butter and ham on fresh baguette
- Turkey, bacon and avocado wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla
- Chicken Caesar wrapped in whole wheat or spinach tortilla
Soups and More
- Broccoli cheddar soup
- Roasted tomato basil
- Corn chowder
- Quiche of the day with salad
- Cheese and fruits
Breakfast includes granola with yogurt and blueberries, muffins, oatmeal with berries, croissants, pain au chocolat, cream cheese Danish, scones, fresh fruit, cereal, and a sausage biscuit for $6.