Earlier this week, the Sig-O and I got a chance to hit our first Restaurant Week dinner. Along with the sibling and mom, we headed over to The Mercury for what turned out to be one of the better put together RW dinners we've had in quite some time.
The service was friendly and attentive, yet not intrusive. Since there were four of us, we were able to check out several different choices for each course. Winner winner, chicken dinner was really the chicken "oysters" appetizer which were fried chicken with a pea salad fantastic gravy. The Sig-O was a fan of the truffled sausage. Mom went the healthier route with the salad that featured heirloom apples and tomatoes. While that still looks like a typo to me, it was still a very good salad. The sibing went with the gnocchi appetizer that had a delicious lamb bolognese sauce. With a first course like this, The Mercury was a certainly off to a good start.
The optional 4th course was a four cheese, mushroom and shrimp spring roll. While we appreciated the creativity of the spring roll ingredients, half the table found it a bit too spicy. Not to spoil the rest of the write up, but this really was the only culinary misstep we found at The Mercury.
Entrees arrived shortly and I found an incredible braised oxtail and shortrib in front of me. This was the kind of dish that results in fork duels for those trying to take an extra taste from your plate. To top it all off, there was a soft poached egg on top. Seriously, oxtail, shortrib and egg on one dish. Life is good. Sig-O went for quail that was light and cooked perfectly. Mom opted for the lamb shank, which isn't showing on their menu online, but is certainly worth ordering if you happen to make a reservation. The sibling ordered the trout. Complete with a straberry soup and crabmeat, it elevated trout to a new level.
Desserts were also great from a light and delightful Tres Leches to the Crispy Napolean Wonton to the Apple Cobbler, and, of course, the Chocolate Mousse Cake. The four desserts made their rounds at our table and we each proclaimed our own the best choice. I guess that means they really are all that good or else the family has ego issues. I'll opt for the former in case they're reading.
While other restaurants may cheap out on RW, The Mercury certainly didn't and we'll be back again for sure. It may not be flashiest restaurant on the list, but this neighborhood gem is worth the trip north of Northpark.
Stay tuned as we still have Abacus, The French Room and Chamberlain's all to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment