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| - Not bad. A tastefully decorated restaurant bar; very open and bright. But more importantly, a very attractive selection of items on a relatively short menu. Here's my take, thus far:
Frito Misto...2 Stars. A generous portion of fried calamari, prawns, cod pieces, and vegetables. The seafood and vegetables are well coated but a bit over fried. If you like it crunchy and/or drinking beer then it'll be fine, but it's difficult to enjoy the seafood behind all that crust (let alone, over-cooked seafood). Also, if you're watching your sodium levels then you'll enjoy this dish, otherwise, you'll be disappointed. There's virtually no seasoning on the fried items; all I could taste was the plain fried batter. The herb yogurt dipping sauce didn't help either; it was much too light. Had the fried items been well seasoned then I would've welcomed the lighter sauce. But having both items being tasteless just didn't work for me. You'd be better served running up the street and grabbing some tzatziki from OPA!, if not their calamari, too.
Lobster Fritters...3 stars. For taste this appetizer gets 5 stars, but unfortunately, only 1 star for presentation....the fritters just don't look very appetizing. I was expecting something golden brown but they were much darker in color...thought I had ordered a plate of meatballs, instead. But fortunately it's a different story after taking the first bite. The lobster, corn, and herbs were all dancing in my mouth, incredibly flavorful. What looked like something so heavy ended up tasting so light. If they could just work on the exterior, these fritters would easily be 5 stars.
Pork belly sliders...5 stars. Simply perfect. The bun has a nice subtle sweetness that's always welcoming to any cut of pork. At first glance, it appears to make the slider look tall and unmanageable, but the bun is so delicate and fresh that it'll conform to your fingers. It also possesses a nice light crust and density that holds well and doesn't fall apart after each bite. A perfectly cooked and sized cut of pork belly resides in the middle and topped with smoked provolone, Asian pickles, and a perfectly balanced sauce. You can taste the horseradish in the sauce but it's just enough to let you know it's there and doesn't overwhelm. I hate horseradish, especially wasabi, but this sauce was just perfect. This is one of the best sliders I've had the pleasure of trying. The side of potato chips that comes with the sliders were also very good. They're thick like tortilla chips but just as crispy. They were under seasoned but some folks prefer it plain; this is one item you can always add salt to later.
***pork belly slider update...they've now added fried onions in the sliders, which is a nice addition, but seemed to have gone with frying the porkbelly as opposed to braising them. It's fine but just not as tasty and tender as the braised version.
Short Rib...3 stars. You get two nice cuts of short ribs (off the bone) on a bed of parmesan mashed potatoes, all topped with sautéed pearl onions, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms in a red wine demi glaze. The short ribs seemed a bit over cooked...they reminded me of reheated leftovers or a plate that's been sitting around too long. The thinner ends I can accept to be a bit dryer, but the thicker ends were only slightly better...there was just very little tenderness and juiciness to the meat when you sliced into them. Being the star of the dish, the protein was a major let down. I'm hoping this was an anomaly cause I love short ribs. The mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables were as good as it gets. The glaze was light and savory for being wine-based. This is one dish I'll have to revisit simply cause it's short ribs and I can't imagine it being served like this all the time. To be continued...
Lobster BLT...5 stars. Merchant's version of the lobster sub doesn't have much lobster (small slices here and there), but then again, it's not a true lobster club. What they DO offer, a "lobster salad", is actually very good. Aside from the bits of scattered lobster, which you do taste, the rest of the salad is made up of shredded crab meat (I think). The lobster salad, along with house made maple bacon, greens, and tomatoes are all nicely laid out on a toasty brioche bun. All the ingredients worked well together, especially the bacon. This was a very tasty sandwich!
Looking forward to trying other dishes, in particular, the duck tacos.
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