Yet again I was craving some Italian and have wanted to check this place out for a while. Going on a -15 Friday night was a good idea because the place was not very packed (about half full at most), so you would get good service and hot food.
I would compare Mercatto to Terroni, only has a much different vibe to it. Mind you, I'm only taking the Queen W place as the comparison, but I found Mercatto to be much more urban and marche like. What the heck did I say? More urban in the sense that it was modern looking and the waiters were very easy going as our waiter was dressed in jeans and t-shirt. Very pleasant staff. Marche like? well the inside was wooden tables and chairs in a hollowed out industrial type frame. I can see this place being really noisy when it is packed. There would be lots of echo.
The food is comparable to Terroni (but I liked Terroni), only not as much selection. I am sure that there would be a little something for everyone to try. I enjoyed their Antipasti Misti, which included 2 choices of deli meat, cheese, and antipasto.
What really stood out for me was the way they served wine. It basically works like fountain pop if you are ordering just a single glass. I know this sounds nasty but it would take to long to explain here. I was also impressed that a lad came in by himself and was talking with the waitress about a selection of wine. She brought to him 4 glasses with about 1-2oz in them to try. The guy selected his wine and when she went to get him a glass full she said, and you can finish all those up.
Don't necessarily expect your socks to be knocked off, but this is a place everyone can enjoy