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| - Okay Merchant, you're up to bat. Several Yelpers highly recommend you so we showed up with high expectations. Specifically we heard a rumor that the buffalo style cheese curds were incredible. Were they?
We showed up to Merchant around 8pm for a slightly later dinner than usual. It was quite packed and loud by the time we showed up. The host was sitting and disengaged, but he was able to have someone seat us immediately at a 2 person table wedged in the corner by the kitchen.
The decor can be described as a pirate ship cabin that has been redecorated by a hipster. The walls have fleured wall paper and the light fixtures remind me of something out of Pirates of the Caribbean between the paper lanterns and the lamp covers made out of old carboys with the bottoms cut off. Even the drink menu had an old canvas map feel to it. The entire north wall is lined with craft liquor for sale, which is nice because sometimes you just need to run out and get a bottle of Pastis but can't find it in a liquor store. I'd describe the atmosphere as a very trendy, kind of hipster bar. Unfortunately, it is quite loud so don't expect to have a good conversation inside.
During our visit I had the opportunity to order a fantastic porter that was on rotating tap, the buffalo style cheese curds, the Friday night special (fish fry), and a key lime pie.
Let's start with the cheese curds; I was sorely disappointed. The cheese curds were fairly standard but when ordered buffalo style they come with buffalo sauce DUMPED all over them. The first one I put in my mouth honestly reminded me of a buffalo boneless chicken wing, not a cheese curd. The breading was mushy, and you couldn't really taste the cheese. We were so disappointed by the addition of this sauce that we ended up asking our server for a cheese curd without it on the side. The curd without the sauce was quite good. We're going to have to come back again to truly get a feel for the curds at Merchant because we cannot judge them on their buffalo style curds. If you really want to try the buffalo curds, ask for the buffalo sauce on the side.
Merchant also offers a HUGE list of craft cocktails. My wife ordered the Lee Ralph, a rum and fruit based cocktail. It was quite smooth so much so that it didn't taste alcoholic. If you're a Yelper, make sure you check in to get $1 off the cocktails!
The main course, my fish fry was very well done. It was fresh water perch, served with a house tartar sauce. I do not really like tartar sauce so I can't say much about the sauce, but my wife said it was really good. I ended up asking for a bottle of malt vinegar, which is the only way to truly eat fried fish, in my humble opinion. The fries that came with the meal were VERY salty, but the acid of the malt vinegar paired well, toning down the salt. I really liked the coleslaw, surprisingly. I'm not the biggest fan, but this slaw was very good. It entirely lacked balanced by having tons of vinegar on it, but it paired well with the salt from the fries. I actually liked the overpowering acid in this case.
For dessert I ordered the key lime pie. I'm a bit of a key lime pie snob, and this pie has HUGE potential. The filling was incredible, and it had the right about of whipped cream on top. Sadly, there was way too much crust on the pie. The ratio of filling to crust was weighted toward the crust. There should always been more filling than crust. Either the crust needs to be thinner or the filling needs to be thicker. I don't want every bite to taste just like graham cracker.
The service at Merchant was fantastic. Our server was very attentive in refilling water, asking how things were, and asking if we needed anything like more drinks. She even took care of my ridiculous requests for a single cheese curd and a bottle of malt vinegar. Merchant, kudos on quality service. We felt very taken care of, even when I was being slightly ridiculous.
I also have to mention, Merchant, props on your wine list. It is rare to see such a diverse, interesting, and well put together wine list. It's even rarer to server so many of the wines by the glass. I appreciate this touch.
Overall, I really liked Merchant. It had some short comings, but I think I will be a repeat customer. We need to give the cheese curds without sauce another try and explore more of the menu. It pains me a bit to only give Merchant 3 stars because I want to like it. I appreciate the atmosphere, menu diversity, drink quality, and the service. I cannot over look all of the small flaws in the food. The food left me wanting a little bit more.
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