Best food you've ever had in Madison? Really?
I wanted to like Merchant. I did. I dine on the square a fair bit and as far as I'm concerned, the more options the better!
However, the space feels very much like the restaurants I took great pains to avoid when I lived in L.A. (because they were too much of a scene). It's smaller, but I get the same negative vibe.
I've seen a large bar share space with a dining area and work very well (Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis, for instance), but Merchant just feels cold to me -- warehouse-like. Like a bar that serves some food, as opposed to a restaurant that encourages you to eat at the bar. The waitstaff seemed very aloof on both of my visits, and charging $9 for cocktails just tips the scales further towards pretension. Maybe hanging some art would soften it a bit? And hiring some nicer people?
I sampled the craft cocktails and was left wanting. Same with the food. Maybe I'll try it again in a few moths and hope they're able to make some improvements, but they've quite honestly not given me much of a reason to give them another chance.
*** This review has been edited from it's original content. After my initial (frustrating) experience with this establishment, I decided to give it another try and re-write the review with a clear mind. Unfortunately my second experience only echoed my initial let down.