. "2010-12-25T00:00:00"^^ . "1"^^ . "3"^^ . "Best food you've ever had in Madison? Really?\n\nI 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!\n\nHowever, 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.\n\nI'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?\n\nI 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.\n\n*** 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."^^ . "12"^^ . . . "2"^^ .