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Anyone been to Mercat? Thoughts?

thanks, everyone, for the responses. i've passed them along and will give a (second-hand) report after the "hag" do.

my friend is organizing a non-traditional stag do (male & female guests, no strippers, etc.) and they want to start of the night at a great vietnamese. the three places being tossed around now are: viet hoa on kingsland road cay tre on old street song que on kingsland road any thoughts on the above or recommendations for other restaurants? thanks in advance.

went saturday night around 630 to eat downstairs -- i agree with previous reviewers who note the warmth of the room (as well as the likeness to pastis). the dining room was fairly packed given the time and terrible weather. i thought the menu's pricing was quite odd, with lots of under 20 entrees (pasta, sandwiches, all the fish dishes except the lobster as well as a very cheap "double" burger ($11)) and then the two beef dishes over 30 ($32 for the strip steak and $36 for the rib eye). i had a hankering so i crossed my fingers and hopedthe strip would be worth it... unfortunately, the strip steak was easily the blandest steak i've ever had in a restaurant. the texture -- and i ordered it rare -- was much chewier (not tough but just not tender) than i'd have liked. it was shockingly bad, and the price made it even worse. the fries were good but definitely couldn't make up for the disappointment. my friend had the chicken pot pie which i didn't taste but looked fine, though lonely on the plate -- it was an unmolded pie sort of plopped onto a white plate. i'd have thought leaving it in a nice baking dish would have made for a nicer presentation, or, if not, putting something else on the plate (a little salad? i don't know.) if you're in the 'hood and after a quick bite in a nice room, i'd recommended. definitely not worth a trip, though. IMO.

sadly, since I haven't altered the recipe, i cannot post it. what i can tell you, however, is that the apricot and currant chicken is a huge hit for passover and you can find it either in the silver palate good times cookbook or in the april/may 2003 issue of saveur. or by pm'ing me.

I have located the recipe -- chicken with apricots and currants -- and will post it tomorrow. Apparently it is from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

Melissa (Gifted Gourmet)-- Thanks for the reply -- I should have mentioned that the recipe uses chicken parts, not boneless breasts and is not stuffed... I'm guessing it was March 2003 issue of Saveur....Thanks so much for the help!

A couple or three years ago, a Passover recipe for Chicken with bitter apricot (or orange?) preserves (or marmalade?) was included in Saveur -- it was not in the Passover section (if there was one) but was a food writer's "best" Passover chicken recipe and was included in a small square on the bottom of a page. Does anyone happen to have this recipe, or know where I could find it? I also remember that it included dried apricots and prunes... It was a huge hit when I made it, and then last year I went with a big stuffed salmon that just didn't get the same reception. Thanks in advance, and Happy Passover.

Isn't L'impero cheaper than Babbo? The tasting menu is very reasonable and the food is out of this world. I think the room is extraordinary, service is great and the place just has a nice unassuming feel to it. Another suggestion -- the bar menu at Veritas. Was there two weeks ago and had an amazing cheese plate. My friend had the short ribs which were extraordinary. But all of this is off the topic -- I came to the thread to confess my disappointment with the tavern room. Went last week -- shared the following plates: mushroom tart, octopus salad, steak, salmon. Nothing overwhelmed. Mushroom tart was nice but strictly an average concotion -- puff pastry, cheese-based cream, mushrooms; octopus were overcooked and a bit dry; steak was very good but not better than what I had a few days later at Bacchus on Atlantic Avenue; and salmon was not memorable. The thing is, I have loved this place -- the feeling, the light, the art, the cocktails -- for a long time; it's been that special treat I always went to when I needed something great. I think I need to let go of that.

Great thread and great suggestions. Can someone share some practical points to making food gifts. Specifically: 1. preparation (when/how far in advance, number of batches, etc.) 2. storage 3. containers for giving (kind, cost, where to buy, etc.) I am thinking of doing either a bark of some kind, cookies, little cakes (in the paper from sur la table), or spiced nuts. Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated.

Kitchenette. Lightly toasted thick slices of challah, thick cut high quality bacon, and the right amount of L&T. Mayo may be seasoned with tomato or something. It rocks.

took the train from london to york, rented a car and drove to a friend's gran's house in liverton village, 13 miles from whitby. After taking in the stunning moors and coastline (deserted beaches), we headed over to whitby and, relying on The Good Food Guide (only Whitby entry) and the size of the cue outside, selected the magpie cafe for dinner. the wait was about 20 minutes on a friday evening and we were seated only after agreeing to share with a three (no problem). the restaurant is located harbourside over two stories of a house -- very casual and busy. we started with the "whitby crab starter" -- whitby crab piled on a bed of lettuce with a couple of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and russian dressing on the side. crab was fresh and delicious with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon. we also shared a large seafood hotpot -- a flavorful seafood broth with large pieces of salmon, scallop, prawns, whitefish, etc. etc. we were each going to order a different fish and chips, but the waitress talked us into the fish and chip sampler (for lack of a better word) which came with a large piece each of plaice, skate, cod, and haddock. it was enough for three or four, but we worked hard at it. chips were very good, a little soggy, and the fish (except for the plaice) was ultra fresh. batter was just right, not greasy but crunchy and fish remained light in spite of its recent deep fry bath. the cod was extraordinary -- firm and slightly sweet. the skate and haddock were also good--in particular the skate seemed to be fleshier than skate i've had in the past. the plaice was the only disappointment with the flesh sort of mushy and falling apart on the fork. it was too much food, so we decided to share the sticky toffee pudding (served as a small cake) with custard. it was a treat of dark sugary goodness in a butter-yellow sea...and a joy to watch the toffee syrup ooze into the custard with each bite! next day on our way back to york we selected the michelin starred the star inn in harome. not possible to eat in the dining room so we got a table in the bar which was just gorgeous...low roof, blazking fire,nice wines by the glass and tasty fried pork rinds at the bar. wait was about 15 minutes on a saturday afternoon. the menu was lovely with a large blackboard full of specials. to start i had a wensleydale cheese and mushroom risotto with a salad of small english asparagus and mixed leaves. sadly i see my limits as a food writer with this review -- i'll just go with "perfect" to describe the risotto. my companion had the most extraordinary pile of black pudding and foie gras and roast apple -- the perfect counterpoint to the richness of the meats. our mains -- i had lamb leg (sliced and served steak like) over a mash of root veg and horseradish with tiny kidney skewers and he had venison (also sliced over a mash) (my memory is failing here, too much wine). both dishes came with roasted carrots, a revelation, and roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. we went with a double header on sticky toffee, here served in a slice of a loaf with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. far more subtle than the night before... highly recommend both if you are in the area.

here's my menu (serving 13): chopped liver sephardic haroset *** hard boiled egg (may omit) matzo ball soup *** brisket (i use martha stewart's recipe) whole salmon stuffed with fennel cauliflower & leek kugel roasted asparagus *** carmel crunch matzo chocolate dipped coconut macaroons

I would second L'Impero as having the best past in the city. Then Babbo. Lupa. [a few categories down now:] Crispo. that place across from Tortilla Flats.

I would second Downtown Atlantic for the best cupcake. The cake is moist with a great buttery taste (I find Magnolia's too dry and bland). The vanilla cake tastes of vanilla and the chocolate...of chocolate. The frosting is rich and delicious but not cloyingly sweet (compare: Magnolia). The only problem is that these cupcakes manage to be light, so you might find yourself -- as I did -- consuming three without a problem.