Merkato 55

[weinoo]

Asking you to order all at once is in direct contrast to what our server recommended.  She highly encouraged/upsold us on the first column of "pre-appetizers".  I think, however, due to the lag in that first round of food coming out (and subsequent even pacing) that she didn't put the order in until she took our entire order.

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Exactly what I thought, and why I posted about it. From the menu, it would seem like the idea is to order some of those starter items while having a cocktail and perusing the menu in greater detail. We had long lags in between courses last night, though once our server "allowed" us to order the starters by themselves, the starters actually appeared quite quickly.

It's obvious that they still have some service issues - which may or may not be important in the overall scheme of things. I was even more concerned with the food issues.

[Nathan]

heh...Cuozzo raises the same questions:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192008/enter..._mpd_102622.htm

"But if Samuelsson wanted to introduce us to the cuisine in a serious way, why do it in the MPD, the stamping ground of the boozing bridge-and-tunnel crowd?"

[weinoo]

From Cuozzo's opening lines...

or "signature" house drinks so badly mixed

...wonder if he's been reading the eGullet reviews?

[weinoo]

So, it looks like Merkato has been "death-watched" by Eater - or change watched - in other words, they think it will turn into a club - which, with the shitty cocktails and somewhat lousy food, in a great room, makes a lot of sense.

[ulterior epicure]

So, it looks like Merkato has been "death-watched" by Eater - or change watched - in other words, they think it will turn into a club - which, with the shitty cocktails and somewhat lousy food, in a great room, makes a lot of sense.

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How many restaurants has Samuelsson closed, now? Aquavit in Minneapolis and Washington Square (a Starr venture) in Philly come to mind. Is Riingo still open?

[oakapple]

Is Riingo still open?

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Sadly, yes.

[Nathan]

fwiw, Bruni mentions a bunch of rum-based drinks in his review. those weren't on the list when I was there...

[Daniel]

I havent really liked any place I have gone where he cooks.. I also don't like his recipes and hate his TV Show.. Recipe and entertainment wise.. I like his story and whatever but, I havent seen anything that explains his popularity..

I know, I know, 12 years ago, Acquavit was supposedly good.. 5 years ago it wasnt..

[Nathan]

I like Aquavit.

[Daniel]

Is Samuelson cooking there all the time.. I thought that svensson guy was going most of the cooking.. I could be wrong..

[Nathan]

I highly doubt he is. the only prominent chef in NY that I'm aware of who is in his kitchen all the time is Pasternack.

(on the prominence rung below...Nawab is in the kitchen at Elatteria all the time)

famous chefs don't cook once they become famous.

[docsconz]

I highly doubt he is.  the only prominent chef in NY that I'm aware of who is in his kitchen all the time is Pasternack.

(on the prominence rung below...Nawab is in the kitchen at Elatteria all the time)

famous chefs don't cook once they become famous.

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Wylie Dufresne and Sam Mason are always in their kitchens cooking as is Fabio Trabocchi. While the 4 star chefs may be away frequently, those with fewer than 4 stars are generally in their kitchens unless they have tv shows. j-G is frequently in his kitchen as well. Samuelsson has too many kitchens now and like other chefs with a number of restaurants, J-G being an exception, probably doesn't focus enough on any one of them. I have never actually eaten at any of his restaurants, so have no opinion on his food. He is a likable guy though.

[Nathan]

good point on WD-50 and Sam.

but I should rephrase, most famous chefs do visit their own restaurants...they just don't do much cooking.

[Daniel]

Would you consider Sam Mason a famous chef? I would consider Wylie Dufresne a well known an respected chef but, not a celebrity.. His popularity is actually based on the fact that he is cutting edge and wonderful..

Sam Mason is semi known in NY for once having worked at WD-50 and for being attractive.. If anything, at Tailor, the bartender is the celebrity..

Edited April 29, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Nathan]

they're both sort of famous in NY, yes.

obviously the Bobby Flay level is another matter altogether...but by that standard, Jean Georges or even Ducasse or Robuchon aren't famous.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Nathan (log)

[Daniel]

I wouldnt put Jean Georges or Robuchon in the same situation as Wylie, and I would put Mason a rung or two under Wylie..

Jean Georges has sold how many books? Has restaurants around the world... As does Robuchon..

Wylie has fans all over the world.. Coming to his little spot in Manhattan just to try his food..

Sam Mason has a photo shoot on Eater..

Edited April 29, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Nathan]

oh, sure, Robuchon or Ducasse are more famous than JG, but less famous than Bobby Flay or Emeril (mainstream TV makes an exponential difference).

and JG is more famous than Wylie.

but I'm not sure what the point of this all is. Samuelsson is a relatively well-known chef and like most prominent chefs, he probably doesn't do much cooking.

[ulterior epicure]

Sam Mason is semi known in NY for once having worked at WD-50 and for being attractive..

I don't get that, but, whatever.

FWIW, Jean Georges has been in the kitchen everytime I've been at Jean Georges (the restaurant), though I haven't been in a couple of years.

From what I hear, Ripert is also at Le Bernardin more often than not. He was in the only time I've been. I'll be going soon again, I'll see if he's there then, too.

Boulud was also in the kitchen the one time I was there.

Maybe, I've been lucky.

[oakapple]

I highly doubt he is.  the only prominent chef in NY that I'm aware of who is in his kitchen all the time is Pasternack.

(on the prominence rung below...Nawab is in the kitchen at Elatteria all the time)

The difference is that they have no other place to go. At the moment, they have no other restaurants, nor do they have TV shows to distract them either. Samuelsson has a mini-empire to look after, and of course Merkato 55 was only ever meant to be a sidelight. I'm not defending that, merely making the observation.

famous chefs don't cook once they become famous.

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Nonsense. Most of them do. Heck, even Robuchon was cooking when he visited New York the other week. Obviously when you run a global empire, a good deal of your time is spent on managerial tasks, but not exclusively so.

[Sneakeater]

Is Samuelson cooking there all the time.. I thought that svensson guy was going most of the cooking.. I could be wrong..

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That Berquist gal, actually.

[Sneakeater]

I don't want to sound like an apologist, but Merkato 55 has a chef de cuisine and it isn't Marcus Samuelsson (it's Andrea Berquist). Expecting Samuelsson to be in the kitchen there is sort of like expecting Daniel Boulud to be in the kitchen at Cafe Boulud.

[Daniel]

But, Daniel Boulud is like a good chef?

[oakapple]

I don't want to sound like an apologist, but Merkato 55 has a chef de cuisine and it isn't Marcus Samuelsson (it's Andrea Berquist).  Expecting Samuelsson to be in the kitchen there is sort of like expecting Daniel Boulud to be in the kitchen at Cafe Boulud.

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Everyone knows—at least I hope they do—that multi-kitchen chefs devote the bulk of their time to their flagships, which for Samuelsson is Aquavit. But they usually pay at least some attention to a new restaurant when it opens initially. Samuelsson's near-total absence from this project is what has caught people's attention.

[Sneakeater]

Which leads me to a conversation I had recently late night at the bar of a restaurant whose executive chef -- I won't name names, let's call him, umm, M -- has restaurants uptown and downtown. I was in the uptown one. I was chatting with one of the kitchen staff, who had come out to the bar for a late-night breather. I noted that I thought my food was excellent, even though M wasn't in the kitchen.

"Thank god," he replied. "He was here last night, and got everybody's rhythms off. It's great when he stays away and we can just cook."

[tb86]

Yeah, he is not there every service, thats why he has a chef de cuisine.. Marcus has a crazy busy schedule with aq cafes, aquavit, aquavit sweden, riingo, 55, tokyo in the works and the chicago gig, lots on his plate, he manages a large company no different than daniel, or jg, or thomas keller thats why they employ chefs and other managers. Just because he wasnt there the opening night does not mean that he dosent give the place any attention,