Merkato 55

[tb86]

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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Yeah Death watch, coming form Ozersky and Co. I mean come on really? You take that gossip as fact?? The guy cant go three weeks with out printing some statement that is utterly false. The guys a 2 bit tabloid pusher..........

[weinoo]

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,

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No different? I beg to differ...the food just isn't that good, and I doubt you'll find that at Per Se, The French Laundry, Daniel, Jean Georges or Perry St. when the chef isn't in the house.

[Daniel]

Just because he wasnt there the opening night does not mean that he dosent give the place any attention,

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It has been stated before that Marcus isnt even an owner of Merkato 55.. I dont know for sure if he is or isnt.. But for an owner to not show up at the opening of his new restaurant is a Big Deal. I am assuming Marcus used this as a vehicle to sell his book, got paid a ton of dough to attach his name to the project but, didnt get paid enough to be at the opening?

How could he not show up at the opening, or have it in his contract that he was required to show up at the opening.. You see Paris Hitlon claiming income in the millions of dollars for just showing up to various clubs for a few nights..

I think him not showing up at the opening says a lot.. None of it positive.

[oakapple]

It has been stated before that Marcus isnt even an owner of Merkato 55.

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Apparently he has a very small share of ownership, but I agree it's a pretty big deal for the nominal chef (even on a consulting basis) to be totally absent. The Post's Steve Cuozzo said that, in multiple visits early on, he never saw Samuelsson.

[Daniel]

I really think it was a statement.. Like a big F.U to the owners or his partners or something.. The only reason this place received the attention it did was because of Marcus..

[Sneakeater]

Yeah Death watch, coming form Ozersky and Co. I mean come on really? You take that gossip as fact?? The guy cant go three weeks with out printing some statement that is utterly false. The guys a 2 bit tabloid pusher..........

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Actually, speaking of printing utterly false statements, Josh Ozersky has nothing to do with Eater.

[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.

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Yeah Death watch, coming form Ozersky and Co. I mean come on really? You take that gossip as fact?? The guy cant go three weeks with out printing some statement that is utterly false. The guys a 2 bit tabloid pusher..........

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And Death watch, or, as I said, change watch, has nothing to do with gossip. It's just Eater's opinion of where the place is headed.

As a matter of fact, after my first and only meal there, I death-watched it - to my wife.

[tb86]

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,

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No different? I beg to differ...the food just isn't that good, and I doubt you'll find that at Per Se, The French Laundry, Daniel, Jean Georges or Perry St. when the chef isn't in the house.

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of course the food isnt as good as jg or the others is it suppose to be? its supposed to be a fun place to try something a little different than the run of the mill nyc food. And yeah the food tends to be better when chef is in the house. My bad about the eater grubstreet thing,,, but arent they one in the same really, splitting hairs

[Nathan]

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,

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No different? I beg to differ...the food just isn't that good, and I doubt you'll find that at Per Se, The French Laundry, Daniel, Jean Georges or Perry St. when the chef isn't in the house.

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but you will at Mercer Kitchen.....

[tb86]

Yeah Death watch, coming form Ozersky and Co. I mean come on really? You take that gossip as fact?? The guy cant go three weeks with out printing some statement that is utterly false. The guys a 2 bit tabloid pusher..........

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Actually, speaking of printing utterly false statements, Josh Ozersky has nothing to do with Eater.

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Im sorry your right got my sites mixed up, but cmon really, to give a place such a short time to find their footing is kinda weak.

[Daniel]

of course the food isnt as good as jg or the others is it suppose to be? its supposed to be a fun place to try something a little different than the run of the mill nyc food.

Run of the mill NYC Food? I thought it was a place to grease up your hair, throw on too much cologne and head through the tunnel to Manhattan...

[Nathan]

frankly, I'd deathwatch any restaurant in the MPD as a serious dining destination.

5 Ninth used to be taken seriously...anyone gone in a while?

if Bagatelle was located anywhere other than the MPD it would have been reviewed by every major critic and mentioned as part of the current "French revival"....but no one takes it seriously cause of its location.

[tb86]

of course the food isnt as good as jg or the others is it suppose to be? its supposed to be a fun place to try something a little different than the run of the mill nyc food.

Run of the mill NYC Food? I thought it was a place to grease up your hair, throw on too much cologne and head through the tunnel to Manhattan...

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yeah I avoid the mpd like everyone else, but at least its something more interesting than another japanese, french bistro, ramen world, ect ect places that opens every 10 minutes in nyc

[Daniel]

Go to 116th for African..

[weinoo]

Im sorry your right got my sites mixed up, but cmon really, to give a place such a short time to find their footing is kinda weak.

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You know, in a city with thousands of restaurant choices, I find it hard to give a place a second chance when my food was mediocre, the cocktails sucked and the service was beyond amateurish...others may beg to differ, but my $$ won't be spent there again. And, imo, neither will many other people who are concerned about dining, once they've tried it, be returning.

And, as discussed in various other topics around the forums, restaurants that are long-lived tend to be long-lived because of regulars or because they are so high profile that non-regulars, be they tourists or whatever, continue to flock to them. I don't see this being the case with Merkato 55, and to be quite frank, I don't think MS cares either...how much could he have cared when he wasn't even there on opening night? That's why I voiced the opinion I did.

[Nathan]

my meal there was pretty decent though...

[tb86]

Go to 116th for African..

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yeah thanks I know, I have spent a couple of days eating around the city,

Its just nice to see some one step outside the norms, but hey if you didnt like it then dont go again.

as far as ppl not seeing marcus there i guess if your not in the kitchen/offices you cant really honestly say one way or the other

[Daniel]

my meal there was pretty decent though...

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You going back?

Edited April 30, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Sneakeater]

I went back.

[oakapple]

frankly, I'd deathwatch any restaurant in the MPD as a serious dining destination.

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I don't think this is necessarily inevitable; Samuelsson didn't have to phone in his performance.

[Sneakeater]

Run of the mill NYC Food?  I thought it was a place to grease up your hair, throw on too much cologne and head through the tunnel to Manhattan...

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Have YOU eaten there, Daniel?

[Nathan]

my meal there was pretty decent though...

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You going back?

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yeah, sure.

I live a block away....so sure why not. I wouldn't travel far for it but...

[Nathan]

frankly, I'd deathwatch any restaurant in the MPD as a serious dining destination.

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I don't think this is necessarily inevitable; Samuelsson didn't have to phone in his performance.

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not at the beginning, no.

but they all seem to do so eventually...(with the possible exceptions of Craftsteak and Del Posto....which are arguably in Chelsea anyway)

[oakapple]

frankly, I'd deathwatch any restaurant in the MPD as a serious dining destination.

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I don't think this is necessarily inevitable; Samuelsson didn't have to phone in his performance.

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not at the beginning, no.

but they all seem to do so eventually...(with the possible exceptions of Craftsteak and Del Posto....which are arguably in Chelsea anyway)

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Actually, Spice Market was the only critically acclaimed MPD restaurant that had any perch to fall off of, unless you count the very-early Pastis. Five Ninth, though somewhat beloved of foodies, got only one star from the Bruni.

There are a number of good restaurants that I would call "Meatpacking-adjacent," such as Fatty Crab, Craftsteak, and Del Posto. Some people do refer to them as Meatpacking District restaurants. Going by the historic boundaries, they're not in the neighborhood, but they're close enough to be part of the same economic area.

[Nathan]

I eat at Fatty Crab a lot. but it's not in the MPD and, more importantly, doesn't have an MPD clientele. It has locals and regulars. which creates a requirement for consistency from a restaurant.