March 22 - April 4, 2000
Tattooed Food Critic
by Bobby Black
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Volume 2, Issue 8
March 22 - April 4, 2000 |
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Tattooed Food Critic by Bobby Black |
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For 30 years, the Mercury Cafe has been run as a vegetarian/vegan alternative restaurant, which kind of freaked me out at first. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Not only is there a great menu for less veggie tastes like mine (from beef to seafood), but the service and food are unbelievable!
We were graciously allowed to come in early, and I got to talk to Gypsy the chef at length while I helped set up for the evening. When the crowd did file in for some scrumptious food, I saw a really diverse group. There were a few tattooed freaks like me, some middle-aged squares, a few older couples...everyone seemed to fit in at the Merc.
The reason is probably the atmosphere, which is very groovy. There's a lot of local art and paintings, and it's kind of dark in the main dining area with statues everywhere. I found it extremely comfortable.
But let's talk about the food. We were started out with a basket of homemade wheat bread, and even though I live on Wonder Bread this stuff was very good. For drinks they serve a variety of awesome juices, and my characteristic pre-dinner coffee and Coke was served immediately. My coffee cup never sat empty.
The main course was so good, it erased my memory of what it was called. I can describe it though: There were artichoke hearts with the subtle flavor of sun-dried tomatoes, scallops and shrimp which were firm and large, spinach that was very crisp, sauce that was perfectly creamy and a hint of asiago cheese that added a perfect accent to the plate.
And then dessert! Homemade desserts abound! I chose the fresh ginger bread still piping hot from the oven. Tiny pieces of ginger were all through the rich brown bread -- it was absolutely perfect with butter.
My appetite satisfied, I took some time to scout the sprawling facility. There are two levels, with two rooms on the first floor -- one with a bar and one with lighter furniture where spoken word entertainment is featured on a regular basis. The Merc often has live entertainment upstairs, so keep an eye on the calendar for nights with concerts there. Nights without live music, there's jazzy and bluesy music piped in. The tables are close enough to seem cozy, but still far enough apart to give some privacy.
Overall, I felt I was treated like a king at the Mercury Cafe, maybe because the majority of the staff is also tattoed or pierced or something. We'll see about next week when I step out of my bounds a little and I'm the only freak in the place!
Until then, happy eating. A