Hello! The new menu at Mercury — featuring a new theme, all new cocktails and many new food items — has been on my list of “things to write about” for a few weeks now. Matthew and I checked it out again last night and left wowed with the bar’s seemingly endless creativity when it comes to making original cocktails. The same goes for their gussied up food menu, which features several new sandwiches and a couple of house-made pastas that you should absolutely try.
Earlier this year, the bar debuted a new menu inspired by comic books, and the menu itself was a comic book. Now, they’re doing that again, but this time the menu is inspired by a deck of tarot cars. It folds out like an accordion to reveal each cocktail, named after a card in the deck.
We tried several: The Fool, which tricks you with its appearance, that of a milky coffee drink served in a squat ceramic mug. Instead, its flavor is bright and fruity; Matthew described it as “smooth around the edges.” The Hermit, topped with a beautiful color printed disc that floats on top of the liquid, is a citrusy foam concoction that pops with aquavit. The Wheel of Fortune — pictured below — is a smooth bourbon drink that comes with fruity flavors of peach and maple and a creative paper fortune cookie topper. Aside from the house Old Fashioned (one of the best classic drinks in the city) everything on the menu is original. They’re also beautifully served.
Let’s spend a minute on the food menu. The house-made cacio e pepe comes served in a crisp Parmesan “bowl” that’s entirely edible and adds a pleasant texture to the al dente noodles. Pink peppercorns bring bright spice. There’s also a delicious new spicy fried chicken sandwich served on a biscuit with a side of creamy greens; a second pasta dish that’s the kitchen’s take on spaghetti and meatballs; a “cheese sando” that I’m itching to try made with melted goat cheese, tomato jam and shaved zucchini; and more substantial main dishes including roasted chicken, pan-seared scallops and a sirloin steak.
So yes, there’s great drinks at Mercury — always have been. Hopefully always will be. But don’t save your visit until after dinner. Make it dinner. I think you’ll be pleased with the cards you’re dealt.
