Merlo’s Press and Bean
Murray Premises
As its name suggests, Merlo’s “Press” and “Bean” began as a coffee shop. Although I know I had coffee there in its early days, I have no memory of how their java tasted. If it were outstanding I’m quite sure I’d remember, as I would if it were particularly insipid. It’s a safe bet I found it to be average. That’s definitely not an adjective I’d use to describe the Press and Bean “restaurant,” which it now is.
Former Newfoundland competitive diver, Paul Merlo, along
with his mom and dad now operate the restaurant that is well above average on
many levels but mostly because of its delicious food. On the night I visited it
was prepared by Keegan Bursey, son of veteran chef Byron Bursey - no slouch
himself around the cutting board and cooker.
Being located in the Murray Premises historic structure, the
Merlos were obligated to stick with the brick walls and open beam ceilings
found throughout virtually every room of the premises. However, that is not
something that most decorators would find the least problematic.
In fact, as my guest and I sat by the warm propane fireplace
on a cold, damp evening; the room of brick and beams seemed the perfect
protective sanctuary.
The space was filled with an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories. Some tables were traditional square cornered in cherry wood, while others were round bistro style covered in cloth of navy and white, with red and white toppers. Overhead hung colonial style lanterns to contrast the other lighting, trendy wall sconces. The walls were also dotted with square and oval picture frames. Some frames contained mirrors and others contained reproductions of Newfoundland outport scenes. The outport reproductions - ubiquitous in shops and restaurants these days - contained price tags, for anyone interested in buying.
Our server was a gregarious young woman named Tammy.
Although the restaurant was very busy she remained composed at all times and
made us feel like we were the only people in the room that night. Service,
atmosphere and décor combined make up at least 40% of the dining experience for
me. That’s why I pay so much attention when reviewing to how a server does his
or her job. There’s no excuse for bad service and from the server’s perspective
it means less income. It doesn’t take that much effort to be friendly to
people. A kind smile, combined with attentive service, could mean the
difference between a 20% tip on a $200 table and no tip at all. Why is it some
servers just don’t get it?
The first food to hit our table after the half carafe of
light bodied Concha y Toro sauvignon blanc with hints of citrus and peach, was
a covered basket of warm bread, some white, some toasted on one side. The white
was fresh, pleasant and a tad boring. The partly toasted, according to Tammy,
was supposed to be garlic bread. It tasted, to me, like a slice of boring white
bread, with very little butter on it, toasted on one side. It also had a few
sprinkles of Parmesan - from a cardboard box. There was absolutely zero garlic
flavour on the piece I tried. Unfortunately I did pick up the taste of the
Parmesan sprinkles, although only faintly thank God. I love freshly grated
Parmesan but that sawdust in the box that sits around on shop shelves for
months and maybe even years, should be banned. Yes, banned!
I’m a sucker for candied almonds so Press and Bean’s
signature strawberry spinach salad was past the starting gate with me before
I’d tasted a mouthful. It was wonderful, one of the best salads in town. It was
a combination of fresh strawberries, baby spinach leaves, mushrooms, red
peppers, red onions and, of course, the candied almonds. Woven through the
mixture was a strawberry dressing that was remarkable for its lack of acidity,
although a significant amount would have been required to take the edge off the
sweetness of those almonds. Nonetheless it was a very good dressing that
enhanced my enjoyment of the salad.
Press and Bean’s butternut squash with hazelnut cream soup
was heavenly. It not only looked beautiful with its circular design of white
cream on top but the combination of the tart sour cream topping and the sweet,
nutty squash really stimulated my taste buds. Contrast works for me. A good
stock base must have been used to enrich the flavour of the soup because, as
Emeril would say, “It was kicked up a notch!” Also, to use the cliché, it was
“velvety smooth,” another sign of attention to detail on the part of the cook.
The entrees proved to me that Press and Bean’s cook was well
trained. Both were cooked with a high level of competence. My guest had the
wildberry chicken. It was a roasted half chicken with brown butter sauce and
wildberry chutney. The meat was moist with good roasted flavour. However, it
was the wildberry chutney, glistening with its ruby red colour that made the
dish for me. I’m not sure what it contained in total but I did taste strawberry
and raspberry. Is it any wonder people have been making combinations of fruit
and meat for hundreds of years?
The French cut pork chop was my entrée choice. I was
initially a bit hesitant since so many restaurants seem to overcook pork. There
is nothing worse than an overcooked pork chop. Decades ago well-cooked pork was
justified because of the possibility it contained trichinosis. Today there is
no such threat. We live in a country with extremely rigorous meat inspection
and high food handling standards. Unlike all raw poultry - a salmonella
transporter - which must be well cooked to be safe, pork can be safely prepared
to medium doneness.
Press and Bean’s large, thick pork chop was savoury and
succulent. The outside was covered with a golden crumb crust. Inside, the meat
was slightly pink, releasing flavourful juices. It was the perfect entrée for
someone with a healthy appetite. The vegetables on my plate were also expertly
done. From the pan roasted O’Brien potatoes, to the sautéed broccoli and
carrots, everything had just the right degree of tenderness, preserving texture
and taste.
I finished my repast with a chocolate macaroon square. It
was not a product by Press and Bean but rather a previously frozen dessert from
some mass producer. They did have a couple of desserts made on the premises;
only one appealed to me but that dessert required a too long wait of 15
minutes. My macaroon square was good. However, I couldn’t help but think of how
much more wonderful the meal would have been if they’d offered only desserts
made on the premises. Perhaps that will happen eventually but until then there
are surely plenty of wonderful choices on Press and Bean’s menu for the hungry
punter.
Our dinner for two at Merlo’s Press and Bean - including 4
glasses of wine and tip - cost $111.23
Best Points:
Food, service and atmosphere.
Areas for improvement:
Expand your dessert offerings.
Ratings Category:
Merlos’s Press and Bean of Water Street gets a rating of 8.5
points out of a possible 10.