25 Kenmount Rd.
Ph. 579-1100
The other day my friend
There’s another on Torbay Rd. Having given my recommendation
I realized I’d never reviewed Mercato. So, here goes.
A guest and I went during the lunch hour on a weekday, where
the quickest and most economical option was indeed the buffet. On our way to
the table I took an opportunity to scan the buffet line. It’s pretty much the
same fare each day but occasionally the menu changes slightly. The buffet
confronts you as you enter Mercato since the line starts just opposite the
front doors and follows along an end wall. I saw three large green salads -
Greek, Caesar and Mercato’s tossed salad – a mixture of freshly cut vegetables
- hot soup, pizza slices, cold salads - made predominantly from pastas and
potato - and a variety of hot items like: chicken wings, macaroni and cheese,
vegetable stir-fry, spiced potato wedges, pasta casserole, lasagna, fried rice
and rolls. Sadly, desserts were not offered as part of the Mercato buffet.
Obviously, Mercato’s main menu was available as well. I
noticed it offered a variety of dishes that could be prepared quickly for
people in a hurry. There was, of course, a medley of pizza choices, as well as
pasta dishes like fettuccine alfredo, calzones, donairs and various sides like
poutine. To their credit, healthier dishes were indicated, including: a
barbecued chicken sandwich, chicken Caesar wrap and grilled vegetable Panini.
Mercato was not a small restaurant, yet it maintained a
certain cozy atmosphere that was appealing. The focal point of the room was a
freestanding fireplace at one end of a raised seating area at the centre of the
restaurant. The fireplace reminded me of the type you might see in a magazine
layout of a ski lodge. Several simple but attractive conical shaped light
fixtures hung from long cords above the raised area.
A number of walled booths filled the elevated area, while
banquette seating and tables anchored the back of the room. Freestanding tables
with bright red and white checkered plastic cloths took up most the remaining
space. Wall brick gave the room texture. The flooring was dark hardwood.
Several objects contributed to the room’s character and colour. I saw several
braids of garlic and chilies hanging from the wall behind the buffet line and
much of the available shelving carried items like oversized cans of tomatoes.
Mercato’s buffet soup was tomato and vegetable. I poured a
bowl before trying some salad. The soup was thick, red and rich with tomato
flavour. It was generously textured with slices of sweet carrot and bits of
turnip. Crunchy, diced celery - always a good partner for tomato with its
earthy, green taste - helped give the soup character.
A medley of very fresh vegetables - broccoli florets,
cauliflower florets, sliced purple onion and lettuce - made a salad that looked
too good, too nutritious to pass up. I enjoyed a small bowl, moistened with a
tangy vinaigrette dressing.
The soup and salad were more than enough to whet my appetite
for a helping of Mercato’s hot foods. A few of them carried some spice as well
as temperature heat. For example, I enjoyed a couple of Mercato’s dry spiced
chicken wings. They were moist, plump and mildly spiced. Dry spiced fries
matched the wings for seasoning zip and actually surpassed them in crunchiness.
Mercato’s vegetable stir-fry was more than spicy. It was
sugar sweet and spicy. I enjoyed the fresh vegetables, like the sliced carrots
and onions but the sauce that dominated too much, in my opinion, tasted
“bottled”. I prefer stir-fry that’s not too wet. A stir-fry is all about the
vegetables and any other stir-fried ingredients. A little liquid or sauce is
fine but if too much is used it’s like stew, not stir-fry. Perhaps, on the
buffet line, the over saucing was meant to keep the ingredients from drying.
Pizza was the specialty of the house. The cheese pizza
slices on the buffet were fine but predictably standard. I preferred Mercato’s
lasagna. It was thick with deeply matured flavours - mostly tomato. If I were
permitted only one item from Mercato’s buffet, it would have been the lasagna.
Because guest was starving for some dessert - not offered on
the buffet - we ordered turtle cheesecake from the main menu. There were
several pieces of chocolate cake and various cheesecakes in a glass case at the
counter. Mercato made none of the desserts. They looked, and, at least in the
case of the turtle cheesecake, tasted like “store bought.” If you’ve ever
bought frozen turtle cheesecake from the supermarket, then you know what it
tasted like - think of a chocolate-coated caramel Turtle candy. Guest loved it.
I, on the other had, was too stuffed to enjoy it. But, then again, isn’t that
the test of any good buffet? What’s the point of engaging the “cheap and
cheerful,” as it were, if you’re not going to really dig in and enjoy it?
Our buffet meal for two at Mercato - including a beer, one
dessert and tip - cost $37.20.
Mercato was wheelchair accessible and the noise level was
moderate.
Best Points:
Affordable with a warm atmosphere and friendly service.
Areas for Improvement:
Make a dessert part of your buffet.
Ratings Category:
Mercato on Kenmount Rd. gets 7.5 out of 10 points.
Our
buffet meal for two at Mercato - including a beer, one dessert and tip - cost
$37.20.
Mercato was wheelchair accessible and the noise level was
moderate.
Best Points:
Affordable with a warm atmosphere and friendly service.
Areas for Improvement:
Make a dessert part of your buffet.
Ratings Category:
Mercato on Kenmount Rd. gets 7.5 out of 10 points.