Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, Mercato is like your neighborhood Italian restaurant: cozy and warm, with a welcoming service, its menu showcases classic dishes. As I started off my meal with a Negroni, they brought us some lentils with capers in olive oil that was pretty good with bread and a nice way to open my appetite.
Negroni at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Lentils and capers in olive oil at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
We then started with three different appetizers: the carciofini fritti ($14) that are deep fried baby artichokes topped with ricotta salata and a lemon dressing, caponata ($15) that is like an eggplant ratatouille and the polpo e patate ($24), that is pan seared octopus with potatoes, olives and capers. The latter was my favorite, the octopus being perfectly cooked. The caponata was ok, not the best I ever had, preferring the baby artichokes that had a nice crunch and are a good way to serve a vegetable that is not that popular (when I was a kid, we use to eat it with oil and vinegar, or as a salad with oranges).
Caponata at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Fried artichokes at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Octopus at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Next was pasta: we had to try their fettuccine ai funghi ($23), that are homemade, prepared with wild mushrooms that have been sautéed in garlic and olive oil. This was succulent: the pasta was really good and they were not shy with the amount of mushrooms. A must have!
Fettuccine ai funghi at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Fettuccine ai funghi at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Dessert however was a bit disappointing: we got the pettole ($13) that are ricotta fritters served with strawberry sauce. First, it was pricey for the quantity of fritters. Then, I had better, these being heavy and a bit dry inside. I would pass.
Pettole at Mercato Trattoria in NYC, NY
Despite that, I thought the rest of the meal was pretty good. I would definitely go back, although, I wish they had my favorite dish: linguine alle vongole! Kidding aside, they have several home made pastas, as well as other items on the menu, like braised beef stew, that I would not mind trying.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Mercato - 352 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
