Weekend brunch at Mercat Bistro feels a lot like a long Saturday in Paris, only with valet parking. It is a European-style bistro in the Harwood District, and Michelin recommended the place and brunch is one of the easiest ways to see why.
Before you order, know one thing that sets this kitchen apart. Mercat cooks only with beef tallow, rendered in-house from the Harwood District’s own premium beef program, and it uses no nut or seed oils at all. The restaurant calls it a whole-animal, zero-waste approach. It matters most with anything fried, so pay attention to the potato galette and the frites.
Start with something to share. The Pastry Basket is the move if there are three or more of you, a mix of the house’s fresh-baked pastries with seasonal jam and cultured butter. The Ricotta & Honey is the sleeper on the menu, house-made farmers’ cheese with orange marmalade and a piece of real honeycomb, served with baguette. If you want something a little fancier, the Smoked Salmon comes with fromage blanc, dill, orange and a spoonful of caviar on blinis.
The classics are done the way they should be. The Croque Monsieur is brioche, Parisian ham, gruyère and sauce mornay, and the menu lets you make it a lady, which in bistro-speak means a fried egg on top and a Croque Madame on your plate. Do it. The Quiche Lorraine is thick with bacon lardons and caramelized onion, and the Onion Soup Gratinée is on the brunch menu too, which tells you something about this crowd.
For the bigger appetite, the HWD Steak & Eggs puts a six-ounce flat iron from that same Harwood beef program next to eggs any style, peppercorn sauce and the potato galette. The Smoked Salmon Benedict with chive oil is a nice break from the standard ham version, and the Mercat Burger, made with HWD Texas wagyu, gruyère and caramelized onions, is there for anyone who woke up wanting lunch.
Now the unusual stuff. The Crêpes Suzette come with mascarpone, French liqueur, crème chantilly and charred orange. Order them for the table as dessert. The Pain Perdu, French toast with crème anglaise and fresh berries, is the safer sweet pick. And the Salad Niçoise comes properly made, with grilled tuna, white anchovies, olives, haricots verts and new potatoes.
The cocktail list is worth a look. The Pêche Mignon, frozen fruit with orange juice and sparkling wine, is the house signature, and you can upgrade it to a rosé version. The Josephine is the one nobody expects, bourbon with French vermouth, a French aperitif and banana liqueur. The Jardin a la 2501, a nod to the address, mixes vodka, orange liqueur, lime and lavender. Not drinking? La Côte is a zero-proof gin drink with orange, saffron, coriander and thyme, and it is more interesting than most cocktails with alcohol in them.
Mercat Bistro serves weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2501 N. Harwood St., Suite 225. Complimentary valet is available at the building on weekends. Call (214) 953-0917, see the full brunch menu or make a reservation.
