Merchant House Tavern

This past Friday we went to visit the Merchant House Tavern in Fairfield. We tried getting in one Saturday and were turned away not at the door but in the parking lot by some random kid who I guess was valet? Really weird, but nevertheless it made us want to try it even more. This Merchant House Tavern looks like its related to the Huntley Tavern in Summit, and the newest addition the Tabor Road Tavern in Mt. Pleasant.

The menu at the Merchant House looked the best and the most reasonably priced. So we finally got there on a Friday evening around 9 and surprisingly it was very quiet. I talked to the hostess and she said that Saturday was by far their best time but this Friday was unusually quiet. Upon walking in we noticed the décor was very nice. Very rustic, yet trendy with a lot of wrought iron, fireplaces, orange and terra cotta hues.

Upon the waiters arrival I started looking around at the rest of the servers and noticed they looked familiar. I noticed they were the same servers from when this place used to be the Italian restaurant Aria. I have actually been there when it was Aria and I don’t remember it being bad. Anyways, I was wondering how all these off the boat sounding, older Italian men liked wearing Jeans and taking orders. Being as Italian as I am I felt some kind of tense feelings in the air. But that just may be my crazy head…Most likely is as Brian my dining partner informed me.

Now for the food, takes me long enough to get to it right? So I ended up having the seared tuna over mango, avocado and pineapple. I was really eyeing the pumpkin ravioli with the almond cookie crumbles ontop but something about avocado really got me that night. I have an obsession with avocado. The Tuna was good and nicely prepared the seasoning on the outside was very tasty. Although, the salad underneath could have used more of a balance between the avocado and mangos. It was really all mango. But it was all in all a refreshing dish. Brian got the short ribs. This was tricky because a friend of ours recently made a fantastic short rib dish for us so we were looking forward to it thinking it would be just as great. And well, it was pretty good! The meat was decent and not tough. The sauce wasn’t the sweet bbq sauce I had anticipated but more of a tangy bbq sauce so I guess it depends upon your preference. But the vegetables that came with the ribs were seasoned very well and also very soft, nicely done!

What I think is so great about this place is its almost like an upscale Applebees or Fridays. Which I know might offend whomever owns or works at this place. But really I think it’s a good compliment. There are plenty of times where I didn’t want to hit up a chain like Fridays for “fun food.” But yet I really wasn’t looking for fancy fare. This place falls right in the middle like a happy medium. It can fit into your budget like a Fridays but you can get something a little bit more interesting than your standards.

No Labels

I have come across something lately that REALLY bothers me. After giving out recipes, holding dinner parties, giving people restaurant suggestions and just talking about food on level that borders on psychotic people I work with have labeled me a “foodie.” I really don’t think I deserve that label because I don’t really know much of the technical aspects of food and to a real foodie I would probably be a gross annoyance. But I am just simply a person who loves food and loves to share my experiences on it.

So at lunchtime conversation at work people were going around asking what each others all time favorite restaurants are. When it gets to me I hear out of the corner of my ear some girl go lets ask her its probably some fancy schmancy restaurant. Really?! Because I think Ruts Hut is a palace and the Belmont is a temple. If you are not familiar with these places get familiar and know they are total holes in the walls. Sure I think some of the fancier restaurants with the bells and whistles are good like the Copeland in Morristown, or Del Posto in NYC. But some people get it really wrong, saying you love food and love acquiring knowledge of food doesn’t mean you’re a food snob. Furthermore, I disagree with foodies who are food snobs because then I feel like they are just abusing a title.

Everyone is going to disagree about food. What one person thinks taste like crap another person thinks it’s the best thing ever. So one person’s opinion is never better than the other on the subject of food. Except if you are true picky eater because what would you know if you ate grilled chicken and vegetables everyday? There are peoples opinions you may develop a trust in because you discover your tastes are similar. But no one gains anything from being a food snob. Or just a snob in general!

ADIDA"F"

Some friends email during work hours about upcoming plans, just to check-in, ask a random question, or complain about the latest feud with their oblivious boyfriend. Or maybe they actually do work. But in any case I highly doubt most people plan their events around food, or plan out menus for a possible July tailgate in April. Well I guess it’s a safer habit than sending dirty messages to your significant other over email. Unless you are foodie, then you would realize how dirty messages like the excerpt below really are…

“these are the few things in life that make you go from day to day... if i cant ponder the thought of hot peppers and artichokes on a bastone covered in mortadell, cappy and mutz...then really...what's the point? Now i think that pairs well with a Stella Artois? or, do we just get a 30 of keystone and call it a day?

p.s. my mouth is literally watering. “

That lovely description came from the heart and stomach of Mike Sinatra. It made such an impact on me at 10:15 am on Wednesday that I had to share.Not only does he have the ultimate Jersey-Italian last name, but a love for all things edible. I mean the last name alone was enough to make me consider marriage just so I could say I was a Sinatra! But I decided it was better to date a white Scottish boy from Pennsylvania hoping I could save a soul by imparting my Italian foodie ways to another. And I am sure if he ever reads this post he is going to be slightly annoyed. But only slightly because being from Pennsylvania and not having a drop of Italian in him makes him slower to anger.