Escape to Italy: The Mercatto

Upon entering the doors of Mercato on Fourth street S.W. for my very first time, I was instantly transported from Calgary to another part of the world, more specifically, Italy. Although I had never been to Mercato before, I knew they had a great reputation. I was already aware that Mercato created housemade pastas of every variety, I already knew that they made fresh home-made sauces that were far better than anything I could buy at a supermarket, and, I had even already heard that Mercato had the best available olive oil in town.

So why had it taken me so long to visit these people? I love food!

Well, every once and a while, a man must admit to his mistakes, and I, right now, am admitting I made a mistake. I should have stopped in here a long time ago. Standing at the entrance for a minute, overcome by aromas, I found myself unsure which way to turn. With an open air kitchen to my right and a deli to my left, I wondered, "do I sit down at the kitchen bar and watch those gifted chefs prepare a fresh and incredibly tasty meal right before my eyes"? Or, "do I go into the deli that is stocked with imported meats, cheeses and every food item I could ever think of when one thinks about those classic 'Italian family' meals"?

I would sit here and tell you which way I went and what wonderful selections to order off the menu, or even how polite and friendly the staff was, which is how a review should generally go, but, like Mercato, I''m going to offer something a little different.

The thing that impresses me the most about Mercato, and the thing that is going to bring me back is the overall feeling that I''m getting something more. In the air I could feel that Mercato really cares about giving their customers not just the highest quality of service, but also the highest quality of life.

Sure, some of the prices were a little higher than your local grocery store, but that''s the point here. Every once and a while, you have to treat yourself to something nice, something that takes away all your worries, something that makes you forget about the fast paced life we live in. Sometimes you have got to just sit down and relax. Sometimes, you need a vacation, and, that''s exactly what Mercato is..a vacation. Except, this way you get all the benefits of going to Italy, without having to pay the price.

 

Written by Shaun Field