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The
Mercer Kitchen, located at The Mercer Hotel at 99 Prince
Street, was officially launched in early August with
renowned four-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at
the helm.
The 150-seat restaurant, located on two levels of The
Mercer Hotel, features a menu of American Provencal
cuisine. The concept of the "hotel as a home" extends
to the restaurant as a casual family kitchen. Christian
Liaigre, the noted French interior designer, has designed
the Kitchen and is also responsible for the highly acclaimed
look of the hotel. The Mercer Kitchen comprises a lobby
level tea bar and café and a lower level main dining
room enveloping an open kitchen.
The main dining area, which extends beneath Soho's famous
cast iron and glass sidewalks, features rich wenge wood
furnishings, original brick walls and an open kitchen
layout, including five long "family tables" in addition
to banquette and bar seating. "It's a totally different
way of eating," says Vongerichten. "You're surrounded
by chefs. It's as if your parents' kitchen was run by
a team of gourmets."
Inspired by the casual, simple elegance of the setting,
Jean-Georges has created a relaxed menu that emphasizes
pure, locally produced ingredients. The sense of being
in the kitchen is further enhanced by the unique organization
of the menu and the food preparation areas. The menu
includes dishes from various food stations: the raw
bar, the salad bar, the pantry, the wood-burning oven,
the rotisserie, the pastry oven and the tea bar (which
boasts a selection of 25 custom blended teas) - just
like being in your own kitchen.
The hours of The Mercer Kitchen are 7:00-11:00 A.M.
seven days a week for breakfast; 12:00-2:45 P.M. seven
days a week for lunch (café only), and 6:00-12:00
P.M. Monday through Saturday except Sunday until 10:30.
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