Short Stop: Turkish Eggs at Mercantile's New Saturday Brunch

Denver's dining scene is making a big comeback — and we're hungering to go out. With so many new ventures and old favorites to visit after almost two years of restaurant shutdowns and restrictions, the choices can be overwhelming. So we're serving up Short Stop, with recommendations for things that should definitely be on your culinary short list. This weekend, head to Mercantile for brunch.

What: Mercantile Dining & Provision

Where: 1701 Wynkoop Street

When: Open Tuesday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m,. and Saturday for brunch 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner 5 to 10 p.m.

For more info: Visit mercantiledenver.com.

The place: James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur Alex Seidel opened Mercantile inside Union Station in 2014, just after the landmark reopened following an extensive renovation that transformed it into one of the city's busiest and most popular destinations. But over the past two years, the normally bustling area has been much quieter.

With offices shut down and far less travel, the businesses at Union Station have taken a big hit. The recent focus on crime hasn't helped the matter, either, admits executive chef Alex Astranti. "It has been an issue, but since [December], the RTD police and the DPD [Denver Police Department] have really stepped up their game," he says. On a recent visit, for example, a security officer stood in front of the hall that leads to Mercantile (as well as Snooze and the restrooms), asking people going past where they were headed.

Astranti started at Mercantile in December 2020, following the departure of Matt Vawter, who left to open his own restaurant, Rootstalk, in Breckenridge. In just over a year, the chef, who is originally from Italy and most recently worked for the Uchi group in Dallas, has changed "pretty much everything," he says.

Blending his Italian roots with his experience working in modern Japanese cuisine, Astranti has concentrated on adding Asian ingredients to Mercantile fare, emphasizing the pasta program and refocusing on shareable small plates for dinner, all while maintaining a commitment to using local ingredients whenever possible.

Like every restaurant right now, Mercantile has had to make adjustments as it navigates staffing shortages, rising costs and the spike in COVID cases that came in late December. It's currently closed on Sundays and Mondays, but recently brought back breakfast and, starting January 29, will begin a Saturday brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will include items off the breakfast menu as well as some selections from lunch, like the rice bowls, burger and a wagyu pastrami sandwich.

Despite the challenges that Mercantile has faced since he came on board, Astranti says he has a strong team and is optimistic about the future — which includes the upcoming opening of a Mercantile location at Denver International Airport, tentatively slated for the end of March. 
What you're eating: "We tend to focus on simplistic things," Astranti says. "I went through — and I think we all do, as far as chefs and cooks [go] — this overcomplication of creating dishes. ... I think it comes with maturity and finding yourself and your style. So now I like to be simplistic. A few things, done well."

One dish that exemplifies this approach is the Turkish eggs ($15). Two poached eggs top a bed of creamy garlic yogurt; Astranti adds butter infused with Urfa, a dried, earthy Turkish chile pepper, and serves the dish with thick slices of toasted bread from Rebel for sopping up every last bite. "It's a dish you don't see very often," the chef notes.

On the other hand, chicken and waffles is a very popular brunch dish. But Mercantile has put its own spin on it, opting for Korean fried chicken served on a waffled version of a scallion pancake with a sauce that includes chile and fish sauce.

And there's more. "Our biscuits are pretty awesome," Astranti adds. "It's a recipe that I carried with me for a long time, and when I moved up here, it was a very challenging thing...the elevation was a big curveball." But after months of testing, he's perfected a high-elevation-friendly recipe that he's proud to have on the menu. Get a taste with the pork belly biscuit ($16) with gravy and a fried egg.