The Basques have invaded the 'burg! One of the newest flashy restaurants to surface in Williamsburg, Mercado on Kent, aims to bring the foods of Spain's Basque region to Brooklyn with an 80-seat restaurant that also happens to have a bar and a small marketplace and bakery. Fine by us, one really can never have too much Iberico jamon. NEVER.
The kitchen at Mercado is run by chef Peru Almandoz and boasts a menu ranging from small plates and salads to large plates and sandwiches. Everything is very sharable and the options (which you can check out below) range from $8 Iberico ham croquettes to a $26 sharable suckling pig with everything from crab toast ($7) and a $12 pork belly sandwich in between. All the breads (ranging from ciabatta to burger buns) are baked on site by baker Johnny Peralta, who did his time at Balthazar, and the cocktail program by David Olson seems interesting, too. You can see an early cocktail menu below.
As for the space? Its huge (6,000-square feet) and boasts the now-standard communal tables along with banquets, a chefs counter and a zinc-topped bar. Also lots and lots of reclaimed wood, marble and tile as is the style these days. Photographer Katie Sokoler adds, "They gave me some fresh bread from their bakery on the way out and it was amazing! Neeeeeed moooooore."
291 Kent Avenue // 718-782-8810
