stay in school. mercantile dining and provisions, located in the soon to become iconic union station, is an outpost of alex seidel, the proprietor of fruition, perhaps denver's best restaurant. mercantile follows seidel's passion for "farm to table," that obnoxious and overused term for fresh produce. mostgoodrestaurants will use the freshest and best products available. with transport asgoodas it is today, that might include produce from a farm in timbuktu that can arrive to a kitchen in colorado in less then a day. so stop this "farm to table" obsession already and worry more about how food tastes and the graciousness of your staff. the food at mercantile dining & provisions, (is the name pretentious enough for you?) is served cafeteria style, kind of. you place your order at the cash register, pay for it, and someone texts you when it's ready. then, you stroll over to the kitchen's counter and pick it up. my mind raced back to my middle school lunch room, and i almost expected someone to butt in line. i didn't enjoy this kind of service back then, and i don't like it now. union station is not an airport, and most people are not in a hurry to catch a train. i don't like airport tray eating either for that matter. dining is suppose to be relaxing, a time for peace and pleasant conversation. isn't our culture rushed enough? on one hand we are urged to consume healthy, locally raised and farmed food. yet, on the other hand, mercantile is encouraging us to shove that food down our gullet as fast as possible. i have a disconnect here.......
the food is good, not great or memorable. all the spaces at union station are pleasant enough, and the decor is appropriate. service is nicer, younger and better looking then my former middle school cafeteria matrons and i didn't hear that atavistic cafeteria growl. mercantile dining & provisions (that name again!) is okay, but nothing to transfer about.