comfort food Archives | Chicago Tapas Restaurant

Looking Forward

January 15, 2019

Looking Forward January is named after a God with a face looking backward and a face looking forward. While there are fond memories from the prior year, at Mercat we’re much more excited about what’s to come next. We’ve begun the process of updating our dinner menu with a plethora...

Cava — The Spanish Celebration Wine

December 19, 2018

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL Cava — The Spanish Celebration Wine The holidays are upon us and my thoughts turn toward celebrations with friends and family at this time of year. And celebrations lead me to thinking about popping a bottle of bubbly to get the festivities started. Sparkling...

Vermouth

November 14, 2018

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL Vermouth. This is not an uncommon subject for us at Mercat; we’ve dedicated a couple of blogs to it, we serve more than 10 different vermouths, and we make it in house [tire screech]. That’s right; we age, fortify and blend our own vermouth!...

It Is (Spanish) Cider Season

October 18, 2018

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL (INSERT image1.jpg) It Is (Spanish) Cider Season As colder weather creeps in Chicagoans begin to break out their warmer jackets and embrace the new fall season. Here are Mercat a la Planxa we are welcoming fall with a Spanish cider class! The cider class...

Tis the Season

January 16, 2018

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL Tis the season for winter in the Windy City! With so many exciting things to do in the city, it’s easy to forget that it’s -4 degrees outside. Well, not really, but it is easy to distract yourself from it. Mercat a la...

4th Annual Paella Cook Off

September 19, 2017

Chefs are prepping those paella pans! It’s that time of year again where local chefs and culinary crusaders will flex their competitive muscle for this paella smack down. Mercat a la Planxa is hosting the Fourth Annual Paella Cook Off on September 7th, 2017. The Most Valuable Paella (MVP) will...

National Paella Day

March 13, 2017

Oh my goodness…it’s here! It’s here again! It’s National Paella Day! Every year we are graced with this wonderfully special day in which we all get to indulge in this delicious, heavenly, traditional Spanish dish! Here at Mercat, we take our Paella very seriously. It originated in its modern...

National Almond Day

February 19, 2017

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL Can you believe we are already into 2017? Here at Mercat we are getting more & more excited about opening the doors of our newly renovated space in our Main Dining Room. January was full of planning, showings & dreaming of all the...

National Suckling Pig Day

December 11, 2016

Mercat a la Planxa, Chicago, IL December 18th is National Suckling Pig Day & we can’t think of a better place to celebrate than Mercat a la Planxa! Pig roasting is a symbol of celebrations across the globe in many different countries. From Hawaii, to Puerto Rico, Spain, the UK,...

Farmer, Shepherd, Rancher: Finding our Local Soul

October 16, 2015

Farmer, Shepherd, Rancher: Finding our Local Soul Mainstays on menus reflect the soul of a chef. Recipes that have a perennial home on paper often have a perennial home in a chef’s heart. However, sentiments change, seasons change and cultural cravings change. After 8 years of bacon-wrapped dates and oxtail...

Kitchen Notes

March 16, 2015

KITCHEN NOTES While a couple of blankets and a rocks glass with whiskey are keeping Chiberia at bay, the reality is, it’s nearly Spring, but the beloved season is far from sprung. This is problematic for a few reasons: 1. Timeliness and functionality. Unending cold is redundant and tends...