“30 years after opening MercBar, I’m opening up a place with the perfect chef.” – John McDonald
Three decades ago, nightlife’s Pied Piper John McDonald opened MercBar in a former tile warehouse with a graffiti-covered red door on Mercer Street in SoHo. MercBar was supposed to be hard to find. The vibe was private member’s club, and the lounge quickly became a clubhouse for the “Trinity” – Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington who held court, smoking cigarettes (remember those days?). Now McDonald has opened Bar Mercer (think of it as Merc Bar 2.0 with fabulous food) at 25 West Houston Street, just around the corner from where it all began.
A seasoned pro, McDonald’s Mercer Street Hospitality launched Lure Fish Bar, Bowery Meat Company, Smyth Tavern and Galerie Bar, to name a few. McDonald knows how to dream up a sexy room. With red lacquered walls and oxblood colored brick tiles, perfectly soft lighting and tables filled with the Beautiful People, Bar Mercer is already a glamorous gastropub scene. The bar is packed 5 deep. The wine list and crafty cocktails are extensive, but the star here is the food by chef Preston Clark, a fave of The New York Times. Clark’s menu goes high (a perfect filet mignon au poivre) to “low” – pigs in a blanket which Clark told the NYT “transcend class, which is what I like about them.” There is lots to nibble while you swill a martini: deviled eggs, crispy branzino “bar sliders” and a full raw bar. If you sip too many Mezcals, pre-order the carb/protein-packed “Hangover Pasta” with chitarra, ham, bacon, a sunny side egg, pecorino and black pepper. “30 years after opening MercBar, I’m opening up a place with the perfect chef,” McDonald says. “Bar Mercer is filling a void in the neighborhood – casual, but really good food.” – TED HILDNER
