When Mercantile Dining & Provisions opened in Union Station 10 years ago, it brought a much needed upscale dinner spot and casual day-time eatery to the area. Now, under the guidance of chef Alex Grenier and a complete makeover, the restaurant is simply Mercantile, and it’s better than ever.
Part of the change came last year when founder Alex Seidel brought Sage Hospitality Group into fold. Seidel still has a hand in the downtown restaurant, but the main management falls to the group and chef Grenier. There’s a new menu, a new look, and a lunch prix fixe putting Mercantile back on the map.
The Chef of Mercantile
Alex Grenier joined the Mercantile team in January, 2023, a place he had always wanted to work at. In fact, said the chef, Mercantile was the first place he ate when he moved to Denver in 2017, and the first place he brought his parents to dine when they visited. To him, owner and chef Alex Seidel was one of the pinnacles in the local dining scene.
Even though he admired Seidel, the chef hadn’t planned on working at Mercantile, nor was he actually looking for a job. But when the position came up Grenier ended up chatting with Seidel and agreed to come do a tasting. Their vibe clicked, said Grenier, and the meal went so well, he soon took the position.
Born in Connecticut and raised in California from the age of 11, before Grenier came to Colorado he garnered experience on the West Coast. There he staged a Michelin-starred restaurant right out of culinary school. Then he worked with Patrick Kelly at the now closed Lure + Till in Palo Alto, and then helped to open the Bay Area’s first Nobu.
Once in the Centennial State, the chef worked at Panzano in the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver until COVID hit in 2020. Later he went on to cook at Willow Creek in Evergreen. In 2019 Grenier opened Welton Room in Five Points with some friends from California. He managed and cheffed there until splitting ways and moving on to Mercantile.
The Restaurant
Located in Denver’s historic Union Station, Mercantile offers glimpses of elegant train travel through its tall ceilings, long windows, and airy sunlight streaming in during the day. The restaurant proves large too, with an open dining room on one side and a casual bar and cafe area on the other.
Guests can see the team busy in the kitchen thanks to an open plan. Or, you can head outside for even more live action drama witnessed on the patio during the warmer months. Since it’s downtown, there’s plenty of foot traffic around to watch while you dine.
Mercantile first made the scene in 2014, the second restaurant by award-winning chef Alex Seidel. Over the years the eatery has churned out great chefs, notably Matt Vawter, who won a James Beard Award last year for Best Chef Mountain. Vawter now resides in Breckenridge where he runs his award-winning spot Rootstalk and Radicato Restaurant. Grenier took over after Vawter, and has carried Mercantile through the transition with Sage Hospitality Group.
The Food at Mercantile
The changes at Mercantile haven’t taken away from the original mission to bring seasonal and local foods to the table. If anything, it’s easier to take in the bright bounty of Colorado through flavorful salads and vegetable-heavy entrees. The main difference to the menu comes in how it’s served.
The market side has been taken out and a new bar offers casual seating and an a la carte menu during lunch service. Look for an easy-to-share charcuterie board ($32) or a light bite such as the Miller Confit Chicken Salad ($16) featuring Füdmill croissant, grapes, tarragon, house-made pickles, herb dressing, and romaine.
On the other side of the large space, gracefully sectioned off by a plant wall, is the full-service prix fixe side. During lunch diners pay $35 each for a salad or soup and choice of entree, and an extra $15 for two half-glasses of wine to pair with the meal. Some items are available on each menu, such as the Mercantile Kewpie Burger ($22), Fried Chicken Banh Mi ($19), and Spiced Cauliflower and Grains ($14). Others can only be had on one side of the restaurant. For example, in the fine dining side, the Big Eye Tuna Poke with coconut sweet potato, and Kvaroy Salmon with farro and fennel pollen soubise.
Dinner at Mercantile feels like a totally different experience. The evening menu comes broken into categories dubbed Sea, Earth, Pasture, and Grain. Each section offers an array of sharable plates for the most part, with bigger items from the Pasture side such as the Sakura Pork Loin ($38) with parsnip, chicories, raspberry, and coffee, or the 36-ounce Dry-Aged Ribeye ($295) with oyster mushrooms, sweetbreads, and beef jus.
On the sea side order Scallop Ceviche ($32) and the salmon-roe-topped Snapper Schnitzel ($38). Earth dishes feature all the veggies, including Charred Cabbage ($15) with pears, tahini, kohlrabi, and house-made chili crisp, as well as Spiced Carrots ($17) with whipped feta and cashew dukkah. For grains, the Ricotta Agnolotti ($26) with truffle, porcini, and hazelnut sings to us before settling into a nightcap or something sweet.
The Mercantile Takeover
Though dedicated to the kitchen, on his off days Grenier loves to go to live music shows, especially in the summer. He has an adorable labradoodle named Kylo, and is either walking and playing with him or at the gym.
While he won’t be going to a concert during the takeover, you can expect plenty of tunes soundtracking his day. Think old school rap, rock n’ roll, and some drum and base, all while prepping for service, executing lunch and dinner, and cleaning up.
Also look for some cameos from the pup. We can’t promise we’ll see Kylo, but we sure hope so. Either way, tune into a day in the life of chef Grenier, and enter to win a $100 gift card to Mercantile.
Visit Mercantile Monday through Saturday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. 1701 Wynkoop St. #155, Denver, mercantiledenver.com
