I have absolutely no grasp of the pressure that it takes to run the kitchen at a high end restaurant. I can’t imagine and certainly don’t possess the patience, organization, coordination, team mentality, or skill necessary to crank out the fabulous food, plate it up beautifully, and still deal with the occasional diner that likens your cuisine to an outdated can of Alpo. And what about the stress if said restaurant was located in an outdated strip mall with discount stores and resale shops surrounding it while other glitzy restaurants were gaining hordes of acclaim simply because they were opulent stand alone structures or were nestled in the lobby of a 5 star hotel? How could such a restaurant possibly burn its way into and onto the overly crowded and forever fickle Dallas fine dining scene? And who could you find with the tireless passion and kitchen commitment to not only launch this initiative but keep it firmly implanted in the minds of Dallas foodies for 10 years or more? Two words for you…Chris Ward.
How good is Chris Ward you ask? Beyond the talent, drive, and staying power it takes to accomplish what we asked above you can look to the numerous awards he’s garnered over the years and his guest appearance cooking at The James Beard House as proof. And most notably, he was a finalist to be the Executive Chef at The White House before the Bushes made yet another serious error in judgment and picked someone else. But, without their nukuler meltdown on their culinary choice, he’d be out of the Dallas fine dining scene so I guess I’ll have to give Dubya a little salute on this call.
Admittedly, the shopping center has been spruced up and new development has popped up in every direction. But it still doesn’t prepare you for the swanky sanctuary that is The Mercury. Once you leave the crowded parking lot behind and walk through the unassuming black awning you’ll be greeted by either a very well dressed man or a hostess that looks like she just walked off of a runway in Milan. No worries, this isn’t one of those places that puts a dimwit at the front of the house that is really more eye candy than competent host or hostess. Everyone has their game face on at The Mercury. And once inside, you’ll swear you’re in a tony Manhattan restaurant (except with a lot more room). Look to the right and take in the newly revamped and expanded Side Bar. Had a rough day or longing for a promising evening? It delivers a relaxed and inviting respite with a low slung sitting area surrounded by sleek teak wood, original artwork, and recessed lighting. Go order your favorite concoction and kick back for a while, okay? Chef Ward’s enticing array of delectables will be there when you need them.
Into the main dining room, a row of banquet booths line the wall. Tailored chocolate colored fabric and simple, elegant prints bring even more interest to the space. Some people don’t like the set-up where one of you gets the booth seat and the other gets the chair but we’re good with it. Tap into your chivalrous side and give your significant other the booth so they can have a great view of the entire room (great people watching here by the way) and you can focus 100% of your attention on them. Unless of course you’re one of THOSE couples that insist on sitting on the same side of the booth and are hell bent on intermittently kissing, cuddling, and longingly searching each other’s eyes between courses. Don’t get me started…
And with success comes the need for expansion. And speaking of classy New York spots, the Manhattan Room extends off of the main dining room offering a more comfortable and less noisy milieu with an almost living room type feel to it.
Global is probably the best description of the menu since Chris’ lineup runs the gamut from sushi to foie gras to steaks to perfectly cooked seafood. That’s not to say his menu is like a Cheesecake Factory where they have 200 items and don’t do any particularly well. Quite the contrary, it is a relatively small and well thought out menu with hints of his various culinary talents extracting gems from all over the world.
You’ll start your meal off with a fresh baked loaf of crusty French bread served with room temperature butter (read: not rock hard right out of the refrigerator – pet peeve) and a smooth duck paté (Dishes to Die For) that makes me pant just thinking about it. We’ve been known to ask for round two of the paté and, once you try it, you’ll understand why. It’s that good and what a nice up-tick from the usual pre-dinner fare around town.
Because Chef Ward’s menu offerings are so varied, it will touch all your senses and is really up to you as to what culinary outpost you’d like to visit on any given evening. In the mood for Asian? Start off with Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno ponzu sauce - fresh, glistening, and perfect. Follow that with the Black Cod in blonde miso, which Chef Chris perfected at now gone Citizen and is also a dish that’s since been copied at many Dallas restaurants. The cod is perfectly cooked with a slightly crispy crust and has a concentrated Asian flavor. Just the slightest prodding from your fork and a wonderful bite size piece separates itself and pleads with you to devour it. A syrup of reduced blonde miso dots the plate and provides the perfect foil for the fish. Or if you prefer to stay in the raw fish arena, order the Ahi Tuna Filet Mignon. A huge fist sized hunk of sashimi grade tuna is skewered with a stick of raw sugar cane then barely charred on the edges. It is out of this world. And you could go a similar route creating your very own little French, Italian or refined, yet home grown American menus. It’s your journey.
I’m not a big salmon fan but his version is a must try. The skin comes crisped and provides a whole different texture to the otherwise tired fish. A lovely Mahi Mahi filet comes with a silky sweet corn sauce and woodsy shitake mushroom salad. So good. Essentially, whatever fish you see on Chef Ward’s menu is fresh caught and delicious and is usually accompanied by an array of roasted baby vegetables and the oh so popular micro greens (by the way, where are the macro greens?).
Of course, the filet is fantastic on its own but even more so if you choose to top it with their dynamite sauce (spicy béarnaise type sauce with shrimp) or a pan seared foie gras medallion. I mean, foie gras makes everything better, right? Speaking of beef, on their lunch menu they have quite possibly the best burger I’ve ever eaten. They grind up a prime tenderloin and serve it simply with your choice of cheese and pommes frites. Nothing stuffed inside, nothing overly exotic, just a great burger with crispy French fries.
Or honestly, you may not even make it out of the appetizer section… and that’s okay! The pearl cous cous carbonara is simply amazing in taste, texture and appearance. A mound of large cous cous is bathed in rich cream sauce and topped with a perfectly poached egg and drizzled with black truffle sauce. Delish! Jumbo Scallops served up with lentils and tangy watercress is sweet yet earthy and wholesome. Legit. Need some foie in your gras? Check out the crispy foie gras medallion served alongside a foie gras flan and a ragout of wild mushrooms. The Ravioletti (served as a full portion at lunch) are tiny raviolis filled with braised veal and house made ricotta cheese that come dripping with a classic brown butter sage sauce. Finally, the 48 hour braised short rib is served with a rich celery root puree and comes charred yet tender, falls right off the bone and absolutely melts in your mouth. God this is making me hungry.
But perhaps the most famous dish, at least in our household, is the Cracklin’ Chicken. I know, I know, ordering chicken in a fine dining restaurant? Trust me, this ain’t grandma’s fried chicken. I’m not sure how he pulls it off but the bone in chicken has ultra crispy skin and each bite is moister and more savory than the one before. If Betty Crocker and James Beard had a love child, this dish would be it.
Their soufflés will knock your socks off. Their lovely, fluffy, and yummy and if you happen to choose the grand marnier and chocolate mix, it really starts to play with your emotions. We also love the beignets. Sugary and cinnamony doughnuts come served with rich lemon curd dipping sauce. Café du Monde watch out!
The recently beefed up wine list spans the globe as well. With the exception of a few over the top Napa cabs and Bourdeauxs, the wine list pulls from other less heralded locales in California, Oregon, Chile and Argentina most of which don’t top $100. When enjoying a fine dining meal, within reason, I rarely ‘shop from the right’ on a wine list prioritizing pairing the food over the price of the bottle. However, it’s very refreshing to view a wine list that has clearly taken the cuisine into account rather than simply concerning themselves with “what big name, over marketed cabernet can I sell a ton of?”
When you’ve been to a restaurant 20+ times, have dragged your newborn in occasionally, have ordered many different items and even made special requests to the kitchen, it speaks volumes that I don’t have one bad service or food experience to report. As you may know, The Mercury is the crown jewel of the M Crowd empire which includes, most notably, Mi Cocina and Taco Diner. Odd that this sultry, upscale spot is mixed in with nachos, enchiladas, and mambo taxis but as is true with all of the M Crowd spots, management and service are tight, consistent, and proficient. The wait staff seems to be comprised of industry veterans that understand how to treat a fine diner without the stuffiness that sometimes accompanies that knowledge.
I’ve often stared into my wine glass and lamented that, if I had it to do over again, I’d want to be a chef. Now, I’ve got no interest in committing the years of training and the long hours of chopping and prepping only to potentially subject myself to constant scrutiny and berating from some pompous, foul mouthed jackass Executive Chef, hearing about bottom lines from a bean counter ownership group or playing nice with the occasionally impossible to please diner. No, no, no. I just want to be the happy guy that has all his prepping done for him, can effortlessly flip his food over in the skillet, reach into the cooler for amazing ingredients without any budget considerations, and smile as I sip a glass of wine and plate up my masterpieces. But, until Mr. Rork and Tattoo give me a call from Fantasy Island, I suppose I’ll just be content as being the top chef in my home kitchen and driving up the road to The Mercury for the real deal.
Pressure? Yeah. I honestly don’t know how chefs like him do it day and night. Hell, I feel enough pressure cooking at home for my family and friends, plagiarizing a new recipe I’ve found or, even scarier, creating my own on a whim. So, I guess you could say the biggest difference between someone like me and someone like Chef Ward is that he’s cooking for the first lady in the White House while I’m cooking for my first lady in our off white house. Oh well, maybe in my next life.