Mercantile Dining & Provision

Chef-owner Alex Seidel has created an essential all-day restaurant and market inside Union Station that should be a blueprint for the burgeoning trend. In the morning, swing by for a cortado and fruit-packed blueberry muffin from the coffee bar or luxuriate in the extravagant croque madame. At lunch—one of my favorites in the city—the downtown office crowd and train-traveling tourists line up for braised short rib or pork belly banh mi sandwiches and delightful salads; try the Colorado quinoa version, with its crunchy polenta croutons, arugula, and Fruition Farms feta (from Seidel’s farm and creamery). At dinnertime, the buzz remains but the atmosphere evolves. Pink Floyd may be playing, but young hipsters and older blazer-wearing patrons alike can hear their companions speak as they marvel over gorgeous New Romanticism plating—it’s a thing—and lively flavors. Don’t skip the house-made pastas, served in diminutive portions with seasonal sauces, or any dish including one of Fruition Farms’ cheeses. There are myriad reasons to eat at Mercantile—at any time of day. Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Suite 155, 720-460-3733