USA. Alex Seidel, the well-known Denver chef, has opened his new Mercantile Dining & Provision restaurant in Concourse A at Denver International Airport. The James Beard Foundation Best Chef Winner runs a restaurant of the same name in the Union Station neighbourhood of Denver.
He is operating the 4,500sq ft eatery in partnership with Tastes on the Fly, the airport dining specialist.
The new airport restaurant offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner dishes, along with a grab-and-go section featuring freshly-baked croissants, bread-based snacks and pastries. Passengers can also grab a jar of Mercantile’s popular line of pickled vegetables to take home as a souvenir.
The space features an open kitchen design, with a 15-seat counter overlooking the restaurant’s chefs preparing each dish to order. Quiet dining areas are also available to escape the bustle of the airport.
Also featuring in the restaurant is the Horseshoe Bar, which has 28 counter seats and serves 20 different wines by-the-glass. Its focal point is a Cruvinet Wine System which allows guests to taste select wines kept fresh by the patented preservation system. An extensive wine selection is also available by-the-bottle from a temperature-controlled wine cabinet.
Describing the Mercantile’s offer, Seidel said: “This is much like our Union Station location. We have various ways for people to eat, fast or slow, and with the same calibre of food that put us on the map at our downtown Denver destination. We really hope to elevate the food choices at the airport.”
He added: “We went all out on the design to make it different from a typical airport restaurant. This really looks and feels like you’re downtown. Downtown, we have this great mix of food and different ways to eat. People come to us throughout the day and multiple times a week. That translates well to the travelling guest.”
Seidel’s partner, Tastes on the Fly, operates 25 restaurants in five of North America’s busiest airports: San Francisco, New York JFK, Boston, Vancouver and Denver.
Tastes on the Fly Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Michael Levine said: “We are restaurateurs who specialise in operating great restaurants in the airport environment. It is a delight to work with Chef Seidel to replicate the Mercantile Union Station experience for travellers at Denver Airport.”
Innovative Retail Group President Huy Pham, Tastes on the Fly’s ACDBE partner at Denver Airport, said: “DEN has done such a great job attracting local Denver restaurant favourites to the airport; people will be encouraged to leave early to catch their flight and enjoy Chef Seidel’s specialties.”
*Registration remains open for the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference, set to take place virtually on 12-13 September. Click here for free registration through our dedicated website.
