I've eaten at Mercado's sister restaurant in Northridge quite a few times, and I was stoked to…read morefinally get to the mother ship. While the West Valley location is small and hushed, with dark woods and muted lighting, the OG Mercado is the exact opposite: big and bright, with a bustling edge in the air as the staff navigates between eat-in diners, people ordering take-out, and still others buying items from their meat, pastry, and cheese displays. Yes, it's a real market and restaurant in one, and the energy is palpable as you browse the large menu, knowing everything is going to be very fresh and cooked to order.
It's always difficult to decide between a Choripan or Steak Milanesa sandwich, but today I opted for the Choripan -- and while I deleted the lettuce & tomato that's usually on top, I added grilled onions. As I waited, I was brought fresh-baked Argentine baguette, which was crusty on the outside and pillowy on the inside, with just a touch of chew. The bread is served, of course, with Chimichurri, but also a tomato & olive oil salsa of sorts that had a light and veggie-forward flavor that offered a nice contrast to the earthy, herbaceousness of the chimi. I've learned the hard way to no overindulge on the bread and sauces, so I pulled back after one piece -- and luckily, my sandwich arrived soon after.
This is a hefty Choripan, demonstrably larger than what I've had at the sister location. A very plump, butterflied and charred Argentine sausage resting on more of that bangin' baguette (the chewy center offering solid support for the fillings), and a generous helping of grilled onions. There was a patina of "grease" on the sandwich, but that's not a bad thing -- this slight oiliness was packed with flavor, adding tremendous Argentine Umami to the meal.
The sausage was meaty and dense, with just a bit of fat and a very nice punch of herbs and spices, leading to an enjoyably potent flavor very specifically South American. The onions were excellently prepared: grilled to a medium firmness, the chef bringing out the natural sweetness while retaining just enough of the original, onion bite to add extra layers of taste. As if that wasn't enough, the onions were clearly cooked in a bit of spice, which gave them an extra kick of heat that blended very nicely with the spiciness of the chimichurri. This is just an excellent sandwich.
Service is friendly, the entire restaurant is spic & span clean (including the restrooms), and the crowd seems genuinely happy to be where they are, eating what they're eating. The meats, cheeses, pastries, breads and empanadas on display in the market areas all look top notch and very appealing. I'll be shopping here for things to make at home, and I'll be coming back for another dine-in meal very soon. If you haven't been, you should stop by to try it for yourself. It's just so, so good!
