Jan Kelly, chef-owner of Meritage restaurant, was at the forefront of sourcing local while partnering with Growing Power over the past eight years. Her dedication to working with farmers to bring the best crop for the season to the plate shows in her contemporary American cuisine and flavor pairings from around the world.
The atmosphere at Meritage is warm. Chef Kelly’s many well-earned accolades line the red-and-golden-colored walls by the hostess stand. The honeyed glow from the bar lights and artwork all set the tone for a thoughtful and cozy dining experience with a contemporary feel—although the music at a recent visit was ’60s Motown. The friendly staff are longtime employees well versed in Kelly’s style and food. For our server, describing the specials and personal favorites came easily.
The restaurant offers nightly specials including Tapas Tuesday ($6 tapas). You can take a culinary trip on Destination Wednesday. Wine and Mussels Thursday is a great value with a pour of wine ($6) and pound of mussels ($9). The evening I visited, the mussels were prepared in a Spanish Romesco sauce that nestled in the shells of the plump mussels. Another tempting appetizer was the lamb firecracker roll ($9), crispy on the outside, filled with spicy ground lamb and served with a sweet chile dipping sauce and a scallion sauce, both nicely complementing the flavors of the lamb.
Another new appetizer on the summer menu was chicken and waffles ($10), a savory bacon-and-onion waffle with chicken liver pâté, chicken tenders and a pepper jelly. I really wanted to love this dish, but as with all new dishes it needed a few minor tweaks. The chicken was moist, but the coating fell off and the balance of flavors needed a little adjustment. I would definitely try it again and see how the natural evolution goes in creating such a dish.
Two pork dishes that evening were our favorites. The Korean barbecue pork ($15) was made with an outstanding house-made kimchi and served with rice. The pork steak had bold flavors of ginger, soy and garlic and was moist and tender. The special that evening of a brined and grilled pork chop ($19) was cooked well and served with a tangy and bright kohlrabi slaw and tomatillo sauce—a wonderful flavor profile in which all elements worked well together. The smoked bison brisket ($21) was paired with a raspberry-rhubarb glaze and served with roasted potatoes, a hearty dish that was refined comfort food.
Kelly also stepped out of the box with her rendition of beet gnocchi ($17) paired with spinach and snow peas in a hazelnut broth; and with a roasted half-chicken ($19) basted in N’duja (Calabrian spicy pork sausage) butter and served with a tomato and bacon panzanella. They were executed well and had delicious flavors and textures.
The creative flavor pairings don’t just stop at the food. Meritage has interesting signature cocktails to tease your palate like the bourbon and salted caramel martini with house-made caramel cream or the ancho red bell pepper margarita.
Don’t pass up their signature chocolate dessert of chocolate cake, mousse and ganache, a chocolate lovers nirvana and the perfect way to end the meal.
Meritage
5921 W. Vliet St.
414-479-0620
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Handicap Access: No
