Dinner at La Mercerie at the Guild

January 24, 2025

It's always enjoyable to eat out, especially when the event celebrates special occasions.

After a busy day at work, I and a small group of friends and colleagues gathered at La Mercerie at the Guild for a January birthday dinner. La Mercerie is a café, bakery, and restaurant located inside the furniture and design store Roman and Williams Guild in Soho, New York. Led by Executive chef Marie-Aude Rose, La Mercerie serves what she describes as "simple, yet refined" French-inspired dishes. We had the most delicious meal, which included phyllo-wrapped shrimp with seaweed and caviar, French onion soup, gratin dauphinois, sole meunière, filet of duck served in a cherry sauce, bœuf bourguignon, and a variety of the most delectable desserts. The next time you're in New York City, please try La Mercerie - you'll love every bite!

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: La Mercerie lives inside Roman and Williams Guild – both created and owned by the designing husband and wife duo of Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch. (Photo from La Mercerie)

: Roman and Williams Guild is a design studio and retail space that celebrates fine craftsmanship, organic materials, and age-old art techniques.

: Everything in the shop and most items in La Mercerie are for sale including home decorations…

: … and more utilitarian pieces for the dining table.

: It was difficult to select our drinks, appetizers and entrées – there were many choices and everything looked so good.

: Some started with cocktails and wine. This is a mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, usually made with red wine and various mulling spices. It is typically served hot or warm traditionally around Christmas and the winter months.

: This is an espresso martini, which is a cold caffeinated drink made with espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka. It is not a true martini as it contains neither gin nor vermouth, but is one of many popular drinks that use “martini” in its name.

: Chef Marie-Aude Rose made us this special shredded phyllo-wrapped shrimp with seaweed and caviar buerre blanc. it was delicious.

: This is Huîtres de la Côte Est, a half dozen east coast oysters served with lemon rye toast and a French seaweed butter – so good, we had to share.

: Coquille Saint Jacques Normande is scallops served with apple, vegetables, beurre blanc, calvados, and mushroom brioche.

: This is Foi Gras Torchon with pear chutney and toasted brioche.

: We also enjoyed this favorite – Gratin Dauphinois, sliced potatoes cooked in garlic infused milk and cream, gratiné with Compté cheese.

: This entrée is called Filet de Canard aux Cerises – duck with almond pearl onions and cherry sauce – a very popular dish.

: This is the Sole de Paris – dover sole Meunière, button mushrooms, and white wine sauce.

: Another main course is this Bœuf Bourguignon – tender pinot noir marinated braised beef with bacon, carrots, mushrooms, and pasta.

: At least one of us had to try the French Onion Soup, Soupe á L’oignon – this one made with vegetarian broth, gruyère, baguette crouton, and cognac.

: Cabillaud à La Moutarde en Cocotte is steamed cod in donabe, grain mustard, leeks and potatoes. Everything was so flavorful.

: Here I am with Chef Marie-Aude Rose, a celebrated and most passionate Parisian chef who started cooking as a little girl with her grandparents on the French countryside.

: And here’s a familiar face across the room. For those of you who watched my “Living” television show, the one on the left is Blaney Rotanz. She was just a little girl when she joined me on TV, and now she is all grown up.

: For dessert, we all tried a variety of sweet treats including this coconut sorbet.

: We also had this Galette de rois, a pastry offered only in January. It is made with two circles of homemade puff pastry sandwiching a frangipani filling.

: And for the birthday girl, Kim Dumer, who has worked with me for 30-years in several key roles including brand relations and content strategy… Profiteroles au Chocolat – choux pastry, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.