For those who love terrines, cured meats and artisanal cheeses, meet your new favorite epicurean emporium -- The Mercantile. Chock full of fancy finger foods and French vin, the Hollywood hotspot also offers cartloads of coffees, oodles of olives, gobs of gelati, profusions of pastas, a plethora of pastries, stockpiles of sausages, scads of specialty sodas, volumes of vinegars, and all kinds of other gourmet groceries.

The newest enterprise from the folks behind The Bowery and Delancey, along with chef Kris Morningstar (Blue Velvet, A.O.C.), The Mercantile is a decidedly more casual space with exposed brick walls, hand-painted wooden signs, flowery wallpaper, a white-washed entry arch framing huge windows, old-fashioned ceiling lamps and fans, and odds-and-ends shelves that seem to stack up to the second-story ceiling.

The ambiance is a cross between a small town general store and an alleyway taverna in Lisbon. Stop by for a late-morning cappuccino or an evening tipple from the 50-strong wine list, with its idiosyncratic assemblage from across the globe.

You can also enjoy any number of the sweetmeats on sale at the bar, or at one of the high communal tables in front. To keep away from prying eyes, corner one of the private tables on the landing in the back while you enjoy your charcuterie plate, smoked trout rillettes, or one of the entrees like chicken pot pie, tuna noodle casserole, or a Cuban sandwich with spiced pork loin, spicy coppa, gruyere and pickled pepper relish (there are more salad and sandwich options at lunch).
Better yet, enjoy cheese fondue or raclette with the entire table, or just slurp sensually on a steaming bowl of French onion soup swimming with gooey caramelized onions and topped with a gruyere-covered crouton. Well, ok, have a pistachio-rosewater macaron for dessert too.
The Mercantile
6600 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 962-8202
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