— MERCATO—
Italian Trattoria in the heart of Hells Kitchen since 2010 —
Mercato opened its doors Easter Sunday of 2010, a creation of Fabio Camardi who wanted to recreate the family style cuisine of his birthplace in southern Italy: Taranto. After more than two years researching old school recipes helped by his mother Francesca and several other experts, Fabio opens Mercato in a location that at the beginning of the century was an Italian pastry shop in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood inhabited by Italian and Irish immigrants that came to America dreaming of a better life.
Fabio since the beginning wanted Mercato (Market in English) to be supplied by local merchants with fresh produce, meats by Esposito and fish by Seabreeze daily, both located within a block from the restaurant on ninth avenue. Cheeses and cured meats are imported from the Apulia region of Italy just like wines and beer, some of these products you can purchase to bring home. Apulia’s Mediterranean cuisine and specially Taranto’s historically seafood rich culinary specialties have been the inspiration for a big part of menu at Mercato.
Fabio & Barbara Camardi
Chef Emanuel Concas
Chef Emanuel Concas
Emanuel has been in charge of the kitchen at Mercato since day one. He has been one of the key elements to the success of the restaurant that since its first year of existence has been featured in the Michelin Guide. Emanuel grew up in the island of Sardinia where he completed Italian State Culinary School in 1993, before starting a journey that would bring him to create menus and dishing out his specialties around the world with stops in St. Moritz, Sidney, London, Leeds and Finally New York where he arrived in 1999. After having refined his skills running the kitchens of the top in and around New York, he meets Fabio Camardi and together they start what is today an Hell’s Kitchen beloved feature: Mercato.
Fabio, Emanuel and the rest of the crew at Mercato are constantly working to create a unique experience of Italian cuisine in the heart of remarkably unique city like New York.
Vi aspettiamo a Mercato!