Midway Mercantile – From Groceries to Gourmet
Family, friends, food and fire. At Midway Mercantile, you’re invited to come gather around the hearth and enjoy good friends and fine food. Open daily for brunch, lunch and dinner and also available for private parties.
Since 1874, the building at “Bonner’s Corner” at 99 East Main Street in Midway has been feeding locals; first as Bonner’s Grocery, and now as one of Heber Valley’s newest restaurants, the Midway Mercantile. Now 140 years later, Executive Chef/Owner John Platt vows to continue the tradition, keeping patrons “well-fed with fabulous food and well-supplied with good humor.”
Platt, his wife Sandra and their 8-year-old son fell in love with the area after vacationing in Utah and decided to relocate from Seattle. “We wanted to escape big city life and become part of a community,” says John. “Part of the appeal of this space was the history of the building,” he says, “so we tried to keep as much of the original structure as possible.” That included refinishing the hardwood floors and spending countless hours chipping away at stucco to reveal the exposed brick. The addition of fun light fixtures, local artwork and Portuguese tiles in the bar add panache and a rustic mountain style. The result is a sophisticated, yet casual space with a three-way fireplace, an open stone hearth oven and wall-to-wall sliding windows along the entire front of the restaurant, framing a stunning view of Mt. Timpanogos. The vibe is akin to that of a neighborhood bistro, one that you’ll want to visit again and again. Three distinct seating areas—the main dining room, the cozy bar, and the separate kid-friendly sports pub where you can watch your favorite sports events—make it a perfect stop after a day of golf or hiking or for an intimate date night. A secluded patio at the back of the building sets the stage for delightful starlit summer nights or special occasions.
“We’ve assembled a great team including sous chefs Jake Danielson and Mark Button,” says Platt. In keeping with their mission of catering to a wide variety of customers, the reasonably priced hearth-to-table menu will satisfy young diners, big city foodies and everyone in between. Start with one of the salads like Sandra’s Classic, a mix of herbs and spicy greens, lemon vinaigrette and truffle oil topped with griddled Heber Valley Artisan Ju’ustoleipa cheese. Or enjoy one of their globally-inspired appetizers like Beet Muhammara Dip with flatbread or the Coconut Bathed Fresh Mussels and Clams in a savory Thai-style sauce served with stoneground bread. Entrees include vegetarian and daily pasta specials, corn fl our dusted Campfi re Idaho Trout and a classic French Cassoulet, a hearty stew of sausage, duck confi t, white beans and rosemary. Other early favorites include the Parmigiano-crusted Pork Tenderloin with Spinach Aioli and the Stone Hearth Roasted Scottish Salmon. Veggie Burgers and other pub fare like pizza, cornflour dusted calamari, Olson Lamb Shepherd’s Pie or Juanito’s Fish Tacos can get you started or fulfill a full-blown hunger.
By Corinne Humphrey