As a former business owner, I really enjoy great names of businesses. The Thirsty Merchant is one such name because it invokes images of farmers, bakers, and fisherman assembling in public spaces bartering for luxury goods. After a hard day of negotiating, I’m sure they were ready for a tasty brown malt.
The Thirsty Merchant is located in Valley Village, a 2.09-square-mile community north of Studio City, east of Sherman Oaks, and southwest of North Hollywood, just off the Hollywood Freeway, Coldwater Canyon off ramp.
It was rather warm that day and I was grateful that they had good air conditioning. A commissionaire greeted my wife and me and explained that all orders are placed at the bar. I quickly figured out that despite staff going between tables, this was set up much like a fast casual restaurant. Once you check in at the bar, you set up a tab and place your order.
FIFA World Cup signage is everywhere. The Thirsty Merchant is one of the select locations dedicated towards showing all of the FIFA World Cup games until July 15, 2018. Because the games are played in Russia, there is a significant time difference. Consequently, they open their doors as early as 5:00 a.m.
The bar has 17 craft beers on tap, with a nice representation of beers across the US stretching all the way to Tampa Florida with the Florida Cracker. Their libations menu is quite diverse and cutting edge. They have a nice selection of craft cocktails and they also have wine, frosé, aperol spritz, micheladas and mimosas. Finally, their “Hooch” menu features whiskey, bourbon, rye, scotch, rum, vodka and mezcal.
My wife started with the Fried Cheddar Cheese Curds. This came with housemade marinara, basil, and parmesan. I was curious about the Tempura Portobellos with Artichoke Hearts – Marinated portobellos and artichoke hearts were dredged in a tempura batter and fried.The truffle aioli dipping sauce was simply addicting and it would pair nicely with many vegetables, meats and sandwiches. It was a foodie’s version of ranch dressing.
As we enjoyed our appetizers, it wasn’t hard to notice the 16 large screens inside. My wife and I were happy that The Thirsty Merchant had a subscription to SportsNet as we were able to watch the Dodgers vs Braves game already in progress. We were even happier to see that the Dodgers were ahead.
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- Tempura Portobello Mushroom and Artichoke Hearts
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- Fried cheese curds with a marinara sauce
Other appetizers on the menu that caught my eye included their Carnitas Nachos with housemade black beans, the marinated steak tips with garlic toast and blue cheese béchamel, and the Basil Hummus. Another item that I would like to try are their flatbread pizzas.
Fried Chicken Sandwich with a creamy dill pickle slaw
Sonoma Salad topped with grilled salmon
Because they brine their chicken in buttermilk, I selected the Southern Livin’ chicken sandwich. It arrived at our table and was a great Insta-worthy image with the chicken hanging out over the bun. It was filled with pimento cheese and creamy dill pickle slaw so that it required a couple of extra napkins. The buttermilk brine gave the exterior of the fried chicken some additional crunchiness and the slaw in the middle was creamy and delicious.
My wife selected the Sonoma Salad and I added salmon as our additional protein to this. – The butter lettuce was fresh and it included roasted corn, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and was tossed in champagne vinaigrette and topped with feta cheese crumbles. I was most impressed because the salmon was seared crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.
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- Basil & Bubbles, Man About Town
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- Merchant Mule
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- Making Love after Midnight
My wife and I both enjoy craft cocktails. The Man About Town hit the spot. It was smooth, made with Evan Williams bourbon, chipotle simple syrup, bitters and a large ice cube made with coffee. The Basil and Bubbles was the perfect fruity summertime drink: vodka, pineapple simple syrup, elderflower, lime, prosecco and topped with fresh basil. The Merchant Mule and Makin’ Love After Midnight were also very good.
If you are the competitive type, this is the place for you. A couple of ladies were shooting pool near us and another pair were throwing darts. They also have foosball. Outside, you can play corn hole, shuffleboard or 4 in a Row. The patio is roomy enough so that games may be played simultaneously without people bumping into each other. If you’d rather enjoy the soccer games outside, they also have 5 large screens in the patio.
If you after your workday and feel like a thirsty merchant, they have you covered with Happy Hour 7 days a week from 4 – 8 p.m. All well drinks are $6, select cocktails are $8 and all draught beer is $1 off. They also have 8 different appetizers (including their margherita flatbread) available at a reduced price.
With great happy hour specials, games, 21 big screens and an impressive selection of libations, there are many reasons to visit The Thirsty Mechant. Plus, you don’t have to worry about finding a place to park.
The Thirsty Merchant, 12430 Riverside Dr., Valley Village, CA 91607
http://www.thethirstymerchant.com/