David Kalina

mulberry is an intimate joint, light on space and seating while comfortable and quiet. The interior is defined by a central bar area, with only a couple of tables on the periphery. The bar has a welcoming look and feel, with long windows allowing an appropriate level of sunlight in for a happy hour. The hardwood trim gives the place some natural warmth while the bar’s marble countertops offer up a cool surface for summer heat relief.

Some have called mulberry a "New York"-style establishment, which is likely intended to indicate that the place is small, but also that one can run up a "New York"-style bar tab. Glasses of wine range between $7-$14, and there are dozens to choose from. The bar staff has been properly schooled on the many international offerings, and is ready and willing to drop all kinds of descriptive words on your selection. Quick tip: try not to shatter your wine glass on the hard marble bar surface; that would be embarrassing!

The real surprise at mulberry is the mostly excellent food. Many of mulberry’s dishes are designed to be easily shared. A number of fancy and creative bar snacks are available, alongside raw oysters and cheese plates. Skip the meager cheese plate assembly; the more engaging offerings can be found in the "Plates" section of mulberry’s menu.

The menu is definitely carnivore-oriented, with every non-salad plate featuring some form of land or sea creature. A bowl of pork-and-beef meatballs served in a tangy white wine and lemon broth is accompanied merely by a giant hunk of garlic-rubbed toast. The meatballs are intense and not particularly sturdy, giving the diner ample opportunity for scooping. The sausage plate is an urban professional’s bangers-and-mash, substituting a cream-of-wheat consistency polenta for the mashed potatoes and a green apple bbq sauce for gravy. The three juicy, spicy sausages offer plenty of satisfaction, especially when paired with the sweet, black-peppery sauce, which starts sweet and finishes with a kick.

The chefs at mulberry deserve extra credit for knowing how to properly use a fried egg. The fried quail eggs, lamb, and toast made for a scintillating, eye-pleasing appetizer; this delightfully salty and savory flavor combination is best shared. A heart-stopping $14 burger is on offer here, worth every penny, cooked expertly, with a perfectly crispy fried chicken egg resting on top alongside pancetta, gruyere, and paper-thin shaved tomato.

mulberry is best for a one-on-one engagement. Find a friend or lover, sit at the bar, and let the friendly bar staff take care of you. Ignore the unnecessary hi-definition TV screen, tune out the social climbers at the end of the bar, and enjoy this hidden gem’s offerings before the 4th Street crowd discovers and overwhelms it.