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Bad: Merkato 55

We said: After conquering Scandinavian cuisine in Midtown, Aquavit's Marcus Samuelsson brings African cuisine downtown with Merkato, an homage to his roots in Ethiopia, where he was born.

Reality: Apparently, we didn't get the memo that said "African cuisine" should be used loosely here: The menu—sorta kinda maybe "African," if you squint well enough—turned out to be a cover for yet another overblown Meatpacking District food emporium. Delicious? Sure. African? Don't ask Samuelsson: He's since bolted from the restaurant—sad, considering Merkato 55 was inspired by his travels around Africa.

Merkato 55
55 Gansevoort St. at Little West 12th
212-255-8555