Merrow Pop-Up Serves Fresh Fish, "Sexy" Vegetables, and Italian Chili Crisp - Portland Mercury

Merrow, a monthly seafood pop-up at Heavenly Creatures, evokes New York through its focus on detail, plating, and flavorful, nuanced ingredients. Co-owner and chef Olivia Starkie and her partner Alec Hess bring experience from New York, including training under a chef associated with Cervo’s. The menu targets warm-day cravings with fresh fish, crisp vegetables, fried and salty elements, and a tart-sweet finish. Inspiration also comes from Italian vegetable preparation, emphasizing simplicity so produce shines, often with generous high-quality olive oil. Fish is treated similarly, with dishes like albacore carpaccio layered with tonnato, ponzu, horseradish, fried capers, mustard greens, and olive oil.

"“Working in New York instilled in me an attention to detail and appreciation for truly interesting, beautiful, and nuanced food,” Starkie says. “I like everything involved with my cooking, from the ingredients to the plating, to tell a story or evoke a feeling.”"

"Merrow, the monthly seafood popup at Heavenly Creatures, seemed like Portland's answer to Cervo's, a Lower East Side Spanish seafood restaurant-and favorite of mine. Turns out, my instincts weren't half bad. Merrow's co-owner/chef Olivia Starkie confirmed that both she and Alec Hess (her partner in business and life) spent time cooking in New York, and Starkie had, in fact, learned under a long-time chef from Cervo's."

"Starkie and Hess draw inspiration from their experiences in New York, but also, to use Starkie's term, “the sexy way chefs in Italy prepare vegetables.” That means treating them simply—letting the produce shine and positively drowning it in really good olive oil. The same goes for fish, too."

"The aforementioned albacore carpaccio was plated on a hearty slathering of tonnato, ponzu, and horseradish, then topped with fried capers, mustard greens, and a ton of nice olive oil. Caesar salad came with rau"

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