Looks pretty doesn't it? This is the meal I enjoyed at Mecca café, a casual eating space within the Esplanade Hotel in Devonport. Devonport is a 10 minute boat ride across the harbour from Downtown Auckland. A tourist venue with the dirtiest ferry terminal I've seen in a long time.
These are the Greek Dolma from the lunch menu . Dolma can be stuffed with either rice or meat. The menu said rice but mine was stuffed with couscous and they were quite nice. Nice but not fantastic, and I would order the dish again.
My complaint though is with the service. We were about to be seated at a table under the speaker when I suggested we would prefer something a little quieter. We were shown to another area in the restaurant and the waitress's outstretched arm indicated we could choose our own table. I'm happy 'cos I love to choose where I sit!
Not a good sign when you need to signal the waitress you are ready to order. Our meal was delivered quickly enough but our empty plates were left on the table, as were other tables. We had other plans elsewhere for dessert and coffee so called the waitress over and asked for our check. At this point she asked how the meal was so we made our small comment about the oil in the dressing on Bryan's salad tasting rancid. Despite the staff insisting it was the sumac in the dressing I know it was rancid. I have cooked with sumac so I know the taste of sumac.
It was Labour weekend and the staff may have been annoyed at having to work on a holiday weekend. If you take a job as a restaurant worker that is the life. You don't choose the music you want to hear and turn up the volume without considering the age of the diners in the restaurant. You don't stand around morosely, looking like you'd rather be elsewhere. You don't act like you are doing me a favour by serving me. Because I won't be back.
