Mecca (downtown Raleigh)

  Someone wrote:
>Seeing Chris' piece on Joe's Mom's Place brought back a warm memory of the
>Mecca in downtown Raleigh.  Is it still in business?  Is the food still as
>good?

tom, by wild coincidence, i was stuck in downtown early every morning for about a week, just a few weeks ago, and ate there every morning. i hadn't been there in about twelve years and it was just as i remembered it: inexpensive, serviceable, good enough, not great. which is about all i expect out of a hole in the wall diner. menu with eggs, breakfast 'meats', sandwiches and biscuits composed of combinations of the former, grits (no hash browns coz this is raleigh, baby), and pancakes (no waffles). the 'fresh' orange juice comes fresh out of a jug. average breakfast came to between three and five bucks.

i saw someone here comment on the service. i got there just before opening each morning and was waited on by the cook as the waitress, maybe like her service, was late to work every morning. being the only person there, i got my breakfast within a couple of minutes of ordering.

it was quite a trip back for me. you know, every political deal in this state that wasn't cut at the old 42nd street oyster bar was sealed at the mecca. if only the walls could talk. a menu from 1930-something mounted on the steps up to the non-smoking second floor advertised stuff like steak for 55 cents, oysters for 45 cents a dozen, and bottled bud for 10 cents. behind the bar, a bottle of champagne in which the cork has long since dried out from sitting upright, half the contents of which have evaporated and the rest is some bizarre shade of orange. a bumper sticker read "jim graham is my friend." several autographed pictures of prominent politicians of both parties. a ceramic whiskey cannister carricaturing reagan holding a money bag.

   Dan wrote:
>BTW, those of you long-termers, EstEstEst is no more.  They closed the
>doors, and it is under conversion to I'm not sure what, but rumored to be
>another eatery.

aaaagh! i had planned to go there this saturday! aaaaagh! i haven't been since the month the place opened, i loved it, and then i moved away. aaaaaagh!

ok, is there any other place downtown that would be serving suitable for after pops dining with a very inspiring young lady? this would be around the 10 pm time frame. food to pair with post mel torme glow, please?

all velvet,

chris