Mesa Verde: Level 6, 252 Swanston Street Melbourne

Mesa Verde has a great relaxed vibe and is a perfect place for groups to meet, particularly given many of the food options work well to share. The restaurant also comes up trumps for their cocktails and imported drinks list.

I went to Mesa Verde with a group of friends. Between us we ordered quesadillas, tacos, scallops, the Mexican charcuterie plate and a couple of the sides. It was difficult to gauge how much to order and the waitress we had wasn’t very helpful in offering guidance. Those who ordered three tacos or a quesadilla plus one other option were content with their portions. The scallops, while apparently very tasty, were not enough to be filling as a main and would require at least a quesadilla or other similar sized option.

I had the large size charcuterie to myself, but without the cheese. It was filling enough for me, even though I wasn’t game to try the terrine looking thing. It reminded me of braun, also known as head cheese. Since I know these things often contain liver I wasn’t willing to go there. My friend finished it off on my behalf and since he kept diving in it couldn’t have been bad…

Mesa Verde would also be a great place just for drinks. It is way better than the rooftop bar upstairs, which feels like a cage.

All in all I’d give it a thumbs up (roughly translated to two ticks). For any group occasions I would recommend it. That being said, we are really spoiled for great Mexican places in the city. Other good ones to try are Touche Hombre and Mamasita, the latter being particularly vegan friendly.

Smith & Daughters: 175 Brunswick Street Fitzroy Melbourne

Vegan food to drool over. I wanted to eat everything on the menu and had such a hard time deciding.
I settled on the jalapeno and corn fritters with vegan sour cream, smokey coconut bacon and maple syrup. So tasty, so rich, so filling. I sadly didn't have room for dessert and ended up with a sugar headache from all the maple syrup (the chilli and orange sparkling mineral water didn't help the matter) but it was very much worth it. 

My friend ordered the hash with vegan cheese sauce, guacamole, and spicy tomato sauce. I can vouch for its Mexican inspired goodness and tell you that I'm inspired to try making a vegan cheese sauce for tonight's dinner.  

This is vegan food that makes you feel like you're not missing out by forgoing animal products. With its rockabilly vibe and cosy atmosphere it's a total winner. 

Three ticks.

Touche Hombre: 233 Lonsdale Street Melbourne

Senor Gringo and I visited Touche Hombre during lunch on a bright sunny Monday. The outdoor tables were full but the indoor tables were empty. I put this down to the after work/lazy Sunday vibe of the place - it looks like a cross between a trendy bar and hipster café, with waiters to match.

The menu is interesting. It is clearly not your standard pork/beef/vegetarian place. You can order blue swimmer crab tostadas with pickled chilli and lime pearls; crumbed haloumi tacos with pickled beetroot aioli, herb, pear and pistachio salsa, duck carnitas or chimichurri chicken burritos. Lots of options! To me, this shows the chefs have put some thought into their food and are not here to deliver the same as everyone else. Vegetarians and gluten free eaters are well catered for and if you don’t eat dairy your options aren’t limited but vegans would be left eating the guacamole. Sorry guys!

I ordered the guacamole with slow cooked beef rib. This is exactly what I felt like on the day but if I wanted to order else I would have to do some serious altering to find food to suit - damn aioli everywhere. The guacamole was advertised as an entrée but it was very filling for a lunch option. The chips were great, not the same rubbish as you find on most supermarket shelves; the guacamole was zesty, more-ish and very flavoursome. It was topped off with pomegranate seeds and pickled radish - clearly someone here understands the importance of fermented foods! And my slow cooked beef rib was off the bone, nicely spiced and quickly devoured. I did not have room for anything else.

Senor Gringo ordered the sirloin steak burrito with truffled fried egg, habanero cream, pico de gallo black beans and rice. He said the flavours were very mild and it was nice but it could have benefited from some fresh veg, lemon or extra spice to counteract the cream and egg. If you care about vegetables, I would recommend you keep this in mind and make your choices to suit.

I’ll head back to this place on a summer afternoon.