Friends in high places, they mean a lot of course but friends in the right places means a lot too. My friend M was just the person that I needed to speak to about a very important topic and she suggested that we meet up at Saks Espresso & Wine in Surry Hills as she works nearby. I did my due diligence (i.e. looking up reviews) and it all looked good. There's a selection of arty books resting against the banquette near the window and inside is all red and it's full with patrons.
I'm loaded down with things, a big umbrella, a bag and my handbag so I feel a bit unwieldy when I walk in. The owner smiles and tells me to follow him, my friend is already waiting for me. I go up the stairs and he shows me to... a complete stranger. We look at each other with an expression like "Hmm you're not my friend" and he apologises and shows me to a table. M arrives a few minutes later and we order some food to share and within about 10 minutes it arrives. The waitress is very friendly and the prices are really reasonable for lunch with many options around the $10 mark which is good for eat in and the place although rather small, appears to be very busy.
Mixed dips $9
There are three mixed dips, a relish type of dip with capsicum and onions which is tangy and lovely, a carrot & pumpkin dip which is nice and creamy and a hummous which is strong with tahini but not overtly so. There is a generous serve of warm Turkish bread to go with it.
Mezze plate $15.50
The Mezze plate is rather large. In fact my eyes widen when it's set down in front of me and M whispers "Let's check that they haven't charged us for two servings". There is a variety of food there: marinated artichokes, black olives, marinated mushrooms, capsicum and onion and eggplant as well as a lovely, tender chicken skewer and two sausages which I didn't particularly go for (and I'm usually a sausage fiend) and a tender shish kebab skewer. There's also a pile of Turkish bread, which is usually my favourite, that we do our best to eat but it's hard. We try but pause halfway through the pile defeated by the sheer volume of breadage*.
So tell me Dear Reader, what is your favourite bread? Sourdough? Naan? Baguette? Or something else entirely?
*Breadage is not an actual word but seemed apt :)
Saks Espresso & Wine
82 Campbell Street, Surry Hills
Tel: +61 (02) 9281 1312