First of all this venue is to die for. The menu, absolutely superb. Mercetta mornington is everything i want my life to be. Prices are a little steep but i am yet to recieve my order so we'll see if its worth it. But lets start from the beginning before i lose track. I arrive, bump into a waitress who was apologetic and honestly seemed real sweet. But that was where it ended, she walked away without asking what i was after, offering me a menu, or even seating me to a table (Here's the thing about dining all by my lonesome, in the hustle and bustle of a pumping local cafe, a single girl can be invisible to waitstaff). So i stood awkwardly by the front door, pacing and looking around, trying to draw some attention to myself a little to obviously. I didn't mind that too much because the atmosphere was so electric it was a field day for a people-watcher like myself. A few minutes pass when a handsome young hipster points me to a table (with the menu i found on a counter while i was being ignored) only to then be avoided for another few minutes after i had contemplated the ins and outs of every dish and drink and changed my mind multiple times, back and forth between juices and milkshakes, breakfast menu or lunch menu. Finally a bubbly waitress spotted me in my corner and with some refreshingly nice service from a human being (not a hospitality robot which i find so common) i ordered orange juice, the Mercetta hot chocolate and Mercetta reuben sandwich. Im not sure why places name half their dishes after their establishment, perhaps ego? But hey, i guess it worked for McDonalds. MERCheeseburger anyone? It only took a few minutes for my hot chocolate to arrive with my orange juice but only seconds after, my sandwich too. Now my plan was to enjoy my hot chocolate in all it's theatre while my meal was prepared, and to acompany the meal with my oj. Didnt really work that way my friends. Lets take a second to discuss the sandwich...
Holy god of gherkins thankyou for this blessing of a reuben sandwich. Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between i have reached the gates of pickled heaven and they are here at 115 main street mornington. Soft, lightly toasted dark rye, warmed pastrami (and loads of it), a well balanced amount of sharp dijon, swiss cheese which promised to be melty but wasnt quite there, and last but not least, 2 beautiful varieties of pickley goodness. Long sliced gherkins, I'm assuming not house made which is fine by me, who has the time for that. And a generous pile of house made pickled cabbage, soft yet crunchy, juicy but not soggy, strong but not deadly. Absolutely divine. I surrender, life could end now and i would be ecstatic. Bravo to the chef for smashing this impressively simple but flavourfully complex dish together without messing it up. My hat goes off to you sir. (To all the readers, i type the previous sentence while eyeballing the chef through a table of mums and babies and the kitchens heat lamps. Not creepy at all i promise.) Finally, Mercetta's signature hot chocolate was so much fun. I do love a bit of an experiment and theatre when dining. Chocolate 3 ways with frothed chocolate milk and persian fairy floss. Its a little fidly but i can't fault. A must try.
As i went to pay the bill i found myself awkwardly standing at the bar with the same waitress from earlier, directly opposite me polishing glasses and again, ignoring me. I realise now shes older than i realised at first glance. I hope she doesnt run the place because i frankly wasn't happy with her customer service. Finally she looked up and i paid and left feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Overall: food was great, this is definitely my new favourite lunch spot. The hot chocolate was beautiful, yet to try their coffee. Service definitely needs work. Not just a friendly manner when serving a customer but things like taking a drink order as soon as i sit down. Simple things guys.
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DING DING DING round 2. busy busy day, the cafe smells amazing, this place is so trendy, all the customers look like they're famous on instagram or something. good news, i was served right away. i entered from the back terrace so i bumped into a waiter (not literally this time) almost immediately. nice latte! a bit heavy on the froth but hey it was delish, im no coffee snob. today i ordered breakfast. a plate of eggs and spinach and ham and tomatoes and mushrooms and holondaisey goodness is exactly what i need. im sitting at this cute ass little table in an indoor-outdoor area, directly underneath a heater which is super nice. 1 oclock must be the first lul of the lunch service because all of a sudden the cafe is half empty and the staff have whipped up all the dishes in no time at all. impressive. im really happy with my dining experience today! my food was divine, although $4 each for the mushrooms and tomatoes was a bit steep, i guess they can get away with it! perfect poached eggs, yummy sauce, everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. it was exactly what i wanted. my waitress brought me a second coffee and didn't clear my perfectly empty plate (i may have licked it clean but i don't think anyone saw so i think i got away with it), so my table was a little cramped but whatever. overall, super happy, on my way home for a food induced nap. well done mercetta. get used to me, im your newest regular.
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