Fans of director Sergio Leone, will know that Mesa Verde is the name of town and raided bank in his film A Fistful of Dynamite and also happens to be the name of Tim Peach’s bar and eatery on the sixth floor of Curtin House. Peach himself a fan of the film, a Zapata Western, centred round a Mexican revolutionary, has based the cuisine and fit out loosely on the Mexican theme, with an interior replete with Tasmanian myrtle wood, and over two hundred bottles of tequila.
My companion and I sit beside an open window overlooking the small rooftop garden of herbs and plants used in the Mesa Verde kitchen. The atmosphere is one of relaxed bar dining, which extends through to rooftop cinema set menu; Four tacos, a main, a salad and two Margaritas for $45 and enough time to catch a flick in the cinema above.
Tender, grilled corn smothered with chipotle mayo, cheese and lime is the perfect accompaniment to the tart La Casa Margarita, rimmed with chilli salt, which is potent enough to wash away the mid week, work blues. Followed by Baja prawn tacos with chipotle mayo and iceberg lettuce, then a main of Lamb barbacoa and chorizo potatoes. The flavour of the lamb is sublime, in part due to the strong Mexican herb epazote, grown in the rooftop garden, despite the lamb itself being chewy and a little on the tough side, while the potatoes are tender and cooked to perfection.
The bold flavours of the lamb are complemented by the subtle flavours of the watermelon, beet, pomegranate seeds, mint and pepita salad. All washed down with a vivid, pink coloured hibiscus drink, strong lemon and mint flavoured, and is a refreshing antidote to tequila and driving home sober. Stand out dish of the evening is the dessert; Patron XO cafe creme brulee. Creamy and velvety in texture and imbued with coffee flavoured tequila, it’s a dessert worth climbing six flights of stairs for. Mesa Verde serves food in season with the emphasis on sustainability, and produce is sourced from boutique growers.
For relaxed bar dining of sustainable, flavoursome, produce, a multitude of tequilas, beers and drinks to choose from and the choice of a movie to follow, Mesa Verde is a little haven near the rooftop.
Mesa Verde is located on Level 6 of Curtin House, 252 Swanston St in Melbourne.
Opening Hours Tue-Sun
Bar 5pm- late
Kitchen Tue- Thur 6pm- late
Fri 5pm- late
Sat 6pm- late
Phone: 03 9654 4417
First published in the AU Review in February 2014
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