- Title
- Our State
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-
- Date
- January 2007
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
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Our State
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ТАК
HEEL TASTES
A Dining Mecca
For more than 75 yean, culinary favorites from the Mecca
Innr satisfied the lunchtime crowd in downtown Raleigh.
By Alan Hoikh
If you want
I»
enjoy good food
in .1 cory place where you might
hear anything from
л
friendly
discussion between old pals having
coffee lo an important Mate
government decision being made
by a group of North Carolina
lawmakers then a trip to Raleighs
Mecca Restaurant is a must.
Located on Hast Martin Street just
two blocks from the state Capitol,
the Mecca is approaching its 76th
year and third generation of
ownership by the same family. Creek
immigrant Nick Dombalis founded
the restaurant on May 6. 1930. After
Nick retired, his son. John, took over
the restaurant’s reins around 1952
and was on the scene until 1990
when Paul, the son of John and his
wife Floyc. took up the ladle. In
2002. John passed away, but the
Dombalis dynasty is alive and well,
with 80-year-old Hoyc greeting
customers while Paul oversees
the kitchen.
In his father’s footsteps
Although his siblings took other
career piths after trying the restaurant
trade — sister Mary Dombalis Winstead
is a special deputy attorney general with
the North Carolina Department of
Justice and brother Nicholas John
Dombalis II is an attorney — Paul has
devoted his time to the Mecca.
“Paul works very hard,” Floyc say v
“He never takes tune off. Some days he
works 15 or 16 hours. On weekends,
when we are closed, he is in the
icstaurant. preparing for the upcoming
week, cooking, or makuig repairs.”
Paul has worked full-time at the
Mecca for 30 years, before piining the
family business he managed a soda
shop across the street at the young
age of 14.
"I started part-time after I got out of
school ami fell in love with it.” he says.
The Mecca's regular cost
can't get enough of the
restaurant’s Jumbo
Hamburger.
/опиума;
Our Mire 181
