Mecca Makes The Shit List: Bauer Lays The Hurt On

I have to admit, I love when this happens. Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer is not happy, and you know what that means: culinary bitch slap! Following a fire last summer and subsequent remodeling (not to mention the loss of crowd-pleasing Chef Randy Lewis), Mecca (2029 Market at Reservoir) done fucked up. The highlights, or lowlights, as follows:

In the 'Ho, Snap!' category:

"Instead of the light, fresh food that once buoyed the spirits, there are now heavy, mostly sweet and soft concoctions that seem to be trapped in the 1980s."

"None of the nine dishes we tried were very good and one - sweet potato gnocchi with chewy fried spinach ($18) - was inedible."

In the 'Daaamn Son!' category:

"I remember fondly the truffle Kobe beef sliders ($12) that Lewis put on the menu. They are one of the few things retained in the new menu, but they're a mere shadow of what they were. The three patties were thin and dry and the bun tasted stale; the tomato confit and the caramelized onions dominated."

"Those people had the right idea - go for a cocktail, even though most are $11 or $12, and head somewhere else for dinner."

And finally, in the 'Oh no he didn't!' category:

"The cheesecake tasted like something you'd pull out of the freezer, and the beer ice cream seemed like overkill."

"How are these often overwrought combinations considered lounge food, I wondered?"