Which Meze Are You? The Cast of a Good Evening – Part 2: Supporting Roles and the Three-Question Test

In Part 1 we set the table: fava, saganaki, tzatziki, olive, vine leaf, bread and chili were the first seven roles. We actually planned to write Part 2 only after our holiday closure. But a table that waits in the kitchen doesn't get any better – so the sequel comes now. Mastiha has been closed for the holidays since Sunday, October 4, and we're back for you from Friday, October 16.

Taking stock: zero answers

We checked under Part 1: so far there isn't a single answer. No vote for opposites, none for like-minded, not one table party yet. That's not a reproach, it's an invitation – the big question is wide open, and every answer helps decide it. Whoever replies first makes history. At least the history of this comment section.

The supporting cast: four meze that were missing in Part 1

Every good evening has leading roles – and people it couldn't work without. Here are four typical meze of Greek table culture and the people you recognize in them. (It's about types, not the menu: what's on our table right now, you'll find out on site.)

The lemon. It's never the leading role, but it makes every other meze better. Every group has someone who hardly stands out – and without them everything tastes a little flat.

The keftedes (meatballs). Everybody says “I'll just take one”, and in the end the plate is empty. That's the person everyone helps themselves from without asking.

The gigantes (big white beans from the oven). They need time. Whoever is like that only shows after the second glass – but it sticks.

The octopus. It arrives, and the table goes quiet for a moment. The person who sets the tone without getting loud.

The three-question test: which role do you play?

Answer spontaneously, without thinking too long, and remember three letters.

Question 1: You walk into the taverna. What do you do first?

A – I take over the ordering. B – I ask what everyone likes. C – I sit down and quietly enjoy it first. D – I push everything into the middle right away.

Question 2: One last piece is left on the plate.

A – I suggest who gets it. B – I ask: “Who wants it?” C – I wait and see what happens. D – I cut it into as many pieces as there are people.

Question 3: It's late, the evening is getting cozy.

A – I order the next round. B – I ask how the evening was for everyone. C – I lean back and just stay. D – I keep the group together and collect the empty plates.

Result: Mostly A: octopus. Mostly B: lemon. Mostly C: gigantes. Mostly D: keftedes. Three different letters? Then you're the meze mix – and the best cast for a long evening. (The test is a game, not an assessment.)

The big question stays open: opposites or like-minded?

A table full of like-minded people agrees quickly – and finishes quickly. A table full of opposites takes longer, but has more to tell. How do you like to sit: next to your mirror image or next to your opposite? One word is enough, a sentence of reasoning makes it better.

We're counting along and will take stock on December 31: then you'll find out here who won – opposites or like-minded.

86 days until New Year's Eve

Today is October 6, and it's 86 days until New Year's Eve (December 31, 2026). The mini-experiment from Part 1 keeps going: every week, write to one person which meze they are for you – and why. And if you don't feel like writing messages, just bring that person to the table.

Answer below with a reply: your three letters, your meze (from Part 1 or Part 2) and one word for the big question. Until we see you again from Friday, October 16, at Mastiha Mezedopolio, Arndtstraße 12 in Berlin-Kreuzberg, the table is set at your place.