Tag: greek

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Spanako-tiropita from Meze on Shrewsbury Street

Spanako tiropita from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Spanako tiropita from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

I have arguably never been more excited to enter a restaurant as a Worcester Foodie than I was walking into Meze.  Greek food? Ouzo? Spanakopita? And even better still, small plates allowing for all the variety of bites I want?!  I was so excited I started the meal with Ouzo. Surrounded with all items blue and white, and a mural photo of Santorini to my left, I quickly found some personal favorites on the menu.  Being Greek allowed me to help some of my neighbors with the menu, but soon I fell silent. I have also never been as disappointed as a Worcester Foodie as I was at Meze.  I cannot blame my high hopes and excitement, my food left me confused, hungry, and with a bad taste in my mouth that needed to be washed away with more Ouzo. I ordered their Spanako-tiropita which is spinach mixed with feta and folded into phyllo dough. The dish came with a side of Greek yogurt for dipping. Strangely, some triangles were stuffed with only spinach and others were stuffed with just feta!  I took a few apart in surprise. Eat one should be a mix!  The second dish I ordered was grilled calamari. This was a whole squid with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon, and Romano cheese. None of those flavors came through. All I tasted was char from the grill. The squid was terribly burnt where it had touched the grill and the every bite was overpowered with burnt flavor. I tried quite a few bites-following each one with either a spinach or feta stuffed phyllo triangle but gave up soon.  Most other foodies seemed to be more pleased with their dishes than me, so I would give them another shot if someone invited me there, but I don’t think I’d return on my own.

Due to the tapas style eating, photos may not match the foodies review or description.

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Lavraki: Mediterranean Sea Bass from Meze Greek Tapas

Lavraki Mediterranean Sea Bass from Meze on Shrewsbury Street

Lavraki Mediterranean Sea Bass from Meze on Shrewsbury Street

This month’s Worcester Foodies venture brought us to the recently opened Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille on Shrewsbury St. I began my journey with the Tzatiki which was loaded with flavors of garlic and cucumber and served with warm pita bread. The dish was prepared well and of good portion. I also ordered a side Village Salad based on our server’s recommendations. This was little more than a traditional house salad. Unfortunately there was nothing extraordinary about this. In fact, I felt it lacked any flavor beyond the oil and vinegar it was topped with. I saw spices at the bottom of the bowl, but I didn’t taste any. For an entrée I chose the Lavraki, or whole Mediterranean Sea Bass. The dish was presented as described on the menu, over a bed of lettuce with shredded cabbage on the side. There was little loose flesh to eat without working around tiny sharp bones. The flavor of the fish unfortunately did not make up for the extra efforts needed to obtain a bone-free bite. The fish was charred, and although the menu states it’s served with a light lemon juice and olive oil, nothing stood out past the charred flavor that overwhelmed the dish. I also tried some of my fellow Foodie’s dishes including Calamari which was prepared cut into large pieces and grilled. Much like the sea bass, this was overcooked and overwhelmed with a burnt, charred flavor. The Grape leaves that were passed around were good, but nothing extraordinary. In all, I’m sad to say I was disappointed with Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grillee. I felt the foods I sampled were very basic preparations, which is certainly in line with traditional Greek cooking, but they were not very well prepared. When I dine out I look for food preparations that I cannot do on my own. I just didn’t find any at Meze.

Due to the tapas style eating, photos may not match the foodies review or description.