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.
