Tapa’s; what a wonderful invention. Small plates to be shared with the friends and family around you. Instead of a giant intimidating meal that must be conquered at a sitting, you have many small dishes to be enjoyed at your leisure. The key word here is leisure.
I love to sit and visit with my friends and family over the course of an evening. Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille has created such a wonderful environment to do this. Your favorite people hanging out having some great conversation and nibbling on amazing food. Ordering only what you feel you need to enjoy the evening and imbibing some great drink. A great recipe for a wonderful evening.
I started out the evening sharing the Meza Plate. A combination of Homemade Tzatziki (greek yougurt), Taramosalata (a greek caviar spread), Skordalia (whipped potato spread), Tyrokafteri (a feta and pepper spread) and Melitzanosalata (eggplant spread). Quite a mouthful in flavor and pronunciation! Not having been to this restaurant before, I feel it’s a good idea to do a sampler platter to see what I’m getting into. Well, I loved it. The mix of flavors on my palette was a flavor buffet! Need I say more?
Next I moved on to the Riganato or Saute’d pork. I love me some pork. Greek seasonings with caramelized onions and a side of Tzatziki. Bite sized pieces that you can pop into your mouth. Tender and juicy. I admit, I like Tzatziki a lot, but I felt that I didn’t need to do the dipping into the yogurt at all.
Our next plate to be served was the Pantzaria Salata, or Beet Root Salad. Beets have been one of my “go to” dishes for years, so I had to order this to see how it was prepared and tasted. Served cold with greek seasonings, it was yummy! The plate was just beets, and lots of them. This serving was enough for at least 4 people. Keep this in mind if you want to order. Be prepared for a large portion.
Of course, I had to order the Dolmathes or better known as grape leaves. I’ve had many different types and these were great. Although I was I guess expecting some meat in them, I guess this version doesn’t use the meat. Great for vegetarians!
All in all, I had a great time and the whole group passed plates to share and enjoy. I was really pleased with the Paidakia / Greek Grilled Lamb Chops. This is from a guy that typically doesn’t like the taste of lamb, but the seasonings were wonderful.
The atmosphere was laid back and a bit noisy. Partially because there was not just our group of 12 people, but another group of at least as many in the same space. All having a wonderful time and enjoying each other’s company. The wait staff was wonderful and we had no problems with splitting the bills up and paying either individually or as couples.
To cap off the night, we shared a drink with the owner called the “Dirty Greek Flag!” We toasted and it was marvelous. It’s always nice to see a proprietor come out personally and great the guests and introduce themselves. As a small business owner, I appreciate the personal touch of hospitality that can mean a lot to an existing or new customer.
Due to the tapas style eating, photos may not match the foodies review or description.
