Tag: WFXLV

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Mirada Greek Tapas on Shrewsbury Street

Fresh smelts dipped in homemade batter and golden fried from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Fresh smelts dipped in homemade batter and golden fried from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

For our November gathering, the Worcester Foodies visited one of the newest additions to the Worcester restaurant scene – Meze Greek Tapas Bar and Grille on Shrewsbury Street.

Greek Tapas? Well as their website describes it…a meze is not a course, like an appetizer, but rather a dish, that is served alone or with other mezethes as a separate eating experience. The purpose of the meze is twofold: to complement and enhance the taste of a drink and / or to provide the backdrop for a social gathering.

For our group, the mezethes did both. There was beer and wine, ouzo, raki and more. And of course, WorcesterFoodies is always about social gathering, sharing food, stories and meeting up with old friends. We all ordered a few items and as usual, food was passed around the tables. I tasted octopus, salad, olives, cauliflower & broccoli, tzatziki, melitzanosalata, lemon potatoes, grape leaves and a few other dishes that right now I can’t quite remember.

I ordered (and shared) Soutzoukakia Smirneika – mixed ground beef and pork loafs topped with a tomato sauce and served with rice. I also ordered Mirada – fresh smelts dipped in homemade batter and golden fried. Both were outstanding. An enormous portion of smelts arrived first. Butterflied open, they were clean and fresh, crispy and served steaming hot. I also asked to have them prepared with some hot spice. I added just a little salt and pepper and they were outstanding. The Soutzoukakia Smirneika was next and, as I learned from our waitress, it was a very traditional dish. When it arrived you could smell the spicy, aromatic flavors of cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg. The tender beef and pork loafs were topped with a deeply rich and flavorful tomato sauce and all were served with a small portion of white rice that complimented the flavorful meat and sauce perfectly.

I would be remiss if I did not add something nice about our waitress who handled our entire group by herself and was very attentive and knowledgeable. Overall, Meze was very good and I look forward to going back and trying some other dishes from their very extensive menu.

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

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Kotosouvlaki from Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille

Kotosouvlaki from Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Kotosouvlaki from Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille, located on Shrewsbury Street, is not your typical tapas restaurant. When I think tapas, I always think Spanish food served in small plates meant to share around the table. Meze takes the concept of tapas and applies it to Greek food, quite successfully I might add. They have a very large selection of salads, soups, cold and hot plates, all meant to share. The portions are generous for tapas, more than enough for 2 people to share.

For a salad tapas, I had the Kounoupidi (Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad). This was steamed broccoli and cauliflower, chilled and then served with olives and a fresh squeezed lemon drizzle. This was a great start to the meal with fairly large florets of each and a nice fresh taste. The lemon drizzle didn’t overpower the food but gave it a nice tart counterpoint to the mild vegetables.

For hot tapas, I started with the Kotosouvlaki (Chicken Kabob). Seasoned, grilled chicken skewered with peppers and onions, served on a bed of rice with a side of tzatziki. The chicken was cooked perfectly. It was moist and tender and the crunch of the onion and pepper was a great textural offset to the chicken. This was delicious without the sauce, but the tzatziki was also fantastic and also gave a nice slightly tart flavor to the chicken.

Then I had the Piperiés Skaras (Grilled Pepper). Grilled whole pepper, peeled, with olive oil and vinegar. This was 2 large red peppers, grilled until very tender and marinated in vinegar and oil. The peppers were grilled perfectly and very flavorful with just the right amount of texture.

Meze does a great job of mixing flavors/textures in their dishes, providing food that is both imaginative and delicious. Overall, a really fantastic meal.

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