It's been quite a while since I've been to Mezze Place, and last night was the perfect opportunity, right after Dan and I saw a great movie at MOMI. We were totally starving and I thought Mezze would hit the spot, which it totally did. Dan has never been, so I was excited to expose him to this flavorful cuisine, which I'll refer to as mezze fusion.
Although some of the dishes we chose were pretty classic, there were a couple of new things that I wanted to highlight here:
Cyprus Halloumi Salad - Both Dan and I adore halloumi cheese, and it's especially delicious when grilled. We dug right into this beauty, which boasted gorgeous grill marks and some nice fresh veggies such as greens, red beets, Spanish red onion, haricot verts and quinoa. Besides being really fresh and zesty, it was hearty too and did a great job of tiding us over. If I'd order this for myself, it's unlikely that I'd still be craving an entree.
Organic Pargiyot Chicken - Not that I wanted to be boring or anything by ordering chicken - quite the opposite, I had a feeling it'd be delicious here. Mezze's version more than delivered, as the chicken thighs were tender and deeply flavored by root vegetable broth that also dressed the cous-cous. Dan who got the short ribs went even as far as to say that my dish was better, which is pretty dramatic to say when in competition with short ribs.
Semolina Cake - Even though we were pretty full, Mezze's gracious staff brought out dessert, consisting of warm semolina cake. I loved everything about it, including the earthy walnuts and the plump raisins nestled deep in the cake's interior. A side of cool frozen yogurt gave the dish some nice tang, and you can really taste that this was real, good quality Greek yogurt - none of that fake stuff.
Service and Cost:
Just like the first time around, Youad and Lana were amazingly hospitable and generous. A full glass of vino, some shots of delicious port wine and that semolina cake didn't go unnoticed. You get treated as family and we can't wait to come back - I'm so glad that Dan's a convert now too!
Costs are moderate but definitely fair for the generous portions and the quality of food. For a full course dinner including drinks, two appetizers and two large entrees, we paid about $82 before tip.
3 Mezzzy Mmmms
Mezze Place – 31-18 Broadway #E, Astoria NY 11106
718. 777.2829
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.mezzeplace.com
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