Mezze, Los Angeles

Last night I went out to eat at the one of the hottest new LA restaurants. Mezze. Contemporary Middle Eastern Cuisine.

From the website:

“Mezze, which translates to sharing in Arabic, is a series of small plates that is the staple of Middle Eastern food culture. It is the symbol of conviviality, and time well spent with family and good friends. The traditions of mezze-style dining and the bounty of the California marketplace is the inspiration in creating Mezze’s contemporary Middle Eastern cuisine. We take the bounty of fresh product and local produce and combine them with the flavors and soul of the Middle East.”

My (as well as my fellow diners’) experience at Mezze really was exquisite in every way possible. Not only was the staff so warm and welcoming, but the natural light and the open kitchen and cozy atmosphere made us all feel so comfortable and easily pleased. And the food was divine, everything had that special finishing touch to it. Beautiful.

I will now take you on a photographed tour of our dinner. Unfortunately I was so excited when the first dish (Beet Salad, Chickpea, Sheep’s Milk Yogurt, Haloumi) and the wine came out that I did not grab my camera for sake of gawking and digging in immediately. Actually, the beet salad was my favorite thing that we ordered (although, I really loved every dish). The cubes of Haloumi cheese and the nice flower petals complemented the sweet beets and yogurt perfectly.

The Open Kitchen, complete with happy chefs

Baby Gem Lettuce, Fatoush, Crispy Pita, Sumac

Pink Snapper Crudo, Cherry, Green Almond, Tahini

We ordered 2 flatbreads:

1. Flowering Squash, Syrian Cheese, Zatar

2. Green Cauliflower, Moroccan Olive, Feta, Golden Raisin

Hashweh Risotto, Lamb, Burnt Onion, Fried Lemon

(OH the lemon was SOOOO good)

Grilled Corn, Moroccan Spice, Shallot

(oh so perfectly grilled; the corn was fresh and sweet and went nicely with the creamy sauce on top)

Hanger Steak, Charmoula, Apricot, Okra

Flowering Bok Choy, Grape Leaves, Lebne

Poached Egg Shakshouka, Yogurt Emulsion, Sweetbread, Pita

Berry Malab (check out the sugar art with flower petals inside [top left])

(Malabi=Middle Eastern Milk Pudding)

Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Cake
espresso ice cream

(nice balance of textures and flavors: creamy, crunchy, nutty, bitter, sweet, not too too rich;

also, I like the plating with the cake secured down by the whipped cream and the meringue on top with the quenelle of ice cream adjacent)

Semolina Pound Cake

(blurry photo, but great dessert; the berries were my favorite part)

Good to the last drop

I forgot to mention that family friend and Mezze head chef, Micah Wexler, came out and said hello and made sure that our evening was seamless. Congrats and thank you, Mezze.