A Wednesday night and we're on the East Brunswick end of Lygon St, and I'm looking for a little casual Lebanese house. A good friend of mine passed the online menu for Mezza around to another friend and I two days ago, insisting that it was delicious and we could see that it was cheap. We couldn't pass up the recommendation and here we are, surprised we've arrived at a formal white tablecloth restaurant.
The restaurant is decked out with exotic paintings, and trinkets, with tables and chairs for small and large groups. We choose to sit on a bench against the wall, full of colourful cushions and opposite an oversized print of a tree. It's a large space with a step separating the front of the restaurant from the back.
A waiter dressed in a chef's outfit presents the menu. This was the menu we had viewed online. There's many vegetarian selections: from Baba Ghannouj to fried cauliflower with caramelised onions and lentil dishes.
The menu is divided into dips, starters, salads, mains, traditional dishes, sides, platters and banquets. Myself being a pescatarian, my friend a vegetarian and the other diner a meat eater, we feel spoilt for choice, and very glad the vegetarian food was flagged. Everything on the menu sounds delicious and we're drawn to ordering share platter to taste a bit of this and that.
First, four single serves of complimentary dense but soft garlic bread arrive, and shortly after a dish of Spinach, Cheese and Garlic Dip ($10.50) and Shanglish dip with crisps.
The Shanglish dip is made from aged yoghurt with thyme and tomatoes has a consistency similar to tabouli. Both dips are delicious, and complementary to the complimentary salty crisps and pita bread.
We're tasting our way through the dips when the rest of our order is placed on our table by another waiter dressed in a chef's outfit.
The felafel balls are not too dry. A pot of yogurt on the side softens the dish, and we could do with more of it. The Fatayer ($10.50) are four light and doughy pastries filled with spinach, onion, tomato, pine nuts and olive oil. A spoonful of Arnabeet Miklee ($8.90) or fried cauliflower topped with caramelized onions, pine nuts, almonds and served with tahini sauce arrives and dries out my mouth.
We have absolutely stuffed ourselves, from the complimentary garlic bread to the pastries our order is more than enough for 3 people.
There is something intimate and lovely about going out to Mezza Lebanese Grill and I think it is the simple idea of sharing food. The service is pleasant tonight and there's enough range in the menu to make even the fussiest vegetarian or meat eater happy.
Mezza is the perfect choice when looking for somewhere unique and inexpensive to dine at. Apparently you can also enjoy an entertaining night out at Mezza, with talented belly dancers and traditional Arabic music to entertain you.
