New restaurant offers variety of vegeterian, vegan dishes
Columbia is certainly not well known for its selection of Lebanese-style eateries.
In fact, the city boasts only a handful of restaurants sprinkled throughout the area that serve up the typical Middle Eastern fare.
However, a quick stroll down Gervais Street will land you right in the heart of the Vista, and right at the front door of Mezza, a newly opened bistro and hookah lounge that’s putting a modern spin on some classic Lebanese favorites.
From an outside perspective, Mezza somewhat resembles many of the dining establishments the Vista has come to be known for: a nicely furnished bar at the front, followed by a simple seating area with white tablecloths under low lighting that glows from fashionable hanging shades.
It is only when you are seated at the booth or table of your choice that you can really take in what is a combination of classic style molded with a few twists that keep the restaurant looking fresh and modern.
The exposed air ducts are layered over a high ceiling, and the open brick work at Mezza’s front door keeps things comfortable and far from feeling overdone and stuffy.
And unlike many other more traditional Lebanese restaurants, Mezza’s house music of choice includes a variety of dubstep tunes that keep the vibe feeling new and hip. The walls are decorated with a culture clash of classic and modern paintings, all of which are for sale.
The best way to describe Mezza’s extensive menu of Lebanese dishes is fresh and diverse, serving up an assortment of typical cuisine mingling with some more contemporary choices.
The selection of appetizers is almost as expansive as the entrees themselves, giving diners the option of choosing between cold starters like hummus or baba ghanoush, an eggplant dish mixed with tahini sauce and garnished with olive oil.
The hummus, adequately priced at $4.95, was served chilled with soft, warm pita bread slices and tasted freshly made with a consistency that was perfectly balanced between thick and easily spreadable.
There are, of course, hot appetizers to choose from as well, including Phoenician fries sautéed in garlic and lemon and topped with feta cheese for $6.50, as well as another Lebanese favorite: falafel croquettes molded from fresh garbanza beans and served with a sides of lettuce, tomato, pickle and tahini sauce for the same price.
As for the main courses, Mezza offers an assortment of options to fit any taste and budget. There are four salads offered for under $10, including the tabbouleh salad crafted from a mixture of parsley, wheat, tomato, onions, olive oil and lemon juice that tasted crisp and light with a colorful array of textures and flavors.
There are also six wraps on the menu for less than $9 each, served on warm pita bread garnished with tomatoes, lettuce and pickles.
Diners can select from the falafel wrap or the traditional kafta kabab, a Middle Eastern style meatloaf served with hummus, as well as other wraps, including pitas stuffed with shrimp, chicken or beef.
Moving further down the menu brings diners to entrees with slightly heftier price tags.
All entrees from the grill, including kafta kababs over basmati rice and a mixed grill of chicken, beef and kafta with yogurt, are served with house salads with prices ranging from $14 to $17.
However, Mezza also offers items to share among groups of two to eight people. The petite Mezza meal serves two to four diners and comes with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves and falafel, all for $30. Mezza serves up all these favorites and more, tacking on additional items like Phoenician fries, mixed grill, kibby balls, fattoush and shanklish at a price of $95.
The signature entrees include beef and chicken shawarma platters, which consist of meats that are shaved to order after marinating on the spit all day. The beef shawarma, served with basmati rice and tahini sauce was delicately moist and rich in flavor, and provided plenty of food at the cost of $13.
Oven selections are also available for $6 and under, dishing up manakish cheese, oven baked with mozzarella and akkawi cheese and manakish zaatar, freshly baked dough topped with thyme, olive oil and sesame seeds.
Walking out the back door of Mezza brings patrons to the hookah lounge, an open patio area just outside where customers can choose from a variety of shisha flavors to share at any one of the many seating options.
Mezza is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
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