‘Fusion cuisine’ is an increasingly popular term. By combining the best of different cuisines, some restaurants seek to appeal to everyone with food either inspired by or using ingredients from a variety of cultures.’
Cafe Mezza & Grille is such a restaurant, claiming to serve ‘American cuisine with Mediterranean flair,’ though such a bold claim would probably be more accurately read ‘serving Mediterranean cuisine alongside American, Italian and Mexican cuisine.’
Cafe Mezza & Grille has a mellow atmosphere. The dining room has a soft reddish hue and the d’eacute;cor is minimalist. It is equipped with a vast wine selection. And while the music selection isn’t exactly the best, it fits the restaurant’s style.’
There’s something very ‘Cheesecake Factory’ about the restaurant, with its faux intimate appearance and soft new wave jazz playing overhead.
The menu also seems to try to mimic The Cheesecake Factory. It features a large selection of salads and pastas along with Mediterranean classics such as falafel, kabobs and hummus.’ As diverse and delicious as the menu may appear, some of it feels erratic and uninspired.’
The pasta menu, while varied, has very little to do with Mediterranean cuisine. Likewise, the salad menu is filled with items such as ‘Pecan Crusted Salmon’ and ‘Sesame Grilled Chicken’ – decidedly fusion cuisine, but lacking in execution.’
Sandwiches also suffer from fusion branding, with the intriguing, but ultimately unnecessary buffalo burger or run-of-the-mill bacon ranch chicken sandwich. These and other items on the menu could be found elsewhere.
Skipping these parts of the menu will bring you to the more lucrative and rewarding grill menu. This is possibly the most Mediterranean part of the restaurant, with aromatic skewers of beef or chicken served with potatoes, rice or vegetables.’
Some of the specialties, such as grilled lamb chops and chicken stuffed with mango, sound interesting, but it’s probably best to stick with the kabobs.’
Unsurprisingly, it’s the Mediterranean food that should bring you to Cafe Mezza & Grille.’
Fatoosh is an amazingly light and refreshing salad, available as an appetizer or a full salad. The chicken shawarma and falafel wraps are also good, though the potato salad side has too much dill.’
For dessert, try the bread pudding or the always overly sweet tres leches cake.
Exercise caution, as the size of the portions and sugar content of the desserts will cause a definite case of lethargy. Servers will be quick to offer espresso, which you should probably take for the drive home.
For a place that advertises ‘Mediterranean flair,’ the uninspired non-Mediterranean dishes break the deal. Nevertheless, Cafe Mezza and Grille does offer good Mediterranean eats, even if you have to dig through the menu to find them.
Cafe Mezza and Grille
Cuisine American Fusion, Mediterranean
Where: 6100 Westheimer
Verdict: An erratic menu hides some good Mediterranean eats.
