As you well enough know, I have written my review on the Cava Mezze location in Olney Maryland and had an amazing brunch experience on two separate occasions.  I was always interested in dinner but I had yet to make it there. Finally I did and I wanted to share! Cava Mezze is a small plates, tapa style restaurant so everything is shared and enjoyed together.

My friend and I arrived to Cava Mezze in Baltimore around 7pm.  The Baltimore Location is located at 1302 Fleet Street in Harbor East Baltimore.  We were delighted that they offer complimentary parking, across the street, so we did not have to worry about where to park.  When we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by a welcoming host and the manager Mr. Maurizio! He had a wonderful personality and made sure we had an incredible meal and experience from start to finish.

We were seated at a table closer to the front of the restaurant so the only nuisance was when the door opened, a draft entered the restaurant. However, that did not take away from the overall experience.  The restaurant was dimly lit and created a very sexy environment.  It is a very open restaurant and the bar area was on the other side of the room but it was not overly noisy.  After deciding what to order, our meal experience began.

They first bought out some Greek pita with a spicy red chili paste and seasoned olive oil dip.  We started our meal with the Saganaki-aka fried cheese ($10) which is a tableside flambéed kefalograviera cheese with lemon and brandy.  It is served on a cast iron skillet that is lit on fire at the table with a liquor of quality. This was some of the best cheese I’ve ever eaten.  It was rich, creamy, soft, and the breading added an extra layer of flavor. While I ate it by itself, my friend spread it on a piece of pita and enjoyed it that way.  Check out my Instagram here to see the video of the flambéed experience!

Next were the Brussel sprouts ($10) served with a Greek yogurt sauce and olive bread crumbs.  For a person who does not enjoy olives, the flavors were not very aggressive at all. The Brussel sprouts were delicious, and as many of you know, they are my favorite vegetable at the moment.  The only disappointment was that the larger cuts of Brussel sprouts were a bit crunchier than the smaller pieces and I usually prefer mine on the softer but crunchy side. Still did not take away from the dish and were still seasoned so well.

Next to arrive was the Crazy Feta Hush Puppies ($8?-price not listed) served with honey butter.  I was trying not to overdo it with the fried food but my friend insisted that we try it. WE both enjoyed it but the feta hush puppies were a bit rich and flavor.  The honey butter definitely took it to the next level.  We are both pork belly fans so we ordered the Crispy Pork Belly that was braised and fired with thyme and honey and served on an acorn squash puree with a sweet and savory sauce that resembled BBQ sauce.  IT was very good but the sauce took a little way from the crispy aspect of the pork belly.  Again it was still an incredible dish!

Our final main dish was the Chef D Meat Platter served with lamb chops, delicious gryo meat, chicken souvlaki grilled on a skewer with Greek olive oil, onions, lemons, and herbs, and lamb meatballs. These are the same meatballs from the brunch menu and the grill menu that I love but the dish usually includes the grilled beef meatballs. The meat was served high on top of a stack of thick cut French fries. The platter includes also slices of pita, fresh red onions and tomatoes, and a tzatziki sauce for dipping.  The manager insisted we try the dish with lemon.  That took it to the next level with the fresh meat.  We ended up having leftovers because of the size but everything on the dish was good.  My least favorite was the chicken but mainly because I am not a chicken breast fan. But the chicken was very well seasoned and there were hints of wine in the flavor as well. We ended the meal with a delicious French Toasted that included a crispy large slice of bread and a nice dollop of whipped cream with fresh berries. The dessert was an absolute delight!!!

My friend and I will definitely make our way back there again and if my brunch review was not appetizing enough, maybe the dinner will tempt you better. I love this place, it is definitely one of my favorites in the city! Make sure to tell them that finediningdiva sent you!

Please look of my next post as I share more dining experiences in and around Baltimore and DC, and my trip to Los Angeles.  Also, you can find me on Instagram @finediningdiva and twitter @moderndaybeauty. Also, if you would like to follow my blog to receive notification when a new blog is posted, please send your email to finediningdiva@gmail.com.

And remember: It’s a BIG world and we are going to eat our way through it!