My girlfriend and I decided to try Cava Mezze, a Greek restauraunt in Clarendon. We have walked past it many times and never paid it much mind, but it gets pretty good reviews and we liked the idea of ordering a bunch of small plates.
It’s located on Clarendon Boulevard just down the road from the metro.
We walked in and were told there would be a 15-20 minute wait for a table. The restaurant is bigger then it looks from the outside. The lighting was very dim and you can tell they are trying to have a trendy atmosphere.
We grabbed a seat at the bar and were happy with the beer selection. I ordered the Face Plant IPA from Lost Rhino and my girlfriend got the Raging Bitch from Flying Dog. I really liked my IPA, and will definitely keep an eye out for it again.
We were quickly seated after grabbing our beers. The place was pretty crowded for a weekday night, but luckily we got a good table off to the side. The crowd seemed to be mostly people in their 20’s and 30’s, and slightly dressy.
For appetizers, they brought out pita bread with tzaiki, olives, and a spicy dipping sauce. For dinner, we ordered the lamb souvlaki, fried calamari, and the braised pork.
The lam souvlaki was far and away the best part of the meal. The lamb was tender, and paired perfectly with the pita and greek yogurt.
We also really liked the fried calamari, which was also served with tzatziki. The breading was not too heavy on the calamari, which really allowed you to taste the squid.
We felt slightly robbed because of the braised pork. It didn’t taste bad, but it was almost as if they just cooked it in a slow cooker and did not braise it. I don’t claim to be an expert on braising meat, but both my girlfriend and I agreed that it didn’t taste as it should. Again, it wasn’t bad but I would probably not order it again.
To wash down our meal, we both ordered some Delirium Tremens which I had never had on draft. It went perfectly with our meal.
Overall, we were happy with the meal and the prices were reasonable, especially for Clarendon.
Hungry Like the Bear 