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Greek cuisine is not something you try everyday, and I suspect most folks are unaware how much it too has improved in the last decade or so. Greek restaurants fall into two distinct categories. The first category being establishments that are just about fun, rolled fig leaves and plenty of cheap Greek wine. The second are restaurants that feature high-end Greek cuisine, skillfully prepared and served. Meze Estiatoria is one such restaurant. Recognized by many as the best Greek restaurant in Boston, we decided to try it out last week.

The first thing that strikes you about Meze is the spacious, warm and light interior. Large windows make up one whole wall of the restaurant and it has a clear view of the Zakim bridge from inside. The dining room is large and has light wood décor that adds to a very sunny and pleasing atmosphere, even on a cloudy day like the day that we are there. Inside the door, to the left, is a large bar the runs the length of the restaurant. It has ample seating and encourages diners to linger over a pre-dinner drink or cocktail, before heading to their table. The welcome is warm and the staff are keen to get you settled, serve you a drink, and present you with the menus.

As we often do, we put ourselves in the hands of our waitress to decide what we should eat. We wanted a mix of traditional and contemporary Greek cuisine and were ultimately very satisfied with the choices the waitress helped us make. I have always enjoyed Moussaka and was excited to see that they served an individual portion as an appetizer.

We started with some grilled shrimp and an extraordinary looking version of a Greek salad, both of which were delicious and definitely exceeded our expectations. Clearly, Meze deserves its reputation as a fine dining establishment, based on the excellent plating, outstandingly fresh ingredients and innovative menu items. We were delighted with the appetizers and looked forward to the remainder of our meal.

The wine list is all Greek (notice I avoided the obvious pun) and some of the names are a bit of a pronunciation handful. Both the wait staff and the wine manager are delighted to help guide you through the wine list. Like most of Europe, Greece is going through something of a wine renaissance. They now have a lively export wine trade and there are many fine varieties and brands available. Any concern that you may have that you wouldn't be able to find a suitable wine, can be put aside with the help from the well-trained wait staff or the wine manager. We tried a Chardonnay, a Pinot noir, some Retsina, a Savatiano and a red Agiorgitiko. The standout from me was the Agiorgitiko, Palivou Nemea, 2003 Peloponesses, which was a full-bodied red wine with hints of pepper, berries and chocolate. It was smooth drinking and reminiscent of a good quality blended Cabernet Sauvignon.

When my Moussaka arrived I was delighted with the choice and can't speak highly enough of this wood oven baked dish. The combination of the sheep's milk yogurt becheamel topping, the ground lamb, fried eggplant and potatoes was outstanding. There was none of the usual excessive fat and the flavor was excellent. I would have happily ordered another one, it was that good.

For our entrée, we tried wood grilled lamb chops and a seafood pasta dish. The lamb chops were excellent and we enjoyed the feta cheese and green olive infused mashed potatoes that complemented them perfectly. The pasta dish was a visual delight, literally groaning with lobster meat mixed with cherry tomatoes, melted leeks, and feta cheese over a linguine pasta and a slightly spicy sauce.

I still had a little room left for dessert even after the delicious entrées. We tried an excellent chocolate torte and some Loukoumades, which are sweet fritters topped with a honey syrup, cinnamon and chopped walnuts.

As the meal ended we lingered over a small cup of Greek coffee, which is a bit like Turkish coffee, very strong and sweet. I tried to sum up why this is such a good restaurant. The food is almost bistro like, focusing more on comfort food than anything else. The other diners filled the restaurant with a lively "buzz" and overall this is a friendly, pleasant place to while away a couple of hours enjoying dinner. Understandably, Meze is very popular on the weekends and reservations are recommended. It's definitely worth a visit, partly to try a different cuisine, but also to satisfy the need for good food, wine and companionship in a good restaurant - very highly recommended.

Meze features an all Greek wine list.

We tried two by the glass from the bar:
Chardonnay, Anastasi Estates, 2003  Messinia
Pinot Noir, Papa Jouhannou, 2003  Peloponesses

With our meal we also tried:
Retsina – Gaia Ritinitis Nobilis, Peloponesses. A traditional Greek wine (not as bad as I remember from my last visit to Greece, but then I think I paid about $1 a bottle then!) 
White – Savatiano, Megapanos, 2004 Attica. Crisp, light, and dry- typical European wine (very light by US wine standards)
Red – Agiorgitiko, Palivou Nemea, 2003 Peloponesses. Nice full bodied red wine, hints of pepper, berries and chocolate, quite smooth.

There were 19 wines by the glass ranging from $7-12.
Meze also offers wine flights, with samples of 3 different wines for $15.  They have the following selections:
           
            Lefko (white)
            Santorini flight
            Erythros (red)

In addition, they also have a number of special feature wines and a reserve wine list. Although most of the wines are reasonably priced, you can find a few high ticket items such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, "Magic Mountain", Nico Lazaridi, 2001 Drama, at $150.