The Florida Keys have so much to offer guests and locals alike. There is amazing scenery, world class fishing, abundant recreational activities and a laid back vibe (when the big city to the north is not invading). Sadly, in the middle/upper Keys, dining diversity is...lacking. Fried seafood, frozen conch and Key Lime everything is great, for a while. Eventually, it starts to feel monotonous.
Enter Meze Morada.
To start, Meze is small. Only a handful of tables and a limited bar area. The decor is spartan, but bright and comfortable. There are some tables outside, which are great when the wind is up and cooling things down a bit.
The owners, Dave and Calli (sp?) are usually there and are wonderfully friendly, accommodating and happy to help with the ever-changing seasonal menu. And what a menu! It's clear that the concept is very personal for the owner/chef. It feels like you are eating Grandma's traditional and comfort food recipes, yet sometimes with a twist.
Items not to miss:
The spread sampler with fresh pita. This is not your grocery store pita. It is light, airy and perfect for tearing and dipping into one of the many offerings. The Zhug hummus is spicy and freshly 'green' flavored. The superstar though is the red pepper and whipped feta spread.
All of the skewers are good for a traditional protein offering, and are very approachable for kids.
If Dave has lamb ribs on the menu, you might want to just go ahead and get two orders. Over the summer the preparation included a marinated watermelon rind salad on the plate and it was soo wonderfully unique in both taste and texture.
The Halumi cheese is a staple on the menu, but the construction of the dish changes with the seasons. No matter what form it takes, it's a winner.
I could go on and on, but the TL;DR here is that we are locals, this is our favorite spot, and we have not ordered anything from the menu that we would not order again. I cannot say that about many, if any, other restaurants in the Keys.
They also just started lunch on limited days. Ate there yesterday and would be there again today if they were open. It's that good (and FAST!).
Meze Morada is the kind of place that the middle and upper Keys needs, and needs to support.More