"Ocean hues and vast archways are always transportive. The large, two-room space features a wide bar with beautiful backlit bottles, tile work and sleek, modern touches.”
—Amber Turpin, The Mercury News
Santana Row in San Jose is a Food Lover’s Fantasy. Cecile and I had a Middle Eastern-style feast at Meso with dear friends, Nelson and Susan Bye who recently returned from a family trip in Costa Rica. This was our second time at the up-scale modern Mediterranean Restaurant. The exotic tapas-style servings did not disappoint, nor did the decor. Meso, which means “middle,” transports you with its’ calming, blue Mediterranean sky and sea that I remember from our travels. There is a bluish-purple lighted fountain in the spacious dining room.
We began our gastronomic adventure by ordering a trio of dips: Hummus, smoked eggplant, red beet, labneh, and house-made pita bread. Cecile and I brought a bottle of Rombauer Chardonnay for the table. We also ordered Meso’s featured Spice Lamb Flatbread with yogurt, sumac onions, spicy zhoug, oven roasted tomato and sprouts, Crispy Brussels Sprouts with a scallion and feta dip; Charred Eggplant and Salata Hara with red pepper, pomegranate, pistachio and serrano; and a bowl of roasted carrots and cucumbers. We were sufficiently sated all for an average price of $70 per couple and this included the corkage charge for the wine. We decided to pass on the dessert and hit the Dairy Queen for soft serve ice cream before heading home.
Postscript: The Mediterranean menu was designed by chef-partner Roland Passot and executive chef Gregory who spent years working at the French Laundry in Napa before taking the helm of Masa’s in San Francisco. They have a large outdoor front patio and there is a large outdoor Frog Garden that serves as a meeting place for any visitors to Santana Row.
