Page 22 - Susan Taylor

Meze
Greek Fusion:

By Judith A. Habert
Photos Courtesy of Meze
Raymond made him pack his bags
and head from Northern California
to San Diego to help this fam-
ily in crisis. Here he was new to
the area, with no friends, and the
opportunity of a lifetime. After a
short time, trying to navigate all of
the moving pieces he realized that
he could not be successful without
some help. He placed a call to
Patrick, his brother in Northern
California, and asked if he would
be willing to move to San Diego
to help him with this monumental
task. Raymond asked for a one
year commitment and if he liked
it they would be partners, if not,
he could return home. It didn’t
take long for Patrick to realize that
the restaurant in San Diego was
where he wanted to be.
The next step was to decide what
type of restaurant they wanted to
own. Drawing upon their ethnic
background and experiences they
wanted a restaurant that would
include Armenian, Greek, Persian,
22 and Lebanese food. An executive
chef was brought in to complete
their vision and Meze Mediter-
ranean Grill was born. Although,
they thought it was a great idea to
have a versatile menu, they soon
realized that it was a mistake.
Potential customers were unsure
what type of food was considered
Mediterranean. It was this fact
that made them rename their
restaurant Meze Greek Fusion.
We asked Raymond what they did
at Meze that was so unique. His
response was, “We serve many
of the same food items that other
restaurants do, what is different
When restaurateurs tell you that they were born and raised in is how we prepare them” Having
the kitchen, we often assume it is hyperbole. But in the case of had the pleasure of enjoying several meals at Meze I can tell you
Raymond and Patrick Davoudi it is true. The Davoudi broth- that their food is exceptional. There are a few signature dishes that
ers grew up in San Jose, California with their parents in a house I had never tasted elsewhere, one of these is Saganaki (which is
attached to their uncle’s high end French restaurant, where their pan seared Kasseri Greek Cheese finished with brandy and fresh
father was the executive chef. The restaurant business seemed lemon juice and set on fire at table side). Not only is it an impres-
to be a natural course for the boys. Raymond was only seventeen sive show, but the final product is addictive. Meze is also known
when he waited tables at their exclusive restaurant. Seventeen was for having the best falafel in town. This is a food that the Davoudi
especially young to be waiting tables in an establishment of this brothers grew up on and had mom make them every Sunday for
caliber. Although the boys tried other fields for a short time, they Brunch. What is unique is some of the same foods you may have
always seemed to find their way back to the restaurant business. It had in other restaurants are just so much better at Meze. When
was as if destiny would drive them toward their current profession. you order sliders at Meze you are pleasantly surprised to find them
Raymond’s best friend’s uncle moved to San Diego and opened filled with ground lamb, beef, and pork mixed with garlic, onions,
a restaurant. Not too soon afterwards, he suffered a severe heart mint and fiery feta spread. These are sliders you will never forget.
attack and could no longer run the business. A phone call to