If there is a hot dining trend right now, it's got to be tapas. Small servings of eclectic, selections are gaining popularity over larger portioned entrees, and although Milwaukee's new Meze Lounge does the traditional sized meals, its focus is really a fusion of international appetizers.
Owners Mario Pappas and Dino Antonopoulos are in the processes of rehabbing the beautiful brick building at 785 N. Jefferson St., formerly home to pizza restaurant Brio, for a March opening.
Their restaurant will be open daily at 11 a.m. for lunch and feature pizzas, meats as well as several small plate options, many with European origins. "Meze," Pappas says, is a popular name for appetizers throughout central and southeastern Europeans countries like Serbia and Greece.
But, as equal parts restaurant and nightlife hotspot, the owners are striving to create a bar area with a relaxed vibe that is more lounge than club. But there will be DJs. In fact, Pappas, a seasoned record spinner himself, is constructing an impressive DJ booth adjacent to the bar on the ground level.
If Pappas looks familiar, there's a chance you've seen him next door at Dino's Taverna where he's been the resident "international night" DJ since it opened nine years ago. He's got some innovative ideas for Meze's soundscape.
"The DJs are going to be connected to all our plasma screen TVs to create a VJ set up, with lounge-y, European house music throughout," says Pappas.
While popular in Chicagoland, where Pappas owns Freddo Cafe, he says the synchronized video streaming is not being done in Milwaukee yet. Meze will host live DJ / VJs Thursday through Saturday, and if you're at home wondering what's happening on the town, Meze's in-house cameras will stream all the action online via its Web site.
During weeknights and lunches, the plethora of plasma screens will show sports, specifically European soccer games. Of course, they'll never pass on a Packers game, either.
Meze's main floor will be a mix of high-top tables near the bar and booths for dining. Although their menu isn't fully complete, the owners say they're "big on meat and fish," and plan to offer extras like crepes and plentiful European coffees. Price points range from $5 to $20.
Little extras include bottle service, complementary valet during dinner hours and Thursday night ladies night. And when the time comes, Pappas and Antonopoulos have grand plans for the building's second floor, which used to house Executive Cut Salon. Expect a comfortable setting with a full bar and plush couches.
"It's going to be something different," says Pappas. "It's not for families -- it's a place to bring your girlfriend for an ambient, upscale, yet reasonable night out."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
