It can be easy to pass by long-running restaurants like Dublin’s Mezzo. But that would be a mistake. While Bridge Park is the the current “it” destination in the suburb, Mezzo resides in Old Dublin where it set up shop back in 2011. The name, “mezzo,” translates from Italian to English as “middle,” and it’s meant to position the restaurant in the culinary niche somewhere in the middle between old-school and sophisticated. At the same time, the restaurant occupies that niche with a menu of options that are much too good to be called mediocre or “middling.”
Mezzo has long been well-regarded for its al fresco dining scene, but there’s something to be said for its interior seating options as well (besides climate control). Warm service in an indoor mix of natural wood and stone with pub-style chandeliers make the spot luxurious and comfortable all at once.
From the appetizers, guests can begin a meal with a well-appointed Bruschetta Board ($16), luxuriously laid out with an abundant supply of positively addictive, velvety herbed ricotta with layers of subtle flavor that complements the chewy house bread. It’s set off with quartered tomatoes, as well as a punchy tapenade that provides a bright, olive flavor in a spreadable form.
There are a few pizza options, ranging from a traditional cheese to something with sausage and peppers. The pies are built on a toothsome crust, and the Margherita ($17) sports a classic marinara foundation with a silky, fresh mozzarella, tomato and a pleasantly pungent finish courtesy pecorino romano. All in, it’s a solid pizza…but then, Columbus is home to many solid pizzas.
Instead, investigate something on the lines of the Gnocchi ($27). That dish is harder to do nicely. At Mezzo, perfectly tender, potatoey pods are accented with achingly soft bits of short rib with a plentiful supply of sauce that occupies the space somewhere between cream and tomato (not as zingy as a marinara, not as heavy as a traditional cream). Thoughtful bites are best, but there’s also a strong temptation to wolf it down.
The pasta menu extends into classics that include lasagna and spaghetti, but Mezzo also includes modern vegan takes on traditional combos as well. Case in point, the Vegan Orecchiette ($24) dresses the tender little pasta cups with crumbles of meat-free sausage substitute and velvety sautéed spinach with soft onions and tomatoes with a vodka sauce. While the sausage wouldn’t necessarily fool a committed carnivore, it has its own charms.
In addition to the pizza and pasta lineup, the menu offers options for more meat-centered dining that venture into higher-end steak or seafood dishes. Meanwhile, the bar hosts an extensive list of beer and wines along with cocktails that lean towards classics: Peach Mules, Old Fashioneds and pitchers of Sangria.
Things get exciting again in the dessert arena. That is where the Flourless Chocolate Cake ($13) resides; an intense masterpiece in its own rite, it plays off of a scoop of deeply flavored cherry gelato that sits on almond crumble that mixes it up with a little streusel-like textural interest.
Mezzo can be found at 12 W. Bridge St. It opens for dinner at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
For more information, visit mezzodublin.com.
All photos by Susan Post