Mezze, WeHo's Next Phase of Rustic Mediterranean Dining

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The deal is done and construction has commenced over at David Myers' old Sona home, though raw and gutted at the moment, 401 N. La Cienega is well on its way to become Mezze. This forthcoming Middle Eastern/Mediterranean eatery operates under the leadership of Voyeur team Matt Bendik and Dave Koral, plus Mike Kassar, previously a GM at Spago, and talented yet relatively unknown chef Micah Wexler who could last be found helming the stoves at Craft. Despite the fact that this group comes from a clubby background, don't judge a book by its cover, get ready to be wowed by this venture, food and all. So, what's going on with the space? Eater recently popped by for a quick looksee, here's the deal.

The physical entrance will remain the same from Sona days, think painted tile on the floor, a display of dried spices bedecking the right entryway hall, then stained glass behind the bar, and wrought iron embellishments between the windows. That wall behind the bar comes down, opening the lounge area into the main dining space.

The narrow central skylight that exists will be expanded to draw in more natural light, and almost the entire front facade facing La Cienega will be comprised of sliding glass doors which open out to a patio seating 20-30 guests. And as for that awkward rock in the center of the room, it's doneski, will be removed.

Toward the back of the restaurant sits the open kitchen with bar seating for eight, over left is the restaurant's private dining room to accommodate 12. So, several different seating options going down here, there's the bar/lounge, the patio, the main dining room, the private room, and the kitchen bar.

Let's talk food. Appropriately so, the kitchen's centerpiece is its wood-burning oven which will churn out paper-thin flatbread pizzas, roasted meats, fish, veggies, and down the line Micah hopes to serve large format roasted meats like that full roasted pig that was available at Ford's. As the name suggests, the menu will be mostly divided up into small plate offerings with a few larger dishes, the average price for a meal here should cost about $50 a head, the idea is to serve a quality menu at an accessible price.

In the alcohol department, 150 bottles of vino sourced from the west coast, Oregon, Washington, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, though if wine isn't your thing go with a Middle Eastern beer, or a stronger libation off the carefully curated cocktail list which will incorporate ingredients and spices found on the menu, thus connecting cocktails to savories. And, unlike other restaurants in the area, Mezze plans to serve food and drink until 1AM, nice.

As far as design aesthetic, Matt likenes the space to that of Gjelina or Pizzera Mozza, simple, tasteful, understated, yet rustic and hip all at the same time. Waldo Fernandez, designer of Soho House, has signed on to call the shots. As it now stands, pending the usual slew of inspections and such, Mezze should soft open at the end of November, with a full debut in early December.
·Voyeur's Matt Bendik To Open Mezze in Old Sona Home [~ELA~]