Mezza Luna

Mezza Luna does a free-ranging Mediterranean thing, both with décor (faux-aged walls) and food, offering lots of small-plate tapas dishes perfect for grazing. We started with a blackening plate – tuna, scallops, and beef covered in a spicy rub and, well, blackened. The dish comes with red pepper and chutney dipping sauces and was a fun appetizer to eat as well as share. The calamari appetizer was tender and well spiced and came with standard-issue cocktail sauce. I had also ordered little neck clams from the menu but they were out, so I opted for the stuffed artichokes. Because of the snafu with the clams, the chokes arrived very late after everyone had finished their appetizers, so I had to wolf them down before the entrees came. Snag aside, this is one of my favorite dishes. The grilled artichoke bottoms are stuffed with crab meat and mushrooms and topped with a fragrant but not overpowering gorgonzola sauce. The funky tang of the artichokes balances the richness of the crab and cheese nicely.

My other favorite appetizers are the caprese salad (tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), the hummus platter (three different flavors, great for sharing) and the deep fried goat cheese cakes served with a raspberry sauces Tapas dishes range from $6-11.

The appetizers were followed by a basic but fresh dinner salad, featuring romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms with a rich and not-overly-oily balsamic vinaigrette. Average but palate-clearing.

For the main course, I ordered a special off of the big blackboard — bourbon-maple glazed roast duck breast with roasted red potatoes and broccoli with almonds The duck breast was moist and not too fatty and the glaze complemented the meat nicely. The broccoli was fresh and crunchy, and the potatoes were edible but forgettable. We also tried the salmon, which was served with a tomato sauce and came with rice and broccoli. The fish was generously sized but not very flavorful. (November to March is not the best time to get salmon — you’re likely to only find farm-raised, which isn’t nearly as tasty as wild salmon.) We also had a pasta dish with blackened chicken in an Alfredo sauce. The chicken was a bit on the chewy side, but the sauce was creamy without being heavy or floury. The portion sizes are big without being ridiculous; no one should leave hungry.

Mezza Luna has plenty of salad, pasta, and meat choices, so you’ll find something to please even finicky eaters. The menu offers plenty of vegetarian options that range well beyond one limp pasta dish. The tapas dishes alone could keep a veggie friends happy for a week. Pastas are $11-15, entrees are $15-22, and dinner salads are $12-14.

While I normally run out of room before dessert, we squeezed a few in this time. Jeff got the chocolate cheesecake. The brown cake was speckled with dime-sized chunks of cream cheese, and I’m not sure if it was intentional or for lack of mixing. Either way, it was too bready and too sweet for my taste (I lean toward the tangy and fluffy). We also tried the crème brulee, which was perfectly prepared: the custard was eggy and cool, and topped with a thick caramelized sugar crust.

We ate our meal with a Brancott Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It was light and astringent with a delicate slate and pear flavor: a great Spring/Summer wine. The New Zealand SB’s are all the rage these days and showing up on a lot of restaurant menus. If you haven’t yet, try some before they plunge out of style. The wine list is mid-sized (12 whites and 14 reds, with a few Italians but mostly California wines). Wine prices seem inflated (even more so than usual): $7.50 seems to be the average by the glass price, and bottle prices are $22-48. The beer list is small but ranges from Miller Lite to Guinness. Mezza Luna has a full bar so you can go nuts with the cocktails prior to jumping into the Broad Ripple night life.

Service was swift and professional this night, although on other nights the servers have seemed stretched too thin and discombobulated.

So if you're in Broad Ripple and at a loss as to where to eat, avoid the sticky over-crowded joints and give this place a try. Just don't steal my seat next to the fireplace.

Location

Mezza Luna
927 Broad Ripple Avenue
255-9300
Dinner, Friday, March 11, 2005

Ratings

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Price: $$$