When we first met Alex Meza, the owner and cook at Meza, he was dressed in bathing shorts and hydrosox having just come back to the restaurant from the beach.  He importuned us to stay and try the tortilla tapas.  The tortilla (potato and eggs) was so delicious that we promised to return later in the week for dinner.  We returned the other night and are happy to announce that Meza specializes in serving Spanish influenced dishes that are imbued with clean flavors and offered at affordable prices (the entrees top out at $12). The interior has a modern upscale look with original (mostly unframed) artwork in different styles lined on one wall and a vibrant tiled bar on the other side of the restaurant.  Since it was a beautiful evening, we chose to sit at one of the three sidewalk tables outside.

Our meal began with the tortilla tapas.  At Meza, this is offered warm on a freshly toasted piece of bread – drizzled with a bit of olive oil ($4).  We then had a mushrooms tapas – cooked with olive oil, garlic and dry sherry ($4).  The bread was served toasted in this tapas as well.    Even my dining companion who normally finds mushrooms highly resistible enjoyed this tapas.  We then tried the areptias vegetariana (Venezuelan corn cakes filled with avocadoes and tomato) ($5).  As Alex warned, the arepitas can take a bit of time – but they were well worth it.  At the recommendation of the two gamer guys seated next to us, we then had the Ibiza Bocadillo (spicy scallop sandwich) ($9).  This last dish was a clear favorite for me – the scallops were cooked perfectly and the finely sliced jalapeno pepppers lent the sandwich a subtle heat and the tomatillo dip refreshing tartness.

Alex is planning on adding homemade flan to the menu for dessert.  And once he secures the liquor license (sometime this week he hopes), he promises an unforgettable sangria.   Note that the online menu is a $1 or $2 different than what was presented to us and the dishes varied slightly as well.  They did not yet have a phone number but hours of operation are from 11 am to 9 pm on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday.  On Friday and Saturday, Meza will be open from 11 am to 3 am.