Greek life continues to expand in Harbor East with the opening of Cava Mezze, the fourth location of the popular small plates eatery.
But Cava Mezze isn’t serving your typical Highlandtown Greek fare.
“The menu has a more modern twist,” explains Cava’s chef de cuisine Dimos Kolouas. “It’s not like my grandma would make it, but the flavor is traditional. We give it a more updated touch.”
While the fare is similar at each Cava Mezze, every menu has a local angle.
This menu is seafood heavy.
“In other locations it didn’t work as well,” says Kolouas, “but in Baltimore they love their seafood.”
Signature items include the tableside flaming saganaki, grilled octopus, and scallop risotto. And much of the menu is influenced by what’s available at area farms.
“Even though we’re Greek inspired, our menu is not dictated by being Greek,” says co-owner Ted Xenohristos, who founded the Fleet Street eatery along with childhood friends Dimitri Moshovitis, and Ike Grigoropoulos.
And while the new spot is the first Cava Mezze in Baltimore, the three cofounders, all D.C.-area natives, have had a longtime love affair with the city.
As kids, the three spent a lot of time in the Greek community of the city. “I’ve always loved Baltimore, and always had such a connection here,” says Xenohristos. “We wanted to be entrenched in the local community.”
Xenohristos grew up on restaurants like Ikaros, but wanted to branch out when it came to his own place. “We wanted to do a Greek restaurant that wasn’t your typical blue and white, big plate menu,” he says.
For his part, cofounder Moshovitis is a trained chef, who graduated from Baltimore International College Culinary School. “A lot of recipes came from the working relationship between Dimitri and his mother,” says Xenohristos.
Despite this being the fourth location, Cava Mezze is anything but a franchised restaurant. Each space has its own personality and energy.
While the other Cava’s are mostly brick and stone, this location is clad in steel and wood and adorned with old photographs and Greek records.
“We want people to feel the energy that we have here at Cava,” says general manager Anthony Koroulakis. “We’re happy to be a part of this community.”