What Is Mezze? Cold and Hot Mezze Explained

If you've looked at a Lebanese menu and wondered why so much of it is dips and small plates, that's mezze. Mezze (you'll also see it spelled mezza) is a spread of small dishes set in the middle of the table for everyone to share, usually with pita. At Old City Cafe & Grill in downtown Cranford, our menu splits mezze into two groups: cold and hot.

Cold mezze: dips and dishes served cool

Cold mezze is the part most people know. These dishes are meant to be eaten cool and scooped up with pita.

• •Hummus: a smooth blend of chickpeas, tahini and garlic, finished with olive oil. There's a spicy version too.
• •Baba Ghanouj: roasted eggplant with tahini and a hint of garlic.
• •Mouhammara: red peppers and pomegranate syrup topped with crumbled walnuts, sweet and savory at once.
• •Labne: thick strained yogurt flavored with garlic and topped with mint and olive oil.
• •Mousakaa: grilled eggplant, garlic, tomatoes and onions blended together and served cool.
• •Kibbeh Nayyeh: freshly combined raw ground beef, extra-fine cracked bulgur and spices, served with white onion and our garlic sauce. A Lebanese classic for the adventurous.

Can't pick? Our Dip Sampler brings hummus, baba ghanouj and mouhammara together on one platter.

Hot mezze: small plates straight from the kitchen

Hot mezze is best eaten right away, while it's still warm or crisp.

• •Falafel: five crisp chickpea dumplings with our tahini dressing.
• •Kibbeh Balls: bulgur, ground beef and Lebanese spices shaped into dumplings.
• •Arayes: toasted pita filled with seasoned ground beef, with melted mozzarella, or with both in our Old City Arayes.
• •Burak: flaky rolls filled with feta and Lebanese spices.
• •Fooul: a warm dip of fava beans, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
• •Fatte: pita chips topped with warm chickpeas, creamy yogurt, almonds, lemon juice and olive oil.
• •Makanek: spiced Lebanese beef sausage links.
• •Warak Aresh: grape leaves filled with rice, chickpeas, tomatoes and herbs.

How to order mezze

There's no wrong way to do it, but a few simple ideas help.

• •For two people: share two cold mezze and one hot mezze, then decide whether you still want a main.
• •For a table of four or more: start with the Dip Sampler, add two or three hot mezze and a salad like Tabbouleh or Fattoush.
• •Mix textures: something creamy like hummus or labne, something crunchy like falafel or burak, and something fresh like tabbouleh.
• •Treat pita as your spoon. Most cold mezze is meant to be scooped.

Mezze for meat-free diners

Many of our mezze are meat-free, including hummus, baba ghanouj, mouhammara, labne, falafel, fooul, fatte, burak and warak aresh. If you have an allergy or a dietary need, let us know when you order.

Try it at Old City

Build a mezze spread when you reserve a table, see the full list on our food menu, or bring mezze to your next gathering with a catering request. We're at 20 North Union Avenue in downtown Cranford.