• 4
• excellent Middle Eastern, with many vegan dishes

Contrary to its former name, its dining area is much larger than a tiny spot. (Thank goodness, in late 2016 it changed its name from Pita Spot to Mezza.) Mezza offers traditional American-Middle Eastern food, with all the expected vegan dishes such as hummus, baba ganouch, stuffed grape leaves, and falafel. The baba ganouch is especially good, indeed the best I ever have eaten, anywhere. Same for stuffed grape leaves. I actually rate this restaurant for the best Middle Eastern cuisine I have ever eaten, anywhere, and that includes a month in Israel. Another excellent dish that is surprisingly vegan is the collards greens, though heavy on the garlic. Another very worthy very vegan dish is the moussaka, which you might know by the French name ratatouille. Note that the prices are moderate and therefore quite uncharacteristic of Mystic. Also uncharacteristic of Mystic, it offers ample parking. The always adorable waitresses boast some vegetarians among them. While the menu clearly identifies the many vegetarian dishes, you must query about what is vegan, which is easy as the owners and wait staff speak "fluent vegan" here. As another vegan reviewer has commented, if cheese is not mentioned on the menu as part of its contents, then the dish is vegan. One caveat, I recommend dining here only spring through fall when you can sit outdoors. Indoors is cramped, crowded (well deserved!), noisy (the place is small and the ceiling is low, so noise amplifies) and when meat hits the grill the air sometimes fills with its fumes, savory to carnivores but noxious to vegans. Updated from previous review on 2015-10-03