Meli

My husband and I went to Meli on a Saturday night in July and although it wasn’t too packed at 7:30 it seemed full when we left around 9. A few things to note:
1. Service was not great but ok. Waiter was fine though water could have come sooner and our plates could have been cleaned earlier than they were. My husband is always very generous so our tip did not reflect the level of service. (we’ve both been servers so we always overtip)
2. The tables need table cloths. Seriously. Meli, get table cloths.
3. The Sauvignon Blanc and mango martini we got were delicious.
4. We decided to go for all apps instead of entrees and the only standout was the crab cakes. Really really good. Could have used more sauce which was also yummy but no biggie.
5. The goat cheese salad and tuna carpaccio were good, not great.
6. The scallops were cooked well but it was entirely too sweet, all we tasted was honey.
7. The lobster Mac and cheese — I was so looking forward to this one but it was a disappointment. Neither of us ever found any lobster! It was so one note with no depth of flavor.
8. However, the epic FAIL came from the prawns and grits. The prawns were edible although slightly overcooked. The rest of the dish was ghastly. It was called prawns and grits BLT. As in bacon, lettuce and tomato which were all chopped up, soggy, warm on top of hard, hard grits. So gross. Seriously do NOT order this dish.
9. The chocolate mousse bomb and chocolate crème brûlée were good — we enjoyed them.
10. Oh and I forgot to mention the honey butter they give with the bread was delicious too. You just have to ask for more because they give you like 8 slices of bread and butter the size of your thumbnail.
11. The restrooms are downstairs. The sinks are communal while the stalls are in separate restrooms but the stalls themselves look really sketchy. They’re clean enough but totally do not match the rest of the restaurant. Very old school. I ran into an old man while I was washing my hands and he looked disturbed to see me there and started apologizing.
If we went back, we’d get the crab cakes and maybe try the entrees. The whole fried snapper at the table next to us looked crispy and interesting. We’d get the same drinks and desserts but nix the rest of the appetizers. But we won’t be running there anytime soon.
Overall we had a good time enjoying each others company and for what we liked I give this place 3 stars.

The jazz downstairs was cool, the drinks unique, the atmosphere happening… I wanted to love this place but the food was «meh.». I had the duo of duck. Meh. Overcooked and overthought. For the price point I felt like the food should have blown me away.

Had great braised ribs! Just fell apart in your mouth! Wonderful!

My experience here was ok. Came with a small group for a birthday party and was seated down stairs on a large round table. It was a live Jazz night so the music was really loud and it was hard to hear people from our group.
The cocktails weren’t bad at all. Ordered the calamari which was really good but not crispy, it had a sauce on it that was causing the breading to fall off on the plate. The crab mac and cheese was just ok. For my main course I got the braised beef that was fall off the bone tender but was really dry… blew my mind how that was possible.
All in all the experience was just ok here. For a group of 5, a bottle of wine and cocktails with appetizers and a few main courses came out to be about $ 350. I probably wouldn’t return.

First they tried to seat us at a tiny table that can barely hold a cup of coffee (the place was empty). Then the Duck confit «was not ready». The steak (fillet) had no seasoning, just placed on the grill for a moment and was served almost raw. The lamb stew had hardly any pieces of lamb, just a few shreds of lamb. The sauce was good. I requested glutin free pasta, but they «were out of it». The lamb stew was supposed to be served with «wild mushrooms», I got mushrooms that were from a can.
If restaurant week is supposed to be an insentive for introduction, they failed. I will never go back.

Maybe because I went for Restaurant Week, I didn’t experience the best Meli had to offer? Given the restaurant’s reputation and standard pricing, I found their food to be seriously underwhelming.
I had the duck confit flatbread app which was good — a nice liberal portion of duck meat — no complaints there. For my entrée I ordered the braised beef short ribs with sundried tomato polenta and sauteed spinach and wild mushrooms. I expected to receive creamy sundried tomato polenta, but instead it came with two medallion-​shaped pieces of fried polenta, with absolutely no hint of sundried tomato. Basically, two glorified hush puppies.
The beef was cooked perfectly tender but lacked any flavor and for being braised, I found it odd that it was dry — no sauce or liquid in the dish. The spinach was, well, spinach, and oh yea, def no mushrooms.
My boyfriend ordered the lamb stroganoff which was mildly sweet and otherwise bland. One of my friends ordered the tuna entrée which tasted fine, but we were confused by the additions on the plate. It came with rice and asparagus as listed, their «salsify» tasted like regular spaghetti sauce and I didn’t really see how it complemented the tuna, and also it looked like there was jicama or some other unidentifiable radish/​veggie on the plate?
To top it off, the four of us were under the impression that we would be choosing from a selection of «chef’s choice» desserts, but instead were brought three plates of baklava and one plate of a dessert that the server unable to name, so it remains unidentified. This confused us as there were clearly two choices, but yet we weren’t allowed to choose which of the two we wanted and of course it would happen that most of us would have preferred to have the unidentified dessert over the baklava. Just sayin’, this could prob be an issue for someone with allergies to the pistachios and other nuts in the baklava.
So lesson learned, out of all the restaurants in the Kali’s restaurant group, I think Kali’s Court FTW.

I’d heard a lot of good things about Meli and had been waiting for an oppurtunity to check it out. I went here with my mom and boyfriend on a Sunday night.
The place was dead and I was a little confused by the décor. I heard someone in a shop in fells point refer to it as cruise boat furniture yesterday which seems fitting. The first two things that my mom tried to order off of the menu they were out of. Okay, maybe the waiter should have told us what they didn’t have in the kitchen before he let us decide what we wanted. Service was slow and my food was just okay. I would have preferred a burger from Ale Mary’s or a sandwich from Red Star. The food is edible but there are a lot of places in Fells Point that I would recommend before I would recommend Meli.

I booked a mother’s day brunch at Meli and so badly wanted it to be lovely, but man– they just kept screwing up.
We were literally the first reservation of the day and they were already out of one thing on the menu, which of course two people in our party had decided to order. It’s reasonable to be out of something on Mother’s Day when you’re a brunch place– but not at 10 a.m. To make matters worse, the thing they were out of was the breakfast burrito– and the reason they couldn’t make it, according to our waitress, was that they didn’t have any tortillas. Hello! This is Fells Point! Send someone to the nearest Hispanic grocery store, or to the Whole Foods up the street, and make some freakin’ burritos! Also, she told us they were out after we had already ordered.
The eggs benedict that replaced the burrito came out cold. We sent them back and they came out with completely hard yokes (eggs benedict should be runny). The third eggs benedict was fine.
Personally, I ordered some sort of Maryland crab omelet which was nothing special (the one at Ms. Shirley’s is sooo much better). My boyfriend’s sausage was super weird. Not how to describe it– just little shriveled pink things. The french toast was standard.
The quality of the food was not even close to worth the price tag.
The honey butter IS delicious as other reviewers mentioned, but not enough of a reason to go here.

Service was alright. It kind of lacked that he did not check on us frequently. He brought our water and bread basket w/​honey butter. The honey butter was amazing. When we were ready to order. Our server also told us the specials the restaurant were having that night. I believe he came only once to check upon on us throughout the whole meal. We waited for a long time to get the bill after our meal was finished.
The restaurant itself was beautifully decorated. It was very cozy. I like how the bathrooms were set up with the sinks outside of the restrooms. They had a downstairs area with a stage. It looked kind of a nice lounge with large drapes and nice dim lighting.
My boyfriend and I decided to get 2 appetizers and share 1 entrée from the restaurant special menu. For the appetizers we got beef carpaccio w/​truffle, bourbon sauce, capers, aged cheddar, and hard boil eggs. The carpaccio was good. It was my boyfriend first time trying carpaccio. It was $ 11.00 for beer carpaccio not bad for the price. Then my boyfriend got a crab dip w/​aged cheddar, old bay, crostin. It was $ 12.00 for the crab dip the portion of the dip was huge. I found the crab dip lacking crab meat and a bit bland. But my boyfriend seem to enjoy it. For our entrée we got a filet w/​a special sauce. I believe the special was $ 45 itself. The filet was nicely grilled it had beautiful grilled marks. We asked for a medium rare filet and it was cooked perfectly. It was actually a good filet for a non steak restaurant. The sauce on the side was bit bitter. I can’t remember what it was made of I am going to guess a cherry liquor.
Overall food was great. Service lacked a bit. But we will def try coming back here to try more food. I am looking forward to the next visit here.
I wish next time we will get a better server. =)

Meli’s Sunday Jazz Brunch is okay, but it doesn’t entail the most creative brunch offerings I’ve seen. The brunch menu isn’t particularly strong in offerings, however the nice ambiance might make up for it. I don’t think I’ll be back for brunch, but maybe for lunch or dinner.
They were out of the slow roasted pork entrée and waffles were no were to be seen on the menu, so SX and I ended up getting the traditional egg breakfast ($ 10), which consists of 3 eggs, hashbrowns, 1 sausage patty, and a piece of toast).
The hashbrowns/​home fries consisted of tri-​colored baby new potatoes, however there wasn’t anything nice about the way they were prepared. They didn’t have any crispiness from roasting/​frying in the pan or anything. So they were a bit mushy with no contrast in flavor or texture. I ordered my my eggs over easy, however, one of them was a tad overdone but was still somewhat runny yolky which was okay. The sausage patty was probably the only thing worth eating on my plate. Clearly made in house (judging by the clear difference in size from my plate and SX’s plate), it had nice maple flavor running throughout. The one piece of toast was multigrain, served with some honey butter (nice homage to the restaurant’s namesake).
We ended up waiting a decent amount of time to get our orders taken and waiting quite a bit for food to arrive.

Decided to give Meli another shot at their dinner menu and it was perfect timing because they had just switched into their summer menu. My cousin and I split the tuna and edamame guacamole appetizers; we loved both dishes. The guacamole was fresh and light, and the homemade plaintain and corn chips were delicious. For dinner, I ordered the crab cakes – 3 perfectly portioned-​size bites with a side of fries. My cousin ordered the porkchop which was larger than both of his hands put together – it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The pork was so tender it melted in my mouth.
There was a live jazz singer in the basement. This is a great date spot (hilarious to me since I have only eaten here with relatives). Still haven’t figured out why Meli is categorized as Mediterranean and Greek food when it’s more American. However, I highly recommend Meli for dinner now!

Is the ambiance still chill? Yes. Is the service still good? Definitely. Wine list is still very serviceable. I really like Meli as a dining location.
There’s a new chef in the kitchen, and I’m not sure that’s for the best.
All of the food was well-​prepared, but in many cases under-​seasoned. My beef carpaccio was nicely presented with ultra-​thin slices of beef, a crisp croûton, olive oil, aioli, frisee salad, and caramelized onions. What it could have used was some acid or a sprinkle of sea salt, and a touch of fresh pepper.
Braised lamb shanks are a favorite of mine. The version at Meli was beautifully cooked, but a bit bland. The mashed sweet potatoes it was served with were the stronger flavor, which is a shame. Some rosemary, sage, fennel, red wine acidity, something, ANYTHING as an additional flavor element would have been fantastic. It was a good dish, but it could have been an eyes-​roll-​back-​in-​your-​head dish, and it wasn’t. It did come with Brussels sprouts, though, which is always a plus for me.
So, minus one star. Which makes me sad.

Professor Higgins & Colonel Pickering would be proud:
«Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind. Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind. Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind.»
Sure. It’s a lot easier saying it three times fast now. But during the Live Jazz Brunch UYE in honor of Reena M of Unilocal Vancouver at Meli my alcohol addled intellect could barely piece together a simple sentence as I jabbered incessantly to Rob N about everything. And nothing.
«Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind.»
Mrs H and I didn’t meander through any labyrinths to reach Meli’s Minoan Room. A simple staircase lead us down to a very relaxing space for leisurely drinking and dining with friends. A jumpin’ jive live jazz trio was there kicking it out both smooth and hot. Our servers weren’t markedly aggressive Minotaurs, but pleasant and attentive if mildly taken aback by our large, gregarious Unilocalie grouping.
I liked my Vanilla Scented Waffles ($ 8.95) with honey, sprinkled with cinnamon, and enhanced by dreamy dollops of whipped cream. I also enjoyed my Maple Sausage ($ 3.95) very much. And there was no finer ending to my meal than their soothing cup of coffee & crema gratis.
«Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind.»
Oh. Did I mention Bottomless Mimosas ($ 15)? I think I enjoyed about seven of those VERY strong as I like ‘em concoctions. Honestly, it’s more accurate to say I lost count after about seven of those VERY strong as I like ‘em concoctions ;-)
Mrs H and I had a wonderful time with wonderful Unilocalers, congenial, hard working servers, engaging atmosphere, good food, and great drinks at a wonderful Sunday brunch in Fells Point. I’d be more than happy to return for a shot at Rob N’s Crispy Duck Confit ($ 14.95) or the Riverbank Smoked Salmon Plate ($ 10.95).
«Many mimosas in the Minoan Room mangled my mind.»
By Jove, I think I’ve got it!
This review brought to you by «Pygmalion» and the letter M.

Oooh, Meli, my Meli! Even though we no longer live 1.5 blocks away, Meli’s cuisine is special enough to warrant cross state – even international travel as a relative makes sure to visit upon each return.
Meli, meaning honey, is located in Fells Point’s waterfront and sports a softly yellow, warmly glowing interior. With its honey-​comb styled ornamentation covering the walls, ceiling, even staircase railings, Meli invites the body to bring along the soul.
While Meli’s food is great all around, I particularly enjoy the duo of duck (braised confit leg alongside duck bread pudding on a bed of wine-​poached pears) – a constant staple – though the lovely lamb shank is a close second.
Appetizers change rather frequently; last visit’s tuna carpaccio won over the seared beef prepared in the same manner mainly due to thickness of the former relative to the latter. Served as a little sandwich, escargot was pleasing even though I prefer the in-​shell presentation.
If one is not in the mood for fine dining, Meli also serves an impressive diversity of desserts – from baklava to American staple fruit tarts to delectable sorbet. For libations, Meli features a good selection of wines by the glass and in bottles as well as creative cocktails. I will leave the reader with one phrase: Meli… it’s worth the drive!

Greek? No.
Patisserie? Yes
Techno-​ambiant music in a trendy interior — Pompous.
Tea
So ends my melodramatic attempt at a poem. The schizoid nature of this review should enlighten you to the full nature of this establishment.

I’ve visited Meli twice for lunch since it opened and I’ve loved the meal and service during both visits. Most recently, I had the Acorn Squash Bisque w/​Wild Boar sausage and the Mixed Greens salad with Baked Goat Cheese. Their lunch menu features simple, yet tasty dishes between $ 8 and $ 15. Meli also features a wide variety of small desserts (and pastries to go). I’ve had the Chocolate Framboise (a fabulous, petite and silky chocolate mousse with raspberries and a thin layer of dark chocolate).
Lunch service is typically not crowded and the service is timely and friendly. The interior is light and bright and the location at Thames & S. Broadway is very picturesque Fell’s Point. I consider Meli to be a great value for the money!

The Good: my pear and sweet potato soup was an interesting concept, and really quite delicious. The garnish of arugula, blue crumbles and candied walnuts really added a little extra pop of flavor that saved the dish from being a bit bland. My shrimp and tomato angel hair dish was also pretty tasty, even though the heirlooms were a bit mealy (expected with such a seasonal food, I suppose). My favorite dish was the lobster mac&cheese my one girlfriend had. While it was extraordinarily rich, the flavor was amazing and the noodles weren’t at all over cooked.
I was also particularly partial to my «southern gentleman» cocktail, even though the mint could have been muddled a little more to cut the sting of Maker’s in lemonade. Overall, the atmosphere was subdued and rather relaxing. The smooth jazz band and vocalist downstairs added a nice touch to the ambiance, and the woman’s voice was certainly memorable.
The Bad: the other girls had the cream of mushroom soup, which was so lackluster that one didn’t even bother to finish hers. Unfortunately for that same guest, her crab salad wasn’t worth finishing either. Since when does cilantro take precedent over crab in the flavor profile of a dish? The taste was so overpowering that we had trouble identifying anything else in the dish, including the lump crab meat. The saving grace was the bed of friend green tomatoes and interesting-​looking watermelon radishes on which the salad was perched.
As for my glass of sav blanc, it was everything I would expect in a $ 9 glass of wine… once it warmed up a little! The beverage was so overly chilled that, when the waitress put it on our table, my glass was frosty and all I could taste was the natural acid in my varietal.
And the ugly: upon entering, we requested a table for 3. The maitre d gave an unconvincing ponderous stare into space then said, «We could probably get you in right now.» Yeah, no kidding, Bubba. The joint is practically empty at quarter-​to-​8 on a Saturday.
Then there was our waitress. While the girl was sweet and obviously trying to convey everything she could about the menu, there were some serious technical errors in her service. Beyond the fact that she didn’t refill our water glasses once the entire meal or the oversight that no, in fact there weren’t salt or pepper on the table and we had already asked for them once, she made a feeble and embarrassing attempt to dissuade us from having our check split. Her excuse was, «We have a really finicky computer system.» We took our chances, and everything worked out beyond the fact that the entire «getting the check» endeavor lasted about 15 minutes.
Overall, I was reasonably pleased with what I ordered, and there were a few other dishes I would have liked to try. I would consider going back, as long as I could sit with a more experienced server and not feel like I may pass out of dehydration.