People in Sonoma County seem to be crazy for moussaka, a sort of Greek lasagna layered with creamy Bechamel sauce, eggplant, tomatoes, and ground beef, that’s a rarity in these parts — which may be why Cotati’s new Greek restaurant, Mezzeluna, was completely sold out by 7 p.m. on a Friday.
Though the fledgling restaurant’s vegetarian moussaka didn’t disappoint (even though it was hard to find it under a mound of sprouts, greens and shaved carrots that concealed it on the plate — and every plate — we tried), it was a bit heartbreaking to miss out on this signature dish of great Greek restaurants.
With few authentic Greek restaurants in the North Bay, it’s understandable that moussaka is a hot item, and Mezzeluna is undoubtedly Greek, featuring classic dishes like moussaka, spanakopita, saganaki, koftadakia, avgolemono soup and souvlaki.
The warm and welcoming Cotati restaurant is co-owned by chef and restaurateur Ali Cetin, a Santa Rosa Junior College culinary graduate, and chef Baki Bekci , formerly of the Four Seasons Hotel in Napa, and though it’s still early days, chef Bekci’s deftness with this Mediterranean cuisine bodes well.
Though not every dish is perfected, we were impressed by the flaky spanakopita ($9), a puff pastry filled with herbs and spinach; saganaki ($11), fried cheese topped with honey and raisins; and the crisp, grilled Branzino ($30) which was disguised by a pile of greens, making it a little hard to decipher exactly which dish was which on the table.
Dessert is joyful, and Kunefe ($12), a dessert of shredded phyllo dough filled with melted cheese and soaked in sugar syrup, is a must try. Topped with pistachio ice cream, it’s a savory and sweet finish to the meal.
Certainly there’s plenty to like about Mezzeluna, and we promise to be back for the moussaka. 8099 La Plaza A, Cotati, 707-992-0101, mezzeluna.com. Vegetarian options, children’s menu. Open for lunch and dinner.
