MERAKIA

It was an evening of Dimitris: our waiter, first and foremost, and then a post-prandial concerto including composer Dana (Dimitri) Richardson, the latter of which, however, obstructed our ability to have the former serve us dessert.  An eight o'clock concert left us not enough time to peruse any dessert options, but as it is also absent from their online menu, I still don't know what I was missing.  That said, if the sweet side is anywhere near as good as the savories, I'm going to have to come back to find out.

Merakia takes the place of Kat & Theo, for which I also had rave reviews, but is under the same ownership.  It's current iteration has a stronger Greek influence, but all the care and quality of its predecessor.   The space is even more attractive than before, both from the exterior with that damnable scaffolding finally removed, and the interior, which combines a rustic dark-wood coziness with a bit of glitz and bling from the dazzling lighting that arches across the dining room and illuminates the enchanting bar.  Upon our arrival, our welcome was gracious and warm, we were seated immediately and the service never ebbed from that standard.

Mediterranean Octopus

Merakia means "interests" in Greek, and its menu is full o things that will provoke them.  In opposition to the current trend of vegan and super-veg-forward establishments, here the focus is meat: all the beef is grass-fed and organic and the lamb antibiotic-free, so they're doing the right thing on multiple fronts.  They even have a somewhat cheeky disposition against vegetarians, categorizing the two salads on their menu "Rabbit Food", but even the dirt candy is treated with the same reverance as the meatier offerings.  So too treasures of the sea: we began with some "Small Stuff" in the form of Mediterranean octopus, slow-braised and then grilled smoky and tossed with sharp red onions, capers and lemon.  Simple and perfect.

Dancing with the Lamb

Our waiter recommended a traditional spit-roasted "Dancing with the Lamb", although he cautioned eloquently that it is prepared well-done there's no way around that, so if you think you like your lamb on the rarer side, you're better off with the chops.  This variation, however, might convince you into  its pas de deux: it's a big pile of very meaty, very un-gamey shank and shoulder, topped with a salty, crispy shard of skin in the spirit of pork cracklings.  It is propped up by thick-cut oven baked potato wedges and well-seasoned chunks of roasted summer squash to round things out.   Even without the nostalgic appeal a native Greek might harbor, this is

Grilled Branzino

proves an excellent meal.  If you are, however, on the "No Meat Tonight Please" side of things, there are still great options to be had.  There are even two vegetarian options, a moussaka or an entree-sides vegetable briam, which I took in a small portion ($9 vs. $19) as a side dish for a whole grilled branzino, which was a really robustly sized fish, impeccably cooked and served with just lemon, oil, and a spritz of chopped herbs and capers.  With nothing to mask its flavor, the freshness of the fish shone through,

Vegetable Briam

 and the fact that it is served with two big lemon wedges might also imply it is big enough to share... especially with a side dish such as the briam, or one of the other "Share and Share Alike"s such as classic Horta or, if you're feeling particularly indulgent, there's a Mac 'n Tiri with three cheeses: a cheddar and two Greek varieties- feta and kefalograviera.  Upon a return visit, however, I think I might try one of the steaks, the Black Tiger King prawns, or even the chicken... and accompany that with one of the luscious-sounding "Dip In" dips- maybe the melitzanosalata or tzatziki.  But the Aliada with chicken, yogurt, walnut and smoked paprika might deserve the spotlight all on its own.

Perusing the brunch menu might provide insight to their dessert options: they seem to tend very classic, like baklava, a honey walnut cake or a more intriguing sounding Galaktoboureko: a custard-filled phyllo pouch that probably would have been my choice. But missing dessert won't be the only thing that beckons me back to Merakia- I like it just as much as I did its predecessor, and it would still do those namesakes proud.

5 West 21st Street
tel (212) 380-1950