Restaurant Review: Mesa brings South India flavors to Jacksonville's Avondale neighborhood
As the former Patio at Pastiche-turned-J. William Culinary spot blossomed into newcomer Mesa, Avondale gained a cuisine the area has been missing: Indian. Mesa, the Malayalam word for table, is offering a five-course tasting menu ($55) before transitioning to an a la carte menu in the coming weeks.
I met a girlfriend for an al fresco experience on the patio, under Mesa’s dimmed twinkling string lights. The space, surrounded by tall shrubs, felt like a welcomed, relaxing reprieve from our bustling workday. Our server was thorough, attentive and patient — he guided us through the wine line up, and the week’s courses and selections with ease.
Mesa is truly a family affair. Chef Saji George moved to the U.S. at age 12. She’s self-admittedly a home chef and easing into the restaurant space, and pace. The tasting menu lets her control this. Her dishes are inspired mostly by the Southern part of India. Each part of India touts its own distinct culinary diversity. Southern Indian cuisine traditionally centers around rice, stews and lentils. Saji’s son, Brandon, assists in the kitchen and nephew, Jensen, concocts Mesa’s desserts.
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Our first course was a cubed papaya salad with tart juicy pomegranate arils, tangy balsamic vinegar, and goat cheese crumbles, red onion and green chili. Balanced and refreshing.
For the second course, my friend and I ordered one of each option to share. The kerala beef puff featured an airy puff pastry and generously seasoned beef chunks. The papdi chaat was akin to Indian nachos — crunchy homemade chaat with cilantro, tamarind, yogurt and sev. We loved both of these.
The favorite? Course three: pav bhaji. This Mumbai street food slider was messy like a sloppy joe with its mix of potato, peas, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower and bell pepper in a delectable sauce. Spoon it onto buttery pav bread to form a crave-worthy slider.
Three entree choices for the fourth course awaited — kerala shrimp and ‘grits’ made from rice, paneer biryani, and Mesa’s signature lamb burger (a $10 upcharge) on local Village Bread Company brioche bun.
My burger, which was cooked impeccably, was an explosion of flavor. Slightly spicy from a homemade sauce, it featured a mix of chilies, cilantro and onion. Served with masala-spiced French fries, I could easily devour this dish weekly. I snuck bites of my friend’s paneer and rice, and we both agreed how unique the dish was. Served with pickled mango, cucumber raita — a yogurt-like spread, cashews and golden raisins, it was complex and flavorful, especially for a vegetarian option.
Dessert was a half-moon shape mango cheesecake served with green mango coulis and rose micro cake. It was light, not too sweet, and imparted a divine mango flavor. Four thumbs up!
Everything is well thought out, and the experience left us eager to return.
Caron Streibich is an avid food-lover who will review restaurants every other week in the Life section. Follow her dining adventures at facebook.com/caroneats and #caroneats on Instagram.
Mesa
4260 Herschel St. Mesajacksonville@gmail.com for reservations
Side of town: Avondale/Fairfax.
Type of cuisine: Indian.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, dinner service – first seating, 6 p.m., last seating, 8 p.m.
Prices: $55 for five-course tasting menu; a la carte menu debuting late November.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville restaurants: Mesa brings South India flavors to Avondale
