Watch CBS News

Mediterranean With A Big Greek Stamp At BarMeli

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - You'll feel as though you are oceans away at BarMeli.

Owner Liza Meli opened the charming Mediterranean style eatery and wine bar, located at 725 NE 79th Street, three years ago.  At BarMeli, you won't find any wines from the U.S. .

"I wanted to focus on the Mediterranean region for the wine pairing with my food.  I find that it's more rustic, with less manipulation with the wine.  It's earthy and I felt it would go better with my tapas style food," said Meli.

BarMeli has become a home away from home for locals and tourists alike.

"I wanted to open a place that's very casual, with no pressure to order a three course dinner or even no dinner at all for that matter.  A place to chill. I get a lot of people coming in alone and they make a lot of friends here," she said.

Many of Meli's customers have become friends.  The bar is decorated with gifts from those customers.  The vibe is all about being real.

"We're very friendly and have no attitude, no fuss and big value.  Miami, being the way it is, has a lot of high end hot spots.  We're the opposite of that," she explained.

Meli said the menu at BarMeli is Mediterranean inspired with a big Greek stamp.

A Greek stamp that begins with a flaming saganaki.

"One person orders it and everyone has it.  It's flaming Greek cheese with brandy and lemon," said Meli.

"I could have this all day and all night long.  Just bring me flaming cheese and I'll be happy.  This is very special," said CBS4's Lisa Petrillo after sampling it.

Meli paired Petrillo's dishes with a white wine from Majorca, Spain that's high in minerals and has no sulfates.

Next up was a BarMeli signature share plate - baked lamb filo rolls with Moroccan spice.

"So much flavor in this meat," Petrillo said. "It's spicy but not too much.  I would say flavorful and a real authentic dish."

Finally, there was the baked cod "A La Grecque" with tomatoes, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.

"This is to die for.  It's like a party in a pot.  It's fish, tomatoes, olives - no butter.  It begs you to have another bite," Petrillo gushed.

Barmeli is opened 5 days a week (Tuesday through Saturday) dinner only and happy hour nightly.

CBS4's Lisa Petrillo would love to hear from you. Please send us a suggestion for your #HiddenGems spot at tasteofthetown@cbs.com. You can also contact Lisa through Twitter or Facebook.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.