Two weeks ago, while searching for a place to eat lunch and take refuge from the rain, my friend and I found our way under the inviting red awning of Meli Melo on Madison Avenue just north of Madison park. The ambiance was warm and appealing, and the menu looked reasonable. Down a few stairs, past the coffee bar, we took seats on the side of the near-empty dining room. I had a view of a large, cozy bar--and the filming of an interview with a financial expert of some sort. And my friend had a view of a most eclectic mural: a hand-painted map of the world, featuring well-known cultures, iconic buildings, and animals placed far from their appropriate geographic location (the absurdities of which amused us greatly as we examined the map after our meal.)
From the menu and the general appearance of the place, I assumed Meli Melo was an Italian restaurant. Hence, I was miffed when we were not offered wine (granted I do look rather young) and particularly confounded by our appetizer: a basket of crusty bread rounds, and a plate with two pads of butter. Of course, I'd expected some amazingly warm and delicious bread with a side of extra virgin olive oil for dipping. And to get ... crusts and hard butter cut off the stick? A rather disappointing start, compounded by learning that the soup of the day was cold pea soup. Aside from the fact that I had split pea soup the previous two nights, I was put off by cold soup served on an obviously chilly rainy day. Oh, well. We'd decided to go with the prix fixe route anyways, and made our selection from a nice array of choices. First course, eggplant Provencal with goat cheese; second, filet of sole roulade with mustard and dill; and cheesecake for dessert.
Waiting for our appetizer almost made the list of complaints (although having time for conversation was appreciated), that is, until I actually saw the food and understood that extra time and effort had gone into plating and presentation. My eggplant was very good, resembling a rough baba ganoush in consistency, topped by a dollop of goat cheese and basil leaf. Digging in, I discovered a layer of roasted red peppers--and that fresh tomatoes should not be served out of season. (Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the four paltry cherry tomato halves demarcating the corners of the square plate.) Next course, the sole:
The stacks of rolled sole were incredibly soft and dense--a surprisingly large amount of fish--and served on a bed of cooked spinach. The mustard and dill covering the fish was an appreciably subtle compliment to the sole, certainly not dominating or overwhelming flavors. Though beautiful, the garnishes were perplexing: dots of mysterious orange sauce around the edge of the plate, and in each stack of sole, a savory orange cracker/cookie, and a small tree. My inability to identify them reminded me of my naïveté, as far as palate and fine-dining experiences go. I just need to try more things and ask more questions.
We found room for dessert, again elegantly presented:
My small round of cheesecake came garnished with whipped cream, nuts, strawberry slices (again, out of season), a mint sprig, and a spiderweb-like spread of milk and white chocolate sauce. I'm no connoisseur, but good cheesecake should be be able to stand alone on the merits of its flavor. Perhaps all the garnishment compensated for the small portion; but it was delicious and appreciated nonetheless. And my friend chocolate mousse was almost more art than food:
Yes, that is indeed a swan. We polished off our plates and a small pot of coffee before strolling into the drizzle. With a few reservations (perhaps unique to our experience), I recommend the lunch at Meli Melo for catching up with an old friend; the prix fixe is reasonably priced, especially considering the quality of the food and the effort that went into presentation. However, you should go into the restaurant with the knowledge that Meli Melo is in fact a French phrase meaning "hodgepodge", hence the eclectic cuisine of the menu (it's not an Italian restaurant at all--shows how perceptive I am) and the hilariously fucked up world map mural.
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