Melina Opens in Bethesda With Stunning Greek Dishes | Eater DC

"Arriving Monday, November 22 at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose, Melina is the highly anticipated contemporary Greek restaurant from the ever-expanding Cava group. Aris Tsekouras helms the kitchen after years cooking in upscale kitchens in Greece and brings a passion for baking fresh bread; Greece’s mild climate and bounty of fresh vegetables are celebrated on the menu, with vegetables often taking center stage. I saw roasted gem-hued beets served alongside yogurt, pickled blackberries, smoked walnuts, carob, and basil; simple fingerling potatoes fried to a light crisp then paired with tzatziki, feta cream, thyme, and cured egg yolk; and heirloom carrots roasted to deepen their sweetness and served with smoked Manouri cheese, spiced granola, and pickled raisins. Vegetables also lead the maitake mushroom “souvlaki” with smoked graviera cream, hazelnuts, cured egg yolk, and truffle balsamic dressing. Meat and seafood receive similar attention: tender slow-roasted lamb neck is boosted by salty, nutty Kefalograviera cheese plus roasted peppers, grapes, tomatoes, parsley, and pickled onions and is served with pita baked at the restaurant, while a visually striking beef tartare comes with lemony avgolemono foam, cabbage, wild fennel, and egg yolk. The restaurant is named for co-owner Dimitri Moshovitis’s daughter—Melina, which echoes the Greek word for “honey”—and that ingredient appears throughout the cocktails, including the Honey Bee Blossom (vanilla vodka, peach cranberry, honey syrup, bee pollen, and citrus) and the Bouboulina (smoky mezcal, roasted beets, lime, honey syrup, and fennel). The light-drenched, 3,593-square-foot space features floor-to-ceiling windows and a Koroneiki olive tree as the main focal point, seats 80 with an additional 10 at the bar, is located on the ground level at Pike & Rose, and will be open Sunday–Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday." - Stephanie Carter