The Silva

An Adorable ‘Greek-ish’ Cafe Pops Open in Adams Morgan | Eater DC

"Situated at 1630 Columbia Road NW at the foot of the luxury Silva apartment building, I see Meli as a casual Adams Morgan meze bar from Eastern Point Collective (the group behind The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, and The Wellson Capitol Hill). It operates Tuesdays–Saturdays with takeout from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and dine-in service (inside and out) starting at 5 p.m., occupying a 35-seat setup attached to the building lobby with a tiny patio tucked into an alleyway. The approachable menu—mostly $10 and under—leans into the “Greek-ish” side of Mediterranean cooking with souvlaki (chicken, veggie, and beef/lamb skewers); spreads like hummus and tzatziki; and sharable snacks such as head-on prawns with harissa and lemon, falafel with garlic yogurt, and roasted potatoes finished with olive oil. There are group-friendly options (souvlaki platters at $35, a trio of spreads for $28) and a Little Meli Meal for kids (grilled chicken, orzo, and fruit, $8). Restaurateur Hollis Silverman (formerly COO of José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup) says the concept fills a meze niche in the neighborhood and that lessons from the pandemic shaped the launch; an annual $25 membership supports the Reed Cooke Club and grants access to Meli’s virtual retail market and subscriptions (wine, CSA, grill boxes). Service is a hybrid of walk-up counter and bartenders roaming the dining room, with plans to ease into full service and expanded hours in the fall; the wine program highlights many female and small producers, Chef Kat Petonito (with previous stints at St. Anselm and Kapnos Kouzina) leads the kitchen alongside chef de cuisine Keri Wierczorek, and the sun-drenched café will double as a rotating quarterly gallery." - Tierney Plumb