TAVERNA at The Mar Vista

"Greek meze are a great excuse for a snacky, family-style dinner much like flaming saganaki is a great excuse to shout opa! at a restaurant (and not embarrass yourself). Taverna in Mar Vista offers both of these things, as well as a casual hang for cold beer and Greek classics like crisp horiatiki and subtly minty keftedes. The You Dip We Dip platter feeds four with dips like sweet-salty tirokafteri and creamier-than-usual tzatziki, but save belly room for the highlight: the giant slabs of moussaka with enough broiled mashed potatoes to kickstart an afternoon nap." - sylvio martins, brant cox, nikko duren, garrett snyder

"Taverna at The Mar Vista is a casual Greek spot with cold beer, flaming tableside saganaki, and an assortment of dips that’s useful for luring friends into a snacky, family-style dinner. And, clearly, it works because Taverna tends to fill up with neighborhood cliques who’ve migrated from one friend’s couch to this light-filled restaurant for wine and mezze. A great place to start is the You Dip We Dip, a $19 platter easily feeds three to four with dips like sweet-salty tirokafteri and creamier-than-usual tzatziki before the entrees arrive. We also like how the horiatiki is heavy on capers and has banana peppers for vinegary heat, plus it’s something fresh to balance out the giant slabs of moussaka capped fluffy mashed potatoes. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins You Dip We Dip We all dip, hooray. We like that the most common dip in this spread is the luscious tzatziki—the rest are Greek deep cuts. The pink tirokafteri is subtly sweet from blitzed bell peppers, the “white bean dip” is hummus’ more lemony cousin, and the melitzanosalata is a harmonious marriage of roasted eggplant and whipped feta. And like every dip platter, there’s never enough pita, so ask for extra. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Keftedes These crispy beef meatballs make for a nice little snack: they’re properly juicy inside with a subtle smooch of mint mixed in. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Horiatiki Greek salad if it had a bite. Taverna’s version is saltier, brinier, and tangier thanks to the addition of caper and banana peppers t. If you’re going big on the meat and pita, this is a nice and bright addition to the table. Flaming Saganaki Half of the reason we order saganaki whenever we see it is to shout opa! when our waiter lights it on fire. The flames are a rush, but so is eating delicious salty melted cheese with a Greek lager. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Moussaka The last time someone served us a slice of anything this large, it was ice cream cake at a kid’s birthday party. This hunk of moussaka is big enough to feed several adults and comes with broiled mashed potatoes that develop a nice crust and a sweet minced beef filling seasoned with lots of cooked-down onion and warm spices." - Sylvio Martins

"Lunch is officially on at The Mar Vista. The casual Westside spot started doing daytime meals last week, working a menu that includes everything from salads to hot wings to sandwiches, burgers, and dessert. Tuesday through Friday only, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m." - Farley Elliott