Meesh Meesh is good good

[Robin Garr]

Meesh Meesh is good good

Salatim, an appetizing platter featuring eight traditional condiments and warm pitas, comes with main dishes at Meesh Meesh.


I’m going to come right out and say it: Meesh Meesh is one of the best new restaurants to come along in Louisville lately.

But wait! What’s with that repetitive rhyming name? The restaurant’s website explains it all for us: MeeshMeesh (מִשׁמֵשׁ) means “apricot” in both Arabic and Hebrew.

With the sad fighting going on in Israel and Palestinian Gaza right now, a restaurant that celebrates both of those cultures seems like a good place to be.

The endearing sound of “Meesh Meesh,” the restaurant’s introduction goes on, “reflects the warm and inviting nature of our restaurant. Israel native Chef Noam Bilitzer highlights the unique flavors and influences that he grew up with … encompassing flavors from Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and more.”

“At MeeshMeesh, we are proud to introduce the Louisville community to a piece of our soul and to share the authentic flavors from our hearts.”

Meesh Meesh is popular and usually busy, so reservations are advised. We got in on a Sunday evening, and I’m glad we did. Service was attentive despite the full house, and the food was outstanding.

That’s not surprising when we consider Chef Bilitzer’s background. With a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University. he’s served in executive positions at Proof on Main, Red Hog, and the organization that includes Feast BBQ, Royals Hot Chicken, and bar Vetti. When Susan Hershberg decided to retire from Wiltshire on Main, she invited Bilitzer in as executive chef. He introduced Meesh Meesh as frequent pop-ups in that popular space until the transition became complete in July.

The bill of fare is varied but relatively concise, featuring six small plates, five mains, and three large format dishes intended to feed a group.

It’s not budget dining, with mains ranging from $36 (for shawarma spiced chicken thighs or a vegetable tagine) to $45 (for a steak from Indiana’s Fischer Farms Natural Foods). The large-format dishes top out at $145 (for a grilled full rack of lamb). It’s reasonable to economize, though, as we did, with a single main plus a small plate and a filling side dish. Generously portioned small plates are priced from $9 (for herb falafel) to $16 (for Haifa hot chicken). ...

Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/mees ... -good-good

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section this week:
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

Meesh Meesh
636 E. Market St.
589-5224
https://meeshmeesh.com
https://instagram.com/meeshmeesh_med_lou

Noise Level: The scene was noisy but not deafening on a busy evening. We had no problem with normal conversation.

Accessibility: The entry and restrooms appear accessible to wheelchair users, but much of the seating is on bar stools or high chairs. It would be prudent to reserve a regular-height table if this is needed for access.

Sounds and looks good! We need a place like this. The price may be a bit steep for the typical local. But the out-of-towners will find their way there!

[Robin Garr]

Sounds and looks good! We need a place like this. The price may be a bit steep for the typical local. But the out-of-towners will find their way there!

You can make a good affordable meal on small plates though. Maybe two for one person or three for a couple, and leave room for a shared dessert.

My friend and I got Meesh Meesh tonight and it was really great. The menu was slightly different than what is on their website (and it appears they've expanded since Robin's original review). I’d recommend either going “all in” on a few small plates or getting a small plate/dip and splitting an entree, or just skipping the small plates and getting two entrees. The entrees are pretty big and include a tray of salatim (shared with the table) to eat with pita bread.

We got the oxtail hummus, which was really good. They will bring out the salatim and pita bread before the entrees. My favorites from the salatim tray were the potato salad and the babaganoush. My friend really liked the plain hummus. We had the salmon and the half chicken as entrees and they were both great. The chicken sort of tasted like Jamaican jerk chicken, just not as strong on the spices. You’ll also get a small bowl of rice to share with the entrees. After the hummus and the salatim, we both took well over half of our entrees home and didn’t have room for dessert, although it sounded delicious.

Highly recommend the Smoke & Spice cocktail if you like mezcal. The “2 Birds 1 Stonefruit” was okay. My friend didn’t care for the olive oil martini because it wasn’t a dirty martini.

We sat near the host stand and multiple people came in trying to get on the waitlist. I feel like it’s probably overhyped because of that and since it’s been open over a year and it’s still difficult to get reservations, but overall, it was a great experience. I doubt it will replace Anoosh Bistro/äta Restaurant as my favorite upscale place in town.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for the update, Nathaniel! It's been a while since my review, and they've gotten even more popular. It's good to stay up to date. I'm glad it went well, even if not up to Anoosh Bistro. That's a very high bar!