Pasha Mezze Revisited, Norfolk VA

I have had a few decent lunches at Pasha and a great brunch, but Laine and I were not thrilled the last time we dined there in the evening. We both felt slighted by the our choices (try a few small pieces of calamari for $10).  

Charlotte* and I were both swayed by the Pasha Groupon and noticed that the expiration date was fast approaching. We decided to use mine after a Thursday evening at Cool It! at The Chrysler Museum. We arrived around 8:30pm, a little under the 9pm cut off for weekday dinner service. We immediately settled on the Pan Fried Zucchini Cheese Puffs ($6.49). This dish includes three puffs over mint-yogurt dip and are a great appetizer to share or combine with another smaller dish to make a meal. I saw the Grilled Maiden Cake ($6.99), made with red lentils and served with lettuce, a slice of grilled tomato and Pasha’s organic vegan sauce and decided that was my dish. I threw in a side of Sauteed Julienne Vegetables ($5) for good measure. I was thrilled with my meal. The maiden cake was phenonemal and I’m not positive, but I think the secret sauce was vegannaise, or something very similar, which I like. It is not much different that regular mayo in fat and calories, but I actually prefer it to mayo now. I was never a huge mayo fan unless it was an ingredient in a dish, so having vegannaise as an option for sandwiches and such is a nice alternative. The vegetables were light and would be a great accompaniment to any dish.  

Charlotte ordered the Grilled Stuffed Calamari ($10) and had I remembered it was what Laine and I ordered that time at dinner, I would have warned her that the portion is extremely small for the price and for any appetite. She said the the quality was fine, but in my view, the portion is just ridiculous for what you pay. Charlotte ended up ordering the hummus ($6), which comes with bread and pita to round out her ‘meal’. The hummus is a decent portion and great in taste. I noticed Pasha’s hummus for sale in Taste Unlimited last weekend. I was unaware they sold it on ‘the outside’. Good, that’s competition for Azar’s, which is also sold in some stores.  


We finished our meal with the Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($6.49). Previously, I have had the Bread Pudding (no surprise there) and the Chocolate Bon Bons. I have to admit that this bread pudding is not one of my favorites and while I did enjoy the bon bons, the cheesecake quickly took the lead as top dessert at Pasha. With a graham cracker crust, it is very smooth with a rich vanilla bean flavor. This dessert is a must have.

The second Groupon loomed over Charlotte’s and my heads so after our next Thursday Chrysler outing, we headed to Pasha once again. So patterned, we would be adored by a serial killer. I talked Charlotte into the Hummus with Muhammarah ($8.99), of which she was not a fan, but I can be persuasive. While I did not dislike it, I prefer the hummus straight up, as well. I should have listened, but I like to give things a whirl at least once. Live and learn. I really liked my meal my last visit, so I had to order the Grilled Maiden Cake again and we split the zucchini puffs. Charlotte broke the dining repetitiveness by ordering the Pasha Lamb Sandwich ($10.99) which looked spectacular. Lamb meatballs, melted cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and sun-dried red pepper sauce sat atop Pasha’s quality artisan bread. Charlotte said the dish had great flavor, was a good size, and the sauce complimented it well. Who doesn't love the lamb stacked on top of a giant piece of Pasha’s amazing artisan bread, she exclaimed.  

Once again, we finished the meal with the Creme Brulee Cheesecake. We felt no need to trade in this dessert choice yet. Service was excellent. The first time, we sat inside in the back room which has fun leather chairs and is very lounge-like. The most recent time, we sat outside next to the roaring of the train, but the weather was so nice, we could not resist. Adam was our server on both occasions. He has a great sense of humor and our food came quickly both visits. He also told us Pasha had extended the Groupon by a week, but I’m not sure how people would know that. I wondered if Groupon sent an alert to those who had not yet used the deal. In any event, that was a nice gesture by Pasha. Hopefully, it saved a few who had let the expiration date pass.  

Pasha is back on my good list and I look forward to a brunch there in the fall.  

~Alex

Pasha Mezze
340 West 22nd Street 

Norfolk, VA 23517 

http://www.pashamezze.com/