Haloumi sliders with tzatziki at Cava Priya Sharma

In 2009 Grigoropoulos and Ted Xenohristos and Chef Dimitri Moshovitis opened their second restaurant,Cava, in bustling Eastern Market. The original Cava occupies a more suburban spot in Rockville, Maryland. The Capital Hill venue has met with great success, largely due to the great location, a relaxing atmosphere, and delicious food.

Situated amongst many popular Capitol Hill restaurants like Belga Café, Cava has an outdoor street side patio for dining in warm weather, a large dining room, complete with rich, dark wood tables, a long and usually packed bar, and even better, an upstairs outdoor bar overlooking 8th street and Capitol Hill folks wandering around. The restaurant emits a casual, friendly vibe that makes one want to grab a group of friends, a glass of Greek wine, and just hang out.

While the physical aspects of the venue are a treat, the food is even more worthy of appreciation. Cava’s menu consists entirely of Greek mezze, which are small portions of savory Greek dishes. The menu has quite a few typical Greek mezze items, such as Spanakopita (spinach and cheese wrapped in phyllo dough) and the usual hummus (pureed chickpeas with garlic), which are delicious, but the more unusual items on the menu are the real winners.

Start with a selection of four the spreads for 21.95. Served with warm pita bread, this platter is ideal for any large group. The Eggplant Dip is smoky and garlicky; the Tzatziki, made of Greek yogurt and cucumbers is cool and creamy; the Htipiti is a perfect blend of sweet peppers and salty feta, enhanced by the woodsy flavor of thyme.

Next explore the dozens of mezze options! The best thing about mezze is that each dish is a small portion of food, so you can order several items to satisfy all of your cravings. The Haloumi Sliders are scrumptious, little tiny burger buns filled with melted Haloumi cheese and tomatoes. Haloumi is a delicious Middle Eastern cheese that is a mix of sheep and goat’s milk. Be sure to get the Cava fries to accompany your Sliders! Covered in sea salt and Kefalograviera, a salty sheep’s milk cheese, these hand-cut fries are irresistible. Another great dish is the Sparragia, roasted asparagus with a fresh lemon vinaigrette and crumbled feta cheese.

Luckily, there are so many items on the menu that after you try a few, you are bound to come back again to Cava to try some more! Mezze items range between $5.95-15.95. Remember to make reservations because this place gets packed!

Cava Capitol Hill, 527 8th Street SE 20003, 202-543-9090