Dining review: Meraki serves Mediterranean magnificence in an obscure South Anchorage location

When I describe the locations of my favorite Anchorage restaurants, it does not often spark confidence. It usually goes something like this: “It’s in that strip mall. You know the one. In between that dispensary and … that other dispensary.”

Meraki Hellenic Grill is no exception. It’s in a standard-issue strip mall in a slightly obscure location in South Anchorage. You have to know about this space to find it. And now you know about it. So, go find it. It’s one of my favorite new spots in town.

While its brick and mortar location is new, Meraki, specializing in eastern Mediterranean cuisine, is not. The owners operated for some time in Eagle River before embarking on a shared-space venture with a now defunct chicken wing spot. It had an avid following, and I was annoyed with myself for not making it over before the co-kitchen arrangement came to an end.

Happily, in a case of laziness paying off, the restaurant’s new digs are just around the corner from my house. When I did not go to the menu, the menu came to me.

Meraki, according to the sign that greets you when you step into the small but airy restaurant, is a Greek verb meaning “to do something with soul, creativity or love; to put something of yourself into your work.” We loved the sentiment as well as the scent that enveloped us and piqued our already lively appetites. We were excited by the glimpse of the vertical spits in the kitchen, and the overall first impression was, quite literally, mouthwatering.

The menu is a roundup of Greek cuisine’s greatest hits, with dishes like grilled octopus and chicken souvlaki. I’ve also been following their Facebook page and yearning for the rotating specials like doner kebab, spanakopita, moussaka and, a personal favorite, pastitsio, a lasagna-like casserole made with ground meat and a bechamel sauce. And while we have not yet successfully left room for dessert in our first two visits, we vow to plan better and try one of their sweet offerings like baklava, kormos or bougatso, a phyllo-based dish with semolina custard.

The beverage list is currently confined to soft drinks, but a notice in the window indicates that wine and beer may be available soon — really, the only thing that, for me, could improve the menu.

We started with a sampling of Mediterranean dips ($21) including tzatziki, hummus, feta and eggplant. The tzatziki was as it should be: bright, tangy and herbaceous. The hummus was smooth and nutty, with a lovely undercurrent of cumin and assertive garlic presence. But my favorite was the eggplant dip, so silky and almost buttery that I could have eaten the whole thing with a spoon — if the hand-stretched pita bread served with it hadn’t been so good.

For our main courses, we ordered wraps, pork yerro ($17.95) for me and haloumi ($17.95) for my daughter (one of two vegetarian wrap options, the other containing zucchini bites). The pork yerro was one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. This tender, savory, highly seasoned pork, thinly shaved off of a vertical rotisserie, is wrapped in a pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki and a few thickly cut steak fries. It’s the perfect combination of hot and cool, earthy and tangy, soft and crunchy.

The haloumi wrap was a very satisfying vegetarian alternative — haloumi is a very firm and meaty cheese. And guys, the fries in the wrap? Let’s normalize adding fries to sandwiches. This may be a yerro thing but I can think of quite a few sandwiches that would be improved with a little fried potato-ey goodness.

One final note, these wraps come with a substantial side salad — not a puny few leaves of lettuce, but a hefty salad loaded with spring lettuces, cucumbers and tomato.

We returned a week later and started our meal with the sesame and honey dripped haloumi cheese ($14). While delicious, this was, for me, too rich as an appetizer, unless, unlike me, you can confine yourself to a bite or two. As for our entrees, we had to work hard not to order the same things from our previous visit. In the end we kind of cheated by ordering the mixed grill, which allowed us to revisit the pork yerro while trying a few new items.

The mixed grill includes chicken skewers, lamb kebab, pork yerro, grilled peppers and tomatoes, tzatziki and honey Dijon sauce, and at $46, it’s a screaming deal. We ate to our heart’s content, brought the leftovers home to my husband, and still had enough for lunch the next day. The flavorful meats and skewers are served atop a bed of long, thinly sliced steak fries. I don’t know why these potatoes are so good. Maybe it’s the precision with which they’re sliced, maybe it’s because they’ve been soaking up all the flavors of the marinated meats, or maybe it’s the light dusting of rosemary. Whatever the reasons, these hand cut “fries” are absurdly scrumptious.

But let’s face it, it’s all about those tender, savory, long-marinated meats. My daughter and I were discussing the technique of cooking on the vertical spits, and how they maximize the crusty, caramelized character of each meaty dish. She pointed out that there’s no “best bite” on the plate. “They’re all the best bite,” she said. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

If you go:

12870 Old Seward Highway, No. 103

907-217-0435

Tuesday-Thursday: 3:30-9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: noon-9 p.m.

Sunday: noon-7 p.m.

**** ½

$$-$$$