Issue 78 - Filip Rocca and Michael Barlozzari of Mezzo Ristorante, Centro Cafe.

Sophisticated, trendy, and cool – the ever-popular Mezzo holds its reins on Erie Street’s dining scene by continuously delivering innovative and top-quality cuisine, as well as maintaining excellent customer relations to provide the perfect guest experience.

Filip Rocca, owner of Mezzo Ristorante and Lounge (804 Erie Street), knows what it takes to keep guests returning and to constantly bring in new clientele.

“The biggest thing for us is consistency. We always want to deliver the best quality of food and our service is top notch,” he says.

Chef Michael Barlozzari and Filip have developed a winning menu filled with traditional Italian dishes with a modern twist. The menu includes the finest cuts of meat like the AAA Beef Tenderloin with white truffle oil, along with tantalizing appetizer options such as the goat cheese, artichoke and roasted red pepper spring rolls. There is also a menu dedicated to gluten free options.

Mezzo has an atmosphere unlike any other Italian restaurant in Windsor. The intimate, yet lively aura emanating from the lounge and dining room has attracted celebrities such as Chris Noth and most recently, George Clooney, who was in the Detroit area while filming The Ides of March. Clooney’s people had done their research on Windsor restaurants and selected Mezzo based on the five-star reviews on Yelp. He ordered the Black Squid Ink Fettuccini and finished with the Tiramisu.

The lounge is perfect for late night cocktails, appetizers and mingling, while the dining room provides an intimate setting for date nights, celebrations and dinners. The newest addition to the dining room – a curtained off dining area – is great for smaller private functions. There is also the option to rent out the entire restaurant for weddings and private parties.

“ We book about twelve weddings per year. Guests start in the lounge for drinks and appetizers, and then move into the dining room for the formal dinner. During which, the furniture is removed from the lounge and turned into a dance floor,” explains Filip.

The entire menu is available to plan an event at Mezzo and they also offer off-site catering.

“I tell them they can order whatever they want, and we will deliver the finest ingredients and prepare the meals on site,” he says.

Centro is a great addition to the Mezzo family. Filip opened the contemporary- casual café with free Wi-Fi just over a year ago to cater to the more casual diners, the coffee shop crowd and the business lunch crowd. The café offers specialty coffee drinks, the best espresso in the city, and Italian pastries made in-house. The specialty blend espresso is exclusive to Centro and is also sold by the bag.

The lunch/dinner menu features customizable wood-burning oven pizzas, premium sandwiches and pastas, as well as sushi by Wayne, a unique option for an Italian restaurant, but it compliments the menu perfectly.

“Centro is great because we can cater to everyone’s taste in a large group, no matter what they’re craving,” says Filip. There is a large back room at Centro available for booking and can be transformed into a more formal setting, with catering from Mezzo if the client wishes. In the near future, a delivery service will be launching and it will be the first Windsor restaurant to deliver sushi and other gourmet options.

Both Mezzo and Centro will be expanding their patios this spring to the fronts of the restaurants, as soon as the Erie Street expansion is complete.

With Christmas approaching, Filip will be hosting Mezzo’s 9th annual Christmas Luncheon, which feeds over 200 people every year from 11-2 PM on December 25th.

“We’re accepting new or used toys and books and they can be dropped off at either location,” he says.

The attraction of Mezzo is undoubtedly the buzz that surrounds its phenomenal menu and the atmosphere that caters to the sophisticated crowd, the romantics, and the business crowd. The menu lives up to its prime reputation, and be sure to keep an eye on the impressive wine and cocktail list. Supper Club, which is featured on the last Friday of every month, is still a fantastic way to experience Mezzo, while Filip is always pursuing new entertainment options to keep the atmosphere exciting and fresh.

Mezzo is open seven days a week and reservations are encouraged. For the full menu and contact options, visit mezzo.ca.

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