'New York Times' Reviews Westwood Restaurant

Mezza, the Mediterranean restaurant which opened on Westwood Avenue earlier this year, was featured in a favorable review in The New York Times over the weekend.

In the review, which appeared in Sunday's paper and was published online Friday, Times writer Scott Veale describes the food at as "remarkably self-assured and polished under the steady hand of the chef, Michael Merida."

Veale wrote positively about the gnocchi, meatballs and "duck, duck peach," among other dishes, in his review.

Merida has worked in a number of noteworthy restaurants, both in New York and abroad. He he chose Westwood because he met his wife in Bergen County while working at the Alpine Country Club in Demarest.

Merida also told Patch he was planning to expand Mezza at a new location. According to the review, the restaurant will be moving to a larger location on Jefferson Street in the fall.

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