Sweet Taste Of The Med In A Kirkland Strip Mall

------------------------------- Restaurant review / Kirland

XX Meze, 935 Sixth St. S. (Houghton Plaza), Kirkland. Light breakfast, lunch, dinner ($2.50-$6.50), Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. No smoking. Major credit cards. Beer and wine. Wheelchair access. 425-828-3923. -------------------------------

In the restaurant biz - as in any enterprise intent on wooing and keeping customers - it's the little things that count. At Meze, where the Mediterranean fare lives up to the delightful atmosphere, those all-important "little things" mean a lot. The attention to detail will make it easy to forget that you're, say, grabbing a quick lunch in plain view of a small strip-mall parking lot, not on a Mediterranean holiday, noshing, sipping and relaxing.

An espresso cart just outside the doorway is surrounded by a gorgeous profusion of flowerpots - the hiss of its steaming wand within earshot of sidewalk tables. Interior walls approximate the glow of autumn sunshine. A deli case is enhanced by an artist's eye for color; whole peppers play still life, drawing attention from platters of garlicky hummus and chunky babaganouj, rice-stuffed grape leaves, savory Turkish pastries and sweet, nut-studded baklava. Libations are carted on a hanging Turkish serving tray to glass-topped tables. An extraordinary, hand-carved brass shoeshine box acts as conversation piece; music sets an appropriately ethnic mood.

Perhaps most notably, Istanbul native and host-with-the-most Ibrahim Pekin is a warm presence as he tends the espresso cart (pulling lattes made with Torrefazione), the deli case (dishing out Med spreads and salads by the plate or the pound), the panini grill (which doubles as pita heater), or your table.

Impressing the Eastside since 1993, Meze - named for the Greek and Turkish word for hors d'oeuvre - doubles as a catering kitchen. Its out-of-house menu extends further into the realm of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine to include such Turkish delights as karnibahar (fried cauliflower), sarma (cigar-shaped, feta-filled fillo rolls) and dolma biber (stuffed sweet peppers). Whether you're stopping in for morning coffee and a fig scone, lunch to go or a leisurely early evening repast, the little things that help define this cafe will, I strongly suspect, woo you back for more.

MUCVER PLATE: $5.95 If I could re-create Meze's mucver (light-and-lacy, dill-scented, crisp-fried zucchini pancakes), I'd be begging my neighbors for their garden's bounty rather than rolling my eyes at their overharvested offerings. Warm pita, Shepherd's Salad (think: Greek horiatiki) and Papyon (bow-tie pasta in harmony with sweet bell peppers and sun-dried tomatoes) generously round out the plate.

PANINI No. 2: $5.95 Bronzed peasant bread from Seattle's La Panzanella bakery sandwiches a schmear of pesto playing Italian counterpoint to thin, lean slices of vaguely sweet Turkish beef sausage punched up with grilled onion. A potent hit of lemon juice gives a citrusy jolt to the tabouli served alongside.

SUTLAC: $2.50 Currants, cinnamon and vanilla flavor Turkish rice pudding. Too bad we can't buy this dessert in the dairy case at QFC!

TURKISH COFFEE: $1.50 Call for an appointment and "Auntie" Rose will read your dregs and tell all.

LEMONADE: $1.50 Sunshine in a glass.

ITEMIZED BILL/MEAL FOR TWO

MUCVER PLATE: $5.95 PANINI #2: $5.95 SUTLAC: $2.50 TURKISH COFFEE: $1.50 LEMONADE: $1.50

TAX: $2.02 TOTAL: $19.42