10 Things—or Tapas—We Loved About Mezón Restaurant in Danbury

For nearly a decade, Mezón Restaurant has been thought of as one of Connecticut’s premiere Latin eateries by word of mouth and its seen its fair share of media recognition—they are fresh off Connecticut Magazine Reader’s Poll wins for Best Latin in Fairfield County and the runner-up for Best Latin in the state. And that’s saying something considering they didn’t even know they were nominated and therefore, didn’t publicize it with a bunch of “vote for us” posts.

Four years ago, our own Lou Gorfain sang Mezón’s praises after a small tasting of ceviche, pan seared pulpo, Dominican fried chicken, and churros. But everything food deserves an update, especially considering there’s a new chef at the helm, an obviously newer menu, and a haven for craft cocktails.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure Lou and Kristin are the only ones at CTbites who have been to Mezón. For Stephanie and me, we uttered the same thing, “I’m embarrassed I hadn’t been here before.”

Mezón’s current head chef, Javier Reyes, was born into it. Seriously. It’s his family’s restaurant. Danbury residents likely know the Reyes Family from Amigo’s Deli & Carniceria, a city staple since 1991, and Mina’s Carne, a Brazilian BBQ concept.

“My four brothers and I grew up in the business,” Reyes recalls. “When my dad [Luis} came here from the Dominican Republic, there wasn’t as strong Latin presence as there is now, so he wanted to open something for the people that reminded them of home.”

After the family opened Amigo’s and Mina’s, Javier told us it was his dad’s dream to have a sit down, more elevated restaurant, and that’s how Mezón came to be. Since 2011, Mezón has been the Reyes’ platform to showcase food from Latin American, Cuba, Mexico, Spain, South America, and more.

And just like their other two restaurants, Mezón is very much a family business. “My brother [Juan} went to culinary school and was the head chef here, Richard studied business and managed front of house, and my mom was in the kitchen here at first!” Javier says. “I went to UMass and never intended on working here. My dad would tell me, ‘No, don’t even think about working here,’ but he really wanted me to make my own decision. I was always surrounded my food, seeing my mom and brothers cook. I realized on my own that I wanted to be here.”

If you couldn’t decipher it, Javier never went to culinary school, and you’d never know it based on what’s coming out of his Tapas-focused kitchen. It’s fresh. Ingredients are local and seasonal whenever possible. There’s a lot to please any carnivore or seafood lover. There’s plenty to make a vegetarian not upset to be one. Some of it is vegan friendly. And you’ll find a ton of gluten-free dishes, too.

Now that you’ve gotten the gist of what Mezón is all about, Steph and I thought it’d be fun to take you through some of our favorites (five from her, five from me) from a recent tasting that left us glad we were no longer strangers to Mezón’s offerings.

Broccoli: This dish is simply stated under the “Garden Grown” area of the menu but it’s far from ordinary, and may have been my favorite dish of the day. The broccoli is grilled, presenting a light char on the florets, and great grilled flavor, and sits upon a substance so light and delicious, we had to ask twice as to how it was accomplished. The “garlic sauce” is made from just two ingredients, garlic and olive oil, heavily and precisely whipped to create a sauce that looks like almost like finely whipped potatoes. It’s divine. - Stephanie

It’s not tapas, but…THE COCKTAIL PROGRAM!: Mezón’s cocktail program, led by bar manager Dorian Dorsey, is the ideal companion for their bold dishes. Margaritas, daquiris, and punches if you’re into sweeter drinks, a rum negroni with cold brew or the absinthe rinsed Stargazing (gin, grapefruit, yellow chartreuse, lilet blanc, lime) if you’re into strong sippers.

Also on the punchier side is the Caribbean Christmas that you’ll wish you were enjoying on a beach somewhere, or if you’re a fan of New York sours, Blood on the Leaves (bourbon, amaro, lemon, chai, red wine float) is a better rendition of that classic. -Andrew

Bucatini: Bucatini at a Latin tapas restaurant? “We have an eclectic menu,” Javier told us. “I like bucatini and said, ‘how can I make it Latin?’” Tomato sauce is swapped out for spicy sofrito and much like all'amatriciana, this heavier tapas selection includes chunks of fatty, salty guanciale in addition to chorizo. -Andrew

Lomo Saltado: No Latin American menu would be complete without this dish, which I’ve eaten many times. The definition is “a Peruvian stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes, french fries and is typically served with rice.” Chef Javier’s version spun this classic dish on its heels a bit as he presented the tender stir fried beef in an almost stew-like sauce versus the usual and often drier grilled beef. I also enjoyed his use of fingerling potatoes (appropriate in the “stew” concept), although I would have been just as happy to dip some french fries into that delicious sauce. -Stephanie

Carnitas Tostones: One of (maybe more) of my choices had to be something classic and you can’t go wrong with pork slow cooked in fat, then crisped up. Sometimes it can be dry, this was not, and each savory plantain was topped with plenty of it. Some of these classics are still inspired by Javier’s mom’s cooking. “Flan, pescado, arepas, carnitas, pica pollo, and a recent oxtail special were all from her recipes,” Javier says. “Any questions I have, I call her, and she’ll come and show me.” -Andrew

Brussels: Another strong starter in the “Garden Grown” app section. Sure, you’ve had roasted Brussels 1000 times, but I bet you haven’t tasted them with the light sweetness of guava against the traditional chili oil, or with confit garlic and ancho chili toasted pepitas. This dish has great texture and flavor, and was a pleasant surprise. -Stephanie

Pescado : A small filet of red snapper is pan seared to perfection. The spice rub develops a nice crust while the fish glistens on the inside. A silky-smooth sweet potato puree below the fish and a spoonful of garlic mojo on top give the dish contrasting flavors. This island inspired tapa will make you pander for an entrée sized version. -Andrew

Scallops: When this dish was placed on the table, the first thing I stabbed my fork into was the rutabaga cake. Presenting as one of those potato au gratin stacks the banquet caterers love to sit next to a hunk of meat. This was again, nothing ordinary. The rutabaga was a nice departure from the classic potato and the creamy texture was wonderful next to the slightly crispy exterior of the also perfectly cooked brown butter scallops. The scallops were nestled in a very light coconut cilantro sauce, adding great flavor to the dish as a whole. -Stephanie

Flan: You had to know we’d toss desserts on here, right? And if so, it might as well be a classic. I like flan. It’s not super filling. It’s caramelly. And theirs had zero burnt taste like some do. 100% chance I’ll always order it here. -Andrew

Brazilian Funnel Cake: Visually interesting, these extruded strings of fried dough are cooked with tapioca flour, making them gluten-free. The funnel cakes are anything BUT greasy, unusually light, and paired with a truly wonderful homemade mango marmalade. Five thumbs up on this one. -Stephanie

Mezón Restaurant
56 Mill Plain Road; Danbury
(203) 748-0875; https://mezonct.com/