We stopped by Biltmore Village for lunch on our way into Asheville on Saturday. There were several restaurants in the village that I had heard great things about but had not tried so I thought it would be a nice change of pace to get out of downtown and explore another area.

We tried to get in Corner Kitchen and FIG but both had hour plus waits. Rezaz was the other restaurant on my list so I was happy they could seat us immediately.

Rezas is a Mediterranean restaurant that has been in business for over 10 years and has an amazing reputation for quality food and service. We were greeted with bread and high quality olive oil.

And we started with a trio of dips with warm pita. There was hummus, a babba ganouj style dip but made with butternut squash instead of eggplant and muhammara. All of the dips were wonderful and my favorite thing is that they were spiced perfectly and didn’t leave you with an overpowering garlic taste.

I immediately gravitated towards the Mediterranean Lunch Box section of the meun. I’m a sucker for a sampler plate. It was hard to choose because they all sounded so good but I selected the Moroccan Chicken Tangine.

I can’t even tell you how much I loved this dish. I must try to recreate the chicken at home. It was so flavorful, warm and comforting with a mix of chicken, carrots, cashews, apricots, greens and broth with saffron and lots of spices. On the side was basmati rice, mixed greens and a cold lentil salad with a fried polenta stick and pickled veggies.

I sent one of my friends to check out the dessert case before we even ordered our lunch. It was a no brainer.

Rezaz chocolate peanut butter bomb.

Chocolate cake base, peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache. There are no words. I wish you could stick your spoon through the screen and try it.

I loved my dining experience at Rezaz. Everything we tried was delicious and the service was friendly and timely. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the Asheville area. I can’t wait to go back for dinner and I hear they have a pretty phenomenal wine list.

Are you a Mediterranean cuisine fan? What are your favorites? Yes, yes and yes for me and I especially love baba ganouj, anything with warm pita, tzatziki sauce, greek meatballs (kefta) and falafel…to name a few.