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The 280-seat Meso Beach House, located on the Intracoastal Waterway at Atlantic Avenue, features a seafood-centric menu. Photos provided

By Jan Norris

Dane Asermely is realistic about the opening of the new 280-seat Meso Beach House during a pandemic. He knows from experience that “it’s going to be a challenge.”
The Delray Beach restaurant, located in the former Old Calypso beside the Intracoastal Waterway, is a sister to a New York restaurant, Meso Mediterranean. It opened in Rye at the end of 2019, just before the lockdown.
Plans were for Meso Mediterranean to be in the city, Asermely said. “We had signed a lease in Manhattan; fortunately, we were able to get out of it.”
After New York shut down, turning the restaurant and business scene into “a mess,” he said, the partners looked south.
His partners are Bobby Khorrami, with whom he owns the Tillage restaurant in Manhattan, and Miguel Olmedo, who Asermely says is “the backbone of the operation.” All are experienced in the hospitality industry in hotels and restaurants.
“Bobby had a house here in Delray, right across the water from the restaurant, and quarantined for several months here,” Asermely said. “He saw the Avenue exploding and business booming.”
Delray has become the new “it” destination for New Yorkers, Asermely said. “It used to be Miami or Palm Beach in the winter, and Hamptons in the summer. Now all you hear is Delray Beach! Delray Beach! Everyone is coming here now. I know of at least four of my acquaintances from New York who are opening up restaurants here.”
The South Florida restaurant follows the Rye model of a seafood-centric menu, taking cues from 22 countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea.
“It’s a melting pot of cuisines,” Asermely said.
Chef and partner Sean Olnowich leans on Greek, Italian and Middle Eastern influences and flavors to complement the seafood dishes.
Having 10,000 square feet to work with, along with water views, is both pro and con at this juncture in the pandemic, Asermely said. Filling positions for experienced waiters and kitchen staff to serve the number of diners in that space is still a major problem, he said. “It’s not just here, it’s everywhere.”
Service is limited to dinner, with lunch beginning soon and brunch in the works. The restaurant is closed Monday to give workers needed time off; weekends have been extremely busy since the restaurant opened in January, he said.
“We can’t stretch our staff. We have a great core team, but right now we’re handling all we can do, trying to figure things out.
“We’re limiting the menu to 17 items, working up to 30 or 40,” he said.
Already, the space has bookings for weddings and other parties. Live jazz and other creative events are planned; those will depend on staffing and an easing of the nationwide backup of supplies.
“The supply chain doesn’t just affect the food, it’s equipment, condiments, tableware, everything,” Asermely said. “The supply chain must widen before we’re able to be fully up to speed.”
He thinks brunch will be a big draw, bringing in boaters, Atlantic Avenue pedestrians and destination diners.
“Every 15 to 20 minutes someone comes up and asks about brunch. Even while we’re not open, if we’re loading up our cars, people will come up and ask about it. People want brunch,” Asermely said.
They also want outdoor dining, another plus here. With 120 seats outside, plus 42 with windows that roll away to create open dining, there’s not a bad view in the house, he said.
“Most of the 240 downstairs seats make you feel as though you’re outside,” Asermely said.
The interior is billed as “coastal chic,” intended to offer a resort feel. Custom carved wood tables and a tropical accent wall meant to encourage photos are installed.
Asermely is the creative director. He described the aesthetic as sophisticated, but approachable and inviting. “Laid back, no rush. Don’t just come here to dine. Come to enjoy the space and the view.”
Upscale but approachable describes Olnowich’s menu, with a mezze plate and charred prawns among appetizers; local burrata featuring bottarga and persimmon; and a cornmeal-crusted calamari with harissa aioli and date relish bringing in more of the Mediterranean flavors favored here.
Creative grain dishes include spaghetti served with sea urchin, lumache (snail-shaped pasta) with vodka sauce, chickpeas and chilies; and from the sea, charred octopus, diver scallops, and a bouillabaisse a l’Indochine — shellfish with red curry, coconut and kaffir lime.
Numerous dishes are gluten free. “Sean is more than a cook/chef,” Asermely said. “He’s aware of the restrictions and tries to have something available for all the diners.”
Olnowich shops the green markets and finds local purveyors to supply certain products, Asermely said. Diners can expect South Florida foods on the menu as it evolves.
Prices are from $14 for small plate appetizers to $51 for a prime New York strip steak, with entrees averaging $40.
A craft cocktail program includes the signature crystal clear margarita, made with clarified ingredients.
A sunset special is offered weekdays, 4-6 p.m., where select food and drink items are $10.
Asermely doesn’t see business slowing along the Avenue or in the downtown, despite all the competition. Yet he’s planning ahead for a summertime downturn.
“We just don’t see it slowing down. And we hear it’s changing. But we think the market is strong enough to support it right now. We have to get creative for our downtime. Our goal is to keep our employees throughout. It’s challenging, for sure.”
The Meso brand is likely to expand in South Florida, but for now, Asermely said, “we’re just trying to get this one rolled out.”
Meso Beach House, 900 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner. www.mesorestaurants.com/meso-beach-house.

In brief
Got Girl Scout cookies? If so, consider yourself lucky — the supply shortage hit the girls in green, too. Their new cookie, Adventurefuls, a caramel-topped brownie affair, was parsed out and barely made the kits. A bakery backup didn’t work out, so what was initially sold was it. Sales are online elsewhere, however. Plus there’s an app to locate them: http://cookielocator.littlebrownie.com.

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Here’s a meet-up spot for people with competitive urges: Throw Social, an ax-throwing, game-area bar/lounge and live stage center at 29 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach. Best sharpen your aim before checking it out.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com