I started coming here from the day it opened. I have eaten all over the Middle East, and this is the real deal. Everyone thinks it's so simple to open and run a successful restaurant, and to some extent, it is: fresh ingredients, skillfully prepared, at a fair price. The owner, Ali, has been hands on since he opened, and he still is, and that care shows in the food and service.

This is a bold statement, but I've never had a bad or even mediocre meal here, or at the other fancier location on 900 S. 900 E. Even when they take a dish off the menu, if they can, they'll still make it for you. For the food, I always get a bunch of mezze, or small plates. If you're new to Lebanese cuisine, try the combo platter of 3-4 items on the appetizer list. My favorites are baba ganoush, a smokey grilled eggplant dip, fateyer, little pastry pillows with spinach and cheese, kibbeh, ground lamb and sweet spices robed in a cracked wheat shell and fried, tabbouleh, a salad of chopped parsley, tomatoes, wonderful Lebanese olive oil, tomatoes and a little cracked wheat all sprinkled with fresh lemon juice, labneh, a thick, silky yogurt dip topped with that fruity olive oil, and their hummus which is the smoothest and best I've ever had. All the appetizers are authentic and addictive.

One of the most deceptively simple dishes here is foul (pronounced "fool") mudammas, a soup of fava beans in a hearty yet light broth. This is peasant fare, what your mom makes and has simmering on the back burner when you get home from school. I get it with labneh and olive oil on the side, and pita, more about that in a minute. Spoon a little labneh on top, stir it in, drizzle with olive oil, and dig in. Heaven.

There are great skewer plates of lamb, beef, chicken, or combos. All served with the most pillowy pita that somehow is both fluffy and sturdy enough to scoop all the sauce left on your plate. I love Mazza's shawarma more than any I've had, even in the Gulf, even at the famed Fakreldine restaurant in London (now closed). Flavorful and tender, with those great skinny Lebanese pickles, and I'm always tempted to get one to go as well. They're THAT good.

The wine list is carefully curated, and they have Arak, my favorite. That's an anise infused clear liquor served in tiny glasses over ice which makes it cloudy, and it goes perfectly with the mezze. Like ouzo, without the cloying syrupy sweetness. Think anise eau de vie, and you're about on target.

Desserts are made in house, and you won't have room, so get some to take home. The cashew baklava is to die for, but they're all wonderful, so get a bunch to take home, and don't tell the kids where you hide them! I often drop in at the end of lunch service or beginning dinner service for a cardamom tea served with rose scented syrup, and a pastry. That's typical of tea time in the Middle East--lovely spiced floral tea, and a sweet or two to get you through till dinner, typically not served until 9:30-10!

There's a reason the other Middle Eastern restaurants in Salt Lake come and go, yet Mazza stays popular and en pointe. Great service, a very friendly, knowledgeable staff, fabulous food that never disappoints. The 9th and 9th location is elegant and classy, but both locations offer the same impeccable service, great food, and fair prices. You won't be disappointed, and if you've always wanted to try food from this part of the world, you couldn't ask for a better guide than Mazza.