Marrakesh

Before I visited on Saturday night, I had heard great things about Marrakesh. In reality, all I knew was that i's a nice Moroccan place with generous portions. I had reservations with Rachel and the Kolodzieys. We were seated in a fully decorated, dark room with rugs and great ambiance. The atmosphere at Marrakesh is definitely one of the highlights. We were sitting in a corner couch huddled around one table. Sharing is also definitely a theme here, so make sure you like the people with which you are dining. Ideally, I'd like to revisit this spot when we could have a whole room to ourselves (12 to 16 people). I think this would be the best way to enjoy the food and service here.

When we were seated, we were offered a menu, but it only included the drink choices. The beer offerings here are a joke, but $12 bottles of house wine are an excellent choice. The server then came over and explained the seven course meal, which was really the only food option. There are a few choices in the main courses, and you can have vegetarian courses as well, but Marrakesh is sticking with what they know best, which means limited options.

Before the first course, we all washed our hand in rose water. This was a nice touch, especially because we were all about to eat the whole meal without utensils. We started the meal with three salads: eggplant, cucumber, and carrot. We scooped them up with pita bread. They were all good, but the eggplant was the clear champion of this course.

Next, we had phyllo pastry filled with unknown meat and topped with powdered sugar. This was good, but not my favorite course. It was definitely interesting to contrast the meat with the sugar. The third course was a whole, slow cooked chicken. The sauce was cumin based, a bit spicy but not over the top. I thought this course was great. The chicken was well cooked and marinaded.

The fourth course is probably the apex of the meal, in terms of portion and taste. We opted for lamb with an almond honey glaze. It was excellent. At this point I was getting pretty full and knew that I needed to pace myself for the rest of the meal. The other option for this course was beef shish kebabs.

The fifth course continued to impress. It was a couscous dish with chicken, raisins, and vegetables mixed in. The raisins were the best addition here. I generally do not enjoy couscous, so the fact that I was digging in here is a testament to the dish.

The last two courses are dessert. We were served a fruit bowl with grapes, apples, bananas and oranges and finished with baklava and tea. By the end of the meal I was full and happy. The 7 course menu is only $25 a person, which I think is awesome considering all that you get.

As I already mentioned, the atmosphere here is great. During our meal, we were also treated to a belly dancing show, which added to the evening. The same CD played on repeat the whole night, so we heard songs about four times; it was a bit annoying. My one complaint for the evening would be the service. After our meal was finished, we waited more than twenty minutes for the bill to arrive. Our server was not attentive during the evening. Water refills never came when asked for, and other small problems made me feel like our table was being neglected. Our gratuity was added to the bill, so maybe the server though it was an off night for him as well.

Bottom Line: Dining at Marrakesh is an experience. We were there for just over three hours. Go with people you like, enjoy the conversation, don't rush through the courses, and soak in the authentic experience.

Essentials:

517 S Leithgow St (5th and South)

(215) 925-5929

7 course meal: $25

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: Yes