Marrakech Cuisine (Ashland, the good, open one)

I've been eating here at least since 2005, and every time I stop in I slap myself for not returning sooner. This is just good, scratch, homemade food, with an ounce of silky Moroccan olive oil in every dish. You can taste your body healing (and then not requiring fat for a subsequent three days).

The prices have also not changed much, if at all, in the intervening years. A big bowl of harira with the traditional wooden spoon is $3. It didn't have the sourdough funk it usually possesses when I'm there during Ramadan, but is still remarkably complex and satisfying. The zaalook (distinct from the "babahgennoush") is like a Rick Bayless wet dream, with [head bobbing] flame-roasted bitter black eggplant when the skin gets all, weeelll, bubbly and crispy and toasted chili pep-pers and just a touch of tomato and a healthy dose of fresh olive oil [/Bayless] and it's $3.50. Hummus is $2.75!

With anything you order you get a basket of toasted fresh pita, and you can ask for the house-made condiments, which include preserved lemon and harissa, both of which will knock your socks off.

I was honestly shocked to find Marrakech still open since the last five times I have been here I have been the only person in the cavernous sub-street level NYC garment district-like space. It smells like stale hookah smoke and falafel and the owner can frequently be seen pacing back and forth on the sidewalk with his head down. It's a wonderful place. Please go. Also get the Merguez.

Tom, get my back on this one. This is not the Marrakech Express you may remember on N. Damen. This is not the former Marrakesh restaurant in the northern burbs or the gift shop in Andersonville. This is the one that is currently open and does not suck.* The reviews on LTH for this place (when the reviewer is thinking of the right place) are overwhelmingly positive, or at least correct.

http://www.marrakechcuisine.com/

Marrakech Cuisine
1413 N. Ashland Ave.
(773) 227-6451
email: ahajir@aol.com

*"The Enterprise! N-C-C-1-7-0-1. No bloody A, B, C, or D."

Santander has so much street cred here, he doesn't need anyone to get his back. I, too, have been disappointed to not see Marrakech more crowded, but I'm glad they've been able to hang in there, especially after La Brochette opened a couple of doors down on Ashland. I've never had a disappointing dish there, and I love the fact that Marrakech Cuisine is so affordable (BYO policy helps). It's a nice one-two punch with Davenport's for music, just a block or so over on Milwaukee.

(Please don't ask LAZ to describe what she saw me do at Davenport's.)

Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret
1383 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
773-278-1830

Unfortunately camera-less, we met up with the delightful Kennyz, and the even more delightful Elizabeth Friday at Marrakech Cuisine. It was great to see a few other tables occupied - based on my past experiences, it hasn't been uncommon to be the only occupied table there.

This little place has real talent with braised lamb. My entree, strangely called "Southern Breeze," coupled a well-seasoned lamb shank with peas and rice. (The menu describes it as also coming with okra, but the small place was out of okra that night. The table next to us ordered the same dish, but refused to accept it, because it came out without okra. That was their loss.) This lamb shank, falling-off-the-bone tender, actually gives a good name to the term "meat jello."

Moet Chandon's Merguez sausage was also flavorful, and I liked the little taste I got of Elizabeth's fish pastille - whitefish, shrimp and mushrooms baked in phyllo.

Marrakech is not a place to go for a blow-your-socks-off experience, but it offers interesting, competent food (and Morrocan gifts) at a reasonable price point, especially for the Wicker Park neighborhood. (BYOB but including corkage, dinner for four - four entrees and three shared appetizers, came to $60 before tax and tip.)

Tom described it well above (especially when he described me as delightful). I think you have to approach Marrakech with the understanding that service might be very slow, they're likely to be out of a bunch of menu items, and substitutions might be made without any prior warning. Such "hardships" are easy to forgive when you get tasty, inexpensive home cooking that's served by the owner, who is also one of the busboys, the janitor, the buyer, and a key player in the kitchen.

I liked a lot of things we had, including my huge $10 braised lamb shank served with cooked prunes and boiled egg in a complex, cinnamonny sauce. A little sear of the meat before braising would have improved it, but it was still quite tasty. I thought the hummus was fresh and perfectly seasoned, and I loved the harissa we asked for on the side. It was not nearly as fiery as other versions I've had, and there was an earthiness about it which was remarkably reminiscent of epazote. I wonder if there is a Moroccan equivalent of that typical Mexican herb? My favorite dish of the night might have been the shredded and spiced fish served in a buttery phyllo crust. The flavors and textures reminded Elizabeth and me of Caribbean meat patties. On the slight downer side, I thought the free pita served with the meal could have been a little fresher.

Glad to hear this place is still open! I've eaten there 3 or 4 times and each time we were the only table there. I really like this place and agree with all the above posts. The only thing I'd add is that the Chicken Pastille there is excellent as well.

I have been craving Moroccan food lately, and was thinking of making the trek to the city to indulge. I have always dined at Andalous when I wanted Moroccan, but thought I'd see if how folks think it compares to Marrakech. Anyone been to both? Is Marrakech as good as/better than Andalous. (Though it would be hard for me to imagine better than.) What is the opinion of those who enjoy this cuisine?

Cynthia -

I like Andalous; I tried it before and after eating at El Minzah* and nearby bazaars several times and had a favorable impression both visits. They have a tea service that rivals Russian Tea Time in its richness and craftsmanship of servingware.

But please check this link:

http://www.andalous.com/Home.asp

The contrasts could not be more apparent. Nobody dining at Marrakech looks like this. There is no natural light, or positive ambient lighting. No white linens, no beautiful serving tagines, no polished waitstaff, no gregarious, over-smiling proprietors. The place is a dingy basement filled with hemp handbags and tin stars. In GNR fashion, the owner runs the kitchen and smokes out the back door. He has a warm dignity that transcends polish. He hires belly dancers on Saturdays and hopes to have five tables of moderately engaged guests, bringing their own booze and hanging out for three hours over a bunch of $9 entrees. The plates are handmade and chipped, the appetizer portions small, the tablecloths sticky, the ventilation non-existent.

Other than being Moroccan, there is little to tie the two spots together. If Andalous is El Minzah, Marrakech is the back corner of the Kasbah bazaar by the goats. But the food! Love is in every plate.


*Favorite excerpt from link:

El Minzah Hotel Translator wrote:"Moroccan female Chefs carefully prepare « Harira » (a rich vegetable soup), « Briouates » (small, savoury pasties filled with chicken, tuna, crevettes and similar fillings), « Coucous with Seven Vegetables », « Braised Sea Perch, stuffed with dates », and such unforgettable specialities as « Tajine of young pigeon stewed with pears and honey ».

Dinner in the « El Korsan » is accompanied, roost nights, by a cabaret of Moroccan dance and music. A talented professional dancer, veiled in transparent green chiffon, weaves her way between performing the age old dances of Arabia."

Don't ask. I have no idea.

El Minzah looks gorgeous. I didn't get to Tangiers when I visited Morocco, but I visited heaps of other places, ranging from gorgeous to holes in walls.

I was more looking for comments on the quality of the food. I can do without charm if the food is better. The michoui I ate with my hands in a small dive in the souks of Marrakech was just as memorable as the dinner at a palace in Rabat -- obviously, very different settings, but both places had amazing food.

While "small portions" and "tables are sticky" does not seem to recommend the restaurant under discussion, wat I really want to know is if the food is better than that at Andalous. If it's just about the same, I'll go for clean tables.

I've eaten there several times, and the entree portions were large and the tables clean. I believe the other poster referred to small portions for appetizers. That may be true. I don't remember.

I've never eaten at Andalous, but I can say the food I had from Marrakech Cuisine was great.

And you'll leave the place as a wiser, calmer person just for having spent an hour in the same airspace as the owner. Not through conversation. Rather, in the same way that radio is wired communication without the wires, he can implant wisdom and tranquility directly in your brain via neural networks that don't require nerves.

Or maybe that's not actually how he does it. I have less certainty about his methods than about the result.

ryanwc wrote:I've eaten there several times, and the entree portions were large and the tables clean. I believe the other poster referred to small portions for appetizers. That may be true. I don't remember.

I've never eaten at Andalous, but I can say the food I had from Marrakech Cuisine was great.

And you'll leave the place as a wiser, calmer person just for having spent an hour in the same airspace as the owner. Not through conversation. Rather, in the same way that radio is wired communication without the wires, he can implant wisdom and tranquility directly in your brain via neural networks that don't require nerves.

Or maybe that's not actually how he does it. I have less certainty about his methods than about the result.

Totally agree; welcome, Ryan. Cynthia, didn't mean to be too glib, sorry. The food is really good. Surprising complexity with a minimum of ingredients. Simple but rich. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying the harira, especially, and it's some of these festival foods (with a more tribal execution) that I think Marrakech nails even better than Andalous. But please do try a variety, since it's hard to get a sense of his range from a dish or two, and more practically, since not everything comes up hot at the same time due to the way the place is run.

Thanks. Sounds like I need to try this place out.

I will moderate waxing completely Rushdiesque this time and simply state that another year later, in a chain of many years, Marrakech remains immutable in its shabby excellence. The zaalouk tastes of the smoke of distant dry woods, the harira the savory dregs of a wedding feast the previous night, the lamb shanks and rich chicken braised down to their essences in a giant tajine with no expectation of new guests, the homemade harissa indifferent in its own brightness to the dimness of the cellar and the dust of the balmy street outside. The falafel is still two bucks-fiddy and cooked fresh to order. The minted tea flows freely, the coffee bitter and strong, the plastic tablecloths cling to your elbows.

Our party was the totality of their business on the recent visit; we opened and closed the place. Somebody came in to browse for dorm lighting. The staticky radio spoke to us in Arabic. We brought a Spanish white and some Lagunitas IPA and Ahmed smiled at us from his corner for hours. It was a perfect night.

And now I must go here. Excellent, poetic review Santander!

Glad to see this place getting some props on the board. It's one of my unsung favorites in the city. Hopefully they'll see a well-deserved spike in business after this, and first-timers will become devotees. I recommend the cous cous with chicken, but it's hard to go wrong if you're in the mood for a modest Middle Eastern meal that tastes like it was cooked in a family kitchen.

The food is the real star here, but I'll also note that it's increasingly difficult to find a conversation-friendly spot (particularly at this price point) in the city. I love the quiet repose of the space, which always lets me feel like I can slow down and enjoy the food and company. I always leave with my belly full and the world feeling back on balance.

Groupon for Marrakech today.

As many, especially Santander, have noted, the food here is really special and the place is sadly overlooked. Give it a try.

I can't find the Groupon for Marrakech! I would definitely buy one.

geli wrote:I can't find the Groupon for Marrakech! I would definitely buy one.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/marrakech- ... gn=chicago

happy_stomach wrote:

geli wrote:I can't find the Groupon for Marrakech! I would definitely buy one.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/marrakech- ... gn=chicago

Marrakech, if it was them that designed the logo on the page, is too funny.

"Hindi-esque" roman characters for a North African joint? Can I get some butter chicken with that cous-cous?

Habibi wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:

geli wrote:I can't find the Groupon for Marrakech! I would definitely buy one.

http://www.groupon.com/deals/marrakech- ... gn=chicago

Marrakech, if it was them that designed the logo on the page, is too funny.

"Hindi-esque" roman characters for a North African joint? Can I get some butter chicken with that cous-cous?

Love it, and also the "lush ambience" and "artisan wares retailed" mentioned by Groupon. Yes, this place is close to my heart; the food is cheap enough that the Groupon is hardly needed, but I will buy one anyway and save it for a sunny day for Marrakech.

It's interesting to me that at this point only 25 people have bought the Groupon. The link above is the only way I was able to get to it, and I wonder if others are having that problem. I can't get it to show up at all if I go to the Groupon website, and it wasn't in my daily Groupon email!

But I bought one, and I'm looking forward to eating there!

We took the Groupon bait and tried this place for the first time tonight. It was simply delightful: smokey grilled eggplant dip with roasted tomatoes; tender savory lamb tagine; and truly perfect chicken pastille. Our only sadness was to see the place so empty! Go forth and try this gem.

Kennyz wrote:huge $10 braised lamb shank served with cooked prunes and boiled egg in a complex, cinnamonny sauce.

I must add to this thread, that the above mentioned shank is one of the best meals i have had for less than $10!

Given all the accolades, why hasn't anyone nominate this place already? Do we need to organize a dinner to find out what everyone has been missing out on?

petite_gourmande wrote:Given all the accolades, why hasn't anyone nominate this place already? Do we need to organize a dinner to find out what everyone has been missing out on?

That works for me.

Chiming in with another enjoyable Marrakech experience.

Four of us hit it last night, and, in keeping with others' experiences, were the only folks in the joint at 7:30 (a couple walked in about 20 minutes after we arrived, and were the sole other diners during our 2.0 hours there).

We decided on the back room and after ogling the silver shoes and incongruently displayed leather jacket for a minute or two, the friendly/zenish owner came out of the kitchen and told us to sit anywhere - he was the only staff that we saw all night, and I think it's perfectly plausible that he was actually cooking the food himself (or at least acting sous), based on his long disappearances to the kitchen throughout the night. Should have asked. In any event, his jack of all trades approach didn't disturb the pacing of the meal for us (easier to pull off, I guess, with two tables/six customers).

We ordered Taktaouka (peppers and tomatoes), Zaalouk (eggplant), Hommus, Falafel and the Harrira as appetizers (only Moroccan Salad was unavailable) and as a general matter really enjoyed them. Absolutely loved the Taktaouka and Zaalouk - each hot and sour and delicious on the just toasted pita points. Hommus was helped by the heaping application of olive oil which thinned it out in a good way, and the falafel, as described upthread, were freshly made, and terrifically light. My only complaints were with the Harrira, which I thought had a chef boyardee quality about it (no one else complained though) and the harissa, which had no heat and not a ton of flavor - sort of a bland salsa. Good harissa would have helped the falafel reach even higher levels. These appetizers were very cheap and a very managable size. Fun to try several and still be hungry for mains.

I had the Summer Breeze, mostly based on the name - the Fez Tagine ended up being better - and the shank was delicious if the veg (peas and okra - a new combination for me) was a bit of a disappointment. Loved the buttery rice, but was envious of the cinnamony prune sauce accompanying the fez shank. Man, that was a really good dish - everyone thought so. Others had chicken preparations - one over cous cous with veggies and the other the "atlas" prep, I believe - each plate bouyed by a slightly crispy leg/thigh segment that was juicy and very good (although ultimately not a match for the fez shank or my summer breeze shank). Needless to say, at about $10 each, they were all excellent values.

In all, a very nice place to have in our neighborhood. BYO, although I don't typically search it out, obviously helps to keep costs down as well ($3 per bottle corkage). We got out of there for $90 for four, and that was with a 25% tip (which in retrospect was probably light considering the amount of water the owner was carrying). Thanks for the scouting, Santander.

Marrakech Cuisine has been nominated as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. Please post your comments here. Discussion continues through March 7.

Thanks,

=R=
for the GNRs

An excellent nomination! This place is great. Great food, unique setting, incredibly inexpensive, and as unique an experience as any I can think of in the city.

The lamb shank, lamb tagine, and chicken pastille are my favorites. All of them have been consistently perfect each time I've had them. As others have mentioned the pace of service can be a bit slow, but I suspect that's part of what makes it great. The food is not rushed, and it shows. Their best dishes hit just the right balance of sweetness and spiciness, and the meat is cooked just right.

The owner (also chef and server) is not overly friendly, at least not verbally, but his smile and manner makes me feel incredibly welcome there, and almost gives me a sense that I am meant to be there any time I go. It's a hard thing to describe, but I feel it every time I go there. Truly a unique and wonderful place.

It goes without saying that I wholeheartedly support Santander's eloquent nomination.

The food is simple, excellent, elegant. Dining in the just shy of dingy basement space makes one feel as if they were in Paris or New York (or even...Chicago). Probably my favorite North African/Maghrebi restaurant in Chicago.

If your definition of a GNR is an LTH-discovered, hole-in-the-wall with plenty of quirks, but above all, delicious, consistent and unique cooking - Marrakech has it in spades. Its not the Purple Pig or Avec. Thank god.

I haven't been to Marrakech in many months, but based on the 3 visits I've made over the last couple of years, it gets a big thumbs up from me. I crave the crispy whitefish pancake and the lamb with prunes.

Whenever I've been to Marrakech, it's been pretty empty. I support it getting a little LTH GNR love.