Review: Marrakesh,Philly

Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant just off 4th and South, has been a Philly institution for 35 years.  Naomi and I had been hearing about this place for awhile now (including that the Rolling Stones once ate there) and decided it was time to give it a go.

From a block away, the deep, luscious scent of Arabian spice draws you to the restaurant's unmistakable facade.  Inside, beautiful Moroccan music wafts through dinning rooms hemmed by tapestries and Arabic script.

Your host leads to you to a decadently engraved and gilded table.  He motions you to sit on plush, low-seated couches, and presents large towels to drape over your lap in place of napkins.  Next he ferries a polished basin to your table and pours cleansing water over your hands--important as they will be your utensils for the evening.  Before any food hits the table, you're charmed.  Marrakesh has begun weaving its spell.

Throughout the evening seven kingly courses are paraded before you.  As you indulge in the food and drink your wine (it's a byo so go nuts), completely at ease, reclining on your couch, a belly dancer lilts through the room, chiming finger bells and gyrating from table to table.  Soon Marrakesh's magic has taken hold.  Utterly.  You're in a different world.  An exotic, decadent world of sensory delight, and you're the sultan--the center of it all.  In the blink of an eye, two hours have past and you're completely stuffed, contentedly drunk and happy you came.

The experience Marrakesh offers is unparalleled and, at $25 a head, easily worth the money. The food on the other hand, is...well, clearly not the restaurant's primary focus.  And I'm fine with that.

The meal began with salads of cucumber, eggplant and carrot--all marvelously spiced and delicious--accompanied by warm pita bread.  The second course (pictured above) was by far the most memorable: a large fillo dough cake filled with scrambled eggs and topped with powered sugar and cinnamon. I've never had anything even remotely like it.  It was a mid-meal dessert.

It was downhill from there.  Next came a whole chicken, served on a large platter in a lemony broth with a thick spicy paste smacking of citrus.  Pretty good, but nothing to write home about.  Then came lamb, drizzled with honey and almonds.  Alright, but completely unremarkable. Then came cous-cous with potatoes, raisins and chicken.  It was unintentionally cold in places and a little bland.  A fruit platter was next, nicely displayed but still nothing you couldn't get at any supermarket.  Finally, closing the evening, were baklava pastries.  They tasted great but were ultimately forgettable.

I should also mention we had to wait outside for over an hour for our table, despite having reserved it days in advance. They were very apologetic and offered us a complimentary carafe of wine which more than made up for it.

I'd absolutely recommend Marrakesh to anyone, but not necessarily for the food.  It's not that the food is bad per se; It's simply the least memorable component of the meal.  Go for the experience.  Go to eat with your hands and wipe them on your lap.  Go for the atmosphere and the belly dancer.  Just don't go expecting to be blown away by the food.