Morocco Restaurant offers other-world ambiance
Call Morocco Restau-rant a taste treat different from most other dining establishments in Sarasota.
Perhaps the best description of the South Trail dinner-only restaurant comes from its full menu take-out option which is nightly taken advantage of by many chefs from other eateries in the area. Who knows a good meal better than the competition?
Morocco Restaurant features North African fare. It’s food with a selection of spices hardly ever found in sunny Florida. Cumin is a hearty addition to Cuban cuisine, of course, but paired with cardamom? Or added with saffron, one of the most expensive spices to be found? How about preserved lemon, cinnamon, prunes, olives, phyllo dough … the combinations are endless and tasty.
Moroccan food is a combination of North Africa, Mediterranean and European cuisine. If you remember "Casablanca" or think of Marrakesh, and imagine kebobs or couscous, you’re only dipping into the start of a Moroccan meal.
Chef Ammal oversees cooking and everything else at Morocco Restaurant in south Sarasota. The atmosphere of the establishment resembles something out of the Arabian Nights.
For the real deal, start with Shrimp Cigars ($11). The appetizer is reminiscent of a Chinese egg roll, but with a tang of feta cheese, spicy shrimp, scallions and Charmoula wrapped in phyllo dough and served with a spicy Harissa sauce.
Another popular starter is Plat Mosaic ($10), a medley of roasted eggplant, humus, Chakchouka, stuffed grape leaves, falfla, carrots, Charmoula and olives.
A good salad addition would be Salade du Agadir ($8) with its wild arugula, beets, roasted pears, dates, candied pecans, blue cheese and blueberry vinaigrette.
Yes, there are kebobs at Morocco Restaurant. Skewered meat includes lamb, chicken and ground beef. The Brochette de Poulet Hachis ($19) with seasoned grilled chicken served over saffron rice is a good choice for skewer fiends.
Couscous is of course a North African classic. A good option is the Couscous Classic ($20) with its vegetable and spice within a light saffron broth and served with a choice of chicken, braised lamb or Merguez sausage, which is a Moroccan-style sausage of ground beef and lamb.
Perhaps the highlight of Moroccan fare is tagines. Tagines is both a cooking implement and main course. Tagine-the-cookware is a base with a cone-shaped top or lid. Tagine-the-food is a slow-cooked stew of protein and vegetables.
Popular at Morocco Restaurant is Tagine Moulton ($21) with its braised lamb shank plus peas, carrots, zucchini, preserved lemon and olives in saffron broth. Another highlight is Tagine au Poisson Epice ($23), a seafood dish with snapper, prawns, scallops and ahi tuna simmered in a chef’s sauce served on saffron rice.
Lamb is a favorite fare in North Africa. Rack of lamb is a favorite for many diners. North African fare favors couscous. Combine it all with Cottelete de Mouton au Couscous ($30), which is the rack with couscous.
Other entrees include paella ($27) with shrimp. calamari, mussels, chicken, sausage, carrots, peas and olives over Spanish saffron rice. Then there’s the baked red snapper, sautéed shrimp, lots of lamb in lots of recipes … oh, my.
Vegans will enjoy a meal as well. Hint? Go for the Eggplant Pyramid (16.95) with grilled eggplant layered with feta cheese and tomato sauce.
Morocco Restaurant features baklava and flan for dessert, but another hint is to go for the sweet mint tea. It’s probably the same calorie content as a sweet dessert, but gives an other-worldly taste treat to a visit on the other side of the world that is Morocco Restaurant.