Episode VIII: Morocco

After some recent editing of our African locations, we were thrilled to find a restaurant from a country where we'd originally planned to eat.  Marrakech Moroccan Cafe and Grill was located off Central Ave near NE Minneapolis and was surrounded by several other African delicatessens.  The walls were covered with Moroccan paintings and tapestries.  The menu was void of any typical American dishes, so we asked the friendly waitress for her suggestions on the most authentic Moroccan chow they had to offer. 

The meat/bread appetizer

What she gave us was fantastic.  For Christina, she suggested the Lamb Tagine, an on-the-bone sheep dish covered in a stew type sauce complete with potatoes, peas and carrots.  For Zack she recommended the Bistella, which was billed as a sweet and savory chicken and vegetable dish baked between a tasty crust.

What it turned out to be was so much more. 

The Mint Tea

Before the main courses arrived, the waitress brought out a pot of refreshing mint tea and
a plate of bread with a thick broth of meat soup for dipping.  The bread managed to soak up the juice while simultaneously scooping the meat out, which made for a delicious and unexpected appetizer.

After quickly enjoying a pot of tea and the meat and bread, we received our main courses.  Holy McMoley.  The Lamb came out first and was swimming in vegetables and broth.  The meat practically fell off the bone and exploded with just enough spice to make you feel it, but allowed enough rooms for the taste buds to enjoy the rest. 

The lamb tagine (closest) and bistella (farthest)

The Bistella was unlike any main course either of us had eaten before, and it was fantastic.  The outer crust was covered with some light cinnamon sugar (or so we think.)  The chicken and veggies were packed beneath the layers of crust and blended perfectly, somehow, with the crust to create what was nothing short of a fireworks display of taste.  Zack declared it to be his favorite TCGC dish on the spot. 

The decision was made to share the dishes, which we slowly, slowly devoured, along with a second pot of tea.  For anyone who likes Moroccan, African, or great food in general, please check out the Marrakech Moroccan Cafe and Grill.  And be sure to get the bistella.  We don't want to oversell it, but it'll be better than ten Super Bowls.

Moroccan food Mor-rocked happiness to our St. Paul/Minneapolis.

Episode VII: Ghana

Palm butter and rice

We knew the day would come when one of the stops on the TCGC tour wouldn't pan out as hoped.  We just weren't expecting it to happen in Africa.  The quest for Nigerian food proved fruitless, as all restaurants that we could find that once served Nigerian food are now closed.

Christina tackling the fish

Our back up plan was a cafe near the Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis that specializes in Ghanishan style cuisine.  The menu had no recognizable dishes, which we were initially excited to see.  After a few minutes, the waitress slowly approached us.  Her demeanor made it clear that it was very, very unusual for people who don't frequent this establishment to go to it.

Zack eating the palm butter

Undeterred, we asked her to recommend the best Ghanishan dishes they had to offer.  She replied with an "...ummmmmmmmm, the Attieke (a fish, vegetable, cous cous type dish) and palm butter (a chicken and beef dish with a greenish curry sauce) would be ok."  We went for it.  We also went for a recommended Ghanishan beer that was large enough to be split.

The beer, called Gulder, was fantastic.  It's an extra matured premium beverage created in the Guinness Ghana Brewery.  The mouthfeel was "tingly effervescent" and finish "left without saying goodbye." 

Attieke

The palm butter came out first, with a plate of rice.  The meat was submerged beneath the greenish curryish sauce.  We had a hard time deciphering what exactly we were eating, and there was a noticeable lack of taste that really threw us for a loop.  There were also lots of small bones that were next to impossible to see before eating.  Christina fell victim to one which she accidentally swallowed.  She was quoted as saying, "It felt like it was slicing my throat all the way down."  We were hopeful that the Attieke would be more fulfilling... it was not.  The fish was actually pretty tasty, particularly when mixed with the cous cous and a sweet berry sauce, but after the skin and bones were removed, there was hardly anything left to enjoy.  The veggies consisted of a tomato, onion, cucumber and bell pepper combo that complimented the rest of the dish well. 

We ate as much as we could, but were ready to stop well before we were full.  As we left, we picked out two Indian malt soda pops in hopes of salvaging something unique and delicious from our experience.  One sip of the beverages and it was clear we had bottomed out completely.  As a result, we swallowed our pride and upon leaving the restaurant, we found the nearest McDonald's and ate away our disappointment.  We're not proud of this.

Our shameful conclusion

We're dedicated to doing more research for our next restaurant.  Morocco is scheduled though it seems a Moroccan restaurant is going to be as hard to find as Nigerian and Tanzanian food was previously.  If any of you loyal blog readers know of a place where a couple of hungry Minnesotans can eat some Moroccan chow, please let us know.

Ghanishan food brought McDonalds to our own St. Paul/Minneapolis.