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| - As a regular visitor from San Francisco, Madison's new Moroccan restaurant, Marrakesh, did not disappoint.
Marrakesh is the real deal. The new benches, upholstered in gorgeous moroccan brocade fabric with lovely patterned wood trim evoke some of the elegant restaurants I ate at in Fes. And the food is excellent! We started with zaaluk, a cooked "salad" of slightly smoky eggplant with tomatoes and onions and peppers. Not spicy but deeply flavored.
Our main courses, both tagines, were terrific. My cousin had the fish tagine, with long cooked salmon and vegetables and I had the beef with prunes. The beef was perfectly tender, no knives needed! the dishes had been cooked in the oven for hours, as is the tradition and reflected the subtle spices of Moroccan cooking. The salmon was delicious, not tasting overcooked despite the long,slow time in the oven.
We finished with sweet mint tea and enjoyed the decor of hand-woven carpets and pierced metal table lamps giving a mysterious feel to the corners of the room.Youssef, the owner and head chef, was very present in the dining room and made sure our dinner was excellent.
Go to Marrakesh, it is really like a trip to Morocco.
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