It's here: the cold, bleak Philadelphia mid-winter, and who knows when it's going to leave. As you sit eating Greek Lady in Rosengarten, don't you crave something else? If there's anything currently more tragic than Helmut Lang's recent departure from Prada, it's routine. So if you're looking for an authentic culinary adventure, kick out of the Penn security blanket. Open your mind, and take a mini-hajj downtown to Marrakesh.
Nestled in a tiny lane off of South Street's lights, Marrakesh fabricates the decor of a luxurious Moroccan boudoir: dim rooms lit by crimson Hundi lanterns, intimate rotundas of couches strewn with beaded pillows and patterned tapestries plastered to the walls. Humphrey Bogart would be proud of this pseudo-Casablanca. The Marrakesh experience offers a seven-course recline-while-you-dine flavor excursion at a fixed price of $22 per person. And with two sittings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. (reservations are a must) romantic duos and large parties are welcome alike.
For those of you who disgrace mom and gradma every Christmas with your unfortunate finger scooping habits, you may just have found your lucky excuse: at Marrakesh, fingers are the preferred utensils. Don't fret, though -- gracious staff wash your hands in rosewater prior to your first bite. The first course includes a roulette of soft vegetable salads (the eggplant is to die for) and generous hunks of bread available for easy shoveling.
The lemon and olive chicken is savory and slips right off the bone, and the beef skewers are slow-cooked and tender. For the more conservative diner, utensils finally make an appearance, as the soft couscous -- which is scattered with zucchini, raisins, and chick peas -- can be enjoyed with a spoon. Although you may feel like one satisfied sheik at this point, hold tight for an amusing tea pouring presentation and a bite of baklava to sweetly finish off your palate.
It's easy to forget when the weather is frigid, and we're so wrapped up in our own tiny universes, mistaking the convenient Qdoban aroma for a true Mexican utopia is inevitable. With food that is exotic, but not over the top, Marrakesh is enchanting for both connoisseurs and simply those with an open mind, alike. After all, culture aside, culinary genius and valuable face time are two things that will never be passe.
