Marrakech ExpressO

A couple of weeks ago, Marrakech ExpressO opened on Damen Ave., just south of Lawrence. The proprietor, Bouchaib Kribech, decided that after fifteen years in the U.S., he was ready to open his own Moroccan restaurant/cafe. "Bouch," as he asked me to call him, has spent much of that time manning the grill at The Billy Goat. With the help of family, and the support of many of his regular customers at The Goat, he finally took the leap.

The thrust of his menu is simple salads, soups, and sandwiches, but he does have a few select Moroccan homestyle specials every day. The first one that I tried was the meatball tagine. I have also tried the chicken/vegetable tagine and the couscous. Each special is 5.95, and along with the main dish, you are provided with a plate of simmered white beans and a basket of sliced French bread.

I am reluctant to go into any length with descriptions and impressions, as I have only sampled each item once, and as my servings were completely scratch-made. [This was due to the fact that, to date, there has been so little interest in these offerings.] I will say that when I took the meatball tagine, it was the best lunch that I had had in quite some time. Tiny, hand-formed meatballs were simmered in a wonderfully spicy, properly oily, tomato-based sauce, with an egg cooked in. The accompanying plate of saffron-tinged white beans were creamy and mellow.

Bouch says that given sufficient interest in this homestyle fare, he will expand the offerings.

He proudly serves Lavazza coffee, his mom makes some wonderful biscuits, and he serves a proper Arabic-style tea, too.

Marrakech ExpressO
4747 N. Damen Ave.
773.271.4541

Erik M.

I popped in here today-- it's a great find, or would be if he didn't already have the full resources of the Trib publicizing his Billy Goat-to-American-entrepreneurial-dream story. I had a chicken stew which was a comfy but fairly plain dish, could have been Puerto Rican for all I knew, should have tried the fish tagine. However it came with some beans which were outstanding, Navy beans in a school-bus-yellow sauce of some kind (edit: I see that Erik confirms what I assumed, a saffron sauce). And add in the authentic multilevel decor, which you'd never suspect hiding behind that storefront, and the fact that he's so eager to please and came to check on my satisfaction level about eight times, all the while playing (for somebody else) the tape of his appearance on WGN with Rick Kogan, and you have the kind of place you really want to encourage and reward. Check it out.

Yeah, I purposely didn't mention the Chicago Tribune Magazine. When I was last in, this past Thursday, he actually showed me the yet-to-hit-the-stands Sunday Mag.

I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Mike. Let's hope he expands his repetoire of homestyle dishes.

Erik M.

I stopped in this place for bit earlier this week. I opted for the Moraccan Chicken. Really nice dish with lots of briny olives, cooked for a very long time lemons. I thought the beans were excellent and the warm bread a nice touch. I think if they focused more on the traditional dishes, they could do very well.

doug

Couldn't agree more that it should be more Moroccan. Chicago is in desparate need of great Moroccan and I was so excited to try this new find. However, my lunch there did not satisfy my itch. We had the special of the day, which was the chicken with olives, and the beef sandwich. Honestly, upon leaving, we felt like we'd just had a cuban or columbian lunch rather than moroccan. Nothing stood out, I thought the portions were small (yes, I know the prices are right, but I felt I had to fill up on bread instead of the food), and when I asked for some spicy sauce (hoping for something hommade) I was brought a bottle of MEXICAN picante sauce!

I'll keep my search going. This didn't do it for me.

Mystic days when you feel a warm breeze off the Sahara ...

I returned home late Saturday night noting temperatures of 80 degrees at 2 AM. I was feeling edgy about the predicted 100+ temperatures with heat indices exceeding air temperatures by at least 10 degrees last Sunday. The next morning I woke up listening to the radio advise of a huge Saharan dust cloud the size of the United States crossing the southern portion of our country. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets it promised, yet my mind painted images of sweltering heat.

I was able to postpone most of my outdoor activities last Sunday except for one: an architectural photography project for a friend. I waited until 6 PM, hoping for some reduction in temperature, only to find it was still at least 100 degrees. If I didn’t accomplish my project today, already long postponed, then it would be another 9 days before I had time again. So I forced myself to spend 2 hours capturing images in the hot air temperature though thankfully not magnified by the sun beating down on me.

Afterwards, I wanted someplace quiet to down quantities of cold drinks and something to eat. My first thoughts was Korean seafood pancakes influenced by Tony C’s post on San Chae Dolsot. This visit would have also allowed me to find the name of the raw crab dish recommended by Erik M. However, my dreams of a simply wonderful meal was knocked off its perch when I found San Chae Dolsot closed. I decided Semiramis would be the next best choice though it was closed as well. I’m feeling clammy and uncomfortable though steadily improving in the car’s air conditioning. I’m close to the expressway, maybe I should just go home until the radio again sends me to the Sahara desert in their speculation about the dust cloud. I flip the car around and move in the direction of Marrakech ExpressO first reported by Erik M last year.

My friend Helen and I have been to Marrakech ExpressO several times in last few weeks. Our first time, it was in the upper 80’s and rather than using air conditioning, they had ceiling fans rotating from the ceiling and on the counter blowing across. Despite the heat, we felt comfortable and a long, long away from Chicago. For an appetizer ordered Zaalouk, an eggplant salad, which the owner described as similar to Babaghanouch. The similarity is the heavy eggplant component, otherwise I would judge it on its’ own merits. In my case, I wasn’t too excited about because I did try to compare to Babaghanouch. Once I let that image go, added a touch more salt, then I was very pleased with the Zaalouk.

Zaalouk


Influenced by Erik M’s earlier post, I ordered Meatball Tangine. These were ground meat with uncooked rice added as it cooked in the sauce, the rice expands. I knew immediately I have been making these for years as nursery food for nieces called Porcupines. When they were young, I made it with a bland tomato sauce. Now I will make it with salsa because we are no longer obligated to eat bland food. Marrakech’s sauce seemed to be tomato based with turmeric in it, sort of edging toward a curry. I will need to taste it another time before trying to imitate the sauce at home.

Meatball Tangine


We also ordered a Seafood Bastilla which is phyllo dough wrapped around a filling of seafood, olives, shredded carrots, a surprise ingredient familiar from Asian cooking of bean thread noodles and goodness knows what else. We loved it. It also transported well because my Mom enjoyed it an hour later.

Inside Seafood Bastilla


Lunch overview, clockwise from top Meatball Tangine, Pita bread, Seafood Bastilla and Salad


A few days later, I returned with my Mother and a friend on a hot evening for dessert Mom’s Magical Crepe and hot sweetened tea. This large crepe, was more a flat bread that was warmed and smeared with honey, then cut into sections. While we had ice cream sundae ambitions when we left the house, we all agreed this crepe, tea and conversation was a pleasant change.

Hot Tea


Mom’s Magical Crepe


My last visit was on the sweltering summer evening with temperatures still in the upper 90’s after sundown. I walked in with the menu already settled in my mind, “Do you have the lamb shank tonight?” When everyone else in Chicago is dreaming of cool salads, cold soups and maybe some ice cream, I sought out a braised lamb shank with Hommus as an appetizer. Again, it was well executed and despite the warm ambient temperatures, it really was wonderful to eat something I associate with winter dining than summer. I was really glad to pay someone to sweat it out because I’m simply not willing.

Hummos


Lamb Shank


The owner is really well connected media-wise. He works at Billy Goat Tavern’s original location as well as operating his own operation. On the walls are signed photos from Presidents to Sportscasters. He really has quite the winning personality and treats a relative stranger of 3 visits as an old friend. One could certainly argue the company is as good as the food. Especially when the stars are aligned with extraordinary hot temperatures with dust from the Sahara circling the Earth. I left the Moroccan oasis and went out to the hot streets of Chicago.

Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday they have story telling from 9 – 11 PM with a cover charge of $3 with a portion donated to Literacy Chicago.

Marrakech Expresso Restaurant and Coffee House
4747 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL
Tel: 773/271-4541
www.marrakechexpresso.com

Mon-Fri: 7 AM – 9 PM
Sat-Sun: 10 AM – Late night

Wi-Fi is available.

Regards,