THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Casablanca

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Casablanca Restaurant Review:

We know a man who gave a Morocco-themed party at his house and brought in truckloads of sand for authenticity. Casablanca prefers to focus its attention on the food, though evocative, moody photographs of the Casablanca Conference during WW II, with Churchill and F.D.R., do lend a note of nostalgia, if not of realism. You will find overstuffed cushions, costumed waiters, a tented ceiling, music of the Magreb, and lots of brass ornaments, all lending a touch of North Africa to the proceedings. But nothing will seize you like the aroma of cardamom bread, or apricots and lamb bumbling away, as you cross the threshold into exotica. True, there are a few accommodations for American tastes or local availability: the b’stilla contains chicken instead of pigeon, as you’d find it in Fez, but otherwise it seems the real thing, and it is deeply delicious, with its flaky filo crust, powdered sugar on top, and the proper spiciness. The braised chicken dishes are excellent, and the tagines, especially those containing preserved lemons and olives, are splendid. Of course you’d prefer to be under the sheltering sky, but short of a flight to Tangiers, this restaurant will give you a taste of the sultan’s delights.