Conscious Choice: Coffee and A Whole Lot More at Marrakech Expresso

September 2005 | Conscious Dining

Coffee and A Whole Lot More at Marrakech Expresso

By Janine MacLachlan

A good restaurant experience is not always just about the food. Sometimes it’s about basking in the aura of someone’s zestful enthusiasm for life and contributing to his all-American dream. Marrakech Expresso owner Bouchaib Khribech, nicknamed “Bouch,” opened his Ravenswood neighborhood coffee house a year ago with a standard offering of Starbucks-esque coffee drinks. But his bigger plans included authentic Moroccan food based on his mother’s recipes, and a parallel journey to help his wife emigrate from his homeland.

With a degree in math and a lot of travel under his belt, Khribech arrived in Chicago only to be stood up by his friend-of-a-friend host. He slept in parks, landed a job at the Billy Goat Tavern underneath Michigan Avenue, and proceeded to help siblings make an easier transition. His wife’s process took almost two years because of post-9/11 restrictions, but now she’s the chef and baker. Khribech’s mom inspired the recipes.

Marrakech Expresso is welcoming, warm and populated with students spreading out their homework and couples lounging in the pillow-filled window area. The setting is not too fancy, with flyers pasted in the front window and the menu on a white dry-erase board. But you can see its bones as a once-posh clothing store: Corinthian columns mark a curved staircase to the second floor where board games are played every Thursday night.

Authentic Flavors Reign

Moroccan food is known for its robust flavors, and the cooking here is no exception, with spices like coriander and cinnamon punctuating the specialties. The Moroccan classic here is kefta ($5.95), ground beef patties flavored with onion, cilantro and paprika. Another favorite is the couscous ($7.95), the tiny bead pasta served with zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots and chickpeas in a vegetable broth, with chicken served as an option.

The filling of the bastilla ($10) reminded me of the Indian samosa, a dumpling filled with potatoes and peas and aromatic spices.

This is a plate-sized “dumpling” that comes in veggie, chicken and fish versions wrapped in phyllo dough.

My favorite, though, is the tagine ($8.95), although I might have been wooed by the presentation. A tagine is a vegetable stew named after the cone-topped pot in which it’s cooked. The cone top captures the steam and feeds it back down into the stew, resulting in a rich, flavorful dish. Accompanied by the hot-from-the-oven pita bread, it sent me to food heaven.

For dessert, don’t miss the crepes ($2). Made with only butter and flour, this edition of the ultra-thin pancake is thicker than the French version and drizzled with honey rather than filled with fruit. I never thought I’d find a version better than my Parisian indulgence of Nutella with banana, but my table joined the clean plate club with Khribech’s Moroccan version.

The tea ($2.99) can be dessert in itself. Green Chinese tea is brewed, then mixed with mint and sugar, then gently boiled to reach a syrupy thickness. The Moroccan coffee, not for the faint of heart, is equal parts steamed milk and espresso. “If you need to wake up right away, you gotta have it,” says Khribech.

And For The Really Adventurous ...

For an after-dinner indulgence, some enjoy a leisurely but decidedly exotic smoke. A hookah, an Egyptian or Turkish pipe with water (OK, it resembles a fancy bong, for those who remember such things from their college days), comes with strawberry or vanilla flavored tobacco ($9.95, $5 for a refill).

For those who prefer other ways to unwind, the first and third Tuesdays of the month are designated for “stories, etc,” along with music and belly dancing. Wednesdays are called “homo latte,” an open mic gay and lesbian night.

The Final Word

Endearing, engaging, open and friendly, You find yourself wanting this guy to succeed. Owner Bouch is living the American immigrant’s dream.

Marrakech Expresso, 4747 N. Damen, Chicago, 773-271-4541. Open seven days at 10 a.m., until 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. Tuesdays and midnight Saturdays.

Janine MacLachlan is a food writer and cooking school owner who hasn’t yet mustered the courage to try smoking a hookah, no matter how adventurous she wants to appear.

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