or so the crosby, stills, nash, & young song went. and with the holidays just around the bend - you may just be in need of an exotic (yet safe) holiday that's not as far as timbuktu.
www.julib.com recently hit the road with restaurateurs jeffrey and linda chodorow for a little lamb tagine, cous cous, and Moroccan flair:
where to visit:
our flight from jfk to casablanca took as long as it would have to london (about 5 hours). we narrowed our trip down to three cities: marrakech, tangier and fez - where we could rest luxuriously, discover the best local restaurants, and furniture shop for an upcoming chodorow restaurant in los angeles being designed by architect-with-a moroccan-flair mark zeff. so off from casablanca we flew, and 40 minutes later marrakech welcomed us.
where to stay:
the amanjena we realized, was by far the most beautiful property in marrakech - with a taj-mahal-like entranceway, and a staff eagerly awaiting with cool towels and trays of mint tea. although pricey (as the aman hotels could be considered some of the only six-star hotels in the world), you get what you pay for. rooms vary, but all are complete with private outdoor living rooms, while others boast secluded swimming pools. golfers can even swing on the property's course amidst a city full of camels. the aman hotel group, route de ouarzazate, km 12, marrakech, 212.44.40.33.53
www.amanjena.com
la villa des orangers - another luxury hotel but more boutique - seemed like the home of a parisian royal family. (french is widely spoken in morocco - so authentic it was.) orange trees surround the center-built swimming pool (thus the name), alongside the hotel's restaurant and chambres. a relais & chateaux hotel, 6, rue sidi mimoun, 40000, marrakech, www.relaischateaux.com
where to eat:
yacout - we visited marrakech’s most famous moroccan restaurant which offered an abundant pre-set dinner. dishes upon dishes of moroccan specialties were brought including pigeon pastillas, succulent lamb and vegetable tagines, and what seemed to be two tons of cous cous. we dined in an outdoor courtyard that felt like the set of an old 20's film. our eyes popped from the onslaught of yummy treats, and jeffrey and linda twinkled with ideas for their new (and maybe 29th?) venture. after almost 25 years together, the london school of economics graduate (who could calculate the square root of 7,987,642 in two seconds or less), and his love - a former runway model from pennsylvania - nuzzled affectionately with excitement.79 rue sidi ahmed soussi, 212.44.38.29.29 www.yacout-marrakech.com
the moroccan
there were nights when we couldn't pull ourselves from the beauty of the amanjena (plus we were too pooped from days spent shopping with a guide through the medina for 150 restaurant chairs). the moroccan offered authentic dining a la carte (many of the town's restaurants have fixed menus only, which means you need a wheel-barrel to cart you out). so hotel dining was just the spot. route de ouarzazate, km 12, marrakech, 212.44.40.33.53, www.amanjena.com
le tobsil
it's actually not hard to find a romantic restaurant in morocco, but le tobsil tops with a group of by ganaoui guitarists who paly during dinner. again, the menu is set, but portions are not as big as most other moroccan restaurants. babk sour 25, place zaoui el hadar, 212.44.44.40.52
Moroccan late night:
le comptoir
marrakech’s hottest nightspot opens it's doors at 4pm (yes nightlife starts early here). although le comptoir does serve dinner, you're probably better off sticking to drinks and enjoying the candlelit space with white curtains blowing the wind. echouhada, wintering, 212.44.43.77.02
montecristo
a latin vibe with a little salsa? don't visit for a meal, but if a wild evening is in order - be prepared to be swooped onto the dance floor by one of the waiters who have a habit of inspiring the shy. 20, street ibn aicha, gueliz, 212.44.43.90.31
in the end, our visit to morocco was fruitful. the later cities - tangier and fez - had a difficult time living up to marrakech, but certainly left their mark and were worth the trip. the chodorows made it back to new york with almost 10,000 items including antique chairs, backgammon tables, pottery, and vintage light fixtures. not to mention, bagfuls of spices including saffron (about twenty times more costly in the states), and white curry. tangier (just across the water from spain) and fez (moreso) felt like a set from the ten commandments, and the people throughout morocco were warmer and more welcoming than your own family (depending on your family).
what we needed to know? guides are a must in morocco, especially if you don't speak french or know your way around. (imagine getting lost in a mouse maze without one.) any hotel can provide one for you for between $50 - $100 per day. it's also recommended to bring some kind of stomach protection with you, as drinking the water can be as bad as in mexico. the medina (or souk as it's also called) is chock full of handmade items including leather slippers, silk robes, and antiques rugs that are incredibly inexpensive compared to shopping in the states. the most common are antique stores similar to that of new york's abc carpet and home, only always authentic and affordable.
what we look forward to? seeing the new chodorow venture (including menu and design) due to open in los angeles in spring '05.
