44704 Sat Mar 25 11:22:31 -0800 2006 18 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 220197 Last night we dined in romantic Morocco at Aziza and saw what all of the fuss was about on the boards. We were greeted by Farnoush, which means many toasts in Farsi, without any of the “oh no, they have a baby” look when we visit romantic restaurants. Max was our server and was spot on in every way. It felt as though we were his only table for the whole night and his resetting and coursing pacing was perfect. Everything was “just so” as he made sure we, as his guests, had every need anticipated as responded to promptly. We arrived at 5:45 and the place was around ¼ full. At 7:00, may arrived and the place was full. When we left around 8:00, there was a large number of people waiting, so please make reservations, especially for a Friday night as we did. We started by ordering the Moroccan tea which was less sweet than we had experienced elsewhere and was still liked by all. Max asked how strong and sweet we preferred and made adjustments to future pots as he came to the table with more. Once again my son went through 7 or more cups of it with abandon. It made for a rather uncomfortably long bus ride home though. Max asked it we wanted bottled or tap water for the night. I said tap and we received water that had a distinctive hint of cucumber juice that was a surprise for all and liked. I think more places should do this and move away from the lemon water. Almost immediately a bowl of three breads, olive loaf, traditional Moroccan and an organic whole wheat, along with butter was brought to the table. As a parent, his immediate delivery of something to give to the little ones is always appreciated. The Moroccan bread was particularly wonderful, just the right amount of body and crust. I ordered and shared the Cucumber Fresca which was every bit as good as other hounds have stated. I rarely drink, maybe twice a year, but this was a good time to try something. It was crisp and light and sweet with a bit of lemon. Everyone had a little sip and liked it. We were pleased that the soup of the day was the cream of asparagus. It was delicious and a terrific non-sweet taste in preparation for the mean. Everyone loved it and the generous amount of lump crab meat served as a little island in the middle was a nice touch. The amount of cream in this is minimal as most of the liquid is a light stock, and this allowed the subtleties of the asparagus to show through. It was punctuated by the occasional whole red peppercorn which added a nice flash of flavor every so often. We ordered 5 half bowls and shared among the 6 of of us, which was the perfect amount. Full bowls are $8, half are $5 so there is a small premium to pay for this. If your baby likes veggies as ours does, they should like this. Recommended. Max recommended, as have many hounds, the giant lima beans. I will stand up right now a let everyone know that there is NO ONE that hates lima beans than myself. However these were fantastic! These one inch sized beans are baked in a casserole with a tomato based sauce and a pugent cheese on top. One child said it was like great spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese over beans. Everyone loved this and although it was a small dish, it easily allowed everyone to have a good tasting sample. Our middle daughter scraped and polished of the final bits with great voracity. The cheese might be a little strong for some kids, but worth testing. Highly recommended. Next came the avocado and grapefruit salad. This had the potential to be the first item that would be too sweet, but it was not. The grapefruit was yellow, not ruby red as I have had with other similar salads, but it was still wonderful. Nice and light. It came with 5 slices of grapefruit so I would consider getting two if dining with more that 4 other people. Very good and worth getting again. The meal began to hit its stride with the arrival of the amazing spreads and an extra half order of the grilled flatbread. The taste conjured up images of the diner scene in “When Harry met Sally”… If you go and do not try this, you should not have gone. Three spreads are presented along with wonder flatbread that I could have eaten by itself as a meal right there and been done. The spreads are a yogurt dill light and mildly sour, a pomegranate-based sweeter spread and a darker chickpea-based and more spicy spread. Everyone found a favorite and although we have read that you should layer this stuff on thick, we could bring ourselves to do it as the flatbread was so good, we didn’t want to mask over its flavor. The communal aspect of sharing it is also very nice such as when dining Ethiopian-style or fondue style. Highly recommended for all tastes. At this point the 2.5 year old put down her fork and asked for the “food sticks”. I think she felt that the food on her plate was exotic enough that she should be using chopsticks instead. We explained things and she moved on with the fork. Next out was the black cod claypot. This was very well prepared and even my wife, who does not care for fish, enjoyed this. This is definitely a dish to share as there is a large amount of very filling potatoes. The fish was so delicate and light it was actually falling apart as we served it. If you are someone who only likes extremely non-fishy dishes like mahi mahi, you may want to try something else as the fishy taste is evident. The dish is still wonderful and recommended. The vegetable couscous was my favorite. We have couscous at home with meals and this was wonderful. The presentation was wonderful with a formed base of the grain with a tower of steamed veggies on top. Everyone liked this and if I was dropping by for a quick lunch for one, I think I would order this. This is strongly recommended as a side item for the table to go with virtually any other dish. Not ordering this would be like ordering Chinese and skipping the rice. A must. The stewed lamb with crunchy eggplant was marvelous, again nothing sweet here. We considered ordering the lamb shank as Max said it was their most popular, but we had read it was sometimes dry and will try it next year. The stewed lamb however did not suffer from dryess as it was as tender as the most tender Midwestern, Sunday supper-after-church pot roast I have experienced. Universally loved by all, except my 8 year old son who has a problem with eating lamb. I asked him if he wanted a “little lamb”, he said “no” and I said, “but Atticus, even ‘Mary had a little lamb’”. Not amused, he passed anyway. The accompanying sauce and purple mashed potatoes were great. This is a good choice for those who wants to feel they are getting something predictable and yet exotic. The lamb flavor predominates and if someone likes leg of lamb or lamb chops, they will like this. The mint tea goes particularly well with this. As we began considering dessert, we all realized we were all very full. I cannot imagine if we had ordered the prix fixe. There would have been too much food. Max did offer that if we had opted for it, they could split one tasting fee per two children which would have reduced the cost and food to more acceptable levels. However, having been armed by the recommendations of you hounds, we felt no need to follow the tasting formulary. For dessert we ordered the Ruby Red 3 ways, a wonderful red grapefruit sorbet served with 5 sweet grapefruit slices. This was served in an overly pretentious large bowl suitable for a family-sized salad. The amount was definitely sized for one person, so order two if you have a table of 5 or more if sharing more than a sliver of it per person is the plan. We also ordered the often commented upon “Ode to France” and combination of hot chocolate with cayenne pepper in a cup with a unique marshmallow and then a bowl of absolutely velvety chocolate custard. It was also spiced slightly with cayenne and absolutely magnificent. They were kind enough to send out two, half-filled cups of the hot chocolate which made sharing easier. This was a wonderful treat, and a nice departure from the ever present warm center, molten chocolate cake dessert which seems ever present as finer restaurants. Custard is enough to share and absolutely a must for those who cannot finish a meal without chocolate. We had inquired about the “Candy Store” dessert which we had heard so much about. They apologized that it was not being offered that week as the pomegranates used as a main ingredient were not considered acceptable that week. As a consolation, they brought out a complimentary serving of their fancier with huckleberry sauce and a scoop of cinnamon ice cream which was delicious. The baby loved this, especially the huckbleberries. My son went off the menu and asked just for some plain cinnamon ice cream as this is his favorite and only available during the cold autumn back in the Midwest. They asked how many scoops and he requested 2 but I think wanted to say 4. He loved it and said it was equal to any at home. They did not charge us for his dessert either (maybe 4 scopps would have been better). Net result, everyone loved it. “Best restaurant so far this trip.”, and “I love this place dad.”, were immediate opinions heard from the youngsters. I whole heartedly recommend the place for food, ambience and service. I cannot imagine saying you have come to San Francisco and say you have dined here and not gone to Aziza. A word of note to families, they staff made us feel supremely welcome as a family and went out of their way to let us know having the kids there was a plus. They do not want to be known just as a romantic place apparently. In comparison to Tajine in the tenderloin, the two are so different in ambience and style of preparation, you can do both and feel like you did not repeat the cuisine. Both are welcoming and wonderful. Tajine is so small and Mohammed takes orders, cooks it and serves everything. The whole time you can see and talk to Mohammed while he is cooking. It feels very homey, as though you are at someone’s house and they are using mom’s long time recipes. Lots of comfort foods at Tajine. Aziza is far more upscale and attentive service is a hall mark. Presentation is as much of a concern as the taste and it is evident that some classical culinary training is part of the Aziza kitchen staff’s resumes. Also, if you like cocktails, it must be one of the top on the west coast for their creations. The variety alone could bring people in for many successive visits. Cost is more than twice as much as Tajine and worth it. Total with tip $172.00 Next up, Kabul in San Carlos where my father lives or the Matterhorn Swiss Fondue restaurant. Native Previous posts: - Fresca on Fillmore - Peruvian: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/184837.html - Burma Super Star - Burmese: http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/185044.html - Sultan (cancelled) actually Nick's Seafood stand in wharf area http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/185515.html - Tajine - Moroccan http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/185771.html - Bodega Bistro - Vietnamese http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/185782.html Sat Mar 25 11:22:31 -0800 2006 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 220199 WOW! Your post just made me so happy that I've chosen Aziza for a little gathering of friends next week. The last time I went we ordered too many sweet things, but I could definitely tell I should go back and order differently. And I went to Tajine TWICE this week because of you...excellent in all the ways you described! And thank you for including all those links! Sat Mar 25 11:34:38 -0800 2006 220197 0 nooodles 1 220200 Another great report - really enjoying your detailed accounts. Your kids are so lucky that you are exposing them to such interesting experiences. And they're responding very well ..... I feel sad for parents who vacation in some interesting places and feel like they have to find a McDonalds to take their kids to. Thanks for sharing.... Sat Mar 25 11:41:15 -0800 2006 220197 0 Gordon Wing 2 220341 Not sure if you have kids or not but if you do then you understand why many parents frantically search for McDonalds wherever they go. That's because many kids do not like to try out new things. My son is one example. All he wants is things he is familiar and like. Very difficult to introduce new things. And some days we just give in as we do not have enough energy and the kids need to be fed or they starve themselves. Sun Mar 26 12:10:04 -0800 2006 220200 0 Han Lukito 1 220206 Many have you have taken the time to share nice comments back in response to our postings and it is greatly appreciated. The whole family gets a kick out of your comments and it encourages us to share more information. The kids are now offering their critiques throughout the meal and try to anticipate what other "normal" kids their age would like. (LOL) We sincerely hope that in the future, our postings will be shared with other families that inquire where to go when they visit. Admittedly, once we close out our visit here on April 1st and make our final posting shortly thereafter, we will likely not revisit the chowhound site until we begin planning for next years spring visit. Native Sat Mar 25 12:17:13 -0800 2006 220197 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 220213 oh that's too bad: I'd love to hear the reports on places near wherever you are in the midwest: I bet you could sniff out the good chow! Sat Mar 25 12:41:33 -0800 2006 220206 0 susancinsf 2 220305 I am taking my kids to SF for spring break to do food & museums. Thanks for your detailed stories. I would not have thought of taking them to Morrocan if it wasn't for your posts. I will try to write about our adventures too. Have a safe trip back to the midwest! Sun Mar 26 00:05:47 -0800 2006 220206 0 GotCake 1 220209 Thanks also for the great report! I am really enjoying reading about your eating adventures in the City. Hubby and I were also at Aziza last night, and I now realize that we saw you as we were also leaving. I should have known it was your group since your last post had said that Aziza was next up. Wish I had known to say hi before you all headed to the bus (couldn't have offered you a ride since we were in a two seater :-))...and am so glad you had a great time! Keep the posts coming! Now for my own report: Hubby and I were celebrating the anniversary of our first date. We thought about going to the location of said date (Bacco in Noe Valley) but I had had a VERY tough work week and really wanted a drink or two before dinner and a slightly roudier atmosphere than Bacco, so I could rant and rave without being heard by all our neighbors)....About half way through the tedious drive (it took a good 45 minutes to get from our home in Bernal Heights to Aziza on a rainy Friday night) I began to doubt the wisdom of this decision. We finally arrived, took advantage of the valet, entered Aziza and suddenly, everything was good with the world. This was our first time in the back room, and I loved the spacing of tables and pillows along the banquette. It was very romantic and perfect for a celebration, although much less noisy than the side room, discouraging my ranting and raving about work (for which I am sure hubby was quite grateful)! Started with cocktails: I love the cilantro vodka limeaid. Hubby stuck to a basic martini. On to the food: We thought about the tasting menu but since we are trying to watch calories, I am glad we didn't get it. The couple across from us ordered it, and it really was a LOT of food! Portions they were getting seemed to be as large as if they were ordering ala carte. After cocktails, dishes we had were: beet salad: a small portion, so hubby wouldn't give me a bite but raved about the flavor of the beets and the pine nuts, which he said were 'the real thing' with lots of flavor. seared scallops: yum! I was glad I was under no obligation to share these. Outstanding. Couscous Aziza: excellent, and the grilled prawns were about as perfectly cooked as I've ever tried. I felt guilty taking one off of hubby's plate, but he insisted that I had to try them, saying they were the best he can remember having since his last trip to New Orleans. Stewed lamb with eggplant: my first time trying this, and I wasn't quite as enthusiastic as you and other posters. I agree that the lamb itself was very well cooked, but I really had to dig to find any eggplant, and when I finally did (half way through eating the dish) it was fairly tasteless. Certainly no charred flavor, which is how it is described on the menu. However, and oddly, hubby took one bite of the stew and said, 'wow, what nice spicy eggplant'. Huh? maybe my palate was a bit off. I had very little potato and the taste of what I did have got a bit lost, but yes, the sauce was excellent, and the portion of lamb was quite generous. Still, I wish the eggplant had been more prominent.... Grapefruit 3 ways: just as you described, and I loved it! Perfect way to appreciate the new pastry chef's skills without breaking the bank calorie-wise. The mint tea to finish for me, espresso for hubby. Total cost with cocktails and a bottle of wine, tax and tip was around $155. Pricy, yes, totally worth it. Service and pacing were excellent. I've had a few miscues there before, but not this time. As we left, hubby commented that Aziza was becoming his second favorite mid to upscale restaurant in the City, (Bacco being number one, partially for sentimental reasons.) I agree with you, it should be on the 'must try' list for visitors and residents alike. I just wish it was more convenient for those of us at the other end of town.... Sat Mar 25 12:39:49 -0800 2006 220197 0 susancinsf 2 220229 I am so sad we didn't get to meet. We would have been thrilled. I am looking into Bacco even though it is a bit of a trip for us, using MUNI and all. We have no Italian on the schedule, and have dropped Sondini's, our sentimental favorite in North Beach. I agree that the eggplant in the stewed lamb was lacking, but we were more looking forward to the lamb portion rather than eggplant and thus our enthusiasm was a little slanted. I like your posts, much more informative and less wordy than mine. I will try and emulate yours going forward. Native Sat Mar 25 13:57:20 -0800 2006 220209 0 Native SF in Midwest 3 220254 LOL! I have to work at not being wordy! :-) but thanks anyway! If you make it to Bacco, and they have it on the menu, get the fava bean crostini. I'm pretty sure they won't, as it is too early in the season, especially this year, and I haven't seen favas in the markets, but worth mentioning just in case... Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/29062#122320 Sat Mar 25 17:15:44 -0800 2006 220229 0 susancinsf 1 220238 Great report! I'm so glad you enjoyed Aziza. When you return next year you must order the chicken basteeya - the closest thing they have to a signature dish. Perfect flakey phylo dough stuffed with a sweet and savory saffron braised chicken, nuts and dried fruit. It is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Mrs. Mousse and I are in the habit of ordering an extra one to go and heating it up in the oven the next day for a decadent breakfast (they do a nice job packaging it up for easy reheating). Sat Mar 25 14:32:36 -0800 2006 220197 0 Morton the Mousse 2 220251 We had a wonderful example of the basteeya at Tajine and although I am sure there would have been some variation, we decided to go with new items. Has anyone had it at both places and can compare for us? Native Sat Mar 25 16:17:23 -0800 2006 220238 0 Native SF in Midwest 3 220321 It's been awhile since I had it at Aziza, but I had Tajine's tonight and thought it was lovely. It was smaller, but the meat was hot and well seasoned. What I really liked was that the bastilla at Tajine is not that sweet. I remember the bastilla at Aziza as being extremely sweet, whereas the one at Tajine is just barely sweet. Aziza's might have more things stuffed into it as well, but I like it simple like at Tajine. Sun Mar 26 03:11:12 -0800 2006 220251 0 nooodles 2 220253 I'm not sure you can consider a dish as classic as basteeya -- probably the second most famous Morroccan dish after couscous -- a "signature." And while theirs is good, it's not the best I've had (mine is). Sat Mar 25 16:39:59 -0800 2006 220238 0 Ruth Lafler 3 220255 hmmm...I know what I'm hoping you'll bring to the picnic this year, Ruth! :-) I noticed that the basteeya that went to the table doing the tasting menu was the only item that seemed to be smaller than a regular portion. They must make a special one for tasting menu purposes(?). Sat Mar 25 17:27:19 -0800 2006 220253 0 susancinsf 1 220309 I'll add another big thank you for your wonderful reports; I've been following your family's eating adventures and really enjoy hearing about your kids' reactions. Their presence conveyed through your reports is so refreshing... We ate at Aziza about half a year ago and enjoyed it. The black cod claypot was unctuous and full of salty-tangy flavor and luscious mouthfeel, and the potatoes that got crusty sweet at the bottom were coveted by me. I agree that their couscous is a must-order; one of the highlights of the meal and the best couscous I've ever eaten. We had the basteeya, and while I thought it was pretty good, I wasn't falling over it and wouldn't need to order it again. If you've had great basteeya before, I don't think you missed out. We found the mint tea to be very syrupy sweet, and from what you describe, it sounds like they've averaged out the sugar and then adjust to personal taste. Max sounds like a very good waiter too... I've had Tajine on my "to try" list for a while, and your report has def. bumped it up next time I'm in SF. Happy travels to you and your clan and a safe return to the Midwest. Sun Mar 26 01:18:45 -0800 2006 220197 0 Carb Lover 2 220313 Have you seen my Tajine photos? I've been three times in the past three days am planning to take a group next week. Needless to say, I'm hopelessly hooked. Link: http://www.chezpei.com/2006/03/tajine.html Sun Mar 26 02:03:45 -0800 2006 220309 0 nooodles 3 220364 Thanks for the link and blog reporting. Food looks great. I remember you went when it first opened. Your report was fairly positive but not nearly as glowing; do you think it's improved over the past few months? Sun Mar 26 13:58:49 -0800 2006 220313 0 Carb Lover 4 220366 It's hard to say. I wanted to order the lamb tajine again to compare with memory, but they were out. A few things: Last time I went I took a lamb tajine to go, so it cooled down a bit. I'm one of those people for whom temperature matters. I am very turned off by lukewarm food. I want my hot food piping and my cold food freezing. I only tried one item and didn't feel like I should rave or discount based on just one dish. It was pretty soon after dinner, so I was already full. I actually ate the lamb tajine two hours after going to Aziza because my boyfriend wanted to do an immediate comparison. I was pretty impressed that Tajine held up at all after Aziza, which has food, ambiance, service and cocktails all going in its favor. Foodwise, I remember thinking "Geez, less than 1/2 the price? I'll just eat at Tajine if I ever want cous cous or tajine." I didn't realize there were so many other delicious things I'd start craving. Native in Midwest is right that the two are totally different and it's unfair to compare, but I really don't find the food at Tajine inferior. But I'd also rather eat at Hung Ky than Slanted Door. Short answer: it's very possible they've improved over the months, but they had a lot of things going against them the first time I went so it's also possible it's always been great and I was just too full/clouded by Aziza's gorgeous ambiance to appreciate it. Sun Mar 26 14:13:00 -0800 2006 220364 0 nooodles