Cafe Mogador – NY, NY
If you follow this blog or my syndicated stories, you’ve probably picked up on my love of Moroccan food. Spurred on by my infatuation with this sweetly spicy cuisine, I have tried countless Moroccan restaurants. Unfortunately, I usually end these meals thinking that I could have saved a few dollars and made the dishes better myself. This trend changed a few years ago when a friend suggested that I check out Cafe Mogador in the East Village. For once I didn’t walk away grumbling about my bad dining experience. In fact, I keep going back for more.
In business since 1983 this family-owned and operated restaurant offers well-crafted, traditional Moroccan foods in a sunny, surprisingly spacious dining area. Hankering an aromatic tagine of lamb, apricots and prunes or soft pita stuffed with succulent marinated chicken, crisp lettuce, tomatoes and a smear of tahini? Perhaps you crave a good, flaky, chicken-stuffed pastry known as bisteeya or seasoned North African sausage, merguez, paired with steamed vegetables, legumes, dried fruit and fluffy couscous with a glass of chilled white wine. If so, Cafe Mogador is the place for you, too.
For newcomers to Moroccan cuisine, the restaurant provides a tasty introduction with its mixed platter (pictured above). The staples of North African mezze — hummus, tabbouleh, the eggplant-based babaganoush, the tomato-bell pepper specialty matbucha, and chopped salad — star in this healthful meal. Newbies as well as longtime fans will enjoy the cafe’s falafel with fresh pita, salad and dressings such as tahini and the fiery, Moroccan chili paste harissa. Finish off these repasts with a pot of hot, sweet, mint tea and you’ll feel as though you’re in the heart of Casablanca instead of a Lower Manhattan neighborhood.
On weekends Cafe Mogador serves organic omelets as well as poached eggs over English muffins a la eggs Benedict and Moroccan Benedict with home fries, salad, juice and cappuccino, espresso or tea. It also prepares delicious sandwiches such as the zesty Mogador burger, sautéed salmon cake and vegetarian-friendly avocado, cucumber, tomato, greens and red onion on seven-grain bread. Get there early or expect to wait for a table; the cafe’s wholesome yet inexpensive brunch brings in big crowds.
