Casablanca Moroccan Resaurant

Casablanca Moroccan Restaurant, Albany, NY

Thanks to Albany Jane and Third Auntie for the heads up on Casablanca.

The girls and I stopped in for lunch on Saturday. My camera batteries died before I could even get the first shot set up, so I had to take pictures with my iPhone. No macro, bad lighting, I tried folks....

I should really let Bean write this post for me. She’s been experimenting with phrasing lately, and she loved Casablanca so much that she spent much of the meal bouncing up and down and giving a loud and colorful review of everything as it happened.

cooling the tea for my daughters

“Mommy, this tea is right around my street.”

“Mommy, they serve wonderful here.”

“Mommy, these decorative plates are adorable!”

Luckily, we were the only people in the restaurant. And they did indeed serve quite a bit of wonderful. On Third Auntie’s recommendation, we tried the bastilla, which was so good it made me want to bounce up and down in my seat, too.

chicken bastilla

I love Moroccan food for many reasons, the olives, the subtle, aromatic flavors and deep cooking, the mint. But what I love most of all is the way they take the distinctions between sweet and savory and just toss them out the window.

Casablanca's bastilla

As a lover of all things savory, Moroccan food opens up the world of sweetness in a way that I can understand. Sure I like dessert, just put some chicken, and almonds, and eggs in it, and I’m right there. I’m not going to give a full review here, as I want to save that for something more formal. But if you go, I agree with Third Auntie, the bastilla is not to be missed.

I would also recommend the hot tea, which came with pieces of fresh mint in it. Bean’s take: “Mommy, I could sit here all afternoon and just drink this tea.”

I’m thinking I should take her to Morocco one day.

tagine

posted September 14, 2009 | link | comments (9)

filed under: Places, Albany, Casablanca, Moroccan food, NY

AllOverAlbany.com

Comments

Oh my gosh - I have no clue what's in a bastilla (I will be feverishly wiki-ing shortly), but it looks amazing. I need to get over there. Maybe after lark fest this weekend... maybe!

- by Albany Jane on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:08 AM | link

Okay, this is freaky. I just saw this place for the first time last week (as I was waiting for my order from Shalimar) and ran into a friend who works nearby. I asked him if he'd gone yet and he hadn't (though a mutual former coworker's wife makes the desserts) and I said that I'd just wait until my friend CelinaBean reviews it. I was JOKING! Really! I just had you on the mind because your previous review made me SO hungry for italian food!

You read my mind - i'll wait for the full review, but now I want to go eat some veggie cous cous!

- by Karin on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:59 AM | link

I just saw this place yesterday and am so glad you reviewed it! I'm tempted to head over there right now...

- by Erin on Oct 2, 2009 at 1:36 PM | link

Just tried this tonight. Such nice people and tasty food!

- by jess on Oct 16, 2009 at 9:24 PM | link

I have to say , the food here is awsome!! I am actually sitting in the restaurant eating as I am writing this and I can't wait to get back to my meal !! To anyone who has never eaten Moroccan food, you have to taste the food at casablanca restaurant, you will be in for a sweet treat !!

- by on Oct 17, 2009 at 9:19 PM | link

Did you try the Moroccan coffee? Delicious.

- by jess on Oct 27, 2009 at 9:07 AM | link

My book club went there last night. Amazing food! We shared a bastilla -- it was so different and just wonderful. The harria soup, lentils and chick peas in a tomato broth, was very smooth and tasty. Four of us choose the chicken tajine and one had the salmon tajine. The tajine plate looks like the base of a flower pot. Then there is a cone shaped ceramic top that covers the plate and is removed before eating. There were no leftovers or doggy bags! We loved the saffron sauce, potatoes, peas and green olives. The mound of rice with lots of green olives throughout was the perfect for sopping up the sauce. Can't wait to go back!

- by Colleen on Oct 30, 2009 at 1:08 PM | link

Dear Celine,
I just found your website about a week ago and I'm voraciously reading the archives and taking notes. My only complaint is that you sometimes neglect to include the address of the restaurant you are reviewing. And when I have to go and pull out my phone book, it becomes unlikely that I'm ever going to visit that restaurant. For example -- where is Casablanca???
Curly

- by curly on Nov 21, 2009 at 5:23 PM | link

My bad. I will work on that.

Casablanca is at 14 Central Ave, Albany, NY

The phone number is 518-463-1111

- by celinabean on Nov 21, 2009 at 8:12 PM | link

Say Something!

I'd very much like you to join the conversation. The only rule: treat everyone else in the conversation with kindness and respect. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks!