Casablanca: Middle Eastern Meets East Side

It has been a long time coming, this review. We've been saying we wanted to get to Casablanca since before the new year, but as life often does (particularly to the Eating Milwaukee Staff), things took turns we just didn't expect.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, I had met owner Alaa Musa a few months ago, during the course of working one of my Clark-Kent-esque day jobs. I promise, that relationship will not inform the review. At all. Mostly.

We descended on Casablanca for lunch on a Saturday, to sample the mythical "lunch buffet" we had heard so much about. After a few near-misses in East Side traffic, and a few trips around the block thanks to my GPS, I finally got parked in the smallish, but nonetheless convenient parking lot next to the restaurant. This put me in a good mood immediately. An East Side business with a parking lot. It's almost like saying "touching an electric eel with insulating gloves" or "an Illinois driver with good manners." You'd really like it to be the case all the time, but in reality it almost never happens. Ever.

Casablanca's interior is gorgeous, with rich oxblood walls undulating with iridescent red tiles. The lighting is comfortably low,  with big, mullion windows adorned with tasteful treatments. The feel is cozy, chíc, upscale, but never off-putting. Furniture is spartan and clean.

As we sat down, a memory came flooding back to me, something that Lauren had said a few weeks ago when we were preparing for this trip, "...the lunch buffet is vegetarian..." Oh, no, I thought. No meat. No meat! This was going to be ho-hum. I'm going to have to choke everything down with a half-smile, act like I loved every bite, and then promptly stop at Kopps on the way home for a burger. Yes, this was going to be a painful luncheon. I abhor vegetarian cuisine.

It's not that I hate the concept of vegetarianism. I suppose it's noble, if you think giving up steak is noble. I just don't like how most vegetarian food somehow tries to ape its meaty counterparts. Veggie burgers? Whatever. Just call them bean patties. I can respect that. Chicken-less nuggets? Whatever. Call them TVP delights, for all I care. Just call it like it is.

As I got settled and got the Nikon ready for shooting, our bubbly and fun waitress asked us if we wanted a side of meat. I immediately got a pit in my stomach, recalling an incident involving a friend from college trying to order a burrito at Chipotle:

Friend, (We'll call her Carrie to protect her identity): Hi, I'd like a meat burrito.
Chipotle clerk: Okay, what kind of meat?
Carrie: Um, you know... meat?
CC: Um, no, I don't know... meat.
Carrie: Meat. Burrito.
CC: We have pork, beef, chicken, steak, ground beef...
Carrie: That's it! Ground beef! See, I said a meat burrito!
CC: right.

However, if this worked out okay, we wouldn't have to endure a meatless meal. Huzzah! We all decided to order a different "meat," and share our meaty payload when it arrived.

Lauren ordered Chicken Kabob:

Andy had the Lamb Kifta kabob:

And I had the Lamb and Beef Shawarma:

Meanwhile, we ravenously scrambled to the buffet line:

Where we found a small battalion of cold salads:

A variety of hot dishes:

and an array of desserts:

Coming back, my plate looked like a hot mess:

Now, rather than go in to lurid detail about every item on the buffet (which I did try, and caused me great pain as my stomach stretched to inhuman size to accommodate), I think it's best to try to give a sweeping, generalized overview. 'Cause that's what we Americans do best.

Everything we tried was astounding in its own right. Each salad, each hot dish had a flavor all its own, different spicing, different flavor profiles. It was an amazing array: different textures, different colors. Nothing bland, nothing watered down. All the while, I kept sighing in amazement that I was enjoying salads so much.

Some of the standout salads are as follows:

Tahini Salad: Oh, remember, dear reader, when I ranted about the virtues of Tahini during the review for Shahrazad? Well, apparently the Fates heard my cry, because the Tahini Salad at Casablanca is basically everything I love about food, all in one fresh, brilliant dish. Crispy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and a bright and creamy tahini dressing that made my eyes roll back in their sockets and my mouth water at the very thought. The dressing was rich, complex, and intriguing, with a depth of flavor that you might not expect from sesame seeds. Awesome.

Cucumber Yogurt Salad: Rich, rich, rich. I immediately thought back to summers, helping my Grandma make her creamed cucumbers. Salting the cucumber and onion slices. Straining the sour cream. Oh, but these cukes weren't anything like Grandma's (who is shaking her fist at me from the great Kitchen In The Sky right now). Insanely creamy and rich, flavorful, but never overpowering. And the cucumbers retained enough crunch so that you didn't forget what they were.

Potato Salad: cold, mashed potatoes, with the flavor of classic American potato salad, except much, much brighter (thank the addition of lemon juice). We couldn't get enough of these!

Tuboleh: a classic, and relatively simple, this bulgar salad is light and refreshing, with its strong notes of mint.

It should be noted as well, that there were large dishes of both Hummus and Babaghannoj with the salads, along with a bottomless basket of fresh pita bread. Both the hummus and babaghannoj were exceptional, with the hummus delicate and nutty, and the babaghannoj strong with the distinct taste of roasted, almost charred eggplant. I ate way more than my fair share.

The hot line was equally impressive, with multiple rice dishes, as well as roasted and stewed veggies. While they were all tasty (and that's not a cop-out statement!), I would have to say I enjoyed the eggplant with potatoes, and carrots with garlic the best. Both incorporated such surprising flavors, the eggplant being succulent and tender, the carrots both sweet and intensely garlicky at the same time. And that's when it occurred to me:

When vegetables are cooked properly, they can (and should) hold their own in a dish. Vegetables can stand up as the star ingredient when treated right.

Which is not to say that our meats weren't delicious, because they certainly were. Lauren's chicken was nearly perfectly cooked, if not a little towards over-done. But delicately spiced, and very much a good match for the veggies on the buffet.

Andy's lamb kabobs were tender and flavorful, while my shawarma was to die for. But no meat held a candle to what was quite possibly my favorite item on the line: the falafel.

Crispy, nutty, hot, fluffy on the inside, perfectly seasoned, and never, ever greasy... I had found a new favorite falafel. I could eat the falafel on its own, as a meal. I could buy them in bulk and bathe in them. I'm considering dumping my old feather pillow and filling one with falafel, just so I can rest my head on it. To hell with my cat, I want a 17-pound ball of falafel instead, put a collar on it and let it sleep on my couch. Yes, the falafel is that good.

Rounding out our meal was a frosty glass of rosewater lemonade, and a few desserts. The obligatory baklava:

A crispy, tender butter cookie:

And a Kanafeh-style dessert:

The baklava was exceptional: buttery without being sickly sweet like most people are used to. All in all, the light pastries were the perfect end to a filling (and surprisingly enchanting) meal.

Report Card:
Atmosphere: A
Probably the first restaurant to earn this grade (can someone out there fact check for me?). Alaa and his family have done a wonderful job creating a welcoming, intimate space that perfectly complements their homey, comforting food.

Prices: A
The lunch buffet is extremely affordable considering the amount of items available to you, and for an extra $4, you can add your choice of meat! Dining off the menu is downright cheap, with the highest price you'll pay for an entrée being a mere $15.

Service: A
The entire staff was enthusiastic and welcoming, conversational and genuinely warm.

The Food: A
Do we see a trend in the grades? Everything we tried was delicious, with a few truly outstanding items. I can honestly say I didn't have a gripe about a single thing I consumed, and wow, was that a lot of food.

The Details:

Casablanca Middle Eastern Restaurant
(414) 271-6000
728 E. Brady St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

A gorgeous and informative website is available here, along with a menu, hours of operation, etc., etc..

Shahrazad Restaurant

I don't know of a more perfect cuisine for a warm Spring night than Middle Eastern. When Milwaukee thaws… and I mean, really thaws, there's a sort of electricity that's unique to us. We've weathered another winter, came out alive, with most of our appendages still intact, and we're ready. Ready for what? Well, the sweltering, humidity-laden, mosquito-buzzing, thunderstorm-over-the-lake, tornado siren symphony we call Summer.

It's during these numbered days that we bask, driving with all the car windows down for the first time in months, pulling out old playlists in iTunes, riding around with that same energized feeling we had when we were teenagers. It's like the weather sets us free.

It was with this liberation that we decided to take a trip to Shahrazad tonight, with the hopes of stoking the fire a bit more.

Shahrazad is one of those places a lot of us have known about for years. It's a sort of a fixture now, co-existing on Oakland with a small army of other restaurants, but seemingly against all odds, it persists. I'm glad. I've been there a few times, my first visit being in 2002.

Shahrazad is kind of murky when it comes to corralling its cuisine: described as "Middle Eastern and Persian," that leaves the door open for quite a bit. It's a sort of cultural buffet -- a little from Lebanon, a little from Turkey, a little from Indo-Pak traditions, a little from Iran/Iraq, a little from Saudi Arabia. What's important is that despite all of the influences, nothing is ever steam-rolled. The menu is terse but diverse enough to satisfy nearly every taste, and you get the distinct feeling, sitting in the dining room, that those cars passing outside might actually be camels, and the slightly warm temperatures inside might actually be cooler than the scorching desert air outside. The illusion is never Disney-esque, it just allows you to drift away from the Rust Belt, and land somewhere near the Fertile Crescent. I like it.



The interior of the restaurant is whimsical, without being heavy-handed. The beautiful Moorish plasterwork on the ceilings and crown moldings is lavishly painted, and every corner is softly lit by metal filigree Moroccan lanterns. There is an immediate whiff of spices upon entering, but nowhere near the heady, almost vaporous scent of an Indian restaurant. The tables are topped with elegant green marble, and white linen napkins sit folded at the ready at every place setting. Music is playing somewhere off in the distance, creating a wonderful sense of place, but never barging in on conversation.

I started off with a glass of my absolute most favorite drink in the entire world: rosewater lemonade. Shahrazad's is heavy and strong, very sweet and with the dark, almost erotic scent and flavor of roses in the forefront. With any other food it would be too sweet, probably cloying, but paired with the subtle heat and spice of Shahrazad's entrées, it's ideal. Cooling, exotic, and refreshing. The one thing I've always pined for is just a little garnish -- a food-grade rose petal would take the tall, fragrant glass to the stars. Just a little something for the eyes to tell the brain what's about to follow is going to be a little more interesting than plain ol' Minute Maid.

We then ordered some Hummus Bin Tahini:



And some falafel:



The hummus was marvelous. After our previous hummus debacle (please see here), I was a bit nervous, but my fears were unfounded. Creamy, smooth, rich and delicate, garnished with sumac, whole chickpeas, parsley, fresh pickled beets and cucumbers, and olive oil. Served with flatbread (and more, and more, and more, as our kind server kept bringing us basket upon basket of the warm carb goodness), it was the exact opposite of the hummus at Lulu's.

The falafel was also a pleasant surprise. Lightly spiced, the chickpea meal was coarse and airy, fried crispy and brown on the outside, and taking on just enough of the frying oil to make it indulgent and tasty without being greasy or heavy. The falafel was also garnished with the pickled beets and cukes, as well as a tangy dipping sauce. Lauren was particularly fond of the falafel, which was a wonderful shock for me: I thought she might be the one at the table to pass. When Andy asked her if she wanted the last one, her reply was an enthusiastic, "Uh, yeah!"

As for the entrées, well, here's the run-down:

Lauren: Shawirma sandwich...



Andy: Lamb Shish Kabab...



Myself: Couscous with Chicken...



With each of our dinners, we had the option of either side salad or a cup of the house Lentil soup. Andy and Lauren went with the salad, while I opted for the soup:



The soup was nice way to jump-start my taste buds. Gently spiced, with just a bit of heat, but still entirely recognizable as a legume-based soup, the texture was thick and satisfying. At no point would I have mistaken it for my Grandfather's bean soup, but at the same time, it was never heavy-handed with flavors.

My couscous with chicken was equally delightful. The couscous itself was cooked perfectly, neither rice-fluffy nor oatmeal-gummy, and with a slightly sweet flavor that kept making me think, "creamy." Not sure exactly what it was, but it was tasty, all the same.

The veggies, despite being stewed with a wonderful tomato sauce, held together perfectly. Carrots still had a delicious resistance to them, the potatoes were fall-apart cooked, and the zucchini firm but giving. There was also a yellow, onion-based sauce served, which was lightly spiced, but the tomato sauce was clearly the star of the dish.

The chunks of chicken breast had been skewered and grilled, apparently over an army-surplus jet-engine. The exterior was lightly scorched, but the inside was just done enough, juicy and tender. My only regret was the portion: lots of couscous, lots of veggies and sauce, but only four pieces of chicken... guess you can't have everything...

Andy's lamb was divine. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a lamb fan. Sure, I like gyros, and lamb curries, and I certainly love my Döners as much as the next guy. But something about straight lamb meat just doesn't excite me: there's a sort of metallic gaminess to it that to me tastes more barnyard than anything. Andy's lamb, however, exploited this flavor, with a strong, spicy marinade, and the high-heat grilling, the distinctly lamb-y flavor was amplified, but also tempered. I'm not sure I could eat an entire plate of it, but then again, I'm not a lamb guy. Please, let this not deter you from ordering a lamb dish: I'm the worst person to review anything with roast or grilled lamb!

Lauren's pita was filled to the brim with grilled chicken breast, diced fine, along with a salad of tomatoes and lettuce, dressed with a tangy and sublime tahini-based sauce. America, if you're reading this: COOK WITH TAHINI. All it takes is a little tahini, some lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, and maybe just a dash of hot sauce. BOOM! The world's most perfect summer-grilling-sauce.

All in all, our pre-summer visit to Shahrazad was a fun experience, indeed. Everything we ordered exceeded our expectations, the atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and our server was prompt and accommodating, if not a little flustered by the amount of tables she was tending to. I have full faith in recommending Shahrazad, knowing the consistent service and awesome food we've had in the years I've been going. Certainly not Milwaukee's only choice for Middle-Eastern, but without a doubt one of the best.



Report Card:
Atmosphere: A
From the moment you walk in the door, you know you're not in Milwaukee anymore. Clean, with low, moody lighting, and a soft soundtrack, the inside of the restaurant belies the basic storefront exterior.

Prices: B+
Dinners range in the $11-$18 range. A filling, delicious dinner can be had for under $20 for one, including a drink with one free refill, and even an appetizer.

Service: B
Certainly no complaints here. Our server was there when we needed her, but didn't hound us while we were eating (bonus points). My only regret... my soup spoon, MIA!

The Food: A
Authentic, fun, and something for everyone. While certainly not as complicated as a French sauce, or layered as an Indian curry, all the dishes have strong foundations in their preparation methods, and exotic flavors that satisfy novices and experienced foodies alike.

The Details:

Shahrazad Restaurant
(414) 964-5475
2847 N. Oakland Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53221
http://www.shahrazadrestaurant.com/