Cafe Mogador - All around great except for the wait!!

I have heard sooo many great things about Cafe Mogador and last night confirmed that all of those things were true. It's one of the few Morrocan restaurants I have been to with a full bar, and the cocktails are reasonably priced, creative, and tasty (though beware of the Cranberry Fizz, it's pretty sour). Plan to have a drink at the bar if you go any time after 7:30pm - but don't worry about service - the bartenders are very friendly and fast. The ambiance of Cafe Mogador is great for groups. Tables are cramped so it gets bustling and loud, and the waiters are so high movement that the energy is kept really high throughout. The menu is great - tons of cheap and filling Mediterranean platters (I had the Mixed platter with babaganoush, Hummus, tabouleh, and greek Salad) that are accompanied by layers of warm, fluffy pita. Start off with one of those if you are in a group of four or less. For a starter, I tried the cous cous stuffed calamari which were light, delicate, and beautifully presented. The acidity was perfect and the calamari was incredibly thin and tender. For my main course I had the chicken skewers - the menu consists of a variety of skewers including lamb, sausage, and a combo of them all - that came with rice, roasted vegetables, and a tomato salad on the side. The portions were perfect, the chicken was simple but perfectly char grilled, and the basmati rice was so flavorful that it gave me a new found love of white rice. The portions aren't huge, so expect to be hungry for dessert, which they do quite well also. The strawberry rhubarb crisp came out bubbling hot with a big scoop of unmelted vanilla ice cream - a very rare commodity with hot desserts. The dessert was just sweet enough and tart enough to finish off the meal right, as generally fruit desserts are far too sweet for my liking. The tab for four people, including four drinks, one appetizer platter, four main courses and one dessert came out to....drum roll please...only $100. What a steal for a entertaning Friday night dinner!!

I'll definitely be back to this gem of a restaurant in the East Village, and I highly encourage you to do to the same. Go with a group and arrive hungry for a meal of shared food, fun atmosphere, and speedy waitstaff performance.

Address: 101 St. Marks Place between first and A (closer to first)
Website: www.cafemogador.com
(Don't take the online menu as true to life, as there is a whole additional insert of classic American cuisine with Morrocan twists such as Risotto, Roast Chicken, Rack of lamb, and skirt steak).