Two Worthless Pieces of Garbage Who Make Me Embarrassed to Be an American

Until a few minutes ago, I didn't know who Kirstie Hartle of Rome, NY and Dean Johnson of Lanett, AL were. Thanks to an update on Dispatches from the Culture Wars, I do know now.

I know that Kirstie Hartle and Dean Johnson are a couple of great, stinking floaters in the gene pool that were left here because somehow Mother Nature forgot to flush.

People like this embarrass me as an American. People like this make me want to vomit blood and bile until the sensation they produce deep down in my guts goes away.

I can't even write anything more about it. As much of a coherent response as I can muster to these two subhuman scumbags has been left as a comment on Ed Brayton's update.

I have to get outside for awhile now. The stink that Hartle and Johnson's words have left in this room are too much for me to bear. I can only imagine how foul would be their physical presence.

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Short Notes: Nom d'Blog and Taxes

I've finished off doing my taxes. Perhaps the only good thing about being a dirt-poor student is that it makes doing my taxes very, very easy. Between state and federal refunds, I'll be getting back just over $1300, all of which will go to paying down debts. The "economic stimulus" payment I anticipate in May will go for the same thing.

On an entirely unrelated point, I've been noticing that I get a lot of Google-generated hits here based on searches for the word "risal" by people from Arabic-speaking countries. I've just asked LL about that, and she told me that the word risal means something like "a newsletter" in that language. I had no idea of this; the name "Mike O'Risal" is a pun on the mutualist relationship between certain trees and fungi (mycorrhizal). That part of that name has resulted in Middle Easterners and North Africans finding my blog while searching for a newspaper to read is kinda sorta funny.

But, as the old saying goes, Pantalon daya k'tir!

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Hookah Bars in Worcester

The most recent issue of Worcester Magazine ran an article about Spiritual Haze, a hookah bar here in town. LL and I have passed by the place and keep meaning to check it out; we haven't been to a hookah bar since leaving Tallahassee and we're long overdue.

Scott Zoback mentions in the piece that

...such lounges have sprouted up all over town; one has already opened and at least two more are in various stages of planning or opening. As with sushi and Starbucks, these things tend to come in threes in Worcester.

He doesn't say anything else about these others, though. Do any of the local folks know anything about them?

I'm wondering in particular if either or both of the other two hookah lounges not named in Zoback's article are Arab-run. LL is a bit of a traditionalist in that a visit to a hookah place is, among other things, a cure for homesickness (she's Lebanese). I know Worcester has a sizable Middle Eastern community; I wonder if the other lounges are products of that community.

Besides, I love listening to LL order in Arabic. I still can't understand what she's saying most of the time, but I do like hearing her say it!

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Return to Morocco Restaurant (Worcester)

LL and I went to Morocco (at 172 Shrewsbury St., Worcester) for a second time last night in celebration of six months in Worcester. Details of our first time there a month and a half ago can be reviewed in this entry (November 19).

It's worth noting that word is clearly getting out about Morocco. We made a reservation last night and it's a good thing that we did because the place was packed. There wasn't an empty table available for almost the entire time we were there and customers without reservations had about a ten minute wait. That's not too bad considering it was a Saturday night, but calling ahead (508-459-9660) would be a very good idea if you're planning to have dinner on the weekend. Watching the wait staff try to keep up with demand was practically a floor show by itself. We watched our own waiter deliver an order and then literally sprint back to the kitchen to pick up another several times. The staff is working hard, so leave them a good tip!

We started off with a mezza (assorted appetizers) consisting of kibbi (cooked and rolled into balls), shanklish, ma'anik (lamb sausage) and stuffed cabbage leaves. The only one of these that was a bit of a let-down to us was the shanklish. Both of us tend to like the strong, sharply-flavored variety and Morocco uses a very mild version. It's prepared as part of what resembles a salad containing a lot of parsley, chopped tomatoes and green onions marinated in vinegar and a bit of olive oil, so the taste of the cheese gets lost. After two tries with that dish, I probably wouldn't order it again. The other three appetizers, however, were wonderful. The stuffed cabbage leaves were the best of the lot; I'm not sure what's in the stuffing that Morocco uses, but whatever it is practically made my eyes roll back into my head. The menu says that the small mezza ($25) serves two, but if that's the case then it's as a dinner. By the time we got through the appetizers, we were practically full. Morocco certainly isn't stingy with their servings — dieters beware!

For entrees, LL ordered lamb kabob ($20) and I had sheik el mishih ($15), a traditional dish of eggplant stuffed with ground meat and pine nuts, spiced to perfection and smothered in a practically addictive tomato-based sauce, served with rice. LL said that her kabobs were excellent though cooked slightly beyond medium as she'd requested — a minor detail considering that she didn't look like she exactly wanted to send her order back. My sheik el mishih was a little oily but otherwise fantastic. This is one of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes and I've had it at least once at every restaurant serving this cuisine at least once. Morocco's is the best I've had, easily beating out that served in the other local Lebanese restaurants and, in fact, any of those I ever went to in San Francisco as well. The only place that comes close in my experience was a place we went to near Buckingham Palace in London about ten years ago. When the menu at Morocco's says that sheik el mishih is a house special, they're not exaggerating. Special is a very good word to describe it.

We probably should have stopped eating, but we couldn't resist splitting a dessert. Based on our friend's reaction to it last time we were at Morocco, LL and I decided to try the knafe. It was quite good, though in this case we've had better. Again, in my experience, Morocco's knafe is still outstripped by that served at Aladdin's in Tallahassee. Nonetheless, if you're not planning on heading south and you still have enough room left in your stomach after everything else, give it a try. It's sweet and cheesy and topped with shredded coconut and well worth the price ($5).

Once again, the only downside at Morocco was the service, and considering how busy it was that was still pretty good. We were greeted at the door when we arrived by manager Sadi Sadi who remembered us from our last visit and, just as last time, Sadi spent a good deal of the time we were there being chummy with patrons. That personal touch sets Morocco apart not just as a Middle Eastern restaurant, I think, but generally. Judging by the crowd last night, not only does Morocco look to be turning into a local hit, but if they can keep up the quality and add the amenities they plan on adding, it may yet become a Worcester institution before long. It really is that good.

In my last entry about this restaurant, I had mentioned that they were planning to add a separate room in which to serve arguileh. They still don't have the facility; we were informed last night that state laws governing smoking in Massachusetts are causing some delays in getting it set up. The current plan is to make this available to patrons sometime in early summer. I hope Morocco can pull it off; it'd be a nice touch to have a hookah-room to which to retire after such an exceptional dinner.

All in all, our second visit to this restaurant was even better than our first. Morocco is improving, and since they started out as well as they did, I think there are great things ahead for this place. If you're within driving distance of Worcester and reading this because you've heard about Morocco and are wondering whether it's worth the trip — yes, it is. Middle Eastern cuisine is practically part of daily life for LL and I, and we're agreed that Morocco's is easily among the best you're likely to find anywhere in America.

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Morocco Restaurant: Lamb Sushi and Hookahs Come to Worcester

Note: for a more recent review (January 6, 2008), click here

Morocco Middle Eastern restaurant opened at 172 Shrewsbury Street less than two weeks ago at the site that used to be Anthony's. According to owner Sadi Sadi, it takes its name in part from the now-defunct El Morocco, a place that came to be something of a local legend. Sadi, who is Lebanese, also told me that the name was chosen because Americans see Morocco as a friendly Arab country and it's too risky to name a place something like "Beirut;" it might scare away customers. The new place isn't likely to scare anyone, though. While it's a new venture and has a couple of kinks to iron out, it promises to be something special and already has very good food and atmosphere that are going to get better over the next few weeks.

We started off our meal with a four-item mezza of baba ghanouj, ma'anik (a spicy lamb mini-sausage), lebneh and shanklish. The first two of these were excellent, particularly the ma'anik. It was the best I've had, in fact. The baba ghanouj was freshly made and had a distinctly flame-broiled flavor; clearly no cans were involved in preparation which is all too often the case even at supposedly "fine" Middle Eastern restaurants. The shanklish was a bit of a disappointment, though, being of a weak-flavored variety that disappeared behind the tomato and parsley that accompanied it.

I was glad to find araq on the menu at Morocco. I generally can't stomach the taste of licorice, but araq is the exception to the rule for me. This marks the first time I've been to a restaurant that serves the stuff, so I was only too happy to have some as part of my appetizer. My dining companions chose from the decent wine list a Lebanese red wine. I generally find Middle Eastern wine a bit too sweet for my palette, so I passed on that.

For dinner, I ordered the kibbe nayye, an item that one doesn't see on menus too often due to people's health concerns (admittedly, eating raw meat is a bit of a risk these days, but how could I resist?) The last time I had the dish was at a restaurant in London about 10 years ago, so I was overjoyed to find a favorite on the menu here. My kibbe was served with onions and a spicy tomato and olive oil-based sauce; the presentation was excellent. There really is nothing quite like a glass of araq and a plate of raw meat to put one in the mood to howl at the moon! LL had beef shawarma which she thought good but not great (I tried a bite and thought it was excellent, but I defer to her vastly greater experience in all matters of Middle Eastern culture and cuisine). Our other companion had fish in a tahini sauce (I've forgotten the exact name; sorry) that he complained was too salty. Again, I'm not generally a fan of Middle Eastern fish recipes; they tend to be a bit overcooked and dry for a guy who, after all, likes to have the occasional plate of raw lamb brought to him.

For dessert, I had a rice pudding that was simple, not overly sweet, and quite good. LL had hawasi, a cheese-based cold sort of thing that I wish I could describe better. You'll just have to try it for yourself. The other member of the party had knafe. I didn't try any of it, being far too stuffed by this point, but he proclaimed it the best he'd had in nearly forty years of eating Arab cuisine. The moral of the story is, leave room for dessert when you go to Morocco!

The restaurant is dimly lit and has great atmosphere. Arab music is played and a big screen TV near the full bar was showing Middle Eastern music videos while we were there. Now, let me add yet one more thing to my list of items that make me want to howl at the moon — Arab women with long black hair and big brown eyes. I found the combination of araq, my entree, Hayfa Wehbe and Diana Haddad to be rather stimulating. If only there had been a full moon last night!

The biggest problem Morocco has right now is service, which was a little uneven at times. It was a minor problem, really, and will no doubt get better in time. The place has been open for less than two weeks, after all. Even in this instance, service was friendly if wonky and Sadi himself is a personable guy who was working the tables as we ate. He's got big ideas for the place, of course.

In the next few weeks, Morocco will be opening a separate room for smoking arguilleh. The one thing we've missed since moving here from Tallahassee has been a hookah bar at which to hang out. There isn't one in Worcester, although there are nearly two dozen in Boston. Still, that's an hour away, so having one coming to Shrewsbury Street is a positive development. Sadi also told us that there will be live belly dancing and music starting in a couple of weeks, so I'm sure we'll be making additional trips in the near future.

Morocco is located at 172 Shrewbury Street at the corner of Lyons. Reservations are suggested on the weekend (call 508-459-9660), and I'm sure they will be a necessity once word gets out about the place. It was about half full last night. There's no parking lot, so a walk may be necessary, but well-worth it. Even better, leave the car home so you can drink more araq!

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Some Time Out with LL

I was supposed to attend a UFS meeting this evening. I was going to meet HaDe there to get the check for the living room set, but she phoned and said she was called out of town. I wasn't really into the topic of discussion tonight (Darfur; been done to death), so I decided that I'd blow it off and surprise LL with a night out after she finished teaching.

I drove to campus and made it with a few minutes to spare. When LL was done with lecturing, I took her for dinner at Pitaria and then to Aladdin's for a sheesha. We tried the bubblegum flavored tobacco; it wasn't particularly good. I could taste something sweet, but not bubblegum. We weren't impressed; my favorite combination is still chocolate and hazelnut. Aladdin's has a big screen TV and gets Arabic satellite TV. We watched a bunch of videos and I played my usual game of trying to figure out where the performers were from. I'm getting pretty good at it. As it turned out, one of the videos we saw was performed by a woman who was one of LL's best friends when they were in grade school. Nawal something; I forget her last name and couldn't quite pronounce it even after several attempts. I did learn tonight that the word "makshouf" means "revealed" and "nagm" means "stars." I completely cracked LL up with a joke about Flowbee disasters. Anything that connects to your vacuum and cuts your hair can't be a good idea, right?

We had a nice, relaxing evening. LL was completely exhausted when we got home about half an hour ago and has gone to bed. I expect to be doing the same in about an hour.

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