Mataam Fez, a very hands-on meal By Edan Goode

Here we are, half way through Denver Restaurant Week(s) and do I go to one of the hip and swank newer restaurants? No, I go to a

place that has been around forever and looks like a hole in the wall from the outside. I have lived in Denver all my life but have never been to one of its restaurant institutions, Mataam Fez at 4609 E. Colfax Ave.  With Denver Restaurant Week’s great $52.80 deals as a temptation, I decided to give it a try. I went with someone who had been there 10 years before for a tween-age birthday party. She had wonderful memories of sitting on the floor, eating with her hands – what kid wouldn’t love that! But would I, a grown up with back problems who sees the value of silverware enjoy it too?

Mataam Fez’s atmosphere is fun. It’s covered floor to ceiling in lovely patterns and upholstery with exotic lanterns that give off harsh less-than-flattering lighting. Aspects of the place have seen better days but that’s easily forgiven.

Moroccan food requires a bit of ceremony which is part of what makes it enjoyable. We were seated on low seating – either a couch that wraps around the restaurant or cushion tuffets I was grateful to not have to maneuver. We were instructed to remove our shoes and put them under the table. (Wear socks – it’s cold in there).  After having the $52.80 deal explained to us – pick any entrée except one particular lamb dish – and that entrée and the four other courses that usually accompany every meal would be included. With prices ranging from the mid-$20’s to $32 per person, the $52.80 for two people deal is a good one if you pick items on the high end.

After ordering, our server came by, handed us a white terry cloth towel to place over our left shoulder and told us to hold out our hands. He poured warm, rose water-scented water over our hands which flowed into an intricately decorated  vessel. We were told to dry our hands with the towel. Well, ya.

Our first course was Harira, a thinned lentil soup which you drink. The soup is accompanied by a piece of hearty bread. This is the only bread involved in Moroccan cooking unlike Ethiopian cooking which uses the thin, spongy Injera bread to be your utensil as you eat. Although I knew about the eat-with-your-hands rule, they should really explain ahead of time what to expect if only to avoid people calling out “hey, could I have a spoon or chopsticks or something?” and embarrassing themselves.

Second course was an interesting salad plate with diced beats, pickled potato cubes, carrots, spinach, tomato and cucumber and what might have been eggplant. This is not easy to eat with one’s hands but we managed. The palette cleanser that came with it was a carrot salad. Although it looked like my grandmother’s carrot/raisin/mayo salad of yore, it was seasoned with rose water and was cool, crisp and delicate. So far, we were really enjoying our meal and were thinking it was a great deal.

Third course turned out to be the high point for me. B’stella (or Bastilla) looks like a dessert and kind of tastes like one. A traditional Moroccan dish, it is ground chicken mixed with spices, placed in phyllo dough and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon. It’s so good that I almost didn’t care that I had pastry flakes and powdered sugar all over my face, shirt and table.

With three courses down, we got to our entrees. I had ordered the Grilled Lamb Brochettes, lamb kabobs served with couscous (usually $32.00). My companion ordered the Cous Cous Entree Selection Fez Style with a title as bountiful as what comes on the plate – couscous with chicken, vegetables and garbanzo beans (usually $29.95). In contrast to her plentiful plate, mine was two skewers of small dices of lamb on couscous with a few raisins. The chicken dish was delicious and tender. My lamb was, surprisingly, quite tasteless despite cumin, coriander, onion and a marinade.  It was a disappointment both in terms of portion size and flavor. And you know what? Couscous is unbelievably difficult to eat with ones’ hands. Because it was made correctly, the individual grains don’t stick together, darn it, like rice would. Cous cous bits fell out of my clothes as I got undressed that night!

Our filthy (well, on my side) table cloth was stripped away. At first, I thought it a gesture meant to shame us for being so messy but it turns out it revealed a pretty table top underneath readied for dessert. We got another hand washing and Lord knows we needed it. This time, our hands were sprinkled with rose water and we were told to rub our hands together and apply it to our faces. I was happy to do that. It smelled like a July evening in the garden. Ahhh.

Dessert was sweet mint tea served in glasses and a plate of very chilled mixed fruit. I was hoping for some fruity, sugary little delicacy like Turkish Delight but no such luck.

Just as we unfolded ourselves and put our shoes and coats back on, the music cranked and a lovely belly dancer appeared. Shoot! I wish we’d known she was starting at 7pm and we would have lingered a bit. They really, really need to explain some things to the uninitiated diner.

I left Mataam Fez with mixed opinions of it. Parts were good. Others were lacking. B’stilla was divine  What the dining experience did do is intrigue me into trying other Moroccan restaurants in the area. Any suggestions?