Restaurant Week at Tangierino

As soon as I stepped into Tangierino restaurant in Charlestown, MA, I felt like I was entering a different world.

A very pretty world filled with orange and red and pink. Plus gold and yellow and silver. An exotic world filled with Morrocan music, hookas, low couches, curtains and drapes, nooks and crannies, and rose petals. Oh and a belly dancer.

A belly dancer during dinner?

You betcha.

At Tangierino, we were greeted by beautiful chandeliers and a hookah (there is a a hookah bar/lounge in the basement called Koullshi).

And as we were ushered to the bar, I just kept saying “wow” over and over again, as I was mesmerized by the beautiful lamps and overall decor.

My friends and I were there for our monthly Supper Club (organized by the lovely Erica) and also to take part in Restaurant Week, where the city’s best restaurants offer a 2-course lunch for $15 or a 3-course dinner for $33.

We sat in one of the curtained off sections similar to the one above, all drapes and jewel tones and pillows. Very Sex and the City 2.

Our friendly server Nick walked us through the menu and informed us that the appetizers in the Restaurant Week menu were half the size of the appetizers in the regular menu, while the entrees were identical portions. He also let us know that the lights will be dimmed soon for the belly dancer.

It was my first time seeing a belly dancer and she was fantastic. She went around the different tables for a few minutes and basically captivated the whole room.

And then the food came, and we became even more enamored with Tangierino. The dishes I chose from the Restaurant Week menu are also available in the regular menu:

Sahara Shrimp – shrimp drenched in spicy charmoula, Moroccan spring roll, and herb-grilled crostini. I really liked the spicy sauce and would definitely order this again.

Sultan’s Kadra – Za’atar spiced rack of lamb, three cheese filled eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, figs, apricots, rosemary. I heard that this dish is one of their best sellers and I could taste why. The lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned but, for me, it was the three cheese filled eggplant that was the star of this entree.

Note that in the regular menu, this dish is $32 but since we were dining during Restaurant Week, we only paid $33 for all three courses. This is one of the reasons why I love Restaurant Week!

Chocolate fondant – layers of rich chocolate and strawberry. I have to admit that I wasn’t really a fan of this cake. It was a little dry and could’ve used more strawberries, instead of the 1/4 slice it came with…

But in spite of my disappointment with dessert, we did end our dinner with something fabulous:

Moroccan tea with mint and honey. I dare say that this was the best tea I’ve ever had! I loved the sweetness and warmth.

A place where there are belly dancers at dinner, where I prefer tea over chocolate? Tangierino is indeed a very different world, but a world I’d love to come back to over and over again.

What’s the most exotic restaurant you’ve ever been to?

Tangierino on Urbanspoon

See my favorite dishes at this restaurant on Tasted Menu

   

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