But did we need another Italian BYO? What might have seemed like a sure bet in this city a few years ago elicited little more than a few shrugs now that the pasta wave had come and crested. There are plenty of mediocre penne pushers in that bunch, for sure. But timing, it seems, often trumps talent.
And as it turns out, Moroccan-born chef-owner Hassan Zanzoul came by his Italian repertoire at the source, learning to cook in Taormina, Sicily, and spending six years all told in Italian kitchens. It's pretty clear when one of his airy gnocchi melt on your tongue in a fresh plum tomato sauce brightened by shallots and basil, or when you snap a plump sauteed shrimp against soft white beans tinged with sage, that he learned a few things during his stay.
But it is Zanzoul's increasing willingness to cook the flavors of his native Morocco that has finally given this pleasant bistro its first air of distinction. The garlicky house-made merguez lamb sausage is among my favorites here, grilled to a crispy brown for an appetizer over a coarse hummuslike mash of chickpeas ringed by vibrant red charmoula sauce. It's also served as an entree over couscous alongside a brochette of big marinated grilled shrimp. The ever-cautious Zanzoul makes these skinless links with less chile heat than I'd like (and he'd like, for that matter), but this also allows the spice box of other aromatics to surge forth in a chorus of cumin, anise, paprika, and allspice that finds an echo in the tangy charmoula, a citrusy brew tinged sunburst red and smoky with paprika and cayenne.
