For me, the toughest part of the pandemic has been losing my ability to travel. I got a full refund on the trip I had planned for Georgia and Armenia last May, but the wanderlust remains, clawing at me daily. The next trip I was planning was to Morocco.
The aromatic cuisine has long been one of my favorites, one that I look for when I travel around the U.S. And the dish that’s always at the top of my mind bastilla. The phyllo-lined pie is an ideal balance of sweet and savory, crunchy and tender. Since arriving in NoVA, I’ve only found one version, but it’s a beauty.
Fettoosh in Ballston isn’t one of those Moroccan restaurants that puts experience above food. You won’t sit on pillows watching belly dancers at Fettoosh. The practical tables and chairs would fit in as much at a pizzeria as a restaurant specializing in Moroccan and Lebanese food.
I dined there on a chilly night but the bastilla was enough to make me forget the cold. Filled with yielding marinated chicken, sweet caramelized onions and almonds, the pie is flavorful enough on its own. The visually pleasing diamonds of powdered sugar and cinnamon on top make it a confection almost worthy of dessert, but too darn enticing to wait.
There’s a robust menu of tagines at Fettoosh, but I was craving a meaty couscous. Despite the supple chicken, likably collagenous lamb shank and spicy merguez packed onto the platter, though, it was the collection of eight vegetables that stood out, particularly the pumpkin.
Travel will have to wait, but until I’m able to head to Morocco, at least there’s Fettoosh.// 5100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
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