On My Plate: Pre-Sahara

Any region that includes the word Sahara instantly suggests a high degree of nothingness. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Morocco has a totally unexpected slice of magic. Not only is it surprising to see what’s on your plate, it’s always a mystery where you’ll actually find it.

Where: Dar Ahlam, Skoura, Morocco

What: Rice balls drizzled with an Asian-inspired sauce. While this dish was indeed delicious, it’s not exactly what we’re here to talk about. Truly an oasis in the arid and pebbly southern part of the country, the one of a kind Dar Ahlam adds a measure of mystery to every meal. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you never know in advance where you’ll be eating. And you never eat in the same place twice. They may prepare your breakfast table on a rooftop, lunch may be served in the orange grove (with your feet dangling in the cool water of the adjacent canal), and dinner may be in a hidden in a luxurious corner of the fantastic mud Kasbah. It’s always private and always quietly theatrical.

Charlie Scott has taken to eating his lunches on our rooftop, though the service seems to be lacking.