Dining in Sacramento with Belly Dance!

After a belly dance show and after my belly dance class this week I feel I have to share some of my recent experiences dining at local restaurants which are associated with this wonderful dance.

Some great restaurants in Sacramento have regular belly dance performances while serving delicious food. One of the restaurants that come to mind right away is Marrakech on Fulton avenue. In my opinion they serve the best Moroccan food in town. I love the cozy and exotic ambience that’s created with all of the special cloth that covers the walls, drapes from the ceilings along with all the large cushions that are spread everywhere.

If you don’t mind family style meals where you share food from large plates while using just your fingers for utensils at least for the appetizers then this is a place you need to visit.

I love the ceremony of washing hands before and after a meal. I never experienced that in a restaurant where they bring you water and towels to wash your hands right at the table.

 I especially loved the chicken pie one of the many appetizers. It has an unusual savory taste. It has chicken and almond filling mixed with spices enclosed in a thin crust with lots of powdered sugar dusted on top; you literally lick your fingers :-) I just loved everything I ate there, from the lamb kebabs, to the baked chicken, vegetables with rice and the eggplant salad. Needless to say that the way the tea was served it was quite unique and the tea was simply delicious.

I loved watching the belly dance performance while having this delicious feast. The waiters were friendly and always posed with a smile for a photo – I guess they are used to it.

A couple of days ago I went back to Kasbah Lounge on J street for a belly dance performance. Kasbah is a smaller restaurant than Marrakech but with a comparable cozy ambience. The Middle Eastern food that’s served there is delicious. This time I had Kefta - ground spiced beef and lamb kabobs served with grilled eggplant & preserved lemon-cilantro yogurt. Being the yogurt lover I am, I loved the way they prepared the yogurt. I will definitely try preparing it that way.

Last Monday they had a belly dance show that lasted for two hours featuring many different dancers with different dancing styles. I wish I could dance like them! Belly dance looks easy but it’s so hard to dance some of the moves! I will continue practicing hoping that one day I will be able to do a simple belly dance!

Just listening to the music makes me move but not necessarily in the right direction but I move! :-)

If you are in the Sacramento area dining at these two local restaurants is a must!

Stay tuned for some of my baking next time!

Καληνυχτα - Good night.