I feel like I’ve been saying I wanted to go to Aziza forever.  Between a busy travel and work schedule, it always seemed like trekking out into the Richmond was too far just for dinner.  Eventually, I finally made it, raising the question: what took me so long? Aziza is stellar.

A group of us started with a round of cocktails.  Not much ink has been spilled over their libations, but they are exciting and interesting.  Drawing inspiration from unusual starting places, they are some of the most original cocktails being served in San Francisco.  My favorite of the night was the Thai Chili cocktail.  Also good were the arugula, and tarragon.

Then the food started to arrive.  The best was the impeccably cooked squid. The meatballs, dips, and squash were all good – it seemed everyone at the table had a personal favorite.

Then our shared “basteeya” arrived.  A great balance of sweet and savory, the pastry encases a mix of chicken and ground almonds. It was dramatically cut and served tableside.

Then the mains came.  Sticking to what I was sure would be good, I ordered the braised lamb.  Everyone agreed to disagree, and insisted what they had ordered was the best dish at the table.  Truly though – mine was the best.  My wandering fork confirmed it.

Aziza is the rare case of a an eatery that lives up to the buzz surrounding it.  Each item was impeccably prepared, and served with delightful service.  It promises new american moroccan, and delivers just that – along with a great service as well.

Tags: aziza, cocktails

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 11:27 am and is filed under Flickr, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.