We've been sampling Moroccan street food, usually our lunch fare after class.  No pics yet, but I'm working on it.  So far we've had b'sarra, which is a Fassi specialty (from Fes).  It's a white bean soup with olive oil and garlic and served with fresh, hardy bread.  It's about 6 Dh which is less than a dollar.  And includes wormwood tea - yes, the same stuff absinthe is made out of.  Addis is currently Aaron's favorite: it's a bowl of lentils with bread and tea and goes for 8 Dh ($1).  We've also tried their version of hummus, which is really just unmashed chickpeas that have been cooked with spices (served with bread and tea).  That's also 8 Dh.  The other day I splurged and ordered tajine.  Tajines are ceramic conical dishes that you bake meat, couscous, whatever in.  At restaurants (even side cafes), they usually just use a big pot and ladle it into a tajine for serving.  Tajines are really single or double serving and used at home.  Anyway, I had chicken tajine which was chicken so moist and seasoned... with carrots and potatoes cooked in the chicken juices.  Mmmmm.  The first day we went, a large group of us ate so they brought out free sides like Moroccan salad, fried eggplant, and an eggplant tomato mash-up.  I really wish that they brought that to us all the time.  It makes them look good to have a table of foreigners sitting in front of their stall, so they keep plying you with treats to get you to stay.  And I don't think we were charged for any of it other than the main dish, which usually comes out to a dollar.  I think the tajines are a whopping 13 Dh, but a nice change (especially because they have meat).  It's always fun trying to talk to the people their in a mix of Fusha, Dareeja, French, and English.  I think I might put my old pocket Minolta in my purse so that I can more surreptitiously take photos rather than using my big new Nikon SLR.

One of our favorite Columbia, SC haunts is Zoës Kitchen. There's currently only one location, over in Forest Acres by Trenholm. This is the num-yummiest place around! I'm not a big chicken salad fan, and what originally got me in the door was the design and decor. I didn't know if it was a burger joint, a veggie place, or what, but I didn't expect it to specialize in chicken. The menu is somewhat extensive, but they keep their ingredients to a minimum.

My favorite thing, hands down, is the coleslaw. None of that mayonnaisey, watery, limp stuff you get most places. They shred cabbage and toss it with feta, chives, oil, and spices to give you the freshest tasting slaw ever. They put the slaw on the Gruben, a grilled sandwich featuring turkey, swiss, spicy mustard, and slaw on rye. I do not like rye in the least, and this sandwich is phenomenal!

I usually get the chickensalad sandwich. The first time we walked in, they gave us a free sample since we were new. Oh my goodness. It's like no other chicken salad I've had. Once again, no watery mayo with chunks of chicken floating in it. This stuff is shredded to perfection, mixed with the right amount of everything, and spread over bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. They use a nice whole grain bread where you can taste the grains. And personally, I'd hold off on the mayo because it's already in the salad.

Each table has salt, pepper, and a yummy oil-vinegar mix which I am compelled to put on the chickensalad sandwich because I like my sandwiches a little moist and I find the bread sucks up the moisture. This is the de facto dressing for the pitas and salads.

There are a couple misses on the menu: Corey ordered some chicken roll-ups one time that were blah. I think it was chicken, cheese, and marinara in a tortilla that was tossed on the grill for a minute. I also dislike the chocolate cake, but that may be because I'm a cake purist. The kabobs and salads are big hits, though.

It's a franchise located out of Texas and the franchise-owner in SC is looking at opening one up in Lexington, but I think they could be well-served in the Vista. They have a drive-thru for phone-in orders only. This serves mostly families who will order family meals. What better clientele than the government and downtown employees who are heading home? Meanwhile, they could serve the college kids in the dining room. Perhaps a bit unorthodox for this company, but good food and fun decor would be appreciated, as well as the price. http://www.zoeskitchen.com