20 cAsual dining mAgAzinE / FEATURE FEATURE / cAsual dining mAgAzinE 21 FIFTY YEARS ON FOR THE CRAFT GUILD OF CHEFS The lamb shank tagine is something of a signature dish at Meimo, and the recipe has been included in All aboard the Craft Guild of Chefs 50th Anniversary Recipe Book; The Marrakech Express Service is the deserved recognition for the Aitbenmoussa family’s Charles Campion eats at Meimo in Windsor right side authentic recipe. Editorial: Charles Campion of slick Once upon a time, the tourism season in on this opportunity and there are islands is a sense of generosity about the large pitta and a rather fine flatbread. Fittingly, the Overwhelmingly popular, the lamb shank the Red City. The wine list is not grasping, Britain was a fairly predictable affair: the of brightly coloured outdoor seating down number of dishes. Some are ‘backstop’ star of the show is the pastilla (£7.95). This is tagine (£14.95) comes in the traditional clay and hidden among the New World options hordes would arrive in April and be with the middle of the brick paved street – two dishes – a ribeye steak (£15.95); chicken an elegant pie made using filo pastry with a dish with a conical lid. The shank is cooked there are a few interesting Moroccan wines us until October. With the crowds would Italian eateries; a German bakery; a crêpe salad (£9.95); roast half chicken (£11.95); filling that teams chicken with almonds and long and slow to melt all those connective at sound prices – Ksar Rouge, Ben M’Tir come enthusiasm, a passion for happy specialist; a burger restaurant; plus an a burger (£11.95); and grilled seabass orange blossom water. This pie is ser ved with tissues and get the goodness out of the (£4.95 a glass and £20.50 a bottle). Paul snaps, and a good living for all those ‘Ye implausible number of coffee shops. (£14.95) – which are designed to appeal a dusting of icing sugar and is one of the few bone. The result is an epic, gluey gravy and Bocuse – the grand old man of French Olde Sweet Shops’ and vendors of plastic You’ll find Meimo close to the cross roads to customers uneasy about unfamiliar classic dishes that successfully combines meat that just slips off the bone. That gravy cuisine – is reputed to have said that after policeman’s helmets. at the bottom of the hill, a small Moroccan Moroccan dishes. sweet and savoury. Indeed, Moroccan dishes is further enriched with dried apricots and France, Moroccan cuisine is the best in the Restaurants scrabbled to keep up with restaurant that has built up a loyal following As you would expect, simply combine work well for diners avoiding gluten or prunes, one of the few occasions when fruit world, which makes it all the more puzzling the ever-changing accents and unusual among locals. Selling authentic Moroccan several small dish starters and you have a sticking to vegetarian dishes. works well with meat. As a final grace note that good Moroccan restaurants are so dietary requirements. For businesses, it’s food to all those tourists visiting Windsor lavish mezze. The hummus (£4.45) is well At Meimo, the small dishes selection the tagine is sprinkled with sesame seeds. few and far between. Perhaps the answer hard to cope with the sheer unpredictability Castle is a difficult ask, but the locals know made and not over processed. The carrot includes a dozen items that are gluten-free It is a very good dish indeed. There are to this conundrum lies in the nature of of it all and now to make matters worse, good food when they see it and business zaalouk (£4.45) is most impressive, a good and eight that are suitable for vegetarians. also four vegetarian tagines that are worth Moroccan dishes? They tend to work best the tourist season lasts the whole year. is brisk. Meimo is run by Abdul and Amina balance between sweet and savoury, and Another very popular series of dishes exploring: loubia (£10.95) is made using when home-cooked rather than as showy Parties of rugged Australians will not allow Aitbenmoussa, and is a family restaurant very rich. By way of a change, zaalouk can are the brochettes. There’s a chargrilled cannellini beans; or tagine mangoub (£10.95) over-presented restaurant food. At Meimo the autumn or winter weather to spoil their that has its roots in Marrakech. When also be made from aubergine (£4.95) – once chicken brochette – marinated chicken, is made from slow-cooked broad beans. the presentation on the plate is simple. The trip to Windsor. The town is buzzing both the couple decided to set up their own again with concentrated flavours and a great grilled and served on a bed of rice with T h i s i s a f r i e n d l y , f a m i l y r u n e s t a b l i s h m e n t family recipes are cherished, the kitchen in and out of season. Peascod Street runs restaurant, Abdul was working as front of texture. That great North African classic, a perky little salad (£13.45). Or there’s and service is the right side of slick. The knows its business and the service smiles. down from the castle walls through the house in an Italian restaurant further up briouat (£5.95), is done well: ultra-crisp the formidable mixed grill (£14.95) – a dining room is not over-dressed, but there No wonder locals have warmed to the centre of town; the spine linking the various Peascod Street. Amina spent a year working filo cigars with a filling of goats’ cheese skewer of chicken; a skewer of lamb; a are a few bright red hangings that are place, despite the fact that Meimo is much glossy shopping malls and famous name in the kitchens of Le Stylia – a 760-seater in and spinach. On a simpler note, you could skewer of kofta and a merguez sausage. appropriate, as Marrakech is nicknamed more Marrakech than Windsor. fashion shops. The only way to cope with the Marrakech where her aunt was head chef opt for prawn pil pil (£7.95) – large prawns, surging waves of people was to banish cars, – before returning to Windsor and opening accurately cooked so that they have not Abdul and Amina Aitbenmoussa, Meimo Restaurant, 69-70 Peascod Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1DE, so Peascod Street is now pedestrianised. Meimo with her husband. The menu at gone soggy, with a rich tomato and harissa (01753 862222) meimo.co.uk / charlescampion.com The town’s restaurateurs have cashed in Meimo is a large and colourful affair. There sauce. The breads are good – conventional casualdiningmagazine.co.uk casualdiningmagazine.co.uk.