My wife and I along with two friends, wanted to go to Mataam Fez, which I had gone to about 15 years ago, and remembered fondly. Unfortunately, it is no longer in business. After some quick google searching, we discovered a similar restaurant, Tajine Alami, in Manitou Springs. Since we were going on Friday night, we made reservations to be safe.

When we arrived, our friends were already there, waiting in the lobby. They had been there for several minutes, and hadn't seen a single person. I poked my head back into the dining room, and caught an employee's eye (the owner?). He came up, and told us a bit gruffly to "take your shoes off back there", gesturing to a side room, just off the lobby. We did so, then he led us into the dining room.

We were led to a corner table, and sat down. The tables are very low, and we sat on pillows on the floor. Overall, the atmosphere was very casual and relaxing. Unfortunately, this was mostly spoiled by the party sitting adjacent to us - they were extremely loud and boisterous, making it difficult at times for us to hear conversation at our own table. Come on people, have some class. It's cool to go out with your friends and have fun, but you aren't the only people in the world.

The menu is pretty simple, all you really need to do is to choose an entree (I went with the lamb and whole artichoke), and soup (I chose lamb lentil). The rest of the meal is fixed (although they do have vegetarian options.) Also, Moroccan's haven't invented silverware yet, so you must eat everything with your hands, which turns out to be quite fun, but a bit messy!

The waitress brought around a huge basket of bread for us to grab pieces of. I think the bread was made with wheat and honey. It was good, but didn't seem super fresh. The soup came right after the bread, and was delicious. I especially liked sopping up the soup with my bread.

A "salad" came next. It was really a platter with tabouli, beans, carrots, and some sort of eggplant mash on it. Also, there was a dish with water, lettuce, and pineapple in it we were told to use as a palette cleanser. The tabouli was awesome, I couldn't get enough. The beans were also great. I didn't care for the eggplant, and the carrots were just "ok" to me - they were a bit sweet, and reminded me somewhat of beets.

The next course was bastilla, which was unlike anything I've ever had. It was a mixture of chicken, egg, almonds, and some other stuff (honey?) wrapped in a very light pastry, and topped with generous amounts of powdered sugar. It was also quite hot, which made it a bit hard to eat with our fingers! We managed, and it was fantastic.

The main course was next. I love artichoke, and I'm pretty sure this was the best one I've ever eaten. It didn't come with any kind of sauce to dip it in, but rather, it seemed like a buttery flavor was completely boiled into it. The meat practically fell off the leaves; it was extremely tender and flavorful. I had two pieces of lamb. The first one was so tender and delicious, it practically dissolved in my mouth. It was so good, that the second piece was a bit disappointing by comparison. The second piece was a bit dry, and turned out to be quite a bit of work to eat.

After the meal was done, we were brought baklava. While tasty, it had just a hint of burnt flavor, and I could see black on the bottom. It still tasted good, and I gobbled it up.

Finally, our waitress brought us some sweet mint tea to finish off the feast. I had heard of the "tea trick", but had never actually witnessed it. She poured each glass in a cool and unique way - one balanced on her elbow, one on her knee, etc. After pouring each glass, it was delivered to its recipient with a fancy, smooth flourish. The moment was broken on the final glass (mine), when the kettle ran out of tea halfway through the pouring. The waitress chuckled an "oops", and ran off to get more tea, then just poured normally to top off my glass.

I can't wrap this up without mentioning the belly dancer! Around 8 o'clock, she whirled into the room, and launched a series of dances that we enjoyed while finishing our meal and eating dessert. She was friendly, and danced with a young child who was there, and also convinced several volunteers to get up and join her in a Moroccan folk dance (nobody at my table was brave enough to try). At one point, her scarf got tangled up in the chandelier, which got her a few laughs. She managed to recover and finish her routine (leaving her scarf hanging from the light fixture). Overall, she seemed to enjoy, and be good at what she was doing, and we appreciated the entertainment! It was a lot of fun.

I can heartily recommend Tajine Alami to anyone with a lot of time and a lot of money (expect to pay at least $40/person, more if you order alcohol or tip generously). It is perfect for that rare date night, or a night out with friends, but it isn't something to do every day. It was a very rich, unique experience that I will remember for a long time, and we all had a terrific time, despite a few hiccups.