A fine bastela, but not a crowd pleaser, I fear. Raisins and chickpeas were the best of a limp lot. A supply of preserved lemons and green olives would have added some punch. The chicken was better, but either could have done with the spicier vegetables from the fish dish. A problem with Moroccan food is that, as with Indian food, the idea is often better than the reality.
Moroccan cooking uses small amounts of a variety of spices to emphasize natural flavors.
This requires chickens and vegetables with more flavor than the ones we can get delivered on Newbury Street most of the time. A real souk has fresh spices and live, free-range chickens. The Jewel has a wine list, but it is quite expensive. We took the message and didn't have wine, as beer goes better with this food anyway. The interesting items were fresh dates, which were crunchy and tasted slightly of dates.