Sac Foodies

Last month while traveling for work, I got the opportunity to spend an evening with my friend Amelia who lives in Chicago. Since we were in her neighborhood I asked her to pick a restaurant for dinner, which is how we landed at Tizi Melloul, and I’m glad we did. Tizi is a Mediterranean restaurant with a contemporary lounge feel. The restaurant was pretty empty for a Thursday night, which always makes me a little nervous, but I was quickly reassured that we had picked a winner when our drinks arrived: the Fizi Tini (sparkling wine and pomegranate juice with a twist) and the Cucumber Martini (vodka, cucumber, mint, simple syrup and fresh lime juice with a cucumber slice) were both refreshing and a fun way to start the night.

There are some things that I usually can’t turn down on a menu, and mussels is one of them. When our server told us their fire-roasted Prince Edward island mussels were one of their signature dishes it sealed the deal. They were not served in a typical broth, but roasted and covered in a mixture of spices and served with a small dish of melted butter and spices for dipping. If you go to Tizi Melloul and order one thing, make it the mussels. You won’t be disappointed.

Most of our night consisted of catching up and the usual gossip, and our meal was also great. We ordered a mix of salads and the grilled salmon entrée. We capped the dinner off with espresso martinis. Yum. If you are in Chicago and looking for something a little different I would recommend Tizi Melloul… if you have a large group you should check out the Crescent Room as it looks like even more fun, with lots of lanterns and floor/table seating!

Tizi Melloul
531 North Wells
Chicago, Il, 60610
312-670-4338

By Christine Moravec