Casablanca Café (1609 Polk at Sacramento) has newspapered its windows. You bohemians will have to find a new place to smoke your smelly hookah and drink your discount beer. Interestingly enough (or not), the other Moroccan spots in the ‘hood, Tajine and Cossu, have also recently shuttered their doors — anyone want to cry foul?
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Casablanca Cafe was one of those places that, quite literally, never had a single customer, but somehow managed to stay open for several years.
My guess is that they finally got all of their drug/terrorist money laundered, so they didn’t need the front business any longer…
Tajine closed on Polk and moved a few blocks over to 2080 Van Ness Avenue. I ran into the owner a couple of months ago, and he said that business is great.
http://www.tajinerestaurant.com
The owner of the Royal Ground on Polk Street recently bought out next door neighbor, Casablanca and they are inside making renovations. Hopefully the choice to go into the restaurant business won’t suck Royal Ground dry. Coffee is one thing, food service is another…
I don’t know when you talked to the owner of Tajine, but it has been closed for quite some time on Van Ness. Details available on their web site. http://www.tajinerestaurant.com/
I won’t miss Casablanca. Their food was expensive and gross.
I’d assume most people would disagree with me, but I actually miss Pasha restaurant (the location is still there, depreciating, at Polk & Broadway).
For my Middle Eastern fix I usually go to Baladie in the Financial District (cheaper) and I gotta get back to Alborz at Sutter & VanNess (much more formal).