Moro, 1st to bring Moroccan cuisine to Napa, may open at Oxbow as soon as next week

Napa chef Mourad Lahlou is set to open his newest restaurant, Moro, in Oxbow Public Market.

Lahlou’s culinary expertise is deeply rooted in his Moroccan upbringing, having spent his formative years in Marrakesh before relocating to the U.S. at age 17 to pursue a master’s in economics.

He first earned fame for the other two restaurants he currently operates. Aziza, a casual eatery located in San Francisco’s Richmond District, is known for their popular dips, such as dill lebni and smoked trout roe.

In 2010, Aziza made history as the first Moroccan restaurant in the U.S. to receive a Michelin star.

Then in January 2015, Lahlou introduced Mourad, located on Montgomery Street in San Francisco. The eponymous restaurant represents a continued evolution of modern Californian cuisine with nods to Moroccan influences. Remarkably, the same year it debuted, Mourad earned a Michelin star.

Moro, however, will be a completely different experience.

“This will be a differentiated offering from our previous restaurants. The concept stems from night market in Marrakesh, which was Lahlou’s Favorite thing to do growing up,” said Scott Chilcutt, partner in Moro Restaurants Inc.

“The menu concept is, to pick a protein, like our short rib or chicken, then you choose to have it on a flat bread, couscous bowl, or salad, and fans of Mourad will know some of the dips spreads.”

They’ll also offer desserts, like soft serve ice cream and baklava.

“The goal is to create an elevated fast casual experience,” he said. “It’s the same short rib we serve at Mourad. The same spreads as Aziza. This is another way to bring Mourad’s passion and expertise to a different market.”

Lahlou, who relocated to Napa during the pandemic, and his team are “Big fans of Napa in general, we love the market and the food options,” Chillcutt said.

He also said they plan for Oxbow to be their “permanent location,” but he did tease growing the Moro brand into other locations in the future.