Business Spotlight: Cafe Paprika Restaurant

Cafe Paprika Restaurant lies in the heart of Norwood, offering a unique Mediterranean Taste Kitchen with an eat-in and take-out menu, as well as a catering menu that can be customized.

Norwood Patch sat down with Lahcen Abaichi to find out about the special menu and how to get our couscous on?

Norwood Patch: How long have you been in business in Norwood?

Lahcen Abaichi: We opened in Norwood in 2007 and feature a very unique cuisine which is reflective of the North African (Moorish) and the southern part of the Mediterranean (Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese) which should not to be confused with Middle Eastern cuisine.

Everything we make is made to order. You wait on your food, not our food waits on you. And we do respect all dietary restrictions and 80 percent of the menu can accommodate Gluten free guests with no problems.

Norwood Patch: What are some of your specialties?

Lahcen Abaichi: Our specialties are very delicious and unique and are cooked in clay pots called tangines. The couscous and fish dishes have allot of fragrant spices but are not spicy. The Mrouzia almond chicken is a great combination of cinnamon, raisins, caramelized onions with saffron broth. The fish tagine is a delicate and light dish and the kefta tagine is a truly comfort food.

We also offer a big selection of salads and artisan sandwiches, herbal teas and dessert coffees. Paprika is truly a laid back place where one is not rushed. Our mission is to know and remember all our guests and their request by heart.

We also serve a wide range of salads such as chicken chopped salad, a favorite, grilled salmon salad and fried calamari salad with homemade vinaigrette. All natural ingredients with no artificial products or sugars are added.

Our artisan sandwiches, are served with the famous honey slaw on focaccia bread. We have chicken melanaise, lamb sandwich, rustic eggplant sandwich, and a refreshing turkey nicoise. A favorite is the "boccadillo" sandwich that will suit your taste with chicken, chorizo, or homemade merguez sausages.

Norwood Patch: Does your menu ever change?

Lahcen Abaichi: We do change the menu as often as possible, to keep things interesting without taking away certain items that are a must for our regulars. 

Norwood Patch: Do you do any catering or special events?

Lahcen Abaichi: Yes, we do bulk catering orders for special events and parties. We also do off site cooking at guest houses for parties of 50 or more.

Norwood Patch: Can you tell us about this beautiful collage of photographs on your wall?

Lahcen Abaichi: The collage is a collection of personal pictures of places that I have been and people that i know including my mom who is featured.

Norwood Patch: How did you come up with that line, "Get Your Couscous On"?

Lahcen Abaichi: It is a play on words and a double entendre, to make things fun and also guide the guests to our famous ingredient that is couscous, a staple of Moroccan cuisine.

For more information contact 781-440- 0060, visit paprika-online.webs.com or follow the business on Twitter @CafePaprika.