“Hadshi Bneen” Elite Event at Suite 103

I was so pleased to be invited to the event, as one of my biggest disappointments with Reno is the lack of interesting ethnic restaurants. So how excited am I that a Moroccan restaurant is opening and I get to try it at an Elite event? So excited.
First, I want to thank Suite 103 for kindly catching up Husband and I on the courses we missed when we arrived late. They didn’t have to do that, and I was impressed with their thoughtfulness. However, I didn’t feel that any of the initial courses were particularly interesting, and they really just reflected a kind of washed-​out attitude towards the cuisine: to provide «flavors» of Moroccan cuisine without actually providing traditional items. In the end, it just seemed like kind of a dulled-​down, pan-​mediterranean sampling.
I pondered this as we waited for the main course, which took a while to come out. As I looked around, nothing in the restaurant seemed particularly Moroccan inspired. In fact, a central piece of art in the restaurant is a large photograph of a town square in Mexico. I found this perplexing, as though the owners are purposefully trying to avoid any connection to Morocco while touting themselves as a Moroccan-​inspired restaurant. I would echo Allie’s advice that more attention needs to be paid to ambiance. I feel that the design of the restaurant is undercutting what they are trying to achieve, most notably the large screen television right on the wall in the middle of a small dining room where it is impossible to ignore. From my vantage point I was facing both that screen and the one behind the bar, so the entire evening I had a 1930s gothic thriller presented by Turner Classic Movies on my right eye and some version of CSI presented by TNT on my left. To say that this was distracting as I tried to enjoy my meal is an understatement. I would strongly encourage the owners to remove the TV in the dining room. It drastically undermines the fine-​dining atmosphere of the restaurant.
With those complaints out, I will say that the main course was wonderful. I was very glad to get a sampling of the different menu options, and everything on the plate was fantastic. Now, some readers may recall my intense dislike /​possible food intolerance towards cooked orange vegetables, so imagine my delight when I tried a tiny bite of the carrot purée and I LOVED it. That’s right, I ate every bit of it, which was a real surprise for me, and I have to say that a chef that can make orange vegetables palatable has some real skill. I was so pleased to finally get some exotic flavors and interesting combinations with this course. Our overall view of the meal had just begun to turn when our desert came out, and our baklava was rock-​hard to the point where we couldn’t even cut it with a butter knife. Perhaps Husband and I both got a bad slice? Everyone else seems to have really liked the baklava, but ours was inedible.
Although we found the meal and ambiance to be inconsistent, we were still very glad to have attended. I was quite pleased to be sat with Unilocalers I had not gotten a chance to talk with before, and even some out-​of-​towners! The company was good, the music was a really nice addition, and the swag was much-​appreciated. I commend Michael T, as always, for all of the effort he puts into making these great events happen. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the meal, I am still crazy happy that Reno now has the community to support a terrific event like this.

This event was well titled, everything was delicious! My sister was my & 1, soon after we were seated were offered either Moroccan Iced Tea or Wine Spritzer. My sister ordered the spritzer and I ordered the tea. I really enjoyed the ice tea, The flavor was different and very refreshing!
On the Meze Plate I enjoyed the pickled red onions. I totally loved the Shrimp Spanakopita, I wish that I had asked for some more of the sweet-​hot sauce that it came standing in. The Hearts of Romaine Salad was fresh and tender the toasted pine nuts were very tasty, The preserved lemon vinaigrette was milder than I expected and just the right amount. The Cucumber Granita was very different, I kept going back to it trying to decide if I liked it or not. On the main dish, I was surprised by the egg. I really enjoyed the Mediterranean Shrimp and the Carrot-​Potato Purée was nicely seasoned with a pleasant texture. Everyone was surprised by it! The Baklava was some of the best that I have had, many are overly sweet, it was not.
At the end of he night they had a drawing for 4 $ 50.00 gift cards. I who never wins, won a card! As much as I would like to use it myself I am giving it to my daughter and son in law. They have been through a roller coaster of emotion lately and they really need a night out to relax and have fun. I am sure that they will enjoy Suite 103 as much as I did!
Thank you, Reno Swing Band for the great music!
Thank you. Michael T for including my sister and I in this event!
Thank you, staff of Suite 103 for your excellent service!

Moroccan food you say… heck yeah.
Thanks to Michael and Suite 103, this was my first visit here and it wont be my last!!! Everything was perfect. The atmosphere, music, food, my dinner companions, and our waiter Victor was wonderful and can make a great martini!!! I will ask for his section next time I go.
The event was top notch. I felt spoiled and was lucky to have been chosen to attend

Just realized I still needed to write a review so I know I am very late but my motto is always «better late than never.»
I want to first thank Michael T. The Reno community manager for letting me join in. He was very friendly and all smiles, just like everyone was at the event
.
There was a band playing and it seemed to be a more smaller kinda intimate setting which was nice!
We were served 5 courses with an intermezzo.
The first course was the Meze Plate which consisted of :
COURSE #1
Hummus, Tzatziki, pickled red onions, olives, sliced carrots, Chermoula and sliced roasted red peppers.
COURSE #2
Shrimp Spanakopita which consist of shrimp, cilantro, and feta cheese wrapped in a Phyllo dough.
COURSE #3
Hearts of Romaine which was topped with Feta, roasted pine nuts, strawberries and dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.
INTERMEZZO
Cucumber Granita
COURSE #4
Chicken Marengo, Lamb Ragu, Mediterranean shrimp with Carrot-​Potato purée and roasted tomato
COURSE # 5
Baklava with walnuts, orange peel, strawberry and blueberries
All was good for the exception I don’t eat seafood. It was nice to meet the Reno group and hope to see them again in the near future!
Once again, Thank you, Michael for a lovely event!

This was my first event without a co-​pilot, and I can attest to being a little nervous. But once the ice was broken, I had a wonderful time with fellow Unilocalers Sarah and Jeanie! I look forward to future events! Suite 103 is a warm little spot with fantastic service and attention to detail. The Moroccan iced tea was refreshing, but once I saw the spritzer, I questioned my choice… How do you choose between two awesome options? Anywho, I was fortunate enough to win a gift card at this event, and am saving my full review until I redeem it. Just wanted to send a big thank you to Michael T, everyone at Suite 103, and the amazing live musicians (Reno Swing Band?) for an absolutely wonderful evening!

Suite 103 has been on radar for a while and I practically drool on my keyboard every time I read someone’s review for them. I don’t think I could have clicked that «RSVP» button any quicker on this event!
I flew solo on this event, pretty rare for me, but it worked out nicely because I was seated with Annikki and Jeanie and we had some great conversation over the course of the evening.
The two servers for the night were so on it — I couldn’t believe it just the two of them serving the food, making the drinks, and checking up on all of us. They did a fantastic job!
The complimentary wine spritzer was nice and refreshing, and like Donna said, paired with the meze plate would be a great Summer dinner. I loved the shrimp spanakopita, but I’m not sure that the flavors of the sauce really screamed «moroccan» to me. The dressing on the salad was amazing, but the salad was dressed a little too early and sort of had a limp-​ness to it (at least mine). The cucumber granita — wow, wow, wow — loved this! For the fourth course, we were served way later than every table, which was fine because I wasn’t starving at that point, but I felt like everyone was kind of waiting around for us to finish up. Two of the plates delivered to our table were missing the shrimp, luckily another Unilocaler was kind enough to share. The spice on the shrimp was delicious, as was the carrot-​potato purée and the lamb ragu. And finally, the most perfect baklava — not too sweet, an abundance of nuts, fruity flavors all around. Man, it was sooooo good!
I wish some explanation came along with each dish, similar to how Supper Club is set up. I felt like we were just being served dinner, but there wasn’t really anything special (besides the food) to get us excited about the business. Also, being such a new place (and the fact that I rarely go downtown), I literally had no idea where this place was. I probably would have wandered around forever if I hadn’t visited their Unilocal page and saw someone mention that it was the old JP Mapes (maybe for future events, mention what’s nearby?) And finally, like Allie mentioned, it’s too bad the interior doesn’t have a Moroccan vibe, I think that would really help with the overall experience of dinning here.
Anyway, this event piqued my interest enough to want to make a return trip back soon. Thanks to Suite 103 for their hospitality and Michael for organizing another great event!

Another grand slam from Michael, Reno’s Unilocal CM!
After being unable to attend the last few Elite Events, I was very happy that my schedule was wide open for this great event!
My +1 and I arrived right on time, and were immediately greeted by The Reno Swing Set, a great local band, along with Michael T. himself. We were seated with fellow Unilocalers Lori and Nathan, and immediately served their drink specials, a Moroccan tea and a wine spritzer. Also on the table was a delicious meze plate with veggies, tzatziki and hummus, and some great herbed pita bread.
Next came some nice large shrimp spanakopita that were instantly devoured, then a delicous cucumber palate cleanser. For the main course, we were treated to shrimp, ground lamb, chicken, a perfectly sunny-​side up egg, and a delicious carrot-​potato purée.
Finally, the dessert. OMG! Baklava to die for! I don’t know what they did to it, or poured over it, but it was sinful in the best possible way! It’s a MUST ORDER for sure!
The service was impeccable, with the servers and owner all milling around the room checking on everyone and giving us details about the restaurant and the food. I love the size and location of the restaurant. It’s nice and cozy, almost like you’re in a private dining room, with a view of the downtown Reno goings-​on. It’s dimly lit, but not so dark you can’t read the menu, giving a nice overall ambiance.
Thanks to the owners and staff of Suite 103 for letting us invade your great little restaurant! And thank you to Michael for planning another great event, and for the gift of a rescue charger. I was also a lucky raffle winner of a gift certificate. I would have returned to Suite 103 anyway, but now we can splurge a little more than we normally would the next time we visit!

I would like to thank Suite 103 for their generosity and warmth, and Michael T. for his mad event organizational skills. Thank you both for a delightful Unilocal Elite Dinner. Not only was I privileged to hobnob with amazing Elite Unilocalers, I enjoyed event festivities, such as raffle giveaways and exclusive Elite swag.
The restaurant was lovely, with earthy brick walls and artwork throughout. An attractive bar was available. Music played courtesy of The Reno Swing Set, which was an acoustic band. Staff were flawless. The owner was outgoing and very sweet.
Food was Moroccan influenced. The event menu included Moroccan Iced Tea, hummus, tzatziki, shrimp spanakopita, hearts of romaine salad with berries, feta and pine nuts, cucumber granita palate cleanser, chicken Marengo, lamb ragu, Mediterranean shrimp and baklava with candied dates, walnuts and orange peel. Food was fresh and delicious. Oh great. Now I’m thinking of that yummy baklava again and wishing I got some to go.

Hadshi Bneen — this is delicious. An understatement.
Last night’s Elite event was like a mini ISC. The newly opened Suite 103 hosted a Moroccan dinner for us. Another great evening organized by the fabulous SCM Michael. One table of 8 in the middle of the room and several tables of four made an intimate dinning evening. We enjoyed music from the Reno Swing Set as we came in and dined. We were introduced to the owner AJ who told us about his quaint new spot downtown near the river. Victor and Merle were our servers for the evening and were really hopping– I didn’t realize it was just the two of them because they were every where.
The meal was such an incredible surprise since I have never had Moroccan food before. The Meze plate was hummus, tzatziki, pickled red onions, olives, clicked carrots, chermoula and roasted red peppers. Served with flatbread that had just been made, I watched the Chef pat out the bread. This course and a glass of wine could easily been a wonderful summer dinner on its own. Most of the table opted for the wine spritzer which was so light and citrusy on this warm day. Second course is indescribable– shrimp spanakopita with cilantro shrimp and feta cheese in a crispy phyllo dough. These guys were huge and packed with fresh flavors. The salad was a beautiful heart of romaine salad with fresh berries, feta, and toasted pine nuts with a preserved lemon vinaigrette. Are you seeing all the fresh ingredients used here? Wow, and the flavors and love really show. The intermezzo of cucumber granita was the talk of the table for us. Victor said it was strictly frozen cucumbers, but with each bite we had savory, sweet, and salty goodness. The main course was just packed with food and flavors. Chicken Marengo, thanks to Robert for explains the dish, mother and child– chicken and the egg. A lamb Ragu that was out of this world, five large Mediterranean shrimp, with a creamy carrot potato purée. Finally with very little room to spare came dessert– a piece of baklava that was sweet without being that overly sicky sweet that so many came be. It was plated with candied dates, walnuts and blueberries What a fantastic feast
It was fun to enjoy the meal with Jodi D and Robert & Nancy. Nice to see more Unilocalers from Sacramento– Amy and Janelle, glad I had a chance to meet you both.
Thanks again to Michael for the really cool gift, the charger will ensure we won’t run out of power with writing future reviews.
As always great Elite evening.

«Closed For A Private Event» — oooh, aren’t we special.
This year’s exclusive Elite swag is the rescue recharger, which gives your phone an emergency battery boost for that moment when you are about to Unilocal on your mobile phone but OMG, my battery’s dead and how am I supposed to find the best thin crust pizza within a 10-​mile radius?
Once again, Michael T pulled off a flawless event. Thank you for your attention to detail, and especially honoring my special request. Everything was fantastic, from the attentive wait staff, to the timing of the dishes placed in front of us, to the wonderful music, to the friendly owner who checked on us constantly. I loved just about every dish. My favorite was the shrimp spanakopita. Oh my my my. The simple hearts of romaine salad with its fresh berries, pine nuts and that amazing lemon vinaigrette? Outstanding.
My only (hopefully helpful) recommendation to the Suite 103 folks is to take a careful look at your ambiance. I had heard so many wonderful things about the international flavors of your menu, but nothing inside or outside smacked of exotic themes. I would have loved vibrant reds, curved arches, the spell of spices, flickering candles, gorgeous travel photos on the wall. No need to have a television showing a 1930s black and white American movie. Some minor decoration changes like that would immediately transform the room’s warmth and be more fitting of your first-​class international menu.
Thank you again for another memorable night.

Hadshi Bneen is right! This was a spectacular event and I am so glad I was able to make this dinner.
Once again Michael pulls off an awesome Unilocal event. Everything about this event from the location to the food to the service was all top notch. The place is easy to find and is literally right next door to Campo.
The meze plate was our greeter. We were seated by the window at a nice table and the starter was there to greet us. Crispy veggies, peppers and marinated olives were nibbled on with an awesome hummus and tziki (spelling?) dip. I could have eaten this all night long. The pita bread was warm and soft.
We were offered either a white wine spritzer or Moroccan iced tea. They were both fantastic. The tea was spiced with cardamom and had an amazing flavor. It didn’t need any special sweeteners at all. It was garnished with a mint leaf and it was perfect. The spritzer was large and very refreshing. It wasn’t too sweet and really complimented the meal well. Our server did a fantastic job making sure our glasses were never empty throughout the night.
Next came the shrimp spanakopita. GAH these were amazing! I have had kopita and spanakopita with just spinach and feta but wow the shrimp added was just awesome. They were crisp and the dipping sauce was sweet and tangy. Perfect compliment to one another. I could just eat these all day long.
The salad was one of my favorite parts of the night. Crisp hearts of romaine with get and strawberries. The lemon vinaigrette was delicious. It was a perfect salad for summer.
Next up was the cucumber granita. We weren’t sure what to do with it so we tried drinking it but the wonderful server came over and let us know that we were to use a fork. It was a palate cleanser but just alone this intermezzo was amazing. If I could have the recipe for this I swear I would make it every day. It was lovely and perfect for the hot summer evening.
Finally the main course came out. The chicken was fantastic. So flavorful and moist (I hate that word but since I am describing food it is ok). The lamb was interesting and had some nice flavor to it. The carrot and potato purée was delicious. Each bite was better and better. The shrimp was very flavorful and the egg was cooked to perfection.
We were seated at a table with Alyssa S. and her awesome husband Zack. What great company. They were a lot of fun and we had a blast talking about food and taking pictures. That is one thing that I love about the Unilocal events is that I always meet fun new people at each and every event.
I hope Suite 103 is a successful spot that will grow into a hot spot for Reno peeps. The owner was so kind to us and the wait staff was friendly. Can’t wait to come back on a regular night.

This was my very first experience at a Unilocal Elite event, but it most definitely won’t be my last.
In my experience all of the official Unilocal and even the unofficial Unilocal events in Reno have been top notch, but this one really raised the bar for me. Of course it did!!! it was an ELITE event !!!
I may have been one of the lucky few in the room who has actually had the privilege of visiting Morocco (the cuisine region being showcased tonight), although I’m far from an expert on the cuisine or the culture. My visit was as a 14 year girl on a high school trip that included a lunch in a Tangiers restaurant with belly dancers as our educational entertainment. To a 14 year old it was surreal… Shopping was later. I think somebody in our group bought a rug. I had saved all of my own spending money for my entire Europe trip with babysitting money though so I kept one souvenir from that lunch that I still have to this day. A small glass Pepsi bottle (circa 1985, Morocco) with both the English Pepsi logo and Arabic writing on it. To me it’s still super cool and it’s one of my most prized possessions.
The Reno swing band was also fantastic entertainment and background music for our meal. Renoites are so fortunate to have them.
The 5 courses and intermezzo were sublime. From the spicy and flavorful Meze Plate, Shrimp spanakopita, beautiful salad and chicken, lamb, egg, carrot purée main course to the Baklava dessert. I’m never left a single bite on my plate. I couldn’t pick a favorite if you wanted me too. However I was happily surprised at the wonderful flavor and texture of the carrot purée. There were so many wonderful flavors and our service was excellent. What a sweet hard working wait staff.
If you want to make your Elite guests feel «Elite» close your restaurant to all other guests like Michael and Suite 103 did for this event. It worked. Have an exceptional staff, as Suite 103 did and have your owner on hand to talk to guests. They did. Well done!
I really enjoy the seating arrangements set up before hand. I myself am not shy and enjoy meeting new people of all kinds. I love that Michael set this up. I came with Unilocaler Christine A.B. And we were seated with Unilocalers Dale and his beautiful wife Erica. Two of the most lovely, positive people you could ever meet. I couldn’t have asked for better seat mates.
Thank you so much for this Unilocal and Suite 103. Michael did such a wonderful job setting this up. Thank you Christine A.B. For inviting me.
What a privilege this was

OMG! first and foremost I would like to thank Michael and Suite 103 and our waitress Meryl for a amazing YEE of delicious Moroccan cuisine. There was a band which I don’t remember the name so please forgive me but the band was great and the music was quite soothing. The food was absolutely fabulous, my favs are the Meze plate which was a sampler of hummus, roasted veggies, sliced carrots olives etc. The shrimp spanakopita, carrot-​potato purée and the Baklava with fruit and dates. The Reno crowd were so welcoming since Amy and myself were the only ones from Sacramento such wonderful people. It was a wonderful time and want to congratulate the 4 people that win $ 50 gift cards in the raffle. Next time I’m back in Reno I’m definitely coming back to try the halibut. The service is great and the Owner is very kind and kept checking in to make sure we were all satisfied and enjoyed ourselves. Thank you for a beautiful evening! :) P. S you must try the Moroccan iced tea it’s so good.

Great setting? Check
Great food? Check
Great service? Check
Great music? Check
Great people? Check
Great zebra? Check
Ok! Must be another Elite Unilocal event!
So happy I get to participate in an Elite event at my new favorite restaurant, Suite 103. The food was marvelous. From the Meza plate with flat bread to the shrimp and cheese in Philo, to the romain salad to the cucumber granite (had to be more than just cucumber in there) to the main course of shrimp, lamb, chicken, and egg to the sweet sweet ending of baklava all was amazing and spicy and perfectly presented.
The wine cooler was the perfect accompaniment to the piquant dishes.
The service was impeccable with the right balance of friendliness and professionalism
The swing music added a whole other level of sophistication to the evening that melded well with the casual elegance of the restaurant.
Thank-​you to Michael T and all the good people at Suite 103 for making this a stand-​out event.