Restaurant review: Mommy, I want my juice! With an eye on the carrots, Injy El-Kashef samples Levantine attitudes No sooner had the August heat started ruthlessly scorching our part of the globe with temperatures that seemed to be intended as a collective punishment, than the advent of September amazingly and suddenly switched on a celestial air conditioner. And thus we crawl out of our holes like ants with the change of season, we get in our cars and we drive out into a brave new world. Casper and Gambini's was the choice of venue this week, as beginning-of-the-month wallets could now afford to buy the promises spelt in their menu. My friend and I had just come out of a movie and needed proper sustenance to refuel our tanks before engaging in the film discussion that, as usual, was sure to draw much energy out of our conflicting opinions. Miraculously, we found a table at Casper's. As soon as we sat down and began establishing eye contact, though, something terribly wrong seemed to happen -- why was I suddenly much taller than my friend? ("When and why did you shrink" were actually my exact words as I looked down to ask her). Had my mind not been preoccupied with matters of great interest to humanity I may have noticed sooner that it was simply the different seats we were on -- mine being a wooden chair, hers being a leather fauteuil. Needless to mention, I vehemently refused to even open the menu for perusal, in fact I refused to do anything whatsoever, before I was brought a fauteuil too, what the--! Soup is always a good idea, temperatures allowing, and we both settled for the -- you guessed -- mushroom soup. For drinks, which we thought should arrive before anything else ("think again" is what the service prompted us to do), she opted for an orange squeeze while I, in my eternal quest for big eyes the better to see you with, requested carrot juice. While munching on some delicious freshly baked brown bread and olive paste as we waited for anything, anything at all to arrive, I rejoiced a number of times to see the tall carrot juice glasses leaving the kitchen, expecting that it would be my order with a big bright smile, only to find the waiters swerving away from our table. The elegant white porcelaine soup bowls had long landed before us, with thin slivers of breaded onion rings to the side, and still no sign of my juice. Huffing and puffing, my tolerance nearing its limit, I took the first spoonful and closed my eyes with approval -- minced mushrooms and creme had been prepared with much garlic and seasoned to such perfection that indulging was a mouth-shutting experience. Truly delicious; but, there went the last spoonful and STILL no juice! An unsuspecting waiter who thought he was just going to glide by our table was beckoned by my hand signal. Looking at him with a gaze that spelled "off with his head" and a tone of voice that was hysterically calm, I inquired about my juice, to which he replied with such Lebanese charisma and vivacious pleasantry that I let him live. With my juice, delivered by a group of four apologising waiters, arrived my Casper and Gambini burger, which was a sight to behold. Aklek menein ya batta became a pertinent question as the puffy bun, the thick minced meat patty, the tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, onion and cheese all piled into a delectable yet somehow unapproachable affair. While I distracted my friend with movie lines and laughter, my hands attempted to imperceptibly flatten the burger a bit for manageability until it became possible to engage in that first bite with a minimum of elegance. If my son was around he would have probably had to remind me of table manners as I hoovered it down. Save for the carrot juice, Casper and Gambini's was a dining experience that left nothing to be desired -- and nothing in our wallets, either. There is an open air terrace, so crowded that breakfast might be the only time to catch a seat if you really must avoid the smoking clientele. Take your time with the menu, for the choices need studying, but make sure you order the drinks as soon as you arrive -- unless you are fishing for the waiters' shower of apologies. You have been warned. Casper and Gambini's Citystars Nasr City Reviewed order: LE150
