Restaurant review: Is this a test? Isn't everything, counters Injy El-Kashef Movie scenes rushed through my mind while I sat on a bench at City Stars, eyeing my no-longer-so- little Yassine as he emerged victorious from the queue, brandishing our tickets to Katkout like war trophies. When it comes to a new release of Mohamed Saad's, it is a battle zone indeed trying to secure a seat to see the comic genius's latest accomplishment. Like Adaweya, many vilify him, mainly for the exact same reason why this reviewer esteems his work: his indisputable ability to take himself as lightly as most of us never dare. What else makes us laugh so heartily if it is not his ingenious release of the village idiot that lies fearfully crouched in most of us? Katkout is a wonderful treat -- especially where a six-year-old's uncontrollable laughter rings louder than any other sound in the auditorium. It eased our appetites into even greater desire for an equally satisfactory meal. Sbarro was just round the corner, and it was time to sample the old establishment's decades- long expertise at fast Italian cuisine. The guys behind the counter work as fast and furiously as koshari masters behind their pale pyramids of carbohydrates -- only here the goods are flat and colourful. The selection of pizzas is mouth-watering, inspiring; it testifies to a wealth of knowledge on the possibilities afforded by just a little lump of dough. Vegetarian, carnivorous, marine and cheesy -- the options are dazzling. They sit tight alongside strombolli stuffed with chicken and mushroom stuffing, spinach and cream filling, or sausage and pepperoni mixes for a spicier choice. Yassine went for a slice of Pizza Funghi, having recently (finally!) inherited his mother's attachment to those small miracles of the earth, after a champignon landed quite by "accident" in his plate. He had never seen a pizza triangle so large (has yet to do New York) and was certainly amused by the promise of a single slice filling his appetite. One bite and his eyes widened with approval, his small hand drawing circles on his tummy as he licked his lips in typical cartoon character fashion. Just one day before the Sbarro experience, he had joined my ranks in the kitchen, refusing to let go of the electric mixer even after the batter had long been beaten to death. From a sampler, he now wished to become a producer himself, and before his pizza slice was finished he was ready to head right through the "personnel only" door for the Sbarro recipe. I had to stop him. "Isn't it good to learn?" he insisted. Try convincing him that there is a time and a place for everything, and the little philosopher will have you pulling at your hair in public, as he almost had me. The war in Lebanon proved an effective subject in dissuading him from seeking the ultimate pizza secret, for there was the plight of other children to discuss. I could not blame him, though. My own Pepperoni Strombolli was so good that it had me mentally flipping through all the ingredients known to me that could result in such a delectable roll of stuffed bread. As we sat at the table for two, we looked around and had to muffle some nasty remarks about the way other diners were devouring their food. What ever happened to table manners? True, the complimentary serving of additional Romano cheese was bountiful, but this was no excuse to splitter and splatter it all over the place. Nor was it any excuse for pigging out that the food was all fresh, hot, and absolutely divine. While he delved into his triple-layer chocolate cake seemingly brought down from heaven directly onto his tray, I dug my teeth in the crisp lettuce hearts of my Caesar Salad. Picking the stale croutons out of the healthy mix, I indulged with grilled chicken breasts enhancing the flavour. Another dash of grated cheese on the vinaigrette brought the taste a notch higher on the potency scale. I was ready to fall off my seat with joy at the perfect balance of textures sitting in the plastic tub. Clean (except for some customers' failure at the decent eating trial) and as comfy as your own living-room, Sbarro is a wonderful place to go -- in good company. The food will set the mood, the history will revive your awareness of what good Italian feels like and, if that is not enough, the setting will remind you, at a very reasonable price, what it's like watching the crowd walk by. Sbarro City Stars Nasr City Reviewed order: LE48
