September 1, 2009; Tweede Jan Steenstraat 1, Amsterdam @ 20.00
Today our dear friend Noam invited our 'inner circle' of friends to celebrate his birthday. Not everyone could make it and from those who could not all had arrived yet. But I didn't have my normal camera so I got this shot before the light was too dim for my cam phone.
Noam decided on a neighborhood Lebanese restaurant called Artist. None of us had been there ever and no one knew anyone who had so it was a bit of a gamble. And sometimes gambles pay off big time and tonight was one of those occasion. The food was really good, the atmosphere was cozy and warm and the couple that owns the place are really wonderful, wonderful people.
Artist is run by a husband-wife team and their son works there also. From the husband and wife, one is Lebanese Jewish and the other is Lebanese Christian. We never figured out which was which and it didn't really matter. They really made us feel like we were guests at their home enjoying that legendary Lebanese hospitality. Noam had made no prior arrangements and thought everyone would just order a la carte. Fortunately the owners had a different idea.
Knowing we were there as a small group celebrating Naom's birthday they just took control, not allowing us to even see the menus. "Don't worry," we were told, "sit back, relax and enjoy. We take care of everything."
They put down a great spread of appetizers: falafel balls that were very original in their lightness and seasoning, baba ganoush that had been perfectly roasted, tabouli with a fresh mint and tomato flavor, lebne, dolmas, Fatayer B'jibneh (mini pizza like things with feta) and Lahme B'Ajin (mini pizzas with ground lamb and pine nuts). Then came two dishes for the main
course: the house specialty Riz' 'a Djej (spiced rice mixed with chicken and almonds) and grilled ground lamb meat with kibbeh (meat pie with cooked bulgar wheat, chopped mint and onions mixed into ground lamb meat). And of course the wine flowed like the head waters of the Al-Litani river.
When desert came out we were all surprised by a plate of delicious sweet baklavah with one in the middle with a candle! They played a kind of Arabic motief happy birthday tune to which Noam, never one to be shy, did his best imitation of an exotic and mysterious belly dancer.