Beeza

This is the coffee lounge area...

This is before the Italian decor was added.

Last night John and I attended the (soft) opening of a new beeza  (pizza) cafe located in a hotel that we had stayed at prior to our move.  Ali, the general manager, had called me earlier in the day to invite us.  During a previous visit he had told us that he had been trying to think of ways to gain additional business since tourists weren't coming through right now.  He decided that a pizza and coffee cafe just might be the ticket.  We agreed and told him we would be his first customers…and we were.  

We had invited another couple to join us for the event.  Ali greeted us warmly and showed us to the lobby nook which had been redecorated as an Italian eatery.  Green checked tablecloths covered the small round tables.  A red square was on top of that with fresh greenery in a vase.  The whole area would seat 10 people.

A waiter presented us with the menu and we made our choices from the four types of pizza offered.  He thanked us and said, "Have a nice time."  He continued to say this every time he left the table.  

Ali asked what type of music we would like to listen to as we dined.  We told him that we should stick with the Italian theme so he quickly created a playlist and the soothing melody of "The Godfather Theme" wafted through the air as we sipped from our canned sodas with bendy straws.

I thought it was an unusual night for a restaurant opening since it was also a day of fasting for the local majority; however, Ali told us that it was good practice for his staff since we were foreigners and they were new to the pizza-making business.

Not too long after, our pizzas arrived looking very much like they should with the exception of olives.  I had totally forgotten to ask them to leave off the olives.  Olives here are added to everything.  E-ver-y-thing.  If you say "plain" that still means "with olives."  To get "no olives" you have to be very explicit.  I had forgotten to do that.  We thanked the waiter and then discreetly scraped them off.  The olives here are very strong…almost pickled…and in my mind to be avoided if at all possible.

The pizza was good and even included tomato sauce (not always a given like olives)!  I mean Pizza Hut doesn't have any immediate worries, but still the staff was trying. Plus, there's not a Pizza Hut to be found for 500 miles.

We were eating and visiting with our friends, when Ali pulled his camera out and began taking pictures of us enjoying our food.  He snapped from every imaginable angle and I thought that this was definitely a brochure in the making.  Our mugs will probably be pasted on every cruise ship from here to Luxor, but if it helps… I've vain enough to consider asking him to Photoshop out any double chins that might appear in the images later, but it might detract from the appearance of deliciousness of the pizza.  (Double chin=many tasty slices of pizza consumed, in case you weren't following…)

Sadly, no other customers came in while we were there so I'm really glad we went.  We assured Ali that we would be back and that we would tell all our friends.  He thanked us and held the door as we exited.

We left declaring that the pizza was good and that this was a nice dining option compared to the days coming when we may be offered lamb brains and eyeballs for Eid (holiday).  Then, even olives would be a welcomed topping…