Monday, March 5, 2012

Make The Customer Happy...

Club Of The Week:  At Al Mandaloun the music is provided as either live performances or DJ music, and it is superb. The drinks are perfect, and the food tastes great. The venue is an old theater with high ceilings. It can be crowded, and they can take more than their capacity. This is a problem as there is no room to dance even though you have reserved a table. Should you just dance on the table? If you get there too late, you do not have a place to rest your ‘derriere'! Club owners should appreciate that we want to enjoy the music to the fullest, without fearing of losing our seats, so maybe THEY should monitor the crowds.
Mar-Mkhayel, Beirut, reservations required, valet parking, 01-565333, 03- 434333



Restaurant Of The Week: Republic: I love their crab salad!! The breakfast menu is diverse and all YUMMY. Republic has some of the best Arguiles in town. The charcoal is Sendyen, which makes a difference. Television screens are in every corner, for those who love football. The crowd is a mix of all generations, and in the summer, they have a rooftop to die for. The dress code is casual, and the price is right. The hospitality is great; the owners, who are twins, are always circulating to say hello to people. They go shake hands with regulars. Service is good but you need to give it a nudge because the place is usually packed, even though it is open from 10am till 6am. Did I mention you can play backgammon?
Zalka, Mount-Lebanon, reservations best during rush hour, 01-882660

Book Of The Week: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. If you watched the movie, you will enjoy the book much more. I read the book first and was a little disappointed by the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke. Many characters and events were omitted and I had hoped the scenes in the book would have moved me more when I saw them in the movie. It is a beautiful read, makes you think, makes you feel, and makes you more of an intellectual - how about that?