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Al-Ahram Weekly 17 - 23 August 2000 Issue No. 495 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 17 - 23 August 2000 Issue No. 495
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters An apple a day
By Injy El-KashefSo it's the coolest place in town. So what? We don't fall for that kind of pressure. As a matter of fact, the more people talk, the closer our examination, the harsher our evaluation. We found its lovely spot on the Nile, on the Gezira bank, overlooking the Nile Hilton, and with one raised eye-brow we took our seats in the smokers' corner at Applebee's, on a neat-looking boat -- looks good so far, but a shiny red apple may shelter many worms (experience dictates that, not cynicism).
Before ordering we needed to visit the rest rooms. Apart from the Picasso and Monet prints, there are also Marilyn Monroe pictures at the men's toilets. The ladies are treated to Elvis Presley, Dali and Magritte. Now, that's a sweet little touch, honestly. After all, rest rooms are places for reflection. We needed to reflect on our dinner, however, so up we trotted on the staircase, the walls graced by pictures of the great and mighty: Armstrong, Miles Davies, Jimmy Hendrix, James Brown, to name a few. "I'm beginning to really like these people at Applebee's," I thought, before cringing in front of another set of photos with erupting volcanoes and swirling tornadoes with the label "The Force of Nature." How about just hanging the photos and letting us appreciate them without the profound and meaningful labels?
A really nice waitress came up to us, squatted, rested her arms on our table, told us her name with a big smile and said she'd take care of us for the rest of the evening. Let's just make one thing clear: we were perfectly aware of the fact that that was the system over there. Cool, relaxed, friendly, easy-going attitudes, comfortable dining, best friend waiters, etc... But hey, why not? Just because we know does not mean we can't get into the let's-all-hold-hands-and-sing-we-are-the-world situation. It's fun. It does feel good to see a smile everywhere you look.
A couple of cocktails assisted us before we ordered: one really good Bahamamama (pineapple, coconut, orange and grenadine) and one not-so-great Trade Winds (who cares what it contains?). Like the decor and everything else at Applebee's, the menu bears a strong resemblance to two other American casual dining restaurants in Cairo through which steak, Tex-Mex, grilled goodies, above average portions, rich taste and after-meal guilt have all been made familiar.
The food is good, beginning with the Fried Buffalo Shrimps (excellent) and the Onion Rings (OK) down to the dessert. Our main courses consisted of Grilled Salmon with Alfredo's Pasta and Steak Milano. The steak was not gigantic, but certainly filling, tender, well-done, covered in Parmesan cheese and garlic butter. Yum. Alfredo's Pasta was frankly rather bland, but the salmon was a miracle. Indescribable, extremely fresh, brilliantly seasoned, perfectly grilled... No, no, it was fantastic.
As for dessert -- the Orio Cookie Bash -- it was very American. Quite satisfactory, very rich, big, but without the really distinctive flavour you can remember when you're depressed.
In a nutshell, we enjoyed ourselves, paid LE212, and then checked our mail for free courtesy of Applebee's.
Applebee's, 9a Saraya Al-Gezira St, Zamalek. Tel 738 1706/8/9.
