23 - 29 August 2001
Issue No.548
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 23 - 29 August 2001 Issue No.548 |
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The heat is on
Injy El-Kashef attends a college reunion
The hair dryer that has been released on us from the heavens is still blowing full power, as we all continue to wipe precious pearls of sweat from our tanned brows. Really, it has been unbearable. And when I realised it was time to leave my air-conditioned palace, head out to a restaurant and eat a full meal, I nearly fainted. The prospect seemed gruesome and cruel; this is the life of a restaurant reviewer, and such are some of the life-threatening perils that accompany such a hazardous occupation.
So I rebelled. Simply couldn't face it. Then again, when I concentrated hard on finding a solution to my dilemma, I figured out a way of making everybody happy. What I could do, I thought, is go to a cool nightspot where most of the emphasis is on drink rather than on food, and where one might have the opportunity of spending a few hours without necessarily having to eat the night away. So since I had heard that the Cairo Jazz Club, that little den of pleasure we all know and love, had been given a face lift with new management and all, I decided it was the perfect place under the circumstances.
Before I could even walk through the door I had already met half of my old university friends, and such a pleasure it was to realise that most of them were basically just as moderately successful as I have turned out. None of them owns anything of much value: no yachts, no Jaguars, no villas in Monte Carlo. That was a good start. Very few things are worse than bumping into 10 old friends and feeling that you could be wiping the floors of any number of their factories. Destiny, then, was kind on this particular night. Drink followed hard upon drink, the truth came out with more clarity and I had every reason to believe that there was no room for envy in the party.
The Jazz Club was always a nice place to hang out, but the new look has added much coziness to its already relaxed atmosphere. The walls have been painted a deep dark peach colour decorated with replicas of masks originating from Mahmoud's workshop in Baharia Oasis, the ceilings are black, and the interior has been rearranged to accommodate bigger and more comfortable, if less numerous, seats. Unfortunately, however, the cooling system was having a hard time keeping up with the furnace outside and so every once in a while it was necessary to wipe a little sweat from under one's nose -- or was that the effect of the reasonably-priced beer that kept diluting the life stories of the group?
Sooner or later it is time to eat, hot or cold. And although all I had was one pizza, I believe it was good enough to sustain an entire review. It was a margarita with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic and basil, and boy was it good! Exquisite dough, perfect flavour, delicate delectable balance, and huge enough for me to offer a friend a whole slice without having to worry. If it has been a while since you've had a really pleasant, relaxed and cozy evening, head to the Jazz Club. They will take good care of you.
Cairo Jazz Club, 197 26th July St, off Sphinx Sq., Mohandessin.
Tel: 345 9939
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