So, Cleopatra's Restaurant has been open for 4 months now. Wow! It seems like a lot has been going on since then. I can't remember when did this crazy idea come to my mind. It must have been flirting with me for some time. I lived by myself for few years during which I found myself going to the kitchen and trying to remember what my Mom was doing 20 or 30 years ago. I was the oldest son, so I helped her a lot with many things including in the kitchen. Most of the time she would ask me to chop an onion or peel off some vegetables, fry something. Sometimes when she was late out she would call me and tell me to put a cup of this on 2 spoons of that, and then do this and do that, so that dinner is ready on time.

I was not allowed to go in the kitchen for 12 years in a previous stage of my life. So, I must have totally forgot about that. But it all came back to me. Plus, living abroad in different countries and different states and experiencing different cuisines added to the whole seasoning of me as a cook, just in my own kitchen, my own home. 

It seems that several friends have been pointing out that my food tasted very good. I was known among some circles to make the best steak and the best smoothie. I remember the day I made Musakaa the first time, I must have felt the same way Christopher Columbus when he he saw the coast of America for the first time. I was amazed. I took pictures of it, posted it on Facebook, sent it to my Mom. Then, I made some stuffed vegetables. That was a day equivalent to when the Wright Brothers first flew their Airplane!

I really felt so much happiness cooking after coming home from work, and when people commented positively about it, I also felt so great.

I lived 5 years in Canada, then 2 years in Seattle, then 4 years in Cleveland, then Medford, OR, then Albuquerque, NM, Dallas, Seattle again before coming to Greensboro, NC. I also visited Washington, DC, NYC, Detroit, Chicago, LA, and many other places. I rarely found a place that can make Authentic Middle-Eastern food let alone Egyptian food. There were a few that made good Falafel, but take away style, or only Kabab and Kofta but the place did not look the greatest, no place I found that made the Musakaa I like, the Macaroni Bashamel I love, and no any place at all made Bamya or Mulukheya. Most places did not make any good desserts. I really felt depressed. Why is there abundance of Mexican, Italian, Greek, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Brazilian and American of course, but there is very very little good if any Middle Eastern restaurants. 

But being busy with my job and other things going on in my life, made an idea like opening a restaurant more unrealistic than going to the moon.

Until it was January 25th, 2011. That was the day millions of Egyptians took the street to say NO to a tyrannic ruling President and all his regime. They called for FREEDOM, LIBERTY, PROSPERITY, JUSTICE and EQUALITY. During the 18 days of the revolution before Mubarak stepped down, or was forced to step down, I followed what was happening in Tahrir Square, day by day, hour by hour even minute by minute. All that made me feel like such a coward. Why am I not in Tahrir Square. Why can't I face the bullets like millions of those Egyptians calling for the most precious human value, FREEDOM. 

Right after then, the idea of the Restaurant, an Egyptian Restaurant, started to become more and more clear in my mind. It started to become like a reality in my mind. Everyone I know advised me against getting into the mess of Restaurant business. Especially that I never been in it before, I know nothing about it, and secondly because I won't leave my job to become a full time Restaurateur. In other words, it is a crazy idea.

And after 4 months of opening Cleopatra's, I think it was indeed a crazy idea!

However, I believe it is a wonderful idea. So it's a wonderful crazy idea.

When I get off my work at 6:30 pm and head to Cleopatra's then I get to walk in the kitchen make sure the kitchen is clean, coolers temperatures are right, employees are wearing their hats and gloves and washing their hands, making sure plates going out on time, no delay, plates look good, the way it supposed to be, talk to Jonnie or Mohamed about any issues or problem need solving. Then, I go out talk to my guests. This is really the most admirable part of the whole thing: People say Thank you for opening this restaurant and they tell me how much they love the food, how much they admire the decor, the music, the service, every thing. People in Greensboro have been so kind, even when there is a small problem they always try to communicate it to me nicely and I promise them to put every effort to take care of it.