Habibi

Last night Kim and I went to a free show at the Hammer Museum in Westwood to see a show called "Made in Mexico." It was a good show and I enjoyed seeing it - but I hadn't eaten dinner and was about to faint. It was nearly eleven so we weren't sure where to go in that neighborhood - but we eventually found our way to the Habibi Cafe. The word is a term of endearment in Arabic - darling, honey, baby. This would explain why it appeared in most of the songs being sung at this restaurant. Great Egyptian food. The place was packed and most of the patrons were sharing a smoke from hookahs at their tables. Live music, drumming - a real festive atmosphere. I had not encountered these hookah cafes until I moved to L.A. One wonders how they get around California's smoking ban - perhaps it's not enforced or applied when it's a part of someone's culture. Habibi is a fun place to be - it would make a great location for a movie scene.