Tar and Heels

Last week, my birthday found me and some friends(who also happen to be Upper East Side moms)eager to have a "girl's night out". It takes a lot for me to find the stamina and the inspiration to actually put on make-up, dress in more than jeans and a cotton top, and venture out after 9pm. I find myself sometimes feeling like an old lady when it comes to planning an evening out. So I left it to a friend of mine.

One of my BFFs is Lebanese and has always frequented an Egyptian restaurant/cafe WAY downtown. I went with her once, and truly enjoyed the experience, but despised the ride home. Riding trains alone that late are not a good idea. Same goes for a cab ride for a car-sick-prone mom. I remember the food being delicious, and authentic(according to the dishes my friend cooks and I have had the pleasure of sampling). The atmosphere was cool too. Very comfortable and warm. The hookah? Ah, the hookah. I enjoyed it. Boy, did I enjoy it.

This time around, she decided to keep it local. Turns out, the owner of the successful restaurant downtown had opened one up in our neck of the woods! We only had to take a short little ride to 62nd st between 1st and 2nd Avenues. That is my kind of travel. This spin-off is called Horus East. It was a bit hard to see the place until I saw a slight change of color glowing behind an Eye of Horus symbol. Very fitting. Deeper investigation taught me that the symbol stands for all kinds of good things like protection and good health. The subtlity of the signage made finding the place a little challenging, but was such a compliment to the atmosphere once I experienced it as a whole. Very classy place. Very Upper East Side.

We decided to stay upstairs. Yes, there are two floors. We didn't learn until later in the evening that the downstairs was a bit more "clubby" than the upstairs. Upstairs is where you eat a meal and listen to authentic music. Downstairs is where you "drop it low" and "put a ring on it". Next time we will have to make some time to venture downstairs.

We left the ordering to the experts. That was a smart move, because not one thing remained on our plates. Each item was delicious.....right down to the rice! We also had some mint tea in tiny little cups that seemed to make it more authentic tasting. I feel like we continued to just pick at everything until there was nothing left to pick at!

The hookah was incredible. Now I am not a smoking advocate AT ALL. In fact, I was thrilled when all the laws were being made to keep it out of public places. It even makes me sick! For some reason, the light taste and smell of the hookah is enjoyable to me. It could have something to do with the fact that we happen to get a "premium" nicotine-free set-up that is smoked right out of a pineapple. Who can resist the taste and smell of smoke pineapple? Not this hookah novice 2 times over. Or maybe it is the mentality of doing something where no one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter! Probably a little of both.

Somewhere in the middle of all the eating and drinking and fruit-smoking, the music got louder and enriched with a little more bass. Then out came a belly dancer! She was beautiful and talented. I was impressed and amazed and a little bit envious. I soon found myself sucking in my baby gut just a little bit more than I was before!

Before we left, the music got loud once again and my friends had the waitress bring out a little chocolate souffle surrounded by strawberries. It had a candle on top and a unrecognizable birthday song played while everyone clapped. I was completely embarrassed and pleased all at the same time. The song goes back and forth between English and what I assumed was Arabic. All I know is the English part wished me a happy birthday and I felt like a million bucks.....for an awkwardly long time.

Overall, it was a fantastic night. Before we went out, I was thankful for friends who wanted to take me out. I was also thankful for a reason to put some tar on my lashes and heels on my feet. I was thankful to my husband for being a babysitter. After the night was over, I was thankful for the door-to-door ride home. I was thankful for being able to still stand in those heels, and I was surprisingly thankful for that skinny, talented lady who inspired me to get my slightly squishy self back into gear. I always seem to be thankful. But when you have the opportunity to be an Upper East Side mom with 4 reasons to still get up at the crack of dawn after a long night....why not?