Swanky Weekend

After two consecutive weekends without any plans at all, I decided to break the mold a little bit last night. My roommate Susan and I burned through some of the cash I had been slowly saving with a swanky night out in Downtown Amman.

The impetus for this came in the middle of last week, when Susan and I took a trip into Abdoun Circle. Technically, I live in Abdoun, which is a very ritzy area. But my apartment is on the fringes, and I had never gone into the commercial heart of the area. So after one too many meals of pesto pasta and PB+J, we decided to splurge on Thai food at a restaurant called NoodAsia (no snickering, please). The food was great, especially considering the price, and we also happened to bump into two Americans I had met earlier in the summer. We had a nice time, and so the four of us promised to meet up again over the weekend for a similar dining experience.

We settled on Cantaloupe, a "Gastro Pub" off of Rainbow Street in Downtown Amman. I'd been to Rainbow Street several times before - it is a nicely maintained, affluent couple of blocks lined with hip restaurants and such. But I'd always been during the day, when it is quiet and empty. When we returned last night (effectively Saturday night, since the Arab weekend is Fri-Sat), it was packed with cars, people, and tables overflowing into the sidewalk. The nightlife was hopping.

Cantaloupe itself was on the fifth floor of a tower with a massive outdoor deck. We ate far removed from the hustle and bustle below, but from the deck we had outstanding views of East Amman and the Citadel. Every few minutes we were treated to an impromptu fireworks show, as people in the neighborhoods set off fireworks to celebrate weddings and the like. The decor and the music was super swanky, and while the service left much to be desired, it was still probably the best I've encountered in an Amman restaurant.

Normally, these types of restaurants intimidate me. They're way too expensive for my budget, they're filled with people who are hipper and cooler than I am, and the food on the menu is far too grown-up for my palate (which tends to prefer a good Kraft mac-and-cheese over filet mignon and a bottle of wine). But on all three counts I was pleasantly surprised. The menu was quite reasonable, with almost all entrees under $12 US (mine was around $10). We ate early enough that we were out before the swanky Jordanians showed up at 9:30 or so. And despite options like the Thai Teriyaki Spinach Salad and Beef Bresaola, the menu still made room for Fish and Chips, Fettucini Alfredo, and Chicken Parmesan (I ended up with the last option). A "Cantaloupe Iced Tea," based closely on its Long Island cousin, topped off the meal.

We finished the evening with ice cream from Gerard's, down the street, and a showing of Quantum of Solace back at a friend's house. While it wasnt exactly a night of immersion in genuine Jordanian culture, it was certainly a nice change of pace (and a considerable step up from my normal dinner options when I am cooking). I'm trying to make a road trip to Jerash next weekend, which might spoil any plans for a repeat evening. But you can bet that if travel plans fall through, I'll be spending my bus fare and hotel money on another evening out...