Paper N° 14, December -2006

Wrapping up 2006 As we wrapped up the year 2006 at Rick’s Cafe, events and anecdotes from the month of December are particularly memorable. We used the last month of the year for some fine tuning, and in the mood of the season, buying some new “toys.” First, a long-awaited, many times postponed, much-needed car and hiring Youssef, our daily taxi driver for more than 2 years, as a chauffer/courier. In the kitchen we added another freezer, expanded our grill station and launched other modifications to better cope with our increased business. After more than two years of rented sound equipment for our weekly Jam Sessions we finally bought our own sound set, making a huge difference in sound quality but also giving us more flexibility for musical and other events. Frustration over the over-crowded and haphazard furnishing of our most elegant dining room, called the “Blue Room” after the large fireplace, finally gave way to removal of the bulky green banquettes which had comprised the core of the seating. While the banquettes were unfortunately moved to storage in my living room (!) we quickly devised a plan with the contractor who had made them and our bar stools to remove the leather and make dining chairs in the same style as the bar stools. With the first batch we’ll soon have 12 beautiful leather chairs to use at special tables. With the car, freezer and other projects on course in the kitchen, and new sound equipment I’d pretty much pleased the various constituencies and could indulge myself a bit on the decorative side. First stop, my favorite shop in the New Medina where the shopkeeper had been holding a lovely, tall Iranian lamp for more than a year while we’d bargained back and forth. As I was paying for the lamp I saw another one, with a brass shade that was absolutely stunning, but in need of beads. He said the person had brought the lamp for cleaning but cited a ridiculously high asking price which I didn’t even acknowledge. I passed his shop a couple of weeks later and he said perhaps the lamp owner would be needing money for the upcoming Aid al Kabir and might take half the first price. Then I was listening, gave him my mobile number and said to call if he could get the deal done. A few days later the call came, we quickly paid for the lamp and took it directly to the lampshade craftsman in central Casablanca with a rush order for beading – it would be ready by the 28th. With two lamps in this beautiful room it still needed a decorative touch. A visit to Mustapha Mouhib’s shop always turns up something and in this case it was a reasonably- priced Syrian game table of inlaid wood. Mustapha remembered that I’d told him to keep his eye out for Syrian screens and by “coincidence” he’d recently located one – I agreed sight-unseen, trusting Mustapha’s word. It proved to be just the touch and that room is spectacular. In fact the catalyst for all the changes in the Blue Room was an event we committed to on December 17. Our friend Khalil Chraibi runs an art gallery and also publishes limited edition books and portfolios. He proposed holding a signing and cocktail at Rick’s to mark the publication of a “Casablanca” portfolio of lithographs and text by the artist Abdallah Saddouk and writer Rita Khayat. The Blue Room was transformed for the signing and exhibition of other Saddouk works and the event preceded our Sunday night Jam Session. We were pleased to welcome Casablanca mayor Mohamed Sajid and especially honored by the attendance of former Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi and his family…moreso when they decided to stay for dinner. With doubts about how many people would attend New Year’s Eve due to the conflict with the Aid (see related article) we added a special Christmas menu for the 24th and 25th of December including a very picturesque roasted turkey and some powerful egg nog at the bar. As noted in our headline article, special New Year’s events started on the 28th with music and special menus but there’s one last “event” that’s worth reporting. As I came through the kitchen around 8:30 on Friday night the 29th the chef was frantically at work – “We have an order to go for Lalla Salma, the wife of the king.” I was thrilled – “What did she order?” I asked. “A cheeseburger!” That was fine with me – one has to start somewhere – and I sent off the burger on a Rick’s plate along with a signed book inviting her back to sample our full menu. Kathy Kriger December 2006 Previous entries May 1-8 May 15 - June 4 July August November January 2005 March 2005 June 2005 October 2005 January 2006 March 2006 June 2006 June 10 2006