Petra Cafe

As is our more-often-than-not tradition here in Walmart Country, we like to go to the movies on Saturday mornings for $4 each.  Our local crappy movie theatre shows new releases and movies that have been out long enough that they would certainly be at the dollar theatre in a larger town.  For example, last year The Help played at this crappy movie theatre until it was out on DVD.

On a recent Saturday, we went to see the new Ben Affleck movie "Argo."  It was an excellent flick, with good acting and great production value.  I even learned something!  And we were exactly one half of the viewing audience at that showing.  When we left the theatre at 12:30 we were hungry, and keeping (sort of) with the movie's Middle Eastern setting, I had the bright idea of going to a local Mediterranean place we've heard about since before we moved here but had not yet frequented.

Petra Cafe is a lunch-only joint right off the Fayetteville Square.  This is the main reason we have never been there--it's not open on Sundays, and I rarely leave my office for lunch during the week, let alone campus, so we've just never made it up to downtown during their business hours.

I should probably add that I do occasionally go to lunch with a colleague or two, and on those trips I've eaten at the Thai restaurant right next to Petra, but never been into Petra itself.  Part of the reason for this is that Petra is just not feasible for groups larger than 2.  The entire place has a counter with 6-7 stools, 3 tables (maybe 3 people could sit at one of these tables....maybe) and another two stools next to the window.  I mean, it's a tiny tiny place.

It barely seems to count as a restaurant in other ways, too.  They have a normal-person fridge and stove, nothing commercial-grade you would see in a normal restaurant.  Clearly the guy who runs the place just makes batches of hummus and stuff, simmers meat and soup on the stove each day, puts it all together with pita bread, and serves it with love.

We both ordered a platter that came with gyro meat and taziki sauce and two sides.  I had hummus and baba ganouge (plus a few Falafil), Doug had hummus and foule, and afterward we shared a piece of baklava.  MMMMMMM!

I have a sneaking suspicion that Doug is going to start walking up there for lunches now that he knows and loves the Petra Cafe, and although I can't blame him, I might get a wee bit jealous.  Or I might be enticed to leave my office at lunch slightly more often.