First Impressions : Petra Serves Up an Exotic Jolt on a Sedate Evening

We had just ordered a slew of appetizers at Petra, a new Jordanian restaurant in Beverly Hills, when someone turned up the lights and the music. This was the signal for a deliciously plump blond with cornflower blue eyes to whirl out into the room, shaking her shoulders, her hips and her rounded belly to the accompaniment of her finger cymbals. I could only imagine what the scene looked like from all those pumped-up four-wheel drives cruising down South Beverly Drive. The restaurant was half empty on this sedate Monday night, tables covered with starched white tablecloths, napkins folded into upright forms, and wine glasses. At the back was a large photo mural of the fabled archeological site that gives the restaurant its name. And twirling her way between the tables was the energetic belly dancer, who offered to give us a lesson if we liked.

This set finished, she retreated, changed into street clothes and sat talking with one of the owners, while we scooped rich yogurt with mint, smoky baba ghanouj and hummus into warm pita bread.

Everything we tasted, from the vegetable- and rice-stuffed grape leaves to the crusty brown lamb and bulgur kibbeh makley shaped like deep-fried miniature footballs was respectable. I could easily make a meal of all the little dishes, both hot and cold, that fell under the category of mezze--or appetizers. Main courses, as is almost always the case with Middle Eastern restaurants in this country, were not nearly as compelling. Each plate came with a molded mound of steamed basmati rice and broccoli. The quail were big guys, cooked just enough so they were still juicy, but without much flavor. A mixed grill offered tastes of lamb and chicken kabob and the rubbery minced lamb called kafta kebob.

We were just about to order dessert when the lights went up and again the game belly dancer was back. It can’t be easy dancing for a handful of tables, almost every one of which is more interested in dinner than the art of belly dancing. Most diners looked down, vaguely embarrassed, as she shimmied and shook, this time in a cherry red costume.

But hey, South Beverly Drive could use a jolt of something exotic.

When I tasted the ushta, a puddle of impossibly rich homemade cream cheese covered with crushed pistachios and swathed in honey syrup, I was convinced I had found the secret to how belly dancers put on curves in all the right places.

BE THERE

Petra Restaurant, 236 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Major credit cards accepted. Dinner appetizers $5 to $9; entrees $11 to $14. Parking on street or nearby lot. (310) 278-0444.