Al Watan...avoid!

Just to clarify the time frame this would gave been late 1990s. I have no idea who owned it at that time or if the ownership is still the same now. Only that it happened then. And, respecting THEIR feelings which they made very clear, I will never return.

I will also add that I believe a woman dining out with her husband is viewed by some of these middle eastern establishments, very differently from two women out for a business luncheon. In their mind we did not know or keep our place and they made sure we knew how they felt.

Just to clarify the time frame this would gave been late 1990s. I have no idea who owned it at that time or if the ownership is still the same now. Only that it happened then. And, respecting THEIR feelings which they made very clear, I will never return.

I will also add that I believe a woman dining out with her husband is viewed by some of these middle eastern establishments, very differently from two women out for a business luncheon. In their mind we did not know or keep our place and they made sure we knew how they felt.

15+ years seems like a long time to hold a grudge like this. Given, as you say, the management might not even be the same, the recent experiences of fellow diners are probably a better standard to judge by than one experience so long ago.

Just to clarify the time frame this would gave been late 1990s. I have no idea who owned it at that time or if the ownership is still the same now. Only that it happened then. And, respecting THEIR feelings which they made very clear, I will never return.

I will also add that I believe a woman dining out with her husband is viewed by some of these middle eastern establishments, very differently from two women out for a business luncheon. In their mind we did not know or keep our place and they made sure we knew how they felt.

15+ years seems like a long time to hold a grudge like this. Given, as you say, the management might not even be the same, the recent experiences of fellow diners are probably a better standard to judge by than one experience so long ago.

Well yes. I agree it is a long time to hold a grudge. But that may give you some idea of how humiliating the experience was. Given there are at least a dozen newer places I would like to try and haven't been able to yet, I have no desire to risk another experience such as the one I had. I especially like returning to other middle eastern establishments where I have been made welcome.

Just to clarify the time frame this would gave been late 1990s. I have no idea who owned it at that time or if the ownership is still the same now. Only that it happened then. And, respecting THEIR feelings which they made very clear, I will never return.

I will also add that I believe a woman dining out with her husband is viewed by some of these middle eastern establishments, very differently from two women out for a business luncheon. In their mind we did not know or keep our place and they made sure we knew how they felt.

15+ years seems like a long time to hold a grudge like this. Given, as you say, the management might not even be the same, the recent experiences of fellow diners are probably a better standard to judge by than one experience so long ago.

Well yes. I agree it is a long time to hold a grudge. But that may give you some idea of how humiliating the experience was. Given there are at least a dozen newer places I would like to try and haven't been able to yet, I have no desire to risk another experience such as the one I had. I especially like returning to other middle eastern establishments where I have been made welcome.

I have more respect for you, Carla, than just about any other forumite, but I've got to speak a little for The Grape Leaf on this subject. I have never ever received treatment like that, and the owners are an ethnically mixed married couple. Linley is the Mrs., and she has no trace of any "Non-American" accent, and I have never seen her dressed in garb that I would not personally wear. She definitely runs the business (Nabil is the food artist). The staff is also not dominantly middle-eastern - just your run-of-the-mill diverse group of typical restaurant folk. Nabil (and Linley, too? Not sure how long they've been married) have owned the restaurant for as long as I can remember (maybe always), and that goes back to the 90's (I've been a patron, worked for one of their vendors, and have had many friends that have worked there over the years). I'm talking about this to a.) dispel speculations that the owners believe women should be burka-festooned and subservient, and b.) with hopes that you'll go back and see them again with a fresh pair of eyes. Great food, but don't expect to be served alcohol, because that is something that they are definitely not down with.

Thank you Jackie for your kind and gracious words. Having said that, I stand by what I said earlier. I will not be returning to The Grape Leaf. In all the years I've been posting here on LHB I have never before mentioned this bad experience. Mostly because after the experience my co-worker and myself did not complain to the owners . I have no idea by whom we were humiliated. Perhaps and in all probability it was a zealot, hourly employee that was there working and did not represent the owners. Which is a shame. I do not (am not) standing up and calling for any sort of blackballing situation. Nor am I someone that dislikes immigrants. I think a healthy, happy immigrant population strengthens America. And while I think the very minor loss of my meager dining dollars will in no way deprive anyone of much of anything, it is one of the remaining ways I have in which to offer a vote. My hope is it will offer a warning (if only a faint one) against bigotry in all forms. In a small restaurant I would think most owners know their employees. I would wager if the owners heard of our situation they might even shake their head knowing who the perpetrator was. Never the less, they employed them and they put them in contact with the public. These are the consequences. When any business owner condones/accepts/harbors/winks at bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, hatefulness on any level you will be held accounted for. At least by your clients.
Again, this is just me. Just me. I have no intentions of rallying troops nor do I think it is apropos. But neither do I think, after years of marching, protesting voting for human rights is would be anything less than hypocritical for me to dine there.

The ONLY reason I brought the experience up was because the original poster had a similar experience at another business. I posted as a way of saying, "I understand how you feel. It is totally unfair to be judged by your sex/race/color/religion/sexual preference and yet it happens."

Thank you Jackie for your kind and gracious words. Having said that, I stand by what I said earlier. I will not be returning to The Grape Leaf. In all the years I've been posting here on LHB I have never before mentioned this bad experience. Mostly because after the experience my co-worker and myself did not complain to the owners . I have no idea by whom we were humiliated. Perhaps and in all probability it was a zealot, hourly employee that was there working and did not represent the owners. Which is a shame. I do not (am not) standing up and calling for any sort of blackballing situation. Nor am I someone that dislikes immigrants. I think a healthy, happy immigrant population strengthens America. And while I think the very minor loss of my meager dining dollars will in no way deprive anyone of much of anything, it is one of the remaining ways I have in which to offer a vote. My hope is it will offer a warning (if only a faint one) against bigotry in all forms. In a small restaurant I would think most owners know their employees. I would wager if the owners heard of our situation they might even shake their head knowing who the perpetrator was. Never the less, they employed them and they put them in contact with the public. These are the consequences. When any business owner condones/accepts/harbors/winks at bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, hatefulness on any level you will be held accounted for. At least by your clients.
Again, this is just me. Just me. I have no intentions of rallying troops nor do I think it is apropos. But neither do I think, after years of marching, protesting voting for human rights is would be anything less than hypocritical for me to dine there.

The ONLY reason I brought the experience up was because the original poster had a similar experience at another business. I posted as a way of saying, "I understand how you feel. It is totally unfair to be judged by your sex/race/color/religion/sexual preference and yet it happens."

And yet again - you illustrate exactly what I love so much about you! At this point, I'm just glad it didn't happen to me. Carry on, sista .