carnival

Deep red curtains, dark lighting, cushiony pillows and pictures of camels and bellydancers adorning the walls: That\’s what you\’d expect from a restaurant reputed to be one of the best Middle Eastern eateries in Southern California.

Instead, what you find is a bright diner-like atmosphere, with orange and yellow arches on the walls, in a strip mall in Sherman Oaks. Oh, and a long line of Americans, Arabs, Druse and Israelis.

Carnival\’s green awning welcomes guests in Hebrew (\”Bruchim Ha\’baim\”) English and Arabic. Newspapers in three languages line the table of the anteroom, as people wait for a table or takeout on this busy Saturday night.