Latest news with #FiveStars
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Riham Abdel Ghafour to Star in TV Series "Five Stars"
Yara Sameh Egyptian actress Riham Abdel Ghafour has signed on to star in the social thriller TV series "Khamas Nogoum" ("Five Stars"). It hails from director Tamer Ashry and is produced by Ahmed Fahmy. "Five Stars" consists of 15 episodes and is set to be screened during the Off Season. Principal photography is set to commence soon. Abdel Ghafour was recently seen starring opposite Mohamed Farrag Netflix's highly anticipated original series "Catalog". Directed by Waleed El Halfawy and penned by Ayman Wattar, "Catalog" is set in Cairo and follows Youssef (Mohamed Farrag), a father of two reeling from the sudden loss of his wife, Amina (Abdel Ghafour). However, Youssef finds a lifeline in the most unexpected place: a series of parenting videos his late wife recorded before her death. The cast also includes Samah Anwar, Tara Emad, Ali El Beialy, Retal Abd El Aziz, Donia Sami, Sedky Sakhr, Dina Samy, Khaled Kamal, Bayoumi Fouad, and more. "Catalog" combines emotional rawness with gentle humor, exploring not only the grief but also the process of rebuilding. The drama marks Abdel Ghafour and Farag's second collaboration after the series adaptation of 'Room 207'. Abdel Ghafour, born on September 6, 1978, is the daughter of the late veteran Egyptian actor Ashraf Abdel Ghafour. Throughout her journey, Riham has delivered some of the most remarkable performances in television and cinema, contributed to theater and short film projects, and left a lasting impact on the Egyptian and Arab artistic scene. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American dreams on a street corner in St. Bernard
Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi's favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Come back every Tuesday for more. You walk into a restaurant and have no idea what the story is behind it. You eat the food and pay the check and seldom wonder who taught the chef how to cook or why the restaurant exists at all. In the case of Five Stars Mediterranean, in St. Bernard, it's because of an ongoing conflict thousands of miles away, a son's memory of his mother's cooking and the restaurant's ability to serve as a coping mechanism for trying times. I am oblivious to all of this as I bite into my shish tawook – the chicken, marinated in tomato sauce, yogurt and spices – is so juicy it makes the home cook in me jealous. It's mixed with pickles and organic tomatoes, slathered in garlic sauce and rolled into a pita wrapped in foil. Starving, I prematurely remove the foil as I make my way toward the end. All of the ingredients fall out from the bottom. Slow down, I tell myself. Enjoy this. Ahmed Jheir and his wife, Miasan, are owners of Five-Stars Mediterranean, in St. Bernard. Keith Pandolfi/The Enquirer Later, I'm joined by Five Stars owner Ahmed Jheir. He points to a photograph of his homeland, the ancient city of Tyre, hanging on the wall. So much of Tyre is gone now, he tells me. Lost in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. He lost his father to that conflict in October. He's lost cousins and other family members, too. His wife, Miasan, and their two children, Hassam and Reima, came to join Jheir last October. They wanted their children to be educated in Lebanon so they could know and love the culture. But it's too dangerous there now. Jheir is an American citizen. His wife and children are, too. They weep for Lebanon, but it's better here right now. He loves St. Bernard. He opened Five Stars just before COVID and said he received overwhelming support. "From the Lebanese community?" I ask him. "No," he says. "From the Americans." He's developed a loyal following since then. Some of his customers come from other counties and other cities. He's also made a name for himself as a caterer, providing everything from Middle Eastern cuisine to French cuisine. He misses his mother's cooking. He talks to her every day to make sure she's OK. She taught him almost everything he knows about cooking. Everything else, he learned from his cousin in Columbus, who hired Jheir after he moved to Ohio in 2017. Before that, he worked as a Civil Engineer in Dubai, Ghana and Congo. The kibbeh at Five Stars Mediterranean, in St. Bernard. I take a bite of the kibbeh, served on a bed of lettuce and garnished with lemon. Kibbeh was my gateway into Lebanese cuisine when I first tried it at a New Orleans restaurant decades ago. I only recently learned that it's the national dish of both Lebanon and Syria. There are many variations, but most remind me of Cincinnati chili and cider doughnuts. "Why does it remind me of cider doughnuts?" I ask Jheir. He's not familiar with cider doughnuts, but he guesses it's the pomegranate molasses. Before I leave, I ask Jheir if I can get a photograph of him and Miasan. She is shy and asks for several takes before she is pleased with the results. The three of us look at the photo that passes muster. It shows a young couple making it in America. A young couple both heartbroken and hopeful. Outside the restaurant, it's pouring. I watch as about 50 school kids seek shelter beneath the awning of a Dairy Queen across the street. I dash past them toward my car. But before I get in, I look back to take a mental picture for myself, because what I'm seeing is something extraordinary. The little Lebanese restaurant on one corner, the DQ on the other. It feels reassuring. It feels American. Slow down, I tell myself again. Enjoy this. 4501 Vine St., St. Bernard, 513-538-5003, Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Five Stars Mediterranean is an American dream in St. Bernard
