By Sandi Masori

Reprinted with permission by San Diego Jewish World, a member of the San Diego Online News Association:

March 14, 2019 (San Diego) - A block from the intersection of College Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard, you’ll find a charming Lebanese restaurant nestled between a smoke shop and a Japanese restaurant. Alforon is what the Middle East should be if we could set aside politics and just enjoy good food and good people. Inside the restaurant were a diverse group of people ranging from Muslims in their hijabs, to Jews, to Anglo-Americans. The owner/ hostess/ waitress Sami seemed to know everyone by name.  She would pull up a chair in order to tell them what they wanted to order. Yes, you read that right, she was not shy about making (great) recommendations. It seemed to me that many of the customers had been there before and had brought a friend new to the restaurant with them. Such was the case for me, but in my case it was my dad who brought me.