​A World Cup match shares a surprising number of parallels with making a feteer: both require time, steady, repetitive labor, and careful layering. A crowd gathered Friday at West Central’s Feteers restaurant to enjoy the traditional Egyptian pastry and to witness a milestone in the country’s World Cup history. After nearly a century and four appearances, the Pharaohs finally secured a knockout-stage victory.
A feteer ranks among the oldest recipes known to humanity. Water, flour and salt are folded into dough, then stretched and stacked, brushed with clarified butter, and filled with a variety of ingredients. The result is a saucer-like dish that emerges from the oven crackling with heat and flakiness. In ancient times, Egyptians even offered it to the gods.
On Northwest Boulevard, Amir Talb and Leila Al-Tassan, a husband-and-wife duo, bring this tradition to Spokane diners at Feteers. They opened the shop in May, just as Spokane was named the Pharaohs’ host city, and Talb says the restaurant has benefited from the heightened attention. Local patrons have been curious to try the cuisine, and Al-Tassan noted that the timing has been fortunate. Opening to share their food in Spokane has long been a dream for the couple since moving to the city two decades ago.
The former Subway location buzzed with activity throughout the 90-minute match, two overtime periods, and the ensuing shootout. More than two dozen patrons passed through, including college students, Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, and an Australian family wearing their yellow national kits. Tim Lane, who grew up in Adelaide and now lives in the U.S., traveled from Park City, Utah, with his son and daughter for the weekend in Harrison, Idaho, to watch the game after reading about Feteers, which is Washington’s only feteer haven.
“We were looking for a place to watch the game, and we didn’t see any Australian bars in town,” Lane said. The family joined the crowd, sharing a meal and watching the entire match as non-soccer fans at nearby tables finished their meals and left. As they departed, Lane, Al-Tassan, and Talb exchanged kind words about the game and the meal. The Lanes planned to grill over the holiday weekend anyway, so the feteer offered a welcome, fitting change of pace for the occasion. Lane has long enjoyed cheering for the Socceroos in the World Cup and even attended a match in San Francisco, a nil-nil draw with Paraguay that nonetheless marked a milestone for them.
The youngest fan in attendance, 12-year-old Khaled Talban, Talb and Al-Tassan’s son, peppered the scene with enthusiasm as the day’s events wrapped up.