More on Woodlawn restaurant destroyed by fire
We had a brief in Monday's paper about a Woodlawn restaurant damaged by fire. I noted it, but then I got this moving e-mail from Stan, which told me a lot more. EL
...Early yesterday morning, fire struck another unique dining place [the first one being Salsa Grill. EL], just a block or so from Salsa Grill. This time it was O's Place, a Halal Pakistani (and Chinese) place on Whitehead Court, just behind [yuck] Wendy's.
We've known Mr. and Mrs. Rana since they moved the restaurant to this spot nearly four years ago. If you haven't had the pleasure of eating there, you have missed the warm hospitality of this Pakistani emigré couple. Whether or not you write anything about the fire, I urge you to have a look at WMAR's video coverage of the fire, and interview with the Ranas. ...
You see Mr. Rana in this interview as a man who is not afraid to show his emotions. He has always greeted us warmly, and managed to visit briefly every occupied table in the place. He's one of the kindest men I have had the pleasure to meet. On on occasion, a large group had just left, and there were tables to be bused and put back into place. Mr. Rana has a sonorous voice that can be heard across the room even when he is not trying to project it. I heard him say to the wait staff, "Girls, you have done a wonderful job and worked hard. Please sit down and rest for a few minutes and let me take care of this." With that, he proceeded to bus the tables and refresh the linens.
The video also shows how protective Mrs. Rana is towards her husband. They are a couple of gems, and I wish them the best in getting the place rebuilt. Will keep you posted if I learn any news. (The fire is said to be "under investigation," and since it started in the dining room in the dead of night, I must wonder whether the place may have been set afire by someone with a prejudice towards Muslims. God knows, that's alive and well here in Woodlawn, but too complicated a story to relate here.)
