Naughty boy restaurateur-chef David Fhima has entered a new phase of personal maturity along with a new business relationship.
He and lovely, patient Lori Dean quietly got married in November before about 25 friends with no formal photographer. "We picked a date the rabbi, Joseph Edelheit, was available and had a small dinner party. I didn't want David to cook but he said he wanted to make the best meal he's ever made," she said. "He did, too."
There was great food Monday at the grand opening of his latest venture, Zahtar by Fhima, at the Life Time Fitness in Eden Prairie, and a big helping of mischief from the charming chef, who never seems to lack for investors despite one staple of this career: business reversals.
That was not the talk of the opening, but tush-grabbing was. One partygoer grabbed Fhima's. That brought a big smile to his face. Then I'm pretty sure Fhima grabbed mine, although he claimed that Life Time CEO Bahram Akradi had done it. Nice try, but Akradi (rhymes with hottie) never arrived at the party, which initiated the opening of other possible Zahtar by Fhima restaurants, here and elsewhere.
"That's one more [time] than he grabbed mine," said Lori when I reported what David did.
Before the party ended, somebody had the temerity to remind Fhima to remember that marriage is a commitment -- even on those days you wake up not liking your partner that much. He boasted that he's never had such a day with Lori. "That's sweet," she said later when told this.
The reason probably has everything to with Lori being the master gardener in their 10-year relationship, which includes a blended family of four kids, while David is The Flower.
His response to this analogy was unprintable. "When have you ever not known David to inject profanity? Even the girls can predict when the F-bomb is coming," said Lori.