It had been decidedly too long since my first visit to the Crowne Plaza Beirut, tucked in the heart of Hamra along the main drag. Standing tall – a formidable 21 floors to be exact – with sweeping panoramic views of the Lebanese capital city, the Crowne Plaza, an IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) property, has so much going for it. To begin, the underground self-parking facility cannot be overlooked, as parking is typically nightmare-inducing elsewhere in Beirut. At just 200,000 LBP (USD 2.20) for up to four hours, this is a bargain. Alight the elevator at the ground floor, where a few steps ..read more

For many of us, the undisputed beauty of Lebanon lies in the quality of food and drink available to denizens. If we Lebanese are blessed with one thing, it’s a highly discerning palate and a deep-seated appreciation for food, no matter the cuisine or category. Here are a few of my newfound favorites bejeweling the Lebanese frontier, from the coast to the mountains! Gilbert’s Burger Bites Having grown up in California, I know a good burger when I see (and sink my canines into) one. The Lebanese have always had a love affair with burgers, but if you grew up in the 90s, a burger around here ubiq ..read more

Do you remember as a child being prompted with the question, “Who do you most admire?” Apart from my parents, naturally, my role model was Sir Richard Branson, British billionaire, entrepreneur and business mogul who in the 1970s founded the Virgin Group. Today Virgin controls more than 400 companies in various fields. In some way or another, we’ve all been touched by Virgin. I’ll start. Every day I tune in to Virgin Radio here in Beirut, which launched a good decade ago and has easily led its peers in music and content programming. I have flown on Virgin Atlantic (and Virgin America) numerous ..read more

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the Al Wadi Al Akhdar website under the "Visit Lebanon" tab. The delectable Lebanese (and Levantine!) dessert konafa (photo source) Lebanese people naturally gravitate toward good food. This is no mere generalization or exaggeration. The reality is that we lay claim to an aesthetically- and tummy-pleasing cuisine that demands only the finest, freshest produce and meat. That kind of pickiness at the table forges a very discriminating palate, which is why wherever we wander in the world, yo ..read more

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the Al Wadi Al Akhdar website under the "Visit Lebanon" tab. Lebanese fwerigh, or stuffed intestines (photo source) Lebanese cuisine might strike the unsuspecting as dainty, delicate and delicious with its vegan tabbouleh, manakish za’atar and hummus. But beware: it’s got a gut-wrenching side to it. We’re talking liver; raw meat flanked by white cubes of pure fat; snails; frog legs; sheep brains; beef tongue; and the list goes on, and on, and on, for about the length of a sheep’s intestine ..read more

This article has been adapted from the original version, which is published on the Al Wadi Al Akhdar website under the "Visit Lebanon" tab. Some of the most memorable and adventurous meals are often come by in the street. In Beirut, that certainly rings true. No matter which narrow city alley, village souk, or seaside boardwalk you find yourself exploring, there’s bound to be a delicious bite within arm’s reach. While meaty shawarma wraps and lahm bi ajeen pies readily come to mind in Lebanon, there is in fact a myriad of vegan foods to appeal to every palate. These savory meat ..read more

I'm largely annoyed by the so-called criticism surrounding "Emily in Paris." If you've watched the series on Netflix, whose first season aired in the thick of the pandemic in 2020, you discovered how the show immerses its viewers in the magic and charm of Paris where the entire show is filmed. Emily is a marketing executive who has been sent by her Chicago-based company for a year of international experience at its subsidiary in the French capital. There she strives to fit in with her colleagues and newfound friends, all while grappling with a new language and culture she knows relatively noth ..read more

I held off writing this piece because I wanted a little whiff of 2022 before hastening to assign any labels or meaningless wishes to the new year. It's the same song and dance every end of year, isn’t it? The year comes to a close, and we almost too giddily sweep it out, as though it should be discarded with the rubbish in our dustbins. Then we proceed to usher in the coming year, imploring it to "treat us well," or to "behave." Because, you know, that personification boosts our chances of negotiating assured success. If I'm being honest, 2020 and 2021 just blended into each other, like one in ..read more

Saint Augustine once said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” But during this unusual era of the Covid-19 pandemic, our collective mobility as a society has been severely impaired. Face it. When was the last time you traveled carefree? When was the last time you were able to board a train, or hop on a plane, or embark on a ship, to transcend country borders? Can you remember when you last ambled about freely and explored an exquisitely different culture and cuisine? Acting upon this realization, the savvy gourmands behind Key 16 – a Belgium-based enterprise th ..read more

It seems to me like every day, the Lebanese are put through a charade of scams intended to test (1) how vigilant they are, and (2) how unabashed they can be when it comes to calling out the perpetrator. If you live in Lebanon, you know exactly what I’m talking about. False advertising? Rampant. Just go inside a "dollar store," and you'll notice that nothing is actually for a dollar. Fine print? There’s always some of that, but rarely is it printed. Shortchanging? Would it really be a Lebanese enterprise if it didn’t condone this? In the span of just one week, I’ve seen it all, and it sickens m ..read more