Beirutista

A while ago, I met my dear friend Joumana Rizk over coffee and a quick catch-up. Joumana, who heads Mirros Communications , handed me a manilla envelope with a gift inside. I slipped my hand in and pulled out the newly published novel Birds in the Rain by first-time author Rana Hanna. I promised Joumana I’d read it, and boy was it easy to keep my word. Birds in the Rain by Rana Hanna (published by Bold Story Press, 2025) I inhaled Rana’s book, unable to put it down late-night when I should have been ceding to slumber. Over the course of a few evenings, I followed the narratives of Layla, a young widow grieving her husband’s death as she raises her son Michael. Each chapter is titled by the point of view through which it is narrated, spanning Layla, Michael, Jeddo (Layla’s father and hence Michael’s grandfather), and Marc (a trustworthy friend of Layla who is devoted to her and Michael’s well-being). The book is written in the third-person, except for those chapters narrated by Michael...

Exactly one week ago, memes started circulating throughout Lebanon as Iran and Israel went to war. The two nations were exchanging missiles, sending them sailing over Lebanese airspace, but folks in Lebanon were too busy on the snowy slopes of Faraya and Kfardebian to take notice or care. Oh, the sad irony, when less than 48 hours later, Lebanon became embroiled in the war, too. Skiers gliding down the slopes at the Mzaar-Kfardebian ski resort northeast of Beirut, Lebanon. Saturday, January 3, 2026. (Photo credit: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) There is so much insight to unpack from that meme. First and foremost, Lebanese people are a recreation-loving, joie-de-vivre-seeking, jolly sort of folk. They truly just want to live and let live. I’ve never seen a populace enjoy life so fully, despite local and regional setbacks. Defiant persistence is etched in their DNA. They are doomed to suffer, even though they are not culpable.  I mean, seriously, how much more adversity need the Lebanese pe...

Last week I attended a fabulous brunch at Le Gray’s Qasti restaurant to honor 30 years of Hospitality Services’ Horeca. If you’re any degree of foodie , the annual event to look forward to in Beirut is Horeca. Formed from the words Ho tels, Re staurants, and Ca fés, this exhibition is the largest in the Levant for the food service and hospitality industry, attracting hundreds of exhibitors, trade visitors, internationally renowned chefs and food experts. The sumptuous brunch at Le Gray was hosted by Joumana Dammous-Salamé, managing director of Hospitality Services , and her experienced team. A more convivial setting could not have been pinned down, and how fortuitous that winter took a one-day leave to afford us a beautiful, 25-degree day replete with sunshine. We sat outside on the terrace of Qasti, tucked away from the din of the busy street lining Martyr’s Square.  Le Gray Hotel takes its throne in the heart of the historic downtown district. After the August 4, 2020, Beirut ...

When I launched my blog Beirutista some 14 years ago, in the summer of 2012, I wasn’t exactly certain what the focal point would be. Sure, most of my articles featured candid and thorough reviews of eateries and holes-in-the-wall I’d discovered on my prowls through my new surroundings (I'd settled in Lebanon just the year before). I loved dishing out spotlights of lesser-known food spots or profiles of up-and-coming chefs. I could wax poetic about a cocktail prepared with finesse, or a pizza pie descended from the heavens. And while my taste buds were enjoying a culinary adventure of their own, I was also interested in the artist crafting his or her art. I’m a storyteller. I’ve always been a storyteller, even when I was pursuing a mechanical engineering degree in undergrad and grad school. I doubled down on honors humanities and social sciences to temper my technical studies and add a layer of communicative skills to what I do. You’re only as relatable as your words, written or ora...