Middle Eastern cuisine is one of our favorites, and Lebanon is probably the best country to enjoy it. Grilled meats are very popular, including kebab (lamb with or without vegetables), kibbeh (minced lamb with bulgur wheat), shawarma (lamb or chicken carved from a spit) and roast chicken. You'll also find a ready supply of falafel (fried chickpea balls served in pita bread).

The best way to sample different dishes is to order meze -- appetizers really, but you can make a whole meal out of them. Try hummus (chickpea and tahini dip), tabouleh (parsley and tomato salad with bulgur wheat), baba ghanouj (eggplant and tahini dip) and fattoush (a minty salad with baked or fried pita-bread crumbs). Desserts include many different variations of baklava (phyllo-dough sweets), as well as kenafeh, which is filled with cheese or custard.

Lebanese grapes are used to make excellent red wines, and arak, a distilled alcohol, is made from aniseed. Coffee is served Turkish style -- extra strong with grounds at the bottom of the cup, and hot tea (chai) is also a popular drink. Try an exotic juice at one of the many juice bars.

Lunches linger for hours, and dinners often don't begin before 8 pm. Beirut has a growing number of foreign restaurants, including U.S.-brand fast-food chains.