Since moving from Lebanon, Fady Chamoun has gone from tossing pizzas at Little Caesars to co-owning 13 Aladdin's Eatery restaurants in Northeast Ohio with his wife, Sally. They also own two Taza A Lebanese Grill locations with the recent opening of their new downtown spot. More traditional than Aladdin's, Taza gives the Chamouns a chance to share not only more of the dishes they grew up with, but also their dining style. "When we go to restaurants in Lebanon, everything is in small plates," says Sally, referring to the tapas-style dining Lebanese call "mezza," which often includes arak, a liquor popular in Lebanon. Taza's mezza section includes shareable dishes such as Lebanese Jibneh (pictured), a mild, lightly salty cheese sauteed with pomegranate sauce and olive oil from Lebanon, and Kibbie Nayyeh, their version of steak tartare. "We make it a night or a whole day," Sally says of Lebanese dining. "We enjoy food, so we live to eat. We don't eat to live." 1400 W. Sixth St., Cleveland, 216-274-1170, mytaza.com
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12:00 AM EST
January 19, 2012