In The Press

Beirutista is a treatment of the cultural and lifestyle nuances in Lebanon as seen through my multicultural lens. Topics range from analysis and humor pieces to restaurant reviews, foodie discoveries, rants and raves, travel guides, general news, views, and memoirs.

Television


(1) I was hosted on live television by the Lebanese station LBC SAT for a weekday program called “B Beirut.” The 20-minute interview delved into my blog, its origins, vision and contents. (March 2015)



LBC SAT B-Beirut: March 2015
(2) In July 2015, I was invited back onto the show to discuss some of my latest blog features, including a bakery discovery in Jounieh and a budding chocolatier whom I had interviewed. That movie can be viewed here. 



LBC SAT B-Beirut: July 2015
(3) I appeared on LBCI primetime news on March 31, 2017, subsequent to having ranked #8 worldwide for the Bab.la Bloggers Abroad international competition. That segment is viewable here, cue 13:58 - 16:38. 

LBC International: March 2017


Print

I was interviewed by An-Nahar newspaper, and my writing was featured in both print and online publication. (January 2014)


An-Nahar news publication: half-page feature on Beirutista!

I was interviewed by The Daily Star newspaper for my insights into the food and beverage sector in Lebanon and how it is evolving. (January 2015)

 I was interviewed by Wamda (an entrepreneurship accelerator across MENA) on diner behavior in light of Lebanon’s food scandal and the evolving digital space. (August 2015) 

I was featured in health & fitness blog Le Gym Online for my secrets on staying slim in spite of being a food blogger. (September 2015)

 I was interviewed by MediaSource on the origins of my blog and the impact of blogs on Lebanon's dining scene. (April 2016)

Collaborations

 Wesley's Wholesale

Wesley's Wholesale in Jnah, Beirut
For three years, I served as the premier Brand Ambassador for Wesley’s Wholesale, a megastore specializing in American and international food and nonfood imports. I featured product reviews and leaks, hosted giveaways, and documented cool new projects Wesley's pursued. 
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 Beirut.com
For nearly a year and a half, I served as Food & Drink Editor of the online social magazine Beirut.com, authoring 157 articles (accessible here), including
  • Best of Beirut food series,
  • Restaurant reviews,
  • Guides to quartiers and neighborhoods,
  • Interviews with prominent Beirut-based chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs,
  • Crave pieces,
  • Sponsored content,
  • And much more.



As resident expert of Beirut's foodie scene, I built a comprehensive database that acts as a tool for both locals and tourists alike. (December 2013 - March 2015)




Other Honors



Featured on Flipboard and Limelines.com

 Beirutista is featured on Flipboard and Limelines, both of which specialize in international and regional news and social network aggregation.
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Regional Expert for International Guide to the Best Pizzerias

 I was sought out by the famous international food critic Daniel Young to serve as regional expert in Beirut on an insider's guidebook called "Where To Eat Pizza," published by Phaidon in March 2016.




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Adviser to the Prince Claus Fund Awards 2016

In early 2016, the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development solicited my input on the work of Lebanese chef and food activist Kamal Mouzawak, founder of Lebanon's organic food movement, Souk el Tayeb, and the producer's kitchen Tawlet.

Kamal Mouzawak along with five other award-winners went on to be selected as a Prince Claus Laureate and was honored at a ceremony in Amsterdam in December 2016.


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Ranked #8 in the International Bab.la Bloggers Abroad Competition

Bloggers Abroad 2017



The Bab.la Bloggers Abroad Competition aims to discover the best online resources about traveling and life in a foreign country. 2017 marked the ninth edition of this contest, compiling 100 participants from all continents. After a week-long voting process, Beirutista came in 8th place, a huge honor considering this is an international race.


Bab.la is an interactive language portal and an online magazine for expats offering bilingual dictionaries, blog articles about life abroad, language quizzes, and language games, all for free. Bab.la was founded in 2007 and since 2015 has been part of the Oxford Dictionaries family at Oxford University Press.


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