Bubbling Azak. Flaming Armenian sausages. Alluring belly dancers. Who could want anything more of a dining experience in Los Angeles but especially in Glendale of all places? Lebanese inspired Carousel Restaurant is the place to take an authentic Middle Eastern culinary tour.

Rose Tcholakian, chef and owner serves up a fresh feast of familiars like hammos (or hummus for the Trader Joe crowd), tabbuleh, and kebabs but the locals and tourists alike come to experience some of the truly traditional Lebanese dishes like muhammara (a spicy walnut, pomegranate dip) and kebbeh nayyeh (steak tartar with fresh tomatoes and parsley).

Being a Lebanese foodie virgin, I asked the manager Michele to bring what he thought best represented the culture. He recommended the family style menu item for two, Hafleh Beiruti, consisting of fourteen different menu items and three courses for $23.95 a person.  

When seated at our table, my friend commented how far he felt from me and we quickly figured out why. The generous portions and quantity of food filled the large table by the second course of hot mezzas (appetizers).  Our favorite delights were the mini-football shaped kebbeh koftas of ground beef, pine nuts and onions and the house specialty-perfectly fried feta cheese turnovers called fatayer.  

After imbibing the milky colored aperitif Azak, a cousin of the Greek ouzo, the gold medal Lebanese wine Chateau Kefraya ’02 paired magnificently with Carousel’s legendary lamb chops.  Didn’t know Lebanon had wine? They carry three other Lebanese wines and 18 other wines by the glass.

As a bit of java snob, I am always skeptical of the quality of restaurant coffee. But the spicy Armenian coffee served in an antique silver flask did not disappoint as it was the perfect thick-as-motor-oil texture with a delicate bold finish.  Don’t forget to try Ash El Saraya – a light creamy but doughy rose and cardamom flavored desert sprinkled with pistachios.

Carousel’s décor smacks of a Lebanese theme park but the authenticity and quality of the dishes and the genuine helpfulness of the staff make up for the interior designer’s brazenness. 

On Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30 pm - 1 am, the restaurant fills up with celebratory groups and families looking for good clean fun as belly dancers, Lebanese singers and even tango dancers put on a show equal to Vegas spectacle.  Reservations are a must on these nights.

Carousel Restaurant, 304 N. Brand, Glendale 91203 818.246.7775 www.carouselrestaurant.com, Prices: $20-50 per person