BEIRUT — Michel Ayoub has lived in Baskinta his whole life. Ask anyone for the Ayoub family in this small, picturesque village, and they will point you down the hill to a secluded restaurant called al-Nahr.
The restaurant’s name — meaning "The River" — is well chosen. It is impossible to escape the sound of running water. Ayoub has built a series of channels to draw attention to this natural feature, and restaurant-goers must cross streams and navigate fish ponds to get to their tables.