Along with the original restaurant at 1501 Metairie Road (834-9773), there's a Byblos Market at 2020 Veterans Memorial Blvd. (837-9777) in Metairie. The deli at the market serves shawarma and falafel sandwiches, as well as many of the standard salads and dips like tabbouleh, hummus and lebna. In the international foods section of the store, you'll find rose and orange flower waters, canned fava beans, dried fruits and a variety of olives.

Eat, Drink and Be Arty

It's the Summertime Tease: On Tuesdays and Thursdays in August from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Dante's Kitchen (736 Dante St., 861-3121) and 3 Ring Circus (www.3ringcircusproductions.com) bring a live music happy hour to Riverbend. This Tuesday, the musical guest is Marc Stone; on Thursday look for Mike West. There's also a temporary collection of food-related photos shot by local photographers. Appetizers, key lime margaritas and $1 draft beers just might lure you into staying for dinner, in which case I demand you try the shrimp with andouille grits and red-eye gravy, and the white chocolate sweet potato pie. Emanuel Loubier's summer menu also includes a bevy of vegetable side dishes, such as braised turnip greens and Chardonnay wilted spinach.

Liquored Up

The sommeliers won't tell you this, but there's nothing wrong with ditching wine for brown liquor once in awhile, even during dinner. Reserve a space for next Tuesday's $75 Small Batch Bourbon Bash at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse (716 Iberville St., 522-2467). Fred Noe, the great-grandson of Jim Beam, will preside as guest bourbon authority, while the four-course, "bourbon-enhanced" dinner is paired with Booker's, Baker's, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's bourbons.

Market Watch