At Starco, Karim Arakji bets on New York-style slice and authentic bagel

Two new restaurants, Red Apple and Pink Lady, opened their doors on Dec. 26 and 27 respectively at Starco in Downtown Beirut. Two sister addresses, two compact formats, with one ambition: to import, without compromise, a slice of New York to the heart of the Lebanese capital.Behind Red Apple and Pink Lady is Karim Arakji, co-founder of the Nothing But Love (NBL) group, known for several concepts that have made their mark on the local culinary scene, including Meat the Fish, Maryool, and Backburner. But this time, he is tackling two popular icons: New York-style pizza by the slice and the North American bagel."Red Apple is New York-style pizza in its most authentic form, sold by the slice, with all its attributes," says Karim Arakji. Here, there's no question of an "inspired" or adapted pizza: the goal is...