The space next TO Republic Bar & Grill was until recently a Brazilian steak house. Now, it’s a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah lounge called Laziza, (9460 S. Eastern Ave., 570-7500), serving high-end Lebanese cuisine. The restaurant belongs to Steve Ramey, who had the highly touted Almaza, and food here is consistently excellent. We started with a big plate of vegetarian mezze with appetizers like stuffed vine leaves, hummus and baba ghanouj, then progressed to shawarma and kebabs. I had to be persuaded to try kunefe, a warm sweet cheese pie, for dessert. I’ll be back just to eat it again.