>There are many Lebanese restaurants across the U.S. which sell a raw lamb
>dish called Kibbeh.  Even in Ohio (where I currently live) restaurants serve
>it.  Apparently the health dept. doesn't give them grief for doing this,

May be it is frozen meat so in that case they might be okay with it , i know
that for suchi bar they have to do this here..
When i 1st travel thru us as a fresh french guy and i ask a  very rare steak
( we call it blue in French) in a restaurant they told me i could not have
it , that it was illlegal. At that time i didn't have any ideas about the
fear of germs in north america., so i was rather surprised.
In France nobody will ever wonder if it is safe to eat raw meats because
eating it rare is so usual.
jean-claude