Archive for August, 2010
I recently bought a hookah and it is working well, but i don't know when all the shisha has been smoked. Do i have to take of the foil and check or will there be a difference in taste?
it will start to taste really nasty, and unclean.
A sunny Thursday afternoon in August and the cars circling Harrods need to be seen to be believed. Million-pound Bugatti Veyrons – normally a rare sighting, even on the well-heeled streets of Central London – are, around here, about as common as Ford Fiestas.
Other cars, in a display that could rival anything in Monaco or Goodwood, drive round and round the block, pausing at the rear each time to see if their masters are ready for collection.
In the cafes surrounding the department store, every single table is taken by people from the Gulf states and the Middle East — Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Dubai.
A young Arabic man leaving his vehicle outside the Berkley Hotel in Central London
Welcome to Knightsbridge — or, as it is better known to locals, ‘Little Kuwait’.
For British residents, the summer is all about anescape to the sun; a fortnight in the South of France, the Italian Riviera or Spain. We Brits want sand, sangria, heat and a swimming pool. Anywhere but the sticky, filthy city.
For the mega-wealthy billionaire families of the Gulf states over here this summerwill tell you that they come to London because, unlike in the U.S. or France, they are made to feel welcome,’ says Hussam Baramo, the Syria-born features editor at Al Quds newspaper, a daily paper widely-read by Middle Eastern people in London. ‘They like London because they think it’s safe and friendly.’
And here, they can bring their cars with them. Around the corner from Harrods, Isaw one Veyron with every inch of its bodywork coated in gold; another, chromed all over.
Behind it, I watched a Veyron in pearlised white with shiny chromium wings making a noise like a scalded Rottweiler.
The Saudi number plate on this car was ‘999’. I watched the driver get out. he was around 25 and dressed like an off-duty Lewis Hamilton. I complimented him on his car and asked how he got it over to London. ‘In my plane,’ he said, grinning.
The car was parked in a pay-and-display’ bay, but its driver did neither. The auto show continued with a Rolls-Royce Phantom customised with a stainless steel bonnet. The number plate on this car is simply ‘1’. later that day I Googled this vehicle and discovered that a couple of years ago its Dubai-based owner paid
Look, up in a shopping mall! It’s a hookah lounge! It’s a bar! It’s Nu Sanctuary!
Yes, it’s Nu Sanctuary, a restaurant that came to Town Square with powers and kitchen abilities far beyond those of mortal mall eateries.
Nu Sanctuary! that can change the course of mall wine bars with a good list, bend burgers into something magnificent and, disguised as a mild-mannered lounge next to a movie theater, fights a never-ending battle for edible truths, gastronomic justice and a better American shopping center way of eating!
Good mega-mall meals not involving franchised food and frozen yogurt are notoriously hard to find. in fact, you’d be hard pressed to name a gastronomic destination in any mall in Vegas that isn’t connected to a top-flight hotel. The daunting task of succeeding in this hostile environment has been taken up by Chef Brian Howard—an alum of Simon and Bouchon—who thinks his indoor/outdoor ambience and casual, wallet-friendly menu of small plates will woo diners away from the much more pedestrian fare of the competitors surrounding him.
Howard’s menu, obviously culled from his stints at those high-performance kitchens, is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted next door to a movie theater. Taleggio cheese-stuffed chicken in a bright, lemony beurre blanc (served with a fresh tomato and olive salad) or chickpea-crusted scallops over cauliflower “risotto” aren’t common fare for the Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D crowd, but Howard is banking on enough hookah-loving hipsters and gastro groupies to make all of his delicious efforts worthwhile.
Just as compelling are his deconstructed hummus (one with kick that every “Mediterranean” restaurant should take note of), a beautifully constructed carpaccio of “steak and eggs” and a spicy lamb tagine over Israeli couscous that showcases his love of strong, assertive flavors. He can even get molecular, as his addictive nitrogen-frozen caramel corn demonstrates. with each bite, you sense this kitchen’s talent at doing technically precise, sophisticated food at remarkably soft prices. one can only hope that baby-mama-stroller-pushers, and the audience for The Expendables (or the next Superman movie), will get with the program.
Hookah (water pipe) lounges are sprouting up everywhere. a medical journal says they are increasingly popular with kids, and, in Florida, at least, they are sidestepping state laws that ban smoking in public places like restaurants. Forty-seven of the 74 licensed hookah bars in Florida are within 10 miles of a university campus. a recent Florida Youth Tobacco Survey found that in 2009 more than one in 10 high schoolers had smoked a water pipe. the study said:
“the prevalence of hookah use in Florida is 11% among high school students and 4% among middle school students.
“there is an upward trend in the life time use of hookah among Floridian adults, and the prevalence is highest among young adults ages 18 – 24 (24.2%). moreover, the prevalence of hookah use appears to be increasing among high school students in Florida.”
Hookah smoking is popular in Canada, too. Nearly a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds questioned for a survey in a medical journal said they smoked a hookah in the past year.
Health risks
There is a popular notion that hookah smoking is somehow safer than cigarette smoking. but the study in the journal Pediatrics says differently :
“Little is known about the addictive nature or health risks of water-pipe smoking, but it may be at least as harmful as cigarette smoking. Similar to cigarette smoke, water-pipe smoke contains harmful constituents, including nicotine, carbon monoxide, and carcinogens. In fact, water-pipe smoke may contain greater amounts of tar and heavy metals, including cobalt, chromium, and lead, than cigarette smoke. Water-pipe use has been linked to lung cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, and pregnancy-related complications, though the health risks are likely influenced by the quantity and type of tobacco used, the duration and frequency of water-pipe use by the smoker, the volume of smoke inhaled, and the burn temperature.”
Regulation
In Florida, hookah bars can serve food, unlike restaurants, because, as Florida Trend explains, state law regulates lit tobacco. since the hookah tobacco is heated in a bowl, not lit directly, it is not covered by the tobacco ban. but opponents have other ways to shut the business down, namely taxes:
“In addition to a backlash from health experts and landlords, hookah bars also face tax issues. Eight years ago, soon after the advent of the hookah craze, the tax rate on tobacco in Florida was 25% of the wholesale price. Today it’s at 85%. the hookah industry, meanwhile, is keeping a close eye on federal legislation, H.R. 4439, which would raise the tax on hookah tobacco by 775%. the ‘Tobacco Tax Parity Act of 2010′ is intended to bring tax rates on pipe tobacco, which includes hookahs, in line with the higher rates imposed on rolled tobacco. but hookah proprietors say that a 250-gram (8.75 ounce) box of hookah tobacco that currently retails for $5.99 would cost more than $20 if this bill passes, which could put them out of business.”
Still, hookah cafes can make a lot of dough. Florida Trend found one supply shop that said it costs about a dollar to fill a bowl with tobacco, which a cafe usually sells for $20.
According to the Mayo Clinic pulmonologist, Dr. Edward Rosenow the answer is NO!
It’s a myth that hookah smoking is safer than smoking cigarettes. the tobacco is no less toxic. Hookah smokers actually inhale more tobacco smoke than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale.
Hookah — also called narghile, shisha and goza — is a water pipe. the device has been used for centuries in the Middle East and Asia to smoke tobacco. Now, hookah bars and cafes are popping up across the United States — fueled by the growing popularity of hookah smoking among teens and young adults.
The hookah device consists of four parts:
When a smoker inhales through the tube, a pressure difference forces air past the heating source and heats the tobacco, which gives off smoke. the smoke is pulled away from the tobacco and passes through the water and into the smoke chamber — from which it is inhaled by the smoker.
Although many believe that the water in the hookah filters out all the “bad stuff” in the tobacco smoke, this isn’t true. According to a World Health Organization advisory, a typical one-hour session of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. even after passing through water, tobacco smoke still contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Hookah smoking also delivers significant levels of nicotine — the addictive substance in tobacco.
The trend of hookah smoking has doctors and public health experts concerned because — despite claims to the contrary by many users — smoking from a hookah is just as dangerous as smoking cigarettes.
Patricia Clarkson has a voice like toasted pecans drenched in bourbon. Sultry and refined, classically beautiful but not Hollywood perfect, she is often the best thing about the movies she’s in — and, all too often, she’s in them too briefly.
In “Cairo Time,” a gentle, achingly romantic bagatelle from Canadian writer-director Ruba Nadda, Clarkson finally claims the romantic leading role she has long deserved. Delivering a tender, unshowy performance as eloquent in its silences as in her seductive, peppery whisper, Clarkson proves what her fans have known forever: She’s ready for the spotlight. with luck, she’ll stay there.
As “Cairo Time” opens, Clarkson’s character, Juliette, a Canadian magazine editor, has just landed in Egypt, where she plans to join her husband, mark, a U.N. official. at the airport, Juliette is met by Mark’s old friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig), who informs Juliette that her husband has been delayed in Gaza.
At large and more than a bit at sea, at first Juliette tries to navigate Cairo’s chaotic and noisy streets on her own, but quickly learns that she’ll need a guide. she calls on Tareq, and for the next few days the two explore the city and their own interior landscapes, which undergo tiny, seismic shifts the longer they spend together.
As a portrait of a woman confronting foreign climes and mid-life changes, “Cairo Time” resembles a bigger, glossier movie in theaters right now. But as a heroine, Juliette presents a far more enigmatic — and, oddly, more recognizable — protagonist than Julia Roberts’ post-divorce pilgrim in “Eat Pray love.” as “Cairo Time” unfolds, with Juliette and Tareq taking leisurely ambles through the city or smoking hookah pipes in its coffeehouses, she begins to exude an unmistakable sense of longing, a feeling that Tareq — a man of courtly restraint and old-fashioned decorum — picks up on and responds to in kind.
Like Tokyo in “Lost in Translation,” Cairo plays a role unto itself in “Cairo Time,” which like that earlier film seems steeped in an ethereal, slightly dazed sense of dislocation. as Juliette embarks on her geographic and psychological journey, it’s never clear where she’s going or means to end up, which makes the film’s most pivotal moment — elegantly staged by Nadda in a hotel lobby and elevator — all the more electrifying. with slow-burning emotion and finely calibrated performances from its two deeply attractive leads, “Cairo Time” pays lyrical tribute to the beauty and rue of brief encounters everywhere.
“Cairo Time”
PG, for mild thematic elements and smoking. in English and Arabic with English subtitles. 1 hour, 28 minutes. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig, Elena Anaya, Amina Annabi and Tom McCamus; directed by Ruba Nadda. Opens today at the Chez Artiste.
Ok, so i've had my hookah for almost 2 years now and have a few questions.
1) I have replaced the hose once before, but i am wanting to replace parts to get a cleaner more enjoyable flavor again. so my question is, what is the best "style" hose for taste, feel, and most importantly- long lasting and easy to clean? i have an Egyptian style hookah.
2) if I have some older hookah (starbuzz) that is a little dry, is there anything that i can do to make it a little more dank or to increase the flavor potency?
and 3) what do you guys think is most useful for a longer lasting flavor in a session? i hear people say put shisha in lightly (dont pack it) and dont allow the tobacco to touch the foil, and iv also see some people put a huge glob of shisha in and put the foil over the mound… which is best?
THANK YOU!!
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010 | 12:05 a.m.
Restaurant Guide
Fit for a king — or a downtown hipster. even more tenants are setting up hot spots on Fremont East, including Vanguard Lounge and a possible nightclub in the future. for your current nightlife needs: Maharaja.
Set to open in two to three weeks, the hookah lounge has been years in the making, in large part thanks to the intricate, ornate detail inside and out. Upon entering through custom, hand-carved pecan wood doors, the handiwork that took a team of 10 in Pakistan two years to complete continues in the detailed seating, tables and brass-inlayed expandable serving trays. but the real thing that will set Maharaja apart is more surprising: There’s no booze.
“There’s really no other place downtown that’s for those under 21,” says Aisf Jah, who’s partnered with Imtiaz Ali — the owner of Kabob Korner across the street — to open the new lounge. Without alcohol, the 18-and-up crowd will be welcome. “Everyone wants a place to hang out,” says Ali, adding that with all the other bars in the Fremont East area, those looking for liquor can easily enjoy a cocktail nearby before or after visiting Maharaja.
Once inside, there are plenty of reasons to stay, even without a drink in hand. Tapestries and canopies in rich cranberry and gold create a regal feel in the approximately 1,700-square-foot space. The traditional Indian-style décor is fit for the lounge’s namesake. “Maharaja means ‘king’,” says Ali of the Sanskrit word. “We wanted to make it like a king’s house and were inspired by that.”
Though the décor is extravagant, the prices are not. in addition to more than 50 combinations of hookah flavors, menu items range from traditional Mediterranean fare to modern American, French and Japanese, coming in under $10 each. With the money you’re saving on alcohol, you can even spring for an extra hookah.
— Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly
Maharaja hookah lounge: Fit for a king – or a downtown hipster
i'm wanting to get into retail sales of Hookahs and Hookah accessories and i need a good cheap wholesale dealer.
Ive looked all over yahoo answers and the only answer that keeps showing up is http://www.hookah-shisha.com. checked it out. thanks but no thanks, they are NOT wholesale.
Google Hookahs at wholesale cost. That's how I find stuff at Wholesale, the only bad part, usually buying wholesale if you don't have a TIN, then you have to buy in bulk. Hookahs are really cool though, I just bought one not to long ago, I got the Peach and it made my house smell so good. and it was fun too ha ha! Good luck hope you find them!!
Try:
http://www.esources.co.uk/search-supplie…
Or
http://www.esources.co.uk/wholesale-supp…
You will find all the verified hookah wholesalers you need there.
Best wishes to you and your business.
Published: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 1:00 AM
Garden District Book Shop .2727 Prytania St. Nevada Barr discusses and signs “Burn, ” 5:30-7. Call 895.2266.
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
Hooked on Books 7411 Chef Menteur Highway. First Book-Greater New Orleans, a project sponsored by Chevron and Rhodes Funeral Homes, presents a book giveaway, celebrity story readers, refreshments, entertainment and more under a tent on the lawn, 2-5 Fri. Event is open to a limited number of children who must be registered by e-mail (ElLyRhodes@aol.com) or phone, 994.6925. Include the ages and the number of children in the group. Participation will be confirmed by e-mail.
Kenner Planetarium Shows 2020 4th St., Kenner. “The Case of the Disappearing Planet, ” 10 a.m.; “The Planets, ” 2; “Wild Safari, ” 11 a.m. and 4; Laser show “Laser Spirit, ” noon and 3. Tickets are $6 adults, $5 seniors and children. Call 468.7231.
Farmers Markets Crescent City Farmers Market Tuesday Market 200 Broadway. Hours 9 a.m.-1. Call 861.5898, www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org.
Music at the Museum National World War II Museum, 945 Magazine St. The third of four final rounds of the “Stage Door Idol” competition takes place, 5:30-7:30. Call 528.1944, ext.267.
Beach House 2401 N. Woodlawn Ave., Metairie, 456.7470. Candy Riedl-Lowe, 7.
Blue Nile (upstairs) 532 Frenchmen St., 948.2583. Open Ears Music Series with the Technodrome Trio, featuring Simon Lott, Jesse Morrow and Time Sullivan, 10.
BMC 1331 Decatur St. Ed Barrett, 7, Vivid, 9:30.
Brewster’s Chalmette, 309.7548. Open mike with Ben and Peg, 7:30.
Carrollton Station 8140 Willow St., 865.9190. “You Think You’re Funny” Stand-Up Open Mike hosted by Youaint Funnybruh, 9.
Checkpoint Charlie 501 Esplanade Ave., 281.4847. Locusta, Argentum Astrum, 8.
Chickie Wah Wah 2828 Canal St., 304.4714. John Mooney, 8.
Circle Bar 1032 St. Charles Ave., 588.2616. The Tom Paines, 6, Sweet Jones, 10.
d.b.a. 618 Frenchmen St., 942.3731. New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, 9.
Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar 5535 Tchoupitoulas St., 891.8500. Tom Hook, 9:30.
Famous Door 339 Bourbon St., 598.4334. The big Soul Band, 3.
Funky Pirate 727 Bourbon St., 523.1960. big Al Carson and the Blues Masters, 8.
Hi-Ho Lounge 2239 St. Claude Ave., 945.4446. Rose’s Pawn Shop, my Graveyard Jaw, 10.
Hookah Cafe 500 Frenchmen St., 943.1101. Iranian Indie Rock show: Hypernova with The Yellowdogs, 8:30.
Howlin’ Wolf (den) 907 S. Peters St., 529.5844. The big Busk: A Night of Burlesque and Live Music, 9.
Little Tropical Isle 435 Bourbon St. Ian Taylor, 4:30, Rainmakers, 9.
Maple Leaf Bar 8816 Oak St., 866.9359. Rebirth Brass Band, 10:30.
Mo’s Chalet 3201 Houma Blvd., Metairie, 780.2961. The Nite Owl, 7.
Mulate’s 201 Julia St., 522.1492. La Touche, 7.
Neutral Ground Coffee House 5110 Danneel St., 891.3381. The Bros, 9, Cal and Deanna, 10.
Old Point Bar 545 Patterson St., 364.0950. The West Bank Mike show, 7:30.
Ralph’s on the Park 900 City Park Ave., 488.1000. Joe Krown, 5.
Rock ‘n’ Bowl 3016 S. Carrollton Ave., 861.1700. SweetHome New Orleans presents Gal Holiday, 8:30.
Spotted Cat Music Club 623 Frenchmen St. Brett Richardson, 4, Smokin’ Time Jazz Club, 6, Meschiya Lake and The Little big Horns, 10.
Tropical Isle Bayou Club 610 Bourbon St., 529.1702. Can’t hardly Play Boys, 5, T’Canaille, 9.
Tropical Isle Bourbon 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109. Frank Fairbanks, 5, Damien Louviere, 9.
Tropical Isle Original 600 Bourbon St., 529.1728. Rainmakers, 1, Cruz Missiles, 5, Radio Active, 9.
Arnaud’s Jazz Bistro 813 Bienville St. (corner of Bourbon St.), 523.2847. The Gumbo Trio, 6:30.
Cafe Beignet 311 Bourbon St., 587.0727. Steamboat Willie Jazz Band, 2.
Columns Hotel 3811 St. Charles Ave., 899.9308. John Rankin, 8.
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse 300 Bourbon St., 553.2331. Ed “Sweetbread” Petersen, 8.
Maison 508 Frenchmen St., 947.6155. No name Trio, 8.
Snug Harbor 626 Frenchmen St., 949.0696. Phillip Manuel Trio, 8 and 10.
Steamboat Natchez Toulouse Street Wharf at Jax Brewery, 586.8777. Day Cruise with Duke Heitger’s Steamboat Stompers, 11:30 a.m. and 2:30, Dinner Jazz Cruise with the Dukes of Dixieland Jazz Band, 7.
Have an item?
Send information on entertainment events open to the public to: Lagniappe@timespicayune.com. Information must be received 10 days prior to event. Events are listed on the day they occur. all times are p.m. unless otherwise noted. Art gallery, movie and museum listings appear only in Lagniappe on Friday.
Author Nevada Barr discusses, signs at Garden District Book Shop
