The

Blog

Columbia is certainly not well known for its selection of Lebanese-style eateries.

In fact, the city boasts only a handful of restaurants sprinkled throughout the area that serve up the typical Middle Eastern fare.

However, a quick stroll down Gervais Street will land you right in the heart of the Vista, and right at the front door of Mezza, a newly opened bistro and hookah lounge that’s putting a modern spin on some classic Lebanese favorites.

From an outside perspective, Mezza somewhat resembles many of the dining establishments the Vista has come to be known for: a nicely furnished bar at the front, followed by a simple seating area with white tablecloths under low lighting that glows from fashionable hanging shades.

It is only when you are seated at the booth or table of your choice that you can really take in what is a combination of classic style molded with a few twists that keep the restaurant looking fresh and modern.

The exposed air ducts are layered over a high ceiling, and the open brick work at Mezza’s front door keeps things comfortable and far from feeling overdone and stuffy.

And unlike many other more traditional Lebanese restaurants, Mezza’s house music of choice includes a variety of dubstep tunes that keep the vibe feeling new and hip. The walls are decorated with a culture clash of classic and modern paintings, all of which are for sale.

The best way to describe Mezza’s extensive menu of Lebanese dishes is fresh and diverse, serving up an assortment of typical cuisine mingling with some more contemporary choices.

The selection of appetizers is almost as expansive as the entrees themselves, giving diners the option of choosing between cold starters like hummus or baba ghanoush, an eggplant dish mixed with tahini sauce and garnished with olive oil.

The hummus, adequately priced at $4.95, was served chilled with soft, warm pita bread slices and tasted freshly made with a consistency that was perfectly balanced between thick and easily spreadable.

There are, of course, hot appetizers to choose from as well, including Phoenician fries sautéed in garlic and lemon and topped with feta cheese for $6.50, as well as another Lebanese favorite: falafel croquettes molded from fresh garbanza beans and served with a sides of lettuce, tomato, pickle and tahini sauce for the same price.

As for the main courses, Mezza offers an assortment of options to fit any taste and budget. there are four salads offered for under $10, including the tabbouleh salad crafted from a mixture of parsley, wheat, tomato, onions, olive oil and lemon juice that tasted crisp and light with a colorful array of textures and flavors.

There are also six wraps on the menu for less than $9 each, served on warm pita bread garnished with tomatoes, lettuce and pickles.

Diners can select from the falafel wrap or the traditional kafta kabab, a Middle Eastern style meatloaf served with hummus, as well as other wraps, including pitas stuffed with shrimp, chicken or beef.

Moving further down the menu brings diners to entrees with slightly heftier price tags.

All entrees from the grill, including kafta kababs over basmati rice and a mixed grill of chicken, beef and kafta with yogurt, are served with house salads with prices ranging from $14 to $17.

However, Mezza also offers items to share among groups of two to eight people. The petite Mezza meal serves two to four diners and comes with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grape leaves and falafel, all for $30. Mezza serves up all these favorites and more, tacking on additional items like Phoenician fries, mixed grill, kibby balls, fattoush and shanklish at a price of $95.

The signature entrees include beef and chicken shawarma platters, which consist of meats that are shaved to order after marinating on the spit all day. The beef shawarma, served with basmati rice and tahini sauce was delicately moist and rich in flavor, and provided plenty of food at the cost of $13.

Oven selections are also available for $6 and under, dishing up manakish cheese, oven baked with mozzarella and akkawi cheese and manakish zaatar, freshly baked dough topped with thyme, olive oil and sesame seeds.

Walking out the back door of Mezza brings patrons to the hookah lounge, an open patio area just outside where customers can choose from a variety of shisha flavors to share at any one of the many seating options.

Mezza is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

<a href="http://www.dailygamecock.com/mix/item/2142-mezza-lebanese-bistro-hookah-lounge-introduces-middle-eastern-fare-to-vistatag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.dailygamecock.com/mix/item/2142-mezza-lebanese-bistro-hookah-lounge-introduces-middle-eastern-fare-to-vistaTue, 20 Sep 2011 03:21:08 GMT 00:00″>Mezza Lebanese bistro, hookah lounge introduces Middle Eastern fare to Vista

That don't necessarily card? Yes, I'm 18, but my friend is 17. We've grown up smoking hookah as it is part of our culture and we would like to go to a restaurant or hookah bar to smoke some shisha, but he is afraid they will not let him. can someone help us out?
9 minutes a

Hookah bars/restaurants in Houston?

16 December 2010 | news Newsdesk

Over the past 10 years, there have been more and more Arabs travelling to Thailand and Bangkok in particular. the area near the Grace Hotel, used to be a popular spot with Russian tourists. these days, you will see mostly Arabs in this area. One of the positive things about all the Arabs in this area, is the opening of several great restaurants in this new Arabic district. I recommend that anyone travelling to Bangkok should make a point of visiting this area and sampling some of the wonderful Arabic food. the restaurants in this district are open 24 hrs per day, so it a great place to go after a night out, although they do not serve alcohol.the Arabic district is located at the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 3 and Sukhumvit Road, (where Soi 3 meets Soi 4). There is an small soi that goes in a “L” shape, with an entrance on Soi 3, and another on Sukhumvit Road. There are Arabic restaurants on either side of the street, with shiny silver railings, they are very decorative inside and out. if you have every been to the Sukhumvit area in Bangkok, you will probably remember that the streets are filthy, and many of the restaurants are also very dirty. the Arabic restaurants in this area are amazingly very clean and spotless inside and out. There is a Kebab stand selling fresh Kebab in pita at the entrance on Soi 3. the fresh Kebab meat in pita with your choice of sauce is very affordable, and it tastes fantastic. Normally the Kebab stand has both beef and chicken freshly sliced from the rotisserie. the cost of a Kebab is only 50THB(less than 2USD). the owner of the Kebab stand prides himself on maintaining a clean environment where he cooks, you will see this in the photo. One of the main attractions at any of the restaurants in this disrtict are the Shisha Pipes. the Shisha Pipe, is basically a water pipe that is used to smoke flavored tobacco. the health risks involved in smoking from the Shisha (Hooka) Pipe, are widely debated. some say it is safer than regular tobacco, and others say it is more dangerous. I can only say, it certainly tastes and smells a lot better than cigarettes.

There are a wide variety of Arabic foods available, including seafood, Kebabs, breads and anything else you can imagine. the menu at one of these restaurants may look like an encyclopedia. the prices of food in Bangkok can be a little on the high side, and the restaurants in this district are no exception, however the food is truly authentic, and you can not find this in most places in Thailand. One of my favourite dishes is the “mixed vegetables stuffed with minced lamb”. most dishes will cost approximately 150-300THB(5-10USD).

<a href="http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=plus&news_id=7988tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=plus”>Bangkoks "Little Arabia"

Shisha is an instrument for smoking. Some people also called it Hookah. it can also refers to culture, which started hundred years ago. it has been spread throughout the world. this culture is not only popular in Eastern countries, especially in Middle East, but it’s also popular in Western countries. there are many restaurants and cafes that offer shisha on their menu.

Shisha is a little bit different with smoking, although both of them have the same concept. You will need special instrument to enjoy it. Shisha instrument has several parts, such as shisha pipe, glass base, clay bowl, tray, and many other parts. with shisha, you can enjoy many types of flavor that you can choose. You can enjoy apple, grape, mint, and other flavors. if you want to have your own shisha instrument, you can buy it in regular shisha stores or you can also buy it online. with online system, you don’t have to go to the stores to get your shisha. there are many online shisha stores that provide complete shisha instrument, parts and accessories. many options for you to choose from. By buying online, you can get other benefit, because usually they offer better deals for the online buyer. the price is cheap, so you don’t have to spend a lot of your money just to enjoy shisha. You can easily buy it online in all over UK and USA. they provide shipping service and your order will be sent directly to your home.

This culture is growing day by day. More people enjoy shisha smoking. it becomes people’s lifestyle. if you want to know more about shisha, you can find many shisha articles on the Internet. when you have already understood about the way shisha works and you want to have your own, you can simply buy it online. It’s cheap, fast and easy.

Share and enjoy:

Buy Shisha Online

Don't say Hartford is boring!

To make a list of 25 things to do in Hartford, we had to consider everything there is to do in Hartford. It's tough! there are so many fantastic museums and historic houses and concert venues and restaurants! we wanted to dig deep to put together a list of things you maybe hadn’t already considered doing or that you maybe might not have heard about. some are more obscure than others, and some are in places farther away from the city, but they're all great. try going to a CATALOGUE show and definitely check out a Hartford Party Starters event. And if you have any suggestions for next year, Facebook us or fax us or something.

Along with barefoot running, yoga has become hugely trendy in the world of physical fitness. By extension, meditation is taking on a more mainstream popularity, as well. At West Hartford Yoga, you can try it out for yourself, or just take advantage of the cheapness, at several-day-a-week $5 yoga and free meditation sessions. About once a month, you can try out a free intro to yoga class, too. By the way, barefoot running is also free. just take off your shoes and haul ass.

The Hartford Party Starters Union. they put on great shows! Dance parties! Concerts at Bushnell Park and the Wadsworth! THE WADSWORTH! They’ve set out to make Hartford awesome and, since they began almost two years ago, they've brought Janelle Monae (pictured, at the HPSU still Wavy event this past summer) Andrew W.K. and Neon Indian here. we can't wait to see what they do next.

Doing laundry already sucks and it’s a whole other kind of hell having to lug your dirty, crappy clothes to a Laundromat, with everyone sort of eyeing each other to make sure nobody steals their towels or sweaters (as if!) and watching the clocks on the machines. Finding quarters is a nightmare. That’s why it’s hard to believe that Spin Cycle Cafe and Laundromat is a unique establishment in the Hartford area. Located in Newington, SCC&L has free WiFi, a full bar, food, and TVs that run ESPN all day. And they take it several steps and levels up: there’s weekly bingo, singles nights, darts, DJs and comedians. And there’s little baggies of quarters you can get from behind the bar; none of those stupid change machines that never take your dollar bills. This is a Laundromat you want to hang out in.

we cannot put enough emphasis on the truly outstanding restaurant scene in this part of the state. There’s fantastic Indian in Rocky Hill and West Hartford and hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese in East Hartford and Hartford, or Peruvian and Ethiopian and Puerto Rican eateries that serve authentically tasty cuisine. try El Sarape on Broad Street in Hartford. they make micheladas (pictured), a Mexican beer drink made with hot sauce and pepper. It might sound alcoholically risky (some people get freaked out by the idea of putting hot sauce in their beer), but we promise you once you try this, it'll be difficult to suppress the urge to go grab one at lunch on a Tuesday.

Hookahs are big water pipes that bubble when smoked. they can have as many as four or five hoses, so they’re a great group activity! And though most people think hookahs are for pot-smoking, they’re actually best for smoking a fruity tobacco called shisha. (You could, of course, smoke weed with a hookah, but potheads have discovered that doing so is a waste of pot — there’s too much filtration or something.) what this means is that smoking hookahs in West Hartford, at the newly opened 1,001 Arabian Nights on Park Road or in West Hartford center or at the Shish Kebab House of Afghanistan, is a totally legal group activity, which may make it more or less appealing, depending on how dangerous you like to live.

We pointed out last year that those of you looking to get tied up and slapped around a little can head over to Leisure Time on Zion Street. It’s a bondage club that meets pretty regularly, and is open to new members. Turns out there’s other places you can get off at, too, like the Society, a Connecticut-registered LLC that meets in a Hartford community center for bondage forums, discussions, playtime, etc. Of course, nobody’s taking their clothes off at community centers. It’s just a launching point, if you will.

Brownstone Park in Portland is a little mecca for families looking to get adventurous. You can do everything from scuba diving to cliff jumping and rock climbing here. There’s even ziplining! And it’s mostly cheap, like around $20 or $30 per person, but some activities require membership, which is obviously a little pricier, but hey there are worse things than being a member of an outdoor adventure park.

Hartford’s got bushels and bushels of farmers markets with enough stock to allow you to put yourself in the fantasy position of never having to walk your ass into another grocery store. the Hartford Regional Farmers Market is gigantic, bringing together produce and meat from over 4,000 farms. there are other markets in Bristol, Newington, East Hartford, Enfield, Farmington, and more. Go to ct.gov and search “DOAG” or “farmers markets.”

Unfortunately, you might have to wait around for this one, but you should be relieved to know that there was a law that was just passed allowing farmers to make pickles! I know! so starting January 2011, farmers — and therefore farmers markets — are going to be able to legally sell pickles. Good news for a region that’s already got some good delis (Rein’s in Vernon; Reuben’s in West Hartford) with great pickles. And don't forget kimchi! (You can find the pickled cabbage at Ichiban, in Hartford.)

Last year, we mentioned one of the funnest things that can be done in the state is drinking as a passenger in a car. It’s legal here! In fact, the law even went up for review this year and guess what? It didn’t even get past a hearing. That means it’s still legal to drink while someone else drives. Dude, why not make some pickles while you're at it!

See Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and U2 laser shows at the Children’s Museum in West Hartford. Is there anything else to be said here?

Sea Tea Improv (get it?) is a Hartford-based comedy troupe who do lots of comedy events in and around the city. they also do a monthly dinner theater, the City Steam Brew-Ha-Ha, at City Steam Brewery. In fact, there’s no shortage of comedy around here — catch a show at the Hartford Funny Bone or take an improv class at Park Road Playhouse. take a look at twitter.com/CTImprov for show and class times and stuff.

Think of Vintage Baseball as a Renaissance Faire or Civil War Reenactment for sports fans. Isn’t it refreshing to be reminded that jocks can be geeks, too? the Friends of Vintage Baseball in Hartford is one of the sweetest things about the city. all summer, at Colt Park, the team plays baseball in vintage costume by vintage rules (they’re slightly different!), and you can get vintage soda and food and souvenirs, too.  Go to friendsofvintagebaseball.org for more info.

It’s cool that part of the Appalachian Trail goes through Connecticut, so you can sort of hop on and walk for a bit, then tell people you “hiked the Appalachian Trail.” Or you can swing by Sessions Woods park in Burlington, Conn., which has lots and lots of trails and hikes and wildlife-appreciation activities like those. And if you have the right permits you can go bowhunting!

for second-shifters or workaholics, happy hour’s tough to catch. It only goes until 6 in most cases, and assuming you get out of work at 5, that’s not a lot of time to get somewhere, park, dig through a crowd, wait to be served and finally order your probably-weak two-for-one margaritas. That’s why we’re into Feng’s late-night happy hour, which goes from 11 to 12:45 on weeknights. You can get sushi and appetizers for half off, as well as various discounted drinks: beers for $2, wine and martinis for $4 and $6.

From the outside, Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Center looks like a circus or a funhouse or something. big cartoon characters and superheroes and icons decorate the outer walls, including the Beatles and American iconography. Simply driving by might be enough. But come on. You gotta go in there! You’ll find videos and DVDs, CDs and tapes, magazines and books and records and statues and memorabilia and other weird/cool stuff. Wild Bill’s like a tripped-out hoarder.

The well-loved poet Wallace Stevens spent much of his life in Hartford, working at the Hartford. there are a couple of local things you can do to honor him. You can go get a job at the Hartford, or you can go hang out with the Friends and Enemies of Wallace Stevens, whose mission is to preserve the cultural legacy of the poet. Go there, get deep. Or go to the Hartford, get paid.

Pearl Street might be one of the best places in the city. It’s where TheaterWorks is and Bin228. the plays at TheaterWorks are frequently interesting, challenging and funny, and Bin228’s bathroom alone is worth going for (there's this little table in there with a box of tissues and a candle on it; it's wonderful). Outside the W.C., there's great wine and cocktails, and a tiny little sidewalk patio that’s not even roped off. It’s here that’s best to go and sip a glass of white wine on a cool night with a friend, a man or woman, or a magazine.

CATALOGUE is a monthly (or so) exhibit of artists’ work from all over the region. they usually take place in studios or suites in Parkville above Real Art Ways, or, once, in a box truck that cruised around town, making arty pitstops. the guys who run CATALOGUE say it’s a collaboration of art, music, community and space. In one event, pictured, the artist Brendan Mahoney made bowls of soup, one at a time, for everyone who wanted. Mmm. for more info, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

City Councilman Luis Cotto loves this place enough to have a reputation for loving this place (not that he’s alone). recently, Cotto started a project called Center without Walls, which is a series of performances, art exhibits and workshops that have involved the artist Favianna Rodriguez (whose work is pictured) and the saxophonist Miguel Zenon, among many others. take a look at Cotto's blog, ionhartford.com, for more about these and other events.

between the Hartford Jazz Society and the Hartt School and the annual jazz festivals and concerts on the green, the city is seriously drenched in jazz. Look for the Jazz Cruise this fall and check hartfordjazzsociety.com for jazz listings through to winter. Pictured is Misteree, who hosts Jazz on the Main at the West Indian Social Club.

Apart from just general library awesomeness, the Hartford Public Library has a particularly kick-ass setup. There's your standard (as though it weren't enough) free access to DVDs, books on tape, books, Internet and computers, and then there are classes, programs, readings and workshops too. They'll teach you to use a computer and they'll teach you to make a wreath for Christmas. Or they'll just help you find what you're looking for. Chances are they have it.

One of the cool things about global warming is how everyone's starting to get into their trash. like that Sustainable Dan dude who didn't throw anything away for a year (you can see some of his "exhibit" of garbage at the Trash Museum in Hartford), or like the "energy anorexic," who go so far as to relieve themselves on their lawns to spare a flush. Hartford's Trash Museum isn't necessarily advocating public urination, but there are plenty of displays that educate us about our waste and expose the bad habits we've acquired. But don't worry, they also show us ways to fix it.

Hartford has one of the largest Caribbean populations in the country. the North end is full of fantastic Jamaican and Caribbean food, and there's even a yearly celebration, the Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival, where every part of the West Indies is represented. Look for it next summer. In the meantime, pick up some ital at the Lion's Den, beef patties at Scott's Jamaican Bakery or jerk chicken at Golden Krust Bakery.

for your Hartford-based high-fashion needs, swing through NiRo Couture, the high-end custom retail shop on Main Street. started by two friends, NiRo is now a fully operational business, outlet and foundation. NiRo provides fashion education, as well as personal services like closet makeovers, personal shopping and, according to their website, beauty counseling. This is "Sex and the City"-level stuff. Go to nirodesigncenter.com for more.

Annual Manual: 25 Things To Do In Hartford – Hartford Advocate

That don’t necessarily card? Yes, I’m 18, but my friend is 17. We’ve grown up smoking hookah as it is part of our culture and we would like to go to a restaurant or hookah bar to smoke some shisha, but he is afraid they will not let him. can someone help us out?

Any hookah bars/restaurants that serve hookah in Houston?