This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: August 19, 2008 - Some fads work. Karaoke ... OK, that one has stuck. In fact, there's probably a well-intentioned songbird belting out a Mariah Carey song within a quarter-mile of your home this very evening.
Oxygen bars? That didn't quite attain classic status in St. Louis, though we imagine you can still puff on flavored air somewhere in the U.S.
Hookah lounges, it appears, are on a general rise throughout the country. These places aren't quite a full-blown fad, as evidenced by the lack of one in every strip mall. But they are at least a cult concern, winding their way into a few more locations in our area. And young folks are the leading patrons of this form of hanging-with-friends nightlife.
For a good while, the late Nik's Wine Bar, in the DeBaliviere neighborhood, was the one place in town to engage in the sharing of a hookah. Now, though, spots can be found in North County and St. Charles, according to those in the business, with another slated for a debut on Washington Avenue.
Already operating - and seemingly doing quite well - are two spots, both in diverse, urban environments, near the best patrons of hookah lounges: students and international expats.
Petra Cafe and Hookah Lounge is on that United Nations of a business strip known as South Grand. Operating on a block with a Mediterranean grocer and a Chinese bakery, Riyad al Wadi's little bar and restaurant is in its second year of operation. He says the younger set is a key ingredient in his business' early run of success, with geography another draw.
"I live on the South Side," says the amiable, Jordanian-born al Wadi. "I was interested in South Grand, the Central West End. I did look at Washington Avenue, but the rents were too much. I was looking for an open-minded area, and I'm lucky with this location."
His space features a spartan, lime-green interior space, which accommodates only around 40. But the outdoor patio, which spills onto South Grand's sidewalk, offers another 40 seats.
At Petra Cafe and Hookah Bar.
On a given weekend night, most are full, with many of the patrons puffing on the distinctive, decorative, communal hookahs, though al Wadi's locale also sells everything from $1 PBR's and fine cigars to hummus plates and smoothies. There's even a bit of ice cream on the menu, plus the obligatory WiFi connection.
The hookah, though, is ultimately the main pull.
According to al Wadi, hookah users often have questions when they first come in, inquiring about price - usually in the $10-$13 range for a communal bowl - as well as safety. On the latter, he confesses, "to not being a doctor," but as a smoker he feels that the intake of a hookah is less addictive and milder than that of cigarettes. And he can add ice to the hookah to keep the harshness that much more in check.
"When I quit, I had two bowls of hookah a day," he says. "And I felt nothing in my chest. My experience is that it feels better. I haven't done a study on this, but you have none of the signs of smelling like a cigarette."
In fact, hookah bars often smell ... pretty darned good. Distinct flavors roll through the air (think watermelon, peach and double-apple) and some spots dissuade smoking, other than from a hookah.
In University City, Layal Hookah Bar is going on three years, with a Delmar storefront that's expanding eastward into a second room. The current space features bright red walls, a "sky"-painted ceiling and a larger bar area than Petra's. But it has many of the same features, namely: a young, curious clientele, the smell of fruity tobacco in the air, and a need to card just about everyone who comes through the door, since drinkers and under-agers freely mix around the pin-up inspired table tops.
Manager Miriam Bathani grew up in the Loop, making time at the nearby Al-Tarboush Deli, a business also owned by her dad, Slieman Bathani. When asked whether the upcoming school year would be a welcome addition to the business, she laughs and agrees.
"Oh, yeah," she says. "It gives people something to do. They come in and have a cup of coffee, study and smoke a hookah. During the week, it can be really chill in here, with a lot of people readings. It's a lot more calm then, than during the weekends."
She admits that many of her patrons are new to the hookah game and plenty aren't smokers.
Selling "about 25-30 flavors," she's able to accommodate a variety of tastes and she, like al Wadi, will talk folks through their first order, including the important note that everyone gets their own, clean mouthpiece.
"A lot of people associate it with cigarettes," she admits, "but it's really more of a social thing. You're not even supposed to fully inhale it. Some have never smoked a cigarette, but really like hookah."
While plenty of medical sources warn that hookah smoke is, at essence, still a dangerous form of tobacco - just punch "hookah safety" into Google for countless articles - the local outlets seem to be drawing a group of patrons ready to put aside those concerns for the evening. And that can be a long evening, if smoking slowly. At Layal, where prices are also $10-13 for single-to-multiple-person hookah servings, folks can sit with their order for nearly an hour, perhaps ordering a drink alongside the puffs.
And, as with Petra on Grand, Layal offers another twist to an eclectic street.
"There are lot of different bars on the block," Bathani says of Delmar. "And we're the one with the Middle Eastern music and the belly dancers."
Basic info
Petra Cafe and Hookah Lounge
3177 So. Grand, 314-772-4888
Layal Hookah Bar
6227 Delmar, 314-725-1661
Thomas Crone is a free-lance journalist in St. Louis.