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Kick Back at Hookah Lounge, a Syrian-American Owned Establishment
Behind the Fun looks at area nightspots and the people who own or manage them.
Who can forget the hookah-smoking caterpillar in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”? Without its advice, Alice may have never returned to her normal height.
“The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
“‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar.”
One could argue that his reflective disposition displays priceless hookah wisdom: tranquil and contemplative.
Luckily for those of us in Erie, Casablanca Hookah Lounge offers a similar opportunity for serendipitous conversation and reflection. Decorated with plush couches and traditional handwoven tapestries from Cairo, it’s one of the few places downtown offering an alcohol-free night life experience. Ornate, beaded lamps glow with amber light in the dim, subdued atmosphere. Long panels of earthtone linens drape from the ceiling high above soft couches and floor pillows.
“The hookah lounge in our culture is a way of socializing,” said co-owner Darin Masri, whose family is originally from Syria. “People in the Middle East don’t drink alcohol.”
Hookahs are water pipes that are used to smoke specially made tobacco that comes in different flavors. Casablanca Hookah Lounge has a choice selection of nicotine and nicotine-free flavored tobaccos, many of which are blended in house.
“Everything we use is top of the line,” said Masri. “Our hookahs are not commercially made. They are antiques imported from Cairo. These hookahs are for real hookah smokers.”
Quality is a priority for the Masris, who also own Casablanca Grill and Casablanca Sandwich Express. Darin Masri and her younger brother Feras, a recent graduate of George Mason University, run the businesses with their parents, Badrieh and Mohamad Masri.
The hookahs at Casablanca are impeccably maintained and look new, lacking any sign of rust or stains, even after years of use. They are cleaned and sanitized every night, and the hoses are color-coded according to the flavors.
“A lot of people tell me they’ve had this flavor before somewhere else, but it surpasses what they’ve had in the past,” said Masri.
“I don’t use double hoses. All our hookahs are one hose. Two hoses, you burn it way quicker. With one hose … you can still taste the flavor after hours of smoking it.”
Easing into Casablanca’s dreamlike décor, the loop of traditional Arabic music and the soothing sound of the water drawing up the hookah pipe, patrons can fully relish the flavor of relaxation.
Source: www.goerie.com