Shisha pipe

I’ll admit it, smoking (cigarettes) is bad. Smart eggs around the world have proven it does nasty things to your lungs and such. But what if smoking tasted fruity, smelled good, and didn’t leave you with icky nicotine urges?

Not only does the hookah (also known as shisha, narghile, ghalyan) fill that order, it also taps into a social custom that goes back 600 years in India and the Middle East. Sharing a hookah with someone is apparently a gesture of trust and respect.

One night, tired of the pub and turned off by a smoky loud bar, we wandered into the Cafe Mediterranean with our new friends Steve and Jeff. A warm fruitiness enveloped us as we stepped into Calgary’s first shisha lounge. At 12:30 pm, the place was packed. The air was hazy but not that thick, stinky cigarette smoke that clings to your clothes two days later.

We were surprised to learn the place is not licensed, so the guys ordered Arabic tea, while I got a fizzy Laziza, a non-alcoholic beer from Lebanon - in pineapple flavour. Too bad no one was hungry because the menu of Lebanese goodies like falafel and shawarma looked great.

Cafe Med offers shisha in dozens of flavours. We ordered an apple hookah, but next time would probably try mango or jasmine.

First of all, a hookah is not a bong. Not that I know what a bong is but I’ve seen them on TV. Or somewhere. Anyway it’s not really used to smoke drugs. (Drugs are bad, m’kay?) The hookah is a water pipe used to smoke fruit-flavoured tobacco.

It’s fascinating to watch. The tobacco is heated by charcoal in a bowl at the top, smoke is pulled down when you inhale through a tube, and bubbles up through water into the chamber on the bottom. Yeah. You have to be there.

Cafe Mediterranean, Calgary

We took turns sharing the hookah which lasted more than 45 minutes. It’s amazingly relaxing and very social. I got a slight buzz but not much more than drinking too much Starbucks coffee too fast. The caveat here is I googled the health effects and depending on which study you believe, one hookah session is harmless or more toxic than 18 cigarettes.

Which brings me to Calgary’s brand new bylaw. Starting January 1st, smoking was banned in all bars and restaurants - including this shisha lounge. Cafe Med has asked for an exemption and has switched to a tobacco-free herbal alternative, but its main business is now technically illegal.

The city will investigate only if someone complains about the smoking. Don’t know if anyone would call from inside here. People obviously go to Cafe Med for the shisha because I saw at least one on every table. There’s also a petition of support at the front counter. I’m hoping this will be resolved happily because I’d like to try their shawarma - and maybe some mango shisha.

Cafe Mediterranean, 1009A-1st St. SW, Calgary, Alberta, (403) 286-8452.

FEB 13/07 UPDATE: The city of Calgary has ruled shisha bars are a-okay as long as they offer only tobacco-free herbal products. Yippee!

And for you all who’ve left comments, I only reviewed Cafe Med. I’m not affiliated with it nor do I sell hookahs. If you want more information, please call them directly at the number above.