My thoughts meander back...Was it really a decade ago? I remember crossing over on the commuter ferry from Gibraltor, feeling exquisitely hung over on Spanish house wine and bad Paiella, freaked out that George Bush decided to blow the shit out of Iraq that very week, equally fucked that my flighty girlfriend decided to obey the U.S. Consulate's plea for all visiting Americans to leave southern Spain/Northern Africa immediately. I also recall the surrealistic scene at the Tangiers dock, where what seemed like thousands of small, tattered, emaciated children pleading to carry my bag (one small day pack), navigating a completely alien terrain, and after many wrong turns, being confused, but eventually realizing that I found the reason I came to Tangiers. When my newfound friend/paid guide walked me back into a small, brightly-lit-with-candles but still very shadowy, enclave, my reason for this side trip cam to fruition. There it was sitting right in front of me...a Hookah.

Driving to Sinbad Cafe obviously threw memories into my frontal lobe that made me regurgitate my old days, but please do not confuse Tangiers to Garnet Ave., yet Sinbad Cafe is something to experience.

The colors and visuals punch you upon entering. There are very original mosaics and satire designs with a colorful, artistic quiet explosion. The atmosphere is relaxation, need-fulfillment and diversity. Walking into the cafe, you are first and foremost washed over with great smells of fresh roasted coffee, roasting beef and, of course, the waft of sweet-smelling tobacco.

Smoking out of a hookah is something that might be confused with another glass tube, but don't be fooled, this is something all together different. For this research trip, I decided to bring two consultants, one a pack-a-day guy and another a "never" smoker. It was interesting to find both found smoking Sinbad's in-house self-crafted smoke enjoyable and very different from traditional tobacco. All of Sinbad's tobaccos are produced from natural ingredients like fruit and honey and the 20 or so styles all have very little nicotine and all the other bad crap William Morris wants to shove down your throat.

Sinbad's products have high quality. It has a private stock of cigars that are just as good as any found at the beach communities. He has two Cuban cigar makers in the Dominican Republic kicking out some badass smokes. I am not a big fan of cigars in tight rooms, yet I never felt claustrophobic. Sinbad's has a few interconnecting rooms providing open, conversational air, and quiet corners, if preferred. The beer selection has popular micro favorites. For an interesting variety, try a glass of the homemade concoction, Sinbad Red. This beer emulates their tobaccos, with its smooth, subtle flavors. Sinbad's has a large wood-burning stove kicking out very tasty, thin gourmet pizzas, rotisserie-style sandwiches, and nice homemade hummus. Sinbad plans on expanding the menu in the future.

Whether it's succombing to a coffee fix, or just wanting to observe the scene, hanging on the patio sucking on a hookah while passer-bys gawk, Sinbad's is worth a visit.