For the orally fixated among us, a social and 18+ good time can be found at a bounty of Boston-area hookah bars. The art of smoking tobacco laced with flavors of fruit, mint, or spices through a traditional Middle Eastern or Asian water pipe is a shared ritual at these spots. It's not as stinky or unhealthy as cigarettes, plus you get to smoke inside. There are more hookah options in the summer at places like Boston's Tantric and Kashmir, but these three lounges offer hookah year-round.
Nile Lounge Billed as "Boston's first real hookah bar," this Allston establishment started by two 20-something entrepreneurs is aiming for the college crowd. The lounge is devoted completely to hookah, with a wide variety of flavors including rose, grape, lime, and cappuccino. 18+ Daily 3 p.m.-1 a.m. $25-$35. Nile Lounge, 70 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617-418-4173. nilelounge.com
Tangierino At Tangierino's sultry, cozy Casbah Lounge, you can rock the casbah while you check out the belly dancers, inhale some jasmine-flavored tobacco, and get carried away by the atmosphere. 18+ for hookah. Daily 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m. $30 to rent hookah, $30 for tobacco. Tangierino, 83 Main St., Charlestown. 617-242-6009. tangierino.com
Kasbah This Moroccan restaurant and lounge provides a wide array of entertainment in addition to hookah. Tuesday is international karaoke night, and Thursday through Saturday there's jazz and belly dancing. Hey, combining hookah and karaoke may be one of those so-wrong-it's-right mixtures. 18+ for hookah. Daily 5 p.m.-1 a.m. $20 for hookah and tobacco. Kasbah, 59 Putnam St., Winthrop. 617-539-4484. kasbahrestaurant.com
Additional reporting by Krisi Healy.
"The Night Is Young" runs every Friday. Got an all-ages or 18+ activity? E-mail Elisabeth Donnelly at elisabethdonnelly@yahoo.com. 
