It started out as a Mediterranean restaurant and bar, run by a few friends wanting a place of their own to spend time and make some money. Today, Staten Islanders are mesmerized by what's become a hookah hot spot in Rosebank.

"We were going out spending $1,500 a week," says Alex Mahmoud, manager of Al-Hakkorah Alboostan Lounge. The Palestinian immigrant recalls when he and his friends used to go out looking for parties. Now he says, the party comes to him. When the lounge first opened last September, hookah wasn't even on the menu.

After a few customers requested it, however, he knew he was on to something.

Every weekend, people pack into the lounge to sample some of their favorite Mediterranean dishes, watch the belly dancers, and get their hookah fix. "We give them a different perspective on lounging," Mahmoud says. Stepping into the lounge feels as if you're stepping off the streets of Staten Island and into a Middle Eastern night spot-plush couches and paintings of Middle Eastern scenes were all shipped in from Morocco. And, while some customers do come for the authentic food, the hookah is peaking many new customers' interests and drawing in all types to experience the custom.

Back in Palestine, Mahmoud says people use hookah to wind down in the evening. A typical work day lasts from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. After people get home and eat with their families, they gather in each other's backyards, sit around the 3-foot-tall pipes, and relax into the evening. There are two types of hookah: tobacco (which has nicotine, but no tar) and herbal (no nicotine or tar, just flavor).

You'll only find the herbal variety at Al-Hakkorah, and there are 36 flavors on the menu. For $10 - $20, you can sample anything from apple and banana to jasmine, Hookah Cola and Lebanese Cedar. You can also mix and match to create your own flavor. Mahmoud says customers are making their mark on the menu by being creative. "One customer asked me to make a special blend for him, "says Mahmoud. After concocting a mixture to taste like an apple martini, he gave it to the customer for a test. With one puff, the customer said, "this is what Tony Montana [of Scarface fame] smokes." Tony Montana is now on the menu. "It makes them feel good," Mahmoud says, "when they come next time and ask for it by the name they gave it."

Al-Hakkorah Alboostan, 1271 Bay St., Staten Island, 718.981.2222