Government’s New Attack on Personal Liberty: Hookah

Posted by David Mansdoerfer on May 4th, 2011, at Nevada News and Views

During grad school, my class had a running joke – if you want to affect social change, just come up with a program to ‘educate’ the masses. Once the masses were ‘educated’, they would fall in line with your way of thinking and the world would magically turn into a better place.


If we lived in this idealistic world, ketchup packets, Keynesian economists, and Democrats would all not exist. Though I jest, personal liberty was the foundation in which the United States was built upon. Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father and President of the United States noted, “Under the law of nature, all men are born free, everyone comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty.”

Today, we are bombarded with up to 5,000 advertisements each day. Each of these ads pleads for our attention and affects what we buy, watch and support. How then, are we supposed to react when our own tax dollars are used to try and manipulate our social habits and take away our personal liberty?

Recently, various government entities have begun to wage war against the hookah industry using our tax dollars to fund their campaigns. In Nevada, the Southern Nevada Health District has partnered with Rescue Social Change Group, LLC to begin a radio and television campaign advertising campaign to ‘inform’ the citizens of Nevada of the affects smoking hookah can have on one’s health.

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Parties and Special Events

The Hookah Lounge is available for business meetings, luncheons and any other special events you may want to host. During the day, the Hookah Lounge can be used for private functions without typical rental costs. We never charge rental! The lounge has seating for 65 to 70 people. During the evening, the lounge can be used for birthday parties, bachelor and bachelorette parties and more.

Contact our restaurant manager for details at (702) 804-0293.

Paymon's Hookah Lounge

Dine Out Magazine Spotlight on Chef Frank Cristiano

The Tilapia Florentine has become a best-seller.

Frank Cristiano, restaurant manager and chef of Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe on West Sahara, was instrumental in developing the specialties that expand the Italian portion of the Mediterranean menu. Chef Cristiano was born in Calabria, Italy, the southern tip of the boot, and was inspired to re-create the dishes that truly represent the regional cuisine. Using long-held recipes from various members of his "famiglia," he is able to serve up Old World, classic, southern Italian fare.

Chef Cristiano, along with Corporate General Manager Jeff Ecker, added 10 new, yet classic, Italian recipes to their menu, all becoming a staple for true Italian epicureans. Since adding these new items to the roster of Greek and Middle Eastern specialties, the menu is more reflective of the Mediterranean as a region. Some of the new Italian specialties are: chicken scaloppini, lasagna, linguine with white clam sauce, farfalle, Piedmonte, fettuccini Alfredo, spaghetti Bolognese, tilapia Florentine and spaghetti with meatballs.

Ecker paired each Italian dish with a wine suggestion, under the description of the dish, making it easier for the guests to indulge in a wine that best compliments the subtle to bold flavors of the various dishes.

"We have been very careful in choosing the best imported ingredients while creating our recipes. When we offer Italian food on our menu, we know that we are competing with major players in the Italian restaurant segment; all with phenomenal reputations. That's why we took the time to properly develop recipes that will appeal to the palates of our loyal customers. We believe we have a very good read on the flavor profiles of our guests, just as we have done with the other Mediterranean regional cuisines on the menu," says Cristiano.

Another popular subcategory that was introduced by Paymon's is the Panini sandwich. Owner Paymon Raouf created six specialty Panini sandwiches for the Italian menu that have been as popular as his delectable pita sandwiches. As usual, his recipes for the Panini sandwiches demand a big appetite as the portions are large enough to satisfy the largest of appetites.

Ecker stresses that, although the extensive addition of Italian classic recipes have taken a solid place on the menu, Paymon's has not removed any signature Greek, Indian or vegetarian offerings from the rest of the lineup.

Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe has two locations in Las Vegas. To view their menu, please visit www.paymons.com or call 702-731-6030.

(reposted with permission from Dine Out Magazine)

The Story Behind Paymon's

Founder Paymon Raouf opened the original location in 1988 as a local deli featuring Middle Eastern food and beverages under the name Middle Eastern Bazaar. In 2002, the name was changed to Paymon’s Mediterranean Café & Lounge. The name change was a reflection of the diversity and expansion of the menu and the addition of a full- service bar and lounge.

The small neighborhood eatery soon morphed into one of the most highly awarded Mediterranean restaurants in Las Vegas. The evolution of this café and lounge saw a complete transition from a single-cuisine menu to a multiple cuisine format representing several countries within the Mediterranean region while reaching out to many of the vegetarian clientele. The menu focuses on Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern specialties.

Paymon’s is open for lunch, dinner and late-night dining and uses only the freshest and finest ingredients. The use of zero trans fat oils, non–MSG spices, natural preservatives and certified Angus beef are all testaments to Paymon’s philosophy of deliveing the best dining experience. Paymon’s also packages and sells a line of spices and its signature Racy Red hot sauce from it’s very own spice company called the Spice Bazaar. 

What is Vegas' Best Mediterranean Cafe and Hookah Lounge?

Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe and Hookah Lounge is Las Vegas' best-known and highly awarded restaurant, featuring Greek, Italian, Persian, Middle Eastern, Indian and vegetarian specialties, with two locations: 8380 W. Sahara in the Great American Plaza and 4147 S. Maryland Parkway in the Tiffany Square Plaza. For more information, call 702-731-6030 or visit www.paymons.com.