Alternative Relaxation in San Francisco
One word: Hookah.
Ok, two words: Hookah Lounge.
Recently discovered in San Francisco on Post Street near Taylor, Cafe Chantra serves up a variety of hookahs, with soft Arabic music in the background and comfortable sofas upon which to seat your tired self.
Sadly…San Francisco has taken it upon itself to ban the serving of food in hookah lounges; the raving idiots otherwise known as the Board of Supervisors, when they’re not trying to ban plastic bags or penalize people who own property within city limits, have decided to bash the hookah businesses. It’s a shame, too, because the hookah gives off mist, not smoke. But anyway, back to this discovery.
Cafe Chantra. If you want something different, check it out. Of course, you’ll need to be open-mind and entertain tolerance because you will find yourself surrounded by a variety of Arabs with a scattering of Persians and Turks. I suspect most are probably Muslim too, so if you’re a right-wing crazed cretin, best to avoid this place.
As for me, honestly, I feel right at home. I puff on the hookah, sip the mint tea, enjoy the soft music, chat with other guests and am simply comfortable.
And it’s a wonderful alternative to that jarring place, Lefty’s or whatever it’s called, that is located across from Union Square where my friend likes to go. So…she can go to THAT place and I’ve got my hookah lounge. An interesting twist of cultures to be sure.