Putting the parlor back into billiards … in the Bay Area

Putting the parlor back into billiards ... in the Bay Area "Pool hall." The words bring to mid a shadowy, smoke-filled room in a rundown building, where sharks try to hustle each other out of the last game's winning. The kind of place your mother warned you to stay away from.

Lately, though, a new breed of upscale pool halls--or billiard parlors, as they prefer to be called--has emerged that even a mother could love. Instead of faded cartoons of dogs shooting pool, tasteful contemporary paintings or prints adorn the walls. Players can snack on pate and brie, or order a plate of fettuccine alfredo and a glass of white wine. You can even choose a table in a nonsmoking section or in an elegantly furnished suite.

The new parlors are also distinguished by what they lack: an intimidating atmosphere. Even novices should feel comfortable renting a table for an hour or two, or inquiring about the rules of eight ball. If you haven't played much pool before, you might want to ask for an 8-foot table> the extra foot on tournament-length tables makes a big difference when you're lining up a long shot. Experienced players can expand their repertoire by trying "real" billiards (on a pocketless table) or playing snooker on a 12-foot table.

A trio of yuppie pool halls

Over the past year, three large "gentrified" parlors have opened in the Bay Area. Both establishment in San Francisco and the one across the bay in Emeryville are in former industrial areas slowly giving way to trendy shops, restaurants, and clubs. All have free parking, full bars, and cafes serving appetizers, sandwiches, and past dishes. Area code is 415.

Chalkers Billiard Club, 5900 Hollis Street, Emeryvill> 658-5821. Opened last May in a renovated tractor factory, Chalkers was the first of the upscale parlors in the Bay Area. It has 26 pool tables (twenty-three 9-foot, three 8-foot) divided between the main floor and an upstainrs loft, a snooker table, and a billiard table. Dart boards line the wall in a cozy cafe with a fireplace. A private suite with a carved mahogany buffet and high spectator chairs rents for $30 an hour.

Hours are noon to 1 A.M. daily (until 2 Fridays and Saturdays). Tables cost $7 an hour until 6 P.M., $10 after that.

The Great Entertainer, 975 Bryant Street, San Francisco> 861-8833. This former paint warehouse is now the largest pool hall on the West Coast. The 28,000-square-foot parlor--half of it nonsmoking--contains 37 professional pool tables (twelve 8-foot, twenty-five 9-foot), as well as 3 snooker tables, 4 shuffleboard tables, and table tennis. Five individually decorated suites with either pool tables or a snooker table rent for $18 an hour.

Hours are 11 to 2 A.M. daily. Hourly table rates range from $5 for one person to 3 each for four players.

South Beach Billiards, 270 Brannan Street, San Francisco> 495-5939. an artsy, South-of-Market ambience pervades this converted licorice factory. It has 34 user-friendly 8-foot tables covered with burgundy felt, one antique 9-foot table in aprivte suite ($20 an hour), and antique billiard and snooker tables. A professional player is often on hand to give pointers or lessons ($25 per halfhour). It also has one of the few indoor boccie courts in town. The bar has ales from a local microbrewery on tap.

Hours are 11 to 2 A.M. weekdays, 2 P.M. to 2 A.M. weekends. Table cost $10 an hour ($12 after 7 P.M. Friday and Saturdays).