The Search for Chanukah Celebrations

Samuel has begun to identify very strongly with being a Jew and that combined with some Jesus/Christmas drama at preschool (don't get me started) has left him constantly asking where the Chanukah representations are amidst the bombardment of Christmas accouterments.

So I went on a search for some public Chanukah celebrations. We kicked off the first night of Chanukah at Santana Row. It was fun, lots of singing and stories, but the tiny menorah was kind of disappointing.

Then I thought, 'Isn't there a freaking huge menorah in Union Square? We've got to go check that out.' So we trekked up to the city, met some friends, and stood out in the cold for an hour while we waited for the menorah to be lit (they were a half hour late). Not to be negative, but what was billed as a big celebration, was not, and the 100 foot Christmas tree that stood 10 feet away from the menorah took away from the ambiance slightly.

But not to worry, I managed to find excitement for us. I had yelped a Pakistani place to eat at (it was Christmas Day, and I lean toward Indian ethnic over Chinese). It was in the Tenderloin, but it was just a few blocks from Union Square, and really, that's just the way it is in SF anyway, right? Tenderloin, Nob Hill, whatever.

I made the kids sprint to the restaurant since it was getting late, and I figured I could wear them out a little and maybe they would sit still for 5 minutes and 30 seconds so I could eat. Our crew of four adults and four kids - 2 four year olds, a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 week old - all of us very white, walked into the restaurant to discover I had indeed found a very ethnic, very authentic restaurant as every last person there seemed to be Pakistani.

I won't bore you with the details of trying to steal enough room for the eight of us to sit down, but we had managed to cobble together a table and enough seats just in time for a fight to break out among some other patrons. A couple of the kitchen staff showed up to push one of the guys out the door, just as a circle was forming around the participants. The guy wouldn't leave, and came slamming back through the door, making it crack like a gunshot. After some more high drama, the whole thing got calmed down, and everyone went back to normal.

The food was very good, and so cheap it was practically free.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Eric and Kristen don't let me choose the restaurant ever again.