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6~ueens' Crown Jewel
<br />Monir's Billiards Club and Cafe in Queens, N.Y., is a true gem of a room.
<br /> ENTERING MONIIt'S BILLIARDS Club
<br /> and Cafe - a spanking new room on
<br /> Woodhaven Boulevazd in the Rego Park
<br /> section of Queens, New York -one im-
<br /> mediately notices the design influence of
<br /> its owner. Abel Calderon crossed over to
<br /> pool from the world of commercial jew-
<br /> --elry~where he designed for the likes of
<br /> Saks Fifth Avenue, Niemann Mazcus and
<br /> Bloomingdales. The new billiard club's
<br /> name comes from Calderon's jewelry
<br /> company, and its logo - a triangle with an
<br /> 8 ball - from a piece of jewelry he once
<br /> designed. Looking out over Monir's 34 ta-
<br /> ' bles, Calderon notes, "This is the jewel of ' `
<br /> '..the pookoom; like a piece of jewelry, it , .
<br /> mustbeperfect."
<br /> '. It is hard to argue with[he result. The
<br /> 'pazlor, jointly owned by Calderon and.
<br /> :Dimitrios Politis, is actually two-rooms in
<br /> :one. To the left as you enter, is a row of
<br /> black-and-chrome Brunswick Gold Crown -
<br /> poottables: -Between thetables are art -- -ings of-theroom(servedby-a4eam of .-then;Nuryhas been-a fixmmin all his
<br /> `deco designs, and over the tables are twin -waitresses), thereis a further distinction. `: rooms; managing them, with their three
<br />,. - .silver drop lights. To .the right, .the opu-
<br />- - Some tables have cameras over them for ~ sons, Steve, Fred and David. .
<br /> fence is-greater still-eight Chevilotte
<br />z -: videotaping,and all tables will eventually Several yeazs later,.Calderon opened a
<br /> ::heated billiard- tables from France.. -:, =.incotpomte this feature. "Customers will more sumptuous room in Buenos Aires, a
<br /> `Calderon is himself a tournament-caliber -. be able.to takea souvenir of themselves ~~ club so populaz patrons phoned ahead to
<br /> biliad player. "these are the Rolls Royce „
<br />~ :playing," says Calderou:And this video -~ just to,get on the waiting list to. play., But , ,->
<br />;. ;
<br />'of billiard tables,"the"says„smiling. Just or any,other~can in tumbe:played on, •, :'the country's troubled economyl'and
<br />r''.' 'beyond the Chevilottes are?several more '. any of the TV monitors spread throughout '-Calderon's absentee ownership.put an-end
<br />-
<br />~~ ~Gold::,Crowns :and two :;grand BCE .> theroom.f aothazin
<br />`82:
<br />~~
<br /> Mushroom snooker tables,~,lookmg hke :: ,..The video capability also'enhances
<br />~r in 1988,. he opened Abel s rn Astona
<br />' ~' . brightgreen fairways compared to the for- :'- ~ 'Calderon's larger plan: to lure world-class ..Queens, known affectionately as "Lrttle ' ~''
<br /> .estgreensurfaces'oftheothertables. d+ .bitliazdcompe[itiontohisroom..Eachbil-' :':Athens":.for its enclave'ofGreekimmt
<br /> The entire room is framed with mauve ': liazdtable has wood=framed' beads, plus '._~grants. From that appealing :parlor
<br /> -.:afid butgundy2ones, creating a kind of ~- 'electronic~scoreboazdsi~"It is made for ':.Calderon successfully tan billiazd~and 9
<br />,~- -soothing vibrance.:;A soft blue neon light
<br />~ tournaments "says Calderon. `"This room . ball tournaments, often dtawing.;intema
<br />~;~ ~snetches along the'perima[erof the cell _
<br />' -~smy dream.'; °~~tional~carom stazs tohis competitions '
<br />
<br />
<br />~ ing. "Women feel comfortable in this -; `The dream began unexpectedly,in 1974 'Despite that mom's saeness, Calderon al Y z
<br />t~-
<br />~ ,room,":offered oae_female 8-ball player. •. .Calderohwas still designing jewelry then, ,' ;ways'had';his sightssefon•opening lus ,,~~;
<br />':inches,high, which.allows'otiserversand";.$55,000"ayeazlatenWhenhexetumed ~"-Monir'sisatranquilisingspot,smack.mz'~°~n
<br />.' diners to look in'either direction and catch home that night, he expected his wife the middle of the concrete and c]amor of j`,`
<br />all the act[on. 'Aside from the classic Nury_to be irate. But, to his lastir[g con-, ''WoadhayenBoalevazd. =s`i'v
<br />beauty and nutritionally correct food offer-~ ! sternation, she was instead pleased. Since :=byKenShouler '
<br />S-1U BilllardsDigest ~ octoberiasa Page 4~
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