Cafe Cocomo
Tucked away in San Pancho’s Potrero District just blocks away from the water (and spots like Jelly’s and The Ramp) is Café Cocomo, probably the city’s most consistent Latin dance spot. The huge dancefloor is beautiful, and the large bandstand makes the orquestas a pleasure to watch. Not that most salsa dancers in the Bay Area even pay attention to the band that’s playing, but that’s fodder for another column. All the best bands in the Bay Area play here (Louie Romero’s Mazacote will be live on January 23rd, and plays here regularly), and when big Latin dance acts come to town , Cocomo is usually the place to see them.
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Cigar Bar
In Costa Rica a famous piropo goes “Ay mi amor, eres como una pulperia (corner store) - chiquitita pero bien surtida” (small, but got it all). That line is an apt description for the Cigar Bar, one of the cooler spots to dance Latin in San Pancho. Located at 850 Montgomery street in between Downtown and North Beach, Cigar Bar is a small, warmly lit spot with a large outdoor patio for smoking (thus the name). Apparently, cigars are available on site, though this reviewer has not tried them. I have, however, danced there plenty of times, and the place is good fun.
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elbo room
The Elbo Room holds a special place in San Francisco’s Nightlife. Not really grungy or super flossy, Elbo Room focuses on hot music, whether Rock, Reggae, Funk or Latin. Located at 826 Valencia between 17th and 18th in the Mission, Elbo Room is an old-school venue which consistently shows the hottest new music. Downstairs you’ll find a full bar, pool table and those cool sit-down, classic video games. Upstairs is the perfect small venue for live music, big enough to dance comfortably, but small enough to see all the action while being deep in it. The sound system is one of the best in the City, and excellent booking and management ensures that the hottest bands and DJ shows come through regularly.
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David Calzado y Charanga Habanera
Cuban musicians have been touring the United States since Moises Simon’s “El Manisero” (The Peanut Vendor) was sung in Manhattan in the late 1920s, sparking an international “Rhumba” craze. Now thanks to a thaw in cultural relations with Cuba by President Obama’s State Department, Cuban artists are once again touring the United States for the first time in nearly ten years.
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