In the mid 1970's there was a very simple SF restaurant, maybe in the South of Market area or the Mission. There was no menu, and the food was served cafeteria style. The food was always the same... a vegetarian curry, rice, dal, chutney and chai. Delicious, and cheap... maybe $1.50 or $2 for the meal. I think the interior walls were pale green, and talking was completely prohibited. Does anyone remember that place? I would love to know the name and what the story was behind it!
Wow. Thanks so much. And yes, 60 cents makes more sense. Any recollection of the specifics of where it was?
More here:
If you are interested in food co-ops, my then wife and I were the cheese coordinators for the North Berkeley-Albany cell of the Berkeley food conspiracy (1968-1970). We got a 30% discount from The Cheese Board :-)
Wow, this is really fascinating! Someone should shoot an email to Peter Hartlaub at the Chronicle who digs through their archives and writes stories (with pics) about historical places like this...
Then I found this...
Vegetarian Restaurant Is Different
By WILLIAM HELTON Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
"Refrain From Talking," proclaims a bold, black-and-white sign as a visitor walks into the Communion restaurant. Step up to the counter and the menu offers another warn ing: "For the price of a standard meal, you may eat as much as necessary for you. However, no food must be wasted." San Francisco, known for its unique restaurants, has spawned another. The mysterious proprietors of Communion, a subdued vegetarian restaurant, want people to get back to basics, including proper eating habits. "I have seen people starve to death, and I will not permit people to waste food," says a wisp of a 40-year-old man who apparently is in charge, though he refuses to reveal anything of himself, including his name. He says he is from India. "People here eat so sloppily they don't even realize when they are hungry," he says. Eating is a basic biological function, and conversation, reading newspapers and other distractions must not interfere, he contends. Sit at a table and a bearded young man wearing a long; purple apron, faded denim trousers and a white turban comes over and places the basic meal in front of you: bean soup, a bowl of yogurt, steamed rice, chutney, a vegetable and bhak- hari bread -- all for $1. Spring water is available but you must take only what you can drink. Diners sit in golden silence, concentrating on their eating. A truck roars by on busy Folsom Street outside. A spoon clangs against dish as a patron chases the last grain of rice. A mother scurries into the bathroom with t her crying infant. After eating, patrons neatly stack the completely empty dishes and carry them into the kitchen. They drop $1 into a box-and walk silently out, the basic task-of feeding themselves over. The restaurant is run by a group of seven people who call themselves only that -- the group. They say 110 to 150 persons dine at each meal. About 70 per cent of the patrons are steady customers. They are served only the specific portions that meet their biological needs. "We waste less than a family of five," says the leader, who offers this advice: "While eating, do not rush. Do not put everything together to make a thick sandwich, thicker than the width of your wide-open mouth. Do not take big bites that fill up your whole mouth. "When we are busy talking, watching television, reading or scheming for a new game of gain while eating, the food is not properly chewed and the digestive juices are not added before it reaches the stomach."
Maybe nobody could speak coherently and it was de facto no talking. While not in San Francisco I was in Houston in the mid 70's and couldn't put together two words in a row in public while under the throes of acid. Just a thought.
would love to have a copy of it, if you find it! I was a founding member of the co-op..labor of love! we wanted to change the world!
Sounds something like Karma Kitchen that was (is?) at Taste of the Himalayas on Shattuck in Berkeley.
Pay what you want or think your meal was worth and Pay It Forward to those who eat after you.
The name of the "restaurant" was Communion. Meals were $1.50. Paying for a meal was optional. The no talking part was tough when bringing a 2 year old. "Customers" sat on cushions on the floor. It was known as a Hippie place, but so was most everything else most 20 somethings frequented in the 70's. It was more "run" by Buddhist types.
IMHO, It probably would be a homeless food kitchen if it existed today. I went from January '74 to June 75.
The location was in a store front. It may have been torn down as part of the ATT gentrification, but that is a wild guess; couldn't find the spot now if my life depended on it!
Good memories. Thanks for asking.
I remember Communion well. Thanks for this.
remember walking there to eat in the 70's .they had these giant recycled wooden spools for tables. very simple
Hi Pomegranate7224. It's now several years after you asked about Communion Restaurant, but I thought you might be interested to know that there is a book which briefly discusses its founding and history. It is called "Honest Business" by Michael Phillips and Salli Rasberry, published in 1981 by Random House. The history of Communion Restaurant is discussed in Chapter 7, and the restaurant is mentioned again in Chapter 10. (It might be in later chapters too, but I haven't finished reading the book yet.)
Learning about Communion Restaurant has been fascinating for me, and I highly recommend finding a second hand copy of Honest Business (it is out of print).
I hope you find this message.
Best wishes from the UK.
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...