Shooting pool in a bar with a pool table is good fun, but where do you go when you just want to rack and shoot? The Cue & Cushion is that rarity — a genuine pool hall attached to a billiard- and pool-table dealership. ("Dealership" because these pieces of furniture are as streamlined and beautiful as automobiles. And like Volvos, some have heated cushions.) The carpeting keeps the volume down, save for the intermittent clack of the balls on the table. It's a good place for serious pool playing — so serious, in fact, that there is no bar. That cuts out the "I can only play when I'm drunk" crowd — not to say that it's a bad crowd. Some of our best friends (heck, some of us) are that crowd. The way we see it, that's drinking with a little pool playing thrown in, whereas Cue & Cushion is pool playing — or billiards or snooker — with a little pinball thrown in. This parlor is like a showroom where you can test drive all the merchandise every day. And we do mean every day: The pool hall's open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Friday and Saturday till 3 a.m.). The base rate's $3.60 per hour (per person) with numerous discounts. All are welcome; go sharpen your game.