Smuggler's Cove -

J JOHN-O Tiki Socialite Dogtown, USA Joined: May 16, 2008 Posts: 2721	J JOHN-O Posted posted on Fri, Feb 26, 2010 5:42 PM On 2010-02-24 10:32, Hakalugi wrote: So like I said earlier, why not go ahead and post your review in the SC thread... Obviously posting it here under the "Tiki or Not Tiki" moniker doesn't do anybody any good. Or I can simply change the title of this thread. :) I know that was a key point of irritation here. Per your suggestion, I was going to post this review in “Locating Tiki” but now if this blows up in my face I don’t have to worry about adding baggage to those other threads. OK, so I know I’ve been questioning Smuggler’s Cove style for some time now (too long for a lot of you). What is Smuggler’s Cove? Is it Tiki, nautical, pirate? What kind of bar is it? Well I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s begin with SC’s primary inspiration and what really makes it special and unique…. Smuggler’s Cove is, first and foremost, a celebration of RUM. It’s rum through the ages. It’s rum cocktails from centuries ago. It’s rum drinks from prohibition-era Havana. It’s original rum concoctions. And yes it’s Tiki rum libations too. There’s over 80 drinks on the menu and over 200 premium rums available to enjoy !! Hands down, without a doubt, this has got to be the most significant rum bar in the world. Even if Martin kept the décor of the original Jade Bar but offered this kind of variety and selection, this would still be true. OK, so how about those drinks? Well, the biggest dilemma for me was the vast and mind boggling drink menu. Where do I begin? Do I start with my usual go-to Tropical drinks for comparison purposes? Do I sample the Havana-style cocktails that I usually don’t drink? How about a rediscovered classic that hasn’t been available for decades (centuries?). Maybe an original Martiki invention? I was paralyzed with indecision. Here’s what I wound up having: The Chadburn –Reminded me of a rum Manhattan. Familiar, yet sublime and distinct. As recommended, a great drink to start out with. Navy Grog – Wow, I think this is the stiffest tasting NG I’ve ever had. Order this one for the person who thinks these are “sissy” drinks. Jet Pilot – Complex and dry, two thumbs up. Smuggler’s Rum Barrel – Their signature Tiki drink? It was a little bit on the sweet side for me (I’m weird that way), but I think most Tikiphiles will LOVE it. It even comes with its own signature mug. Bottom line: Martiki has raised the bar again for master mixology. Think of these drinks as works of art, lovingly researched, planned, and prepared. This is the real soul of SC, everything else is icing on the cake (but what an icing it is). Ok so let’s explore that atmosphere. Now a place like Forbidden Island has a blueprint. It’s based on classic mid-century Tiki-style. I think author James Tietelbaum expressed it best – “What happens when someone decides to make a wish list of everything that was cool about classic Tiki bars, and then goes on to implement every single item on the list into a new bar? Forbidden Island happens, that’s what.” But how do you decorate a place like Smuggler’s Cove? It has more ambition than just Tiki. It wouldn’t be appropriate to go the 100% Poly-Pop route, rum cocktails existed long before Trader Vic created the Mai Tai and rum was never distilled in Polynesia. How do you recognize all of the cultures and decades that are represented at SC? Well how about going back to the historical beginning when rum first gained popularity? You go back to the 18th Century West Indies and you base it on an iconography that calls out rum, that specific time period, and the geographic location. People refer to SC as a nautical bar. I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Now I know and love my nautical bars. Here in LA, 3 of my favorite bars are nautical. There’s the Galley, HMS Bounty, and Chez Jay. All of these are authentic mid-century bars that just ooze character. But you know what, they don’t take me back to the 1700’s and they don’t take me back specifically to the Caribbean. The nautical décor at SC is different. It’s more over-the-top, it’s more playful. What it really reminds me of, what it really vibes is…. Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean!! There, I said it. I’ll agree there is no explicit pirate iconography, we don’t see any Jolly Rodger flags or stuffed parrots or treasure chests filled with gold doubloons. But I’ll be honest, the giant anchor, the skull, the ship’s “wench” bow, the large rum barrels, the streaming rock waterfall, the funky mood lighting, the multi-tiered design all made me feel like I was inside that Disney attraction. Now I’m not saying that SC is like a hokey amusement ride, but think back to when you were 6-years old and rode PoC for the first time. Remember that sense of anticipation, the exotic mood, that feeling of mystery and danger, being transported to a different place and time? That’s the atmosphere that SC evokes for me. So isn’t this more Smuggler-style rather than Pirate-style? Maybe. Probably. But I really don’t think that matters because whatever it is, it’s a unique iconography that transports us to square one, back to rum’s beginning. Smuggler’s Cove is an alcoholic time machine. So when we read on Yelp or hear non-Tikiphiles exclaim “What a cool pirate bar !!”, we shouldn’t cringe. If that’s their initial impression then the décor is a success. They haven’t been transported back to the deck of the Titanic or some non-descript nautical environment. They recognize they’re in the 18th Century West Indies and that’s where the popularity of rum originated. Now their rum journey can really begin. Now I know a lot of people here might want to deny the “pirate” vibe. Maybe because from a historic standpoint, nautical was part of Tiki-style and pirate never was. That to me however is a moot point. Smuggler’s Cove is NOT a Tiki bar. We shouldn’t expect it to be, we shouldn’t consider it to be. To do so is a disservice to the classic Tiki-style of authentic mid-century and Tiki Revival bars. Yes, I know that might run contrary to what a lot of other people here think, but that is my humble opinion. To me Smuggler’s Cove is BEYOND Tiki and given its ambition, that’s a very good thing. That’s not to say SC doesn’t pay tribute to Tiki. The Tropical cocktails as noted are top-notch and there is a small “shrine” to Trader Vic. And yes, there is that 3rd-level “Tiki lounge” but OVERALL to me, SC vibes 18th century Caribbean seafaring and not Polynesian Pop. OK, so let’s talk about that 3rd-level. It’s decorated with tapa paper, bamboo, and houses a single Tiki. My non-Tikiphile friend commented that the Poly-Pop décor seemed out of place or forced in relation to the lower levels. I have to admit, I agreed. That Tiki in the corner seemed awfully lonely up there. I could hear him cry out “JOHN-O, take me. Take me back with you to the Tonga Hut.” :) But… even though the Poly-Pop décor kind of “stuck out” (IMHO), I like to think of it as Martin’s “wink wink nudge nudge” to his Tiki Revival roots. Sorry, little Tiki you need to stay here to provide comfort and solace for visiting Tikiphiles lost in the 18th Century. (This is the obvious place for TC’ers to hang out even though you have to walk downstairs to get your drinks.) So what’s the rest of the layout like? Well, SC is really like two very small bars stacked on top of each other. There’s the street-level bar, the downstairs bar, and the 3rd-level Tiki lounge. This all gives SC a very cozy feeling. This is both good and bad. The basement bar where I was getting my drinks from Reza (aka TC’s “Rear Admiral) really got uncomfortable when the people began to stream in. The low ceiling amplified the noise and what was an intimate setting quickly became a claustrophobic environment. Quickly we retreated to the 3rd-level lounge. (Hey maybe this is symbolic of HMS Bounty crew leaving the bowels of their ship for the Polynesian paradise of Tahiti? Could that explain the design of SC?) So who were these people? Fellow Tikiphiles? Rum aficionados? Well on that Saturday night they were mostly a young urban San Francisco hipster crowd in search of the next cool thing. While the Rear Admiral was mixing up the rum cocktails like a ninja master, he did have to pause every so often to explain why they didn’t carry Vodka XYZ. So do all these kids really deserve a place like Smuggler’s Cove? Maybe not. But then neither do us Tikiphiles if all we’re going to order are the same Poly-Pop drinks and view the place with just our Tiki goggles on (I plead guilty here). Consider this. At Smuggler’s Cove we can travel from Tiki Island to pre-Castro Cuba and back even further in time to when a real Grog contained brackish water. So why not take that trip? It’s only a $9-$12 “ticket”. :D [ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-02-27 14:02 ]

On 2010-02-24 10:32, Hakalugi wrote:

So like I said earlier, why not go ahead and post your review in the SC thread...

Obviously posting it here under the "Tiki or Not Tiki" moniker doesn't do anybody any good.

Or I can simply change the title of this thread. :)

I know that was a key point of irritation here. Per your suggestion, I was going to post this review in “Locating Tiki” but now if this blows up in my face I don’t have to worry about adding baggage to those other threads.

OK, so I know I’ve been questioning Smuggler’s Cove style for some time now (too long for a lot of you). What is Smuggler’s Cove? Is it Tiki, nautical, pirate? What kind of bar is it? Well I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s begin with SC’s primary inspiration and what really makes it special and unique….

Smuggler’s Cove is, first and foremost, a celebration of RUM.

It’s rum through the ages. It’s rum cocktails from centuries ago. It’s rum drinks from prohibition-era Havana. It’s original rum concoctions. And yes it’s Tiki rum libations too. There’s over 80 drinks on the menu and over 200 premium rums available to enjoy !! Hands down, without a doubt, this has got to be the most significant rum bar in the world. Even if Martin kept the décor of the original Jade Bar but offered this kind of variety and selection, this would still be true.

OK, so how about those drinks?

Well, the biggest dilemma for me was the vast and mind boggling drink menu. Where do I begin? Do I start with my usual go-to Tropical drinks for comparison purposes? Do I sample the Havana-style cocktails that I usually don’t drink? How about a rediscovered classic that hasn’t been available for decades (centuries?). Maybe an original Martiki invention? I was paralyzed with indecision. Here’s what I wound up having:

The Chadburn –Reminded me of a rum Manhattan. Familiar, yet sublime and distinct. As recommended, a great drink to start out with.
Navy Grog – Wow, I think this is the stiffest tasting NG I’ve ever had. Order this one for the person who thinks these are “sissy” drinks.
Jet Pilot – Complex and dry, two thumbs up.
Smuggler’s Rum Barrel – Their signature Tiki drink? It was a little bit on the sweet side for me (I’m weird that way), but I think most Tikiphiles will LOVE it. It even comes with its own signature mug.

Bottom line: Martiki has raised the bar again for master mixology. Think of these drinks as works of art, lovingly researched, planned, and prepared. This is the real soul of SC, everything else is icing on the cake (but what an icing it is).

Ok so let’s explore that atmosphere. Now a place like Forbidden Island has a blueprint. It’s based on classic mid-century Tiki-style. I think author James Tietelbaum expressed it best – “What happens when someone decides to make a wish list of everything that was cool about classic Tiki bars, and then goes on to implement every single item on the list into a new bar? Forbidden Island happens, that’s what.”

But how do you decorate a place like Smuggler’s Cove? It has more ambition than just Tiki. It wouldn’t be appropriate to go the 100% Poly-Pop route, rum cocktails existed long before Trader Vic created the Mai Tai and rum was never distilled in Polynesia.

How do you recognize all of the cultures and decades that are represented at SC? Well how about going back to the historical beginning when rum first gained popularity? You go back to the 18th Century West Indies and you base it on an iconography that calls out rum, that specific time period, and the geographic location.

People refer to SC as a nautical bar. I don’t think it’s as simple as that. Now I know and love my nautical bars. Here in LA, 3 of my favorite bars are nautical. There’s the Galley, HMS Bounty, and Chez Jay. All of these are authentic mid-century bars that just ooze character. But you know what, they don’t take me back to the 1700’s and they don’t take me back specifically to the Caribbean.

The nautical décor at SC is different. It’s more over-the-top, it’s more playful. What it really reminds me of, what it really vibes is….

Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean!!

There, I said it.

I’ll agree there is no explicit pirate iconography, we don’t see any Jolly Rodger flags or stuffed parrots or treasure chests filled with gold doubloons. But I’ll be honest, the giant anchor, the skull, the ship’s “wench” bow, the large rum barrels, the streaming rock waterfall, the funky mood lighting, the multi-tiered design all made me feel like I was inside that Disney attraction.

Now I’m not saying that SC is like a hokey amusement ride, but think back to when you were 6-years old and rode PoC for the first time. Remember that sense of anticipation, the exotic mood, that feeling of mystery and danger, being transported to a different place and time? That’s the atmosphere that SC evokes for me.

So isn’t this more Smuggler-style rather than Pirate-style? Maybe. Probably. But I really don’t think that matters because whatever it is, it’s a unique iconography that transports us to square one, back to rum’s beginning. Smuggler’s Cove is an alcoholic time machine.

So when we read on Yelp or hear non-Tikiphiles exclaim “What a cool pirate bar !!”, we shouldn’t cringe. If that’s their initial impression then the décor is a success. They haven’t been transported back to the deck of the Titanic or some non-descript nautical environment. They recognize they’re in the 18th Century West Indies and that’s where the popularity of rum originated. Now their rum journey can really begin.

Now I know a lot of people here might want to deny the “pirate” vibe. Maybe because from a historic standpoint, nautical was part of Tiki-style and pirate never was. That to me however is a moot point.

Smuggler’s Cove is NOT a Tiki bar.

We shouldn’t expect it to be, we shouldn’t consider it to be. To do so is a disservice to the classic Tiki-style of authentic mid-century and Tiki Revival bars. Yes, I know that might run contrary to what a lot of other people here think, but that is my humble opinion.

To me Smuggler’s Cove is BEYOND Tiki and given its ambition, that’s a very good thing. That’s not to say SC doesn’t pay tribute to Tiki. The Tropical cocktails as noted are top-notch and there is a small “shrine” to Trader Vic. And yes, there is that 3rd-level “Tiki lounge” but OVERALL to me, SC vibes 18th century Caribbean seafaring and not Polynesian Pop.

OK, so let’s talk about that 3rd-level. It’s decorated with tapa paper, bamboo, and houses a single Tiki. My non-Tikiphile friend commented that the Poly-Pop décor seemed out of place or forced in relation to the lower levels. I have to admit, I agreed. That Tiki in the corner seemed awfully lonely up there. I could hear him cry out “JOHN-O, take me. Take me back with you to the Tonga Hut.” :)

But… even though the Poly-Pop décor kind of “stuck out” (IMHO), I like to think of it as Martin’s “wink wink nudge nudge” to his Tiki Revival roots. Sorry, little Tiki you need to stay here to provide comfort and solace for visiting Tikiphiles lost in the 18th Century. (This is the obvious place for TC’ers to hang out even though you have to walk downstairs to get your drinks.)

So what’s the rest of the layout like? Well, SC is really like two very small bars stacked on top of each other. There’s the street-level bar, the downstairs bar, and the 3rd-level Tiki lounge. This all gives SC a very cozy feeling. This is both good and bad. The basement bar where I was getting my drinks from Reza (aka TC’s “Rear Admiral) really got uncomfortable when the people began to stream in. The low ceiling amplified the noise and what was an intimate setting quickly became a claustrophobic environment. Quickly we retreated to the 3rd-level lounge. (Hey maybe this is symbolic of HMS Bounty crew leaving the bowels of their ship for the Polynesian paradise of Tahiti? Could that explain the design of SC?)

So who were these people? Fellow Tikiphiles? Rum aficionados? Well on that Saturday night they were mostly a young urban San Francisco hipster crowd in search of the next cool thing. While the Rear Admiral was mixing up the rum cocktails like a ninja master, he did have to pause every so often to explain why they didn’t carry Vodka XYZ.

So do all these kids really deserve a place like Smuggler’s Cove? Maybe not. But then neither do us Tikiphiles if all we’re going to order are the same Poly-Pop drinks and view the place with just our Tiki goggles on (I plead guilty here).

Consider this. At Smuggler’s Cove we can travel from Tiki Island to pre-Castro Cuba and back even further in time to when a real Grog contained brackish water.

So why not take that trip? It’s only a $9-$12 “ticket”. :D

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2010-02-27 14:02 ]

Post #513742 by JOHN-O on Fri, Feb 26, 2010 5:42 PM