Congratulations to Martin and Smuggler's Cove from Hanford and TC

I am always excited when a new Tiki Bar opens. Nine years ago when Tiki Central was started, the idea that new, quality Tiki Bars would be coming to life was really just a pipe dream that I only hoped would come true. But we've bore witness to many -- Kahiki Moon, Forbidden Island, multiple Trader Vic's, Hale Tiki, Thatch, Frankie's, Kona Club -- just to name a new. To think that perhaps Tiki Central, in some small way, aided or encouraged the creation of some of these places is just icing on the rum cake for me.

Today, Smuggler's Cove opens its doors to the public, and I want to talk a little bit about this bar and the man behind it: Martin "Martiki" Cate.We met at a pre-crawl show by Ape at Tiki Crawl 2, and since then Martin has been a Tiki Central Moderator, he's spearheaded the organization of many of the subsequent Tiki Central Crawls, and was the master mixologist for the Tiki Central Drink Contest, just to name some of his many contributions to TC. To say he's helped out Tiki Central is an understatement.

I've been lucky enough to drink at Smuggler's Cove two times now, and can honestly say he's doing something special for the Tiki Bar movement. I've never seen a bar that simultaneously pays such serious tribute to its heritage, while going out of its way to not be too serious. On one hand, Smuggler's Cove is a top notch creation that nails every aspect of what we love about classic Tiki Bars: it is packed with tiki decor, bathed in moody lighting, features the classic accouterments of tiny umbrellas and swizzles, and plays Exotica and other period music -- all in the name of relaxation, a fun time, and transporting you to another place. But at the same time it is serious cocktail connoisseur's paradise; perhaps the most serious cocktail bar Tiki has ever seen; with the menu featuring a staggering selection of drinks that span the gamut from classic exotic cocktails, to historical drinks, to modern creations. The menu is littered with tidbits about the history of rum and the drinks made with it. I don't think you can get a true understanding for how important The Art of the Cocktail is to Smuggler's Cove unless you read the menu cover-to-cover, as I've done many times.

It is a remarkable endeavor, and it is executed splendidly. So today I'd like to honor him and his new creation, and thank him for all he's given to Tiki Central over the years, and bestow upon him the title of Official Mixologist of Tiki Central.

I also want to say congratulations to his wife Rebecca, Notch, and to everyone else who helped bring Smuggler's Cove to life. You should all be proud.

And to Martin: I wish you all the best with Smuggler's Cove. I am honored to have you as a friend. Now, let's lift a drink!

~Hanford Lemoore

PS I've changed Tiki Central's background to the Smuggler's Cove logo in honor for a few days! Enjoy the makeover!

I wish I could be there congratulations!!!

Skol
Erik the Red

Salut !!!

Here's to Smuggler's Cove !

L'Chaim!

From cousin Clem to Smuggler's Cove, you've made it a fun ride all the way. Cheers Martin!

**Nice work Martin!

Excellent vision, commitment and follow through.

I'm glad that you've continued to do that Voodoo that you do so well! ***

*If you were cringing while reading that, it's okay I was cringing while writing it BUT it is sincere. :)

Cheers!

I was blown away by the depth of the SC menu, especially by the rum list (I'm dying to try the Filipino and Nepalese rums). Dare I say it's richer than Trader Vic's? Awesome job, Martin and the SC crew, you folks built one hell of a wellspring for the tiki and rum revivals.

And now to crack the secret SC Rum Barrel recipe code :wink:

I was there tonight and the place is absolutely gorgeous; far beyond what I was expecting. The drinks aren't bad either! :wink:

Congrats Martin & Rebecca!

--cindy

Well said, Hanford.

Martiki's home bar, the Foggy Grotto, was the first home tiki bar that I had been to that felt like a real tiki bar with menus and the real feeling of escape. Since then he's always strived to make the drinks better, with better quality ingredients. And he has educated so many about good tropical drinks and rum, not in a snobbish way but in a friendly, non pushy way. He always knew in his head what the Holy Grail of tiki bars should be, and he brought it to reality more than anyone else has since the original tiki bar era, with both Forbidden Island and Smuggler's Cove.

Hail to the chief mixologist of Tiki Central!

i've met martin and his wife. not only are they smart, good looking business people, they are incredibly nice and hospitable. congratulations.

wish i could have been there. hope everyone stayed warm, i'm sure the rum helped. :D

Ho'omaika'i 'ana Martin. 'Okole maluna!!!!!
Aloha,
:tiki:

[ Edited by: tiki royale 2009-12-09 09:57 ]

The SF Chronicle has a really nice write up on the front page tonight...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/wine/detail?entry_id=52920

What can I say, Martin, it is all true. You do Tiki proud! By putting tropical/nautical escapism on the map again, its sailor's yarns will be told from the Seven Seas to the Cape of Good Hope for generations to come.

GO martiki.

Pics look great, I'm sure the cocktails are.
I hope it brings you satisfaction and financial reward.

I know, however, that you only do it so that once your celebrity takes hold, you'll get bottles and bottles of boutique rums from everywhere for free.

There were 2 gals on BART last night talking about Smuggler's Cove. Not bad, not bad at all!

Congrats Martin and everyone who helped bring the place to life.

Heppers!! And huge congrats to you, Martin! I can't wait to see the inside of SC, and enjoy some of your new creations. Long Live Martiki!

Aloha!
Myke

PS And when I saw the "SC" logo appear on TC, I was thinking it was for Santa Claus. Silly me!! :D

pictures? please

Congrats Martin and NOTCH!
pictures?

Aquarj's fantastic pictures:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=34598&forum=17&start=45

Married With Dinner's Flickr Page with more great photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marriedwithdinner/sets/72157622931498286/

Hanford,
You did a great job on the menu.

I'll add my congratulations here. Smuggler's Cove is a tiki lover's dream! And word is spreading fast. In my casual carpool this morning, the wife sitting next to her husband in the front seat said, "Oh honey! The guy from Forbidden Island is opening a new bar in the city! We should check it out!" Seemed random at the time, but I guess with all the press, it's to be expected. I, of course, spoke up from the back seat and gave them my rave review.

Congratulations, Martin! Very well done sir!

On behalf of the staff and crew at Forbidden Island, my wife Denise and of course, myself, I'd like to congratulate Martin (and Notch) on the gem that is Smuggler's Cove. It's been a long time since SF has had a tiki bar of note and I, for one, am super excited for the "new kid on the block".

Martin is an incredibly talented mixologist, as we all know, and I wish him nothing but success with this dream project of his. Sure we stand to lose some fans, but it's not a major concern. Our popularity (and mailing list) has increased many fold in the last year alone- exceeding even our own expectations - and believe me, we're doing just fine. I have always maintained that "more tiki is good tiki" and I stand behind that belief even more today.

Long Live Smuggler's Cove ... and Forbidden Island!!

Mike, you'll never lose this fan of Forbidden Island. I will still be a regular. I love Forbidden Island!

Congrats! Outstanding job.
Ran

Well Forbidden Island | Smuggler's Cove ] are both the darlings of Hanford as shown as the only two bars supported by links at the bottom of the page. The link is Martin. Looks fun.

On 2009-12-08 19:15, hanford_lemoore wrote:
It is a remarkable endeavor, and it is executed splendidly. So today I'd like to honor him and his new creation, and thank him for all he's given to Tiki Central over the years, and bestow upon him the title of Official Mixologist of Tiki Central.

Congratulations, Martin. Never was there such a well-deserved appellation.

Thank you for bringing your blend of both knowledge and passion to the world of tiki.

When I grow up I wanna be Martin Cate.

Congratulations, and thank you for lighting the path for others, showing that there is success to be found in quality, in details, in not compromising your vision. Cheers!

Martin, I hope you are living your dream because you sure are living mine! For those of us who play mixologist at home, you and your creations are a constant inspiration. (Want to be inspired by Martin? Watch this.)

Here's to this generation's Don the Beachcomber! Wishing you much success and a long, long life for Smuggler's Cove. Can't wait until my first visit!

Best of Luck to Martin & The Smuggler's Cove Crew! We can't wait to check Smuggler's Cove out the next time we are in the Bay Area :)

On 2009-12-09 12:35, Molokai Mike wrote:
On behalf of the staff and crew at Forbidden Island, my wife Denise and of course, myself, I'd like to congratulate Martin (and Notch) on the gem that is Smuggler's Cove. It's been a long time since SF has had a tiki bar of note and I, for one, am super excited for the "new kid on the block".

Martin is an incredibly talented mixologist, as we all know, and I wish him nothing but success with this dream project of his. Sure we stand to lose some fans, but it's not a major concern. Our popularity (and mailing list) has increased many fold in the last year alone- exceeding even our own expectations - and believe me, we're doing just fine. I have always maintained that "more tiki is good tiki" and I stand behind that belief even more today.

Long Live Smuggler's Cove ... and Forbidden Island!!

Very cool to see this post above.
likes hands reaching across the bay to shake in the middle.
I will be going to both bars whenever heading up to the Bay area.

Congrats To Mation and all involved, looks and sounds amazing.
can't wait to be there in Jan. and soak it all in.

Jeff(btd)

Thank you all SO MUCH for the kind words & support. It means a lot to me. It certainly has been a long, strange, and wonderful journey to reach this point in my life, and I really, really appreciate all the support this community has shown me over the years.

I look forward to seeing you all at The Cove! Now back to making syrup! :)

Cheers!!!
martin

Congratulations, Martin. You're a talented fellow, and you deserve all the success.

I went to the Cove last night and I can say that it's awesome. The place is definitely a labor of love and I went home with a gorgeous SC rum barrel mug. Beachcomber's long-lost Kona Cocktail was a great treat, the Eurydice was a fabulous agricole rum, and the Cove's version of the Mai Tai was the best I've tasted (I swear that martinique simple syrup was mixed in but I could be wrong). This place is going to be my SF haunt from now on.

this is going to be the longest month and a half wait.
but I am sure it will be well worth it.

A few people at the Blow Hole Party were talking about how amazing in person it is.

Jeff(btd)

I visited Smuggler's Cove just days after the grand opening and would like to thank Christine, our middle level bartender for the evening. She is friendly, fast but calm, and a superior mixologist. Keep pouring Christine. And Martin, people like you so much you could have set up an Oriental Trading Company tiki bar with plastic thatch in the middle of a warehouse and people still would have had something nice to say. Smuggler's Cove has surpassed expectations and turned out fantastic.

ATTENTION ALL: The kinks of this new bar have been worked out. Actually there were no kinks, Martin has been doing this for a long time and the bartenders are shaking the ice to all 70 plus cocktails on the menu. So visit NOW.

Where is the drink menu ?? C'mon, I know someone's swiped one by now. :)

I need to start my planning.

Update - Actually never mind, I just found it on-line.

http://smugglerscovesf.com/trapdoor/tasting-notes/drink-menu/

Also when is TC night?

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2009-12-16 21:57 ]

WOW!!! It soundz Fantastical!!!! Did anyone think to take some picz in between there drink orderz? You know for all of us who are unable to get up there till who know when.... Thankz in advance...

Top-notch guy. Can't wait to make the trek out there.

Going tomorrow night for my last tiki binge before heading to Colorado next week.
I can almost taste the Bombo now.

So bummed that my biz trip out there before Thanksgiving got scrubbed but I have high hopes for 2010.

Could not squeeze Smugglers into this last trip, however I am sure I will be there
with Vamp,Brenda and whoever else whats to join us the next time I am up there.
Congrads and two thumbs Martin ... it's really great to see vision turn to fruition .

Interview in the San Francisco Examiner with Martiki:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/Martin-Cate-serves-up-authentic-tiki-drinks-at-Smugglers-Cove-83006602.html