Forbidden Island - Alameda

4/5 stars

Continuing our Bay Area tiki crawl!

Got here around 3:30 on a Sunday and scored the last two seats at the bar! YAS! We sat right next to the TV so we got to watch a lot of Dick Van Dyke. Awesome.

I think this place would be fun with a group. There are booths and an outdoor area to enjoy the weather when it's nice. They have a mini food menu of fried snacks, like cream cheese wontons and coconut shrimp.

Like other tiki joints, the drinks menu is HUGE and fun to read. I hug and kiss tiki menus.

We started with the Shrunken Skull because it was served with fire and a side of DANGER. Hubby thinks this one is a keeper.

Since it was our first time at Forbidden Island, we had to get their signature cocktail. It was a grog. It was good, but not as good as Smuggler's Cove's signature drink (their barrel) IMO.

Last drink of the day was pretty much dessert. The Painkiller comes in different strengths: 2, 3, or 4 skulls. It's made with Pusser's Navy rum, pineapple, orange, coconut & spice. I like Painkillers a lot!

Forbidden Island felt more like a casual, divey, neighborhood bar than Smuggler's. It was chill and a great place to hang out. Smuggler's felt more like a place to escape...

Next up: Pagan Idol!

Trader Vic's - Emeryville

3/5 stars

Trader Vic's hosted a Hawaiian Bazaar. I've been wanting to cross Trader Vic's off my list so this was perfect.

Everyone at Trader Vic's was really nice. We LOVED the live, Hawaiian music and waterfront view. They forgot my brunch order (patty melt w/ pineapple and an egg), but they comped it, so it was totally fine. Food was not special, but we were happyhappy because we had a huge drinks menu to work our way through!

We started with the mai tais. Trader Vic's has two that you should order at the same time, just so you can compare them. The Trader Vic's mai tai was more like a juicy punch while the '44 (the original) was more deconstructed.

My FAVORITE was the Pinky Gonzalez which is a tequila-based mai tai. Who knew a tequila mai tai would work? It was really tasty and the risqué glasses were hilarious! I really, really wish I could've bought the glasses home.

We also got the Suffering Bastard, which was kinda freaky (rums, lime & Egyptian things), and the Seyhorse (rum, melon liquor, and passion fruit). Get the Bastard if you want something stronger. Get the Seyhorse if you want something fruiter and in a really cute drinking vessel.

It was our first tiki gathering, but certainly not our last! Hubby and I had a blast mingling with fellow tiki-aficionados. Everyone was dressed to the nines! I even bought a vintage dress and a hair accessory! We also went home with a bunch of Trader Vic's mugs. Success!

Smuggler's Cove - San Francisco

5/5 stars

My obsession with Smuggler's Cove started last 4th of July weekend when my hubby surprised me with their book. Even if you don't drink tiki, it's a wonderful read. That weekend, we went on a scavenger hunt. We had to go to 5 different liquor stores to acquire the ingredients for the Jet Pilot (a tweaked Zombie).

We didn't make it to the tiki bar itself until the end of July. We got there at 5:30 PM and there wasn't a line, but the place was already absolutely packed. We had to wait for a seat at the bar, but it wasn't too bad.

Stepping into Smuggler's Cove is like stepping into another dimension. It's a tiny, tiny dark place that is just... magical. You forget the rest of the world here and I think that's okay. The drinks were incredible - dare I say THE BEST COCKTAILS I've ever had. Steve was the bartender that night and his hands were just flying. It was really impressive watching Steve work. I don't think I've ever seen a bartender make drinks as fast as him. Smuggler's Cove has a huge menu too so that made it even more impressive. I love sitting at the bar.

We ordered:

+ Smuggler's Rum Barrel (rums, fresh juices, Caribbean spices). It was the favorite of the night! Of course we had to take home the barrel! This moment is pretty much when I started collecting tiki mugs...
+ Hinky Dinks Fizzy (rum, pineapple, lime, passion fruit, apricot liqueur, gin, sparkling wine). I mean, rum AND sparkling wine? Be still my heart.
+ The Expedition (rum, bourbon, coffee liqueur, lime, cinnamon, vanilla, honey). Really complex and different. A must-try.
+ Puka Punch (rums, lime, orange, pineapple, honey, passion fruit, falernum, bitters). Beware buccaneers, it's really strong ;-)

We can't wait to go back, but it'll be hard not to order the rum barrel again. It's delicious!

The Rum House - New York, NY

3/5 stars

It was our last night in NY and we wanted to do something fun so we decided on a piano bar. I yelped and found The Rum House. It wasn't bad! The drinks could use work, but our server was very nice (she's a cute, young woman with awesome, big, black hair).

We arrived 10 minutes before the music started and were able to snag the last two seats in front of the piano! Score!

I loved the pianist and the vocalist was flirty and fun. It was a very chill evening.

I had the Imperial Punch (el dorado white rum, pineapple, cinnamon, lime, angostura bitters, myer's dark rum float) and the Fair Maiden (brugal anejo rum, lime, mint, and cucumber). I can't remember having rum and cucumber before. It was a great idea! P.S. The Dark n' Stormy was on the too-sweet side.

(2015)

The St Regis Bar - Princeville, HI

3/5 stars

We came for our last honeymoon sunset and because of the advertised "champagne ceremony." Warning: champagne ceremony does not come with complimentary champagne.

The outside seating area is plush, but the sun ... did you know the sun is REALLY REALLY bright? We actually hid inside until juuust before the sunset and chilled with the best darn dark and stormys we've ever had. Unfortunately, that was the only thing about the St Regis that was impressive. Four Seasons all the way.

(2012)

British Bankers Club - Menlo Park (closed)

3/5 stars

How can you not like a place that serves an authentically awesome champagne cocktail? Had my first Lanesborough here (Gran Gala, pineapple, cranberry, & champagne) and The Most Dangerous Cocktail on the Menu delivers (apple-y and vanilla-y). Swirly swirl with a cinnamon stick :-) The food was another pleasant surprise! Shared the filet mignon with a friend and it was cooked perfectly, with a really yummy veal demi-glace.

Downsides: the place was musty with a haunted British parlor look and loud, because of the live band (the band was good, though). Everything on the menu was extremely price-y. They shouldn't also charge a $5 cover with those prices.

(2010)

Toronado - San Francisco

5/5 stars

I wish I had a neighborhood bar like this in the South Bay!

Pints were only $3 during Happy Hour and there were at least 20 beers on tap (from around California and Europe).

I had a peche (peach) beer and a hefeweizen from Belgium. The peach beer was very peachy, but tart. The hefe was refreshing and easy to drink, with a slightly fruity finish. They were both served in their appropriate glasses!

The bartenders were super chill and nice (will give you recommendations if you ask), the Red Sox were playing on the flat screen, and ... *best part ever* ... Rosamunde Sausage Grill next door!

Brats, beer, and baseball? Best Friday things.

(2009)

Trials Pub - San Jose

4/5 stars

I've been searching for a great neighborhood pub. Trials, how come I JUST found you??

ATMOSPHERE: I've spent a lot of time in real Dublin (Ireland, not California) pubs and have not been able to find anything comparable ... until now. Trials isn't 100% Euro-authentic, but I'd give it a 75% grade.

Low-key, dark wood, not too grubby, informal atmosphere/servers - and only $5 for a 20oz glass? NICE!

FOOD/DRINKS: Cask-conditioned beers. Win. Hard-to-find STRONGBOW cidar! Win! Pub food that ACTUALLY tastes good?? More win. I highly recommend the curry fries.

(2009)

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar - San Francisco

2/5 stars

ATMOSPHERE: the tonga room is the definition of kitschy, but the tropical rain + lightening + thunder was kinda cool

DRINKS: hit or miss in regards to level of strength... the scorpian bowl was my favorite of the night (the looong straws are fun)... better tasting than the lava bowl. the mai tai was NOT the best i've ever had, not even close. and the banana daq was bland and water'd down and too icy. ALSO, way too expensive. i mean, cmon, $6.50 for a coors light?! that's awful!

FOOD: overcooked, greasy, fried, bland, limp, mushy, spent too much time under the heat lamps hawaiian fare that doesn't include sides or rice...

COVER CHARGE: really? really! you know who was on the dance floor? old, retired, rich people who could (A) afford staying at the fairmont and (B) were wearing hawaiian shirts and totally having the time of their life. we danced some too and it was fun because nobody took themselves too seriously. good place for a group off-site, but I wouldn't pay a cover charge to hang out here.

(2008)

Lanesplitter Pizza & Pub - Berkeley

3/5 stars

Going to keep this one short and sweet.

Genius equals delicious, gourmet, New York style pizza in a bar + many yummy choices for pizza toppings + lots of different kinds of cold beer + awesome art on the walls + a really nice staff.

Thus, Lanesplitter is genius.

Minus some stars for the super gross bar bathroom.

(2008)

Tommy’s Joynt - San Francisco

3.5/5 stars

Tommy's Joynt Haiku

"sticks to your ribs" joynt
is what Tommy's all about
And volumes of beer

A wall of foreign
Chimay on tap, read the walls
Barrel of pickles

Cheap, 8 dollar plates
Corned beef, brisket, sausages
Hearty German fare

Quite eccentric crowd
Young, old, rich, poor - all hungry
Open late - till 2!

(2008)

500 Club - San Francisco

2.5/5 stars

2 stars for the bar - it smelled and looked like a college bar... sweat and stale beer lingered in the air, the music was too loud and IMO, not very good. it was small and crowded, but we managed to camp out in the corner with a high school desk and some bar stools, so that was nice. but the floor, wall, everything was sticky and one of my friends accidentally leaned on a table littered with broken glass and ended up with a bloody hand. he had to suck the glass pieces out with his mouth... yow.

3.5 stars for the crowd - nobody was inconsiderate or pushy or grope-y, everybody was chill and just there to hang out with their friends.

3 stars for the drinks and bartenders - drinks weren't more expensive than elsewheres and my vodka and Sprite was definitely a lot more vodka than Sprite. bartenders were nice enough.

500 club did its job for the night! lots and lots of rounds were bought for my funnyman pal, Silvio!

(2008)

Sodini’s - Redwood City

2/5 stars

Sodini's Haiku

Yep, it's a dive bar
Cheap drinks, friendly bartenders
We were youngest there

26th birthday
75 cents a game
One old pool table

Good-natured people
Serious karaoke
They had a cowbell

a blow-up plastic
guitar and a crowd-pleasing
opera performance

(2008)

Britannia Arms - San Jose

2.5/5 stars

Happy New Year!

So New Year's Eve, I decided against the drive to SF. Didn't feel like sitting in traffic or getting lost... hah! Yup, I have a really bad sense of direction.

Went here with a small group of friends and it was pretty darn perfect. I like it when I can actually hear and talk to my friends at a bar with live music. It was pretty laidback and bonus, fairly clean bathrooms. The bartenders were super duper nice. And came with accents - cute!

Started the night with a pint of Wyder's Pear Cider for six bucks. They had this New Year's special which was a pretty good deal if you ask me. $29.99 for a prime rib or salmon dinner, plus dessert, champagne, party favors (tiaras, plastic top hats, balloons, and noise makers), AND the best part of all, a table all night long. Didn't have to elbow myself to the bar for drinks the entire night! The owner even came by twice to fill our glasses with champagne - charming fellow! Our waitress was fantastic too! She never disappeared on us - it was easy to get drinks from her all night long. Drinks came pretty quick too, even though by 11PM, the place was packed! Great crowd, a mix of old and young. And the band was good - unpretentious, solid vocals, fun!

FOOD: was meh, but come on, who comes to a pub for good food? I'd stay away from the Salmon Wellington. The prime rib was almost okay - a really thick cut, with huge chunks of fat, and completely well done (when it was supposed to be medium). The french fries and dessert were pretty great, though. The fries were steak fries and we got the fried Mars Bar, fried cheesecake, and Sticky Toffee Puddin' for dessert. Loved the Sticky Toffee Puddin'! The Mars Bar was worth the try, but uber sweet. It's definitely one to share with the group. The fried cheesecake with strawberry sauce was melt in your mouth tasty, but like the Mars Bar, you can only have so much.

Ohh, car bombs here are delicious! Fresh Guinness, creamy Bailey's... almost tastes like chocolate milk!

(2008)