Had a great visit to Smuggler’s Cove on Saturday, arriving at around 7:30 and able to enter right away ahead of a large group that got in line behind us. We were directed to go downstairs to the Boathouse to order but were told we could sit anywhere. That large (and increasingly obnoxious) group followed us into the Boathouse shortly thereafter, so we took our drinks upstairs where it was totally relaxing and quiet enough to have a great conversation.
The cocktail pairing was our usual, a Mai Tai for me and a Fluffy Banana for Mrs. Mai Tai, but the end results were no less impressive with rich and bold flavors that hit all the right notes. The ongoing cocktail quality at Smuggler’s Cove remains truly impressive thanks in part to the experienced bar staff such as Melissa Garcia who has been at the Cove since basically day one and remains a stellar mixologist who made our cocktails perfectly.
Our weekend in the city started with dinner at The Tonga Room, right at opening when the crowds are a little lighter and before the band plays on the boat. As always, we received very friendly service from the wait staff and were treated to a little cake since we were celebrating a birthday.
We noticed that while the cocktail menu that was introduced in Fall 2023 still remains in place, the prices for those cocktails were raised again to a very high $24 each. We do like the menu overall including the balanced Mai Tai that’s very approachable for the Tonga Room’s general audience, as well as the Tiki’Meister that’ll appeal to tiki craft cocktail fans. Mrs. Mai Tai loved the Banana Bread Old Fashioned with a mix of rum and bourbon. But these prices are really high and the idea that it serves as a sort of cover charge for the venue is harder to rationalize than it used to be.
The food menu has been revised since our last visit, sadly dropping the Salmon bowl and Poke Tostada that were among our favorites. The entree protein pairings didn’t really interest me, though Mrs. Mai Tai loved the Tiki Noodles with tofu. I stuck to a bunch of appetizers including some very tasty spring roll style Tonga Rolls, the Coconut Calamari, and some fabulous Kalua Pork Sliders.
We really enjoyed the meal, though value decisions remain more of a considerations than many restaurants. We love the vibe inside and everything is really great including the service, decor, and cocktails. But then the bill comes and it feels like it shouldn’t be that high. Something to consider.
After the quick visit into Luau Lounge it was time for our lunch reservation at one of our favorite Pier 39 restaurants, Fog Harbor Fish House. This restaurant is located on the second level, so we had some great views of Fisherman’s Wharf and the San Francisco Bay. Our lunch was enjoyable including some seafood-oriented entrees and some tasty sourdough rolls as a starter, along with great service. The venue was busy but everything came out promptly and correctly, and noice wasn’t an issue.
When I looked at the cocktail list I was pleasantly surprised to see a Mai Tai that features Kuleana Hawaiian rum, lime, orgeat, and orange curaçao. Even better was the finished product that I was so glad I ordered, as this was a rich but still approachable cocktail that was very well balanced and had a great presentation including the float. This was a Mai Tai any bar would be proud to serve, and certainly was the best we’ve ever tried on the pier.
We did a family day in San Francisco and browsed Pier 39 while waiting for our lunch reservation time window. While my wife and son looked at the sea lions I popped in to see how Luau Lounge is doing these days. There’s still a bar/restaurant inside the Players Sports Grill & Arcade, though the greeting area has been overrun by arcade machines and one of the two tiki themed displays is now empty. There’s also a Luau Lounge Tiki Patio that overlooks the bay with Alcatraz views and glass windbreaks.
I’ve had mixedresults from Mai Tais over the years here, but I decided to add another to the sample size. The 1944 Mai Tai is made with Mount Gay and Appleton rums, but I wanted it just a little heavier and asked just for Appleton. There are other rums at the bar, but the bartender didn’t seem to have a way to put those into the cocktail.
The Luau Lounge 1944 Mai Tai now comes with Lilikoi Foam, so not really “1944” style but nonetheless a great addition as it adds a ton a sweet tropical passionfruit flavor. The base of the cocktail was also nicely balanced thanks to Appleton Signature rum and Ferrand Dry Curacao. It looks like Monin is the orgeat brand, not my favorite but it didn’t have any ill effects on the final product that was a pretty good refresher on the pier.
We like this location with great views of the bay and overall a nice cocktail list and service at the bar is always friendly here. Luau Lounge isn’t appointment visiting for tiki tourists but regular old SF tourists who like a tiki or Hawaiian vibe won’t be disappointed.
Owned by the same restaurant group as Dr. Funk, The Pressroom is located around the corner from San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose and serves elevated California cuisine. The venue spans two buildings at the corner of Santa Clara and N. Almaden Ave, drawing inspiration as being the location for The Mercury News starting at turn of the 20th Century. A main bar is located in the portion of the restaurant adjacent to Almaden featuring greenery and large open windows. A separate dining space called the Editors Room is also available for private parties and the wood-lined Bar Mercury is a bar within a bar.
The bar team from Dr. Funk developed the cocktail menu featuring some newspaper-inspired riffs on classic cocktails. We absolutely loved the New York Sour riff called City Beat that takes inspiration from the Eastern Sour by adding orange oleo saccharum to the Whiskey Sour template and featuring a rich pinot noir float. The Byline Fizz also features wine with a delightful blend of strawberry-infused tequila, lemon, honey, and a sparkling wine float. We thought the cocktails were really great and priced in line with other downtown San Jose venues. All cocktails are half priced during Happy Hour, 3-5 pm weekdays.
City Beat and Byline Fizz
We enjoyed our dinner early on Friday, featuring fresh and inspired ingredients. I loved the Thai Steak Salad including the fresh and toasted coconut, while Mrs. Mai Tai loved the Lemon Ricotta Agnolotti topped with parmesan cream. The menu has some vegan dishes, but leans into some beef and steak options – though we’d have liked to see more appetizers to choose from. The Pressroom is also open for lunch including sandwich options with their brunch featuring a fun tabloid-style menu. We did find the venue and music to be fairly loud and very bass-heavy even during a relatively slow portion of service.
The Pressroom is a great addition to downtown San Jose’s restaurant scene, combining visual and cultural nods to the past with a menu that propels diners into the future.
Was pleased to see that Pagan Idol was fairly busy on Wednesday night, though the venue’s reputation for having the highest backpack to customer ratio seems to still be intact. There were several groups having a great time and while there were ebbs and flows there were a steady stream of customers ordering at the bar.
We started with the Mai Tai that is made with Kō Hana Kea and Appleton Signature, which resulted in a bright flavor that leaned a little in the orange direction. If you’re a fan of Hawaiian rums or any lighter sugar cane spirits then this Mai Tai is a great option. Nathan and I both can be picky but we agreed this was really good Mai Tai.
Nathan didn’t want the night to end just yet and ordered another round including an amazing Daiquiri made with Rum Fire (supposedly “just a splash” but clearly more than that). It had been a while since I’d been in the back room at Pagan and forgot how many tikis are in this section, including two big ones that are still impressive. I didn’t love the Reggae-heavy music playlist, but overall this was a great visit and nice to see Pagan still doing well with the tiki thing in the Financial District.
Buckle in for a roller coaster of an experience and note the unique set of circumstances.
I was in the City for a work event and met up with local raconteur Nathan Robinson for drinks at Kona’s Street Market downtown. After enjoying a Kona original called the Banana Stand we had a good rapport with bartender Jason and it wasn’t too busy, so I asked if he could make a 1944 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai using the Appleton 17 Legend rum that newly appeared on their top shelf after the previous bottle was drained a couple months ago.
Note that Kona is still selling this at the ridiculous price of $30 for a neat pour and only a few bucks more in Mai Tai format, making this an absolute bargain.
Jason made sure to check that we didn’t want the dark rum float that normally comes with their Mai Tai and measured everything carefully. But the initial taste was anything but legendary due to what can only be characterized as very bad lime juice. Nathan took a little swig, confirming to us that “the lime is off”. Jason offered to remake it and I him he didn’t have to but after consulting with another member of the team I saw him juicing a fresh lime and preparing another version of the cocktail.
Does the Legend still make a fabulous Mai Tai? Yes, it still does! That second Mai Tai was just how I remember it, a fantastic flavorful rum that is so present in the drink with an extraordinarily long finish so you can savor every sip.
We want to highlight the circumstances of a not-so-busy bar, ongoing conversation with the staff, and the obvious industry experience that Nathan’s questions and comments with the bartender demonstrated. Your mileage would vary if it was slammed or if you roll in to mansplain your way into ordering this off-menu cocktail. A really fantastic experience overall, thanks to Jason and the Kona team.
