Traveling the Bay Area and beyond to find the best Mai Tai in the world! Tiki, cocktails, and adventures by Kevin Crossman
Killed two birds by making a Tequila-based Mai Tai that Trader Vic named the Pinky Gonzales and serving it in a Death Star mug.
Pinky Gonzales
1 oz Lime Juice
½ oz Cointreau
⅔ oz oz Orgeat
2 oz Tequila
Shake with crushed ice. No prison labor was involved.
This turned out quite light, thanks to Jimador tequila and the Cointreau that is lighter in body than Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao. Quite delicious and very, very close to a Margarita.
We did a family trip to San Francisco and decided to check out the Buena Vista Cafe for Irish Coffee and a snack. The location opened over 100 years ago but is most famous for being the location where Irish Coffee was introduced to America in 1952. Popular syndicated writer Stan Delaplane had one at the airport in Shannon Ireland and upon his return worked with replicate it with Buena Vista owner Jack Koeppler. Delaplane’s column became a key channel for making the drink a viral hit. Delaplane would later publish a Mai Tai recipe sans pineapple juice in 1961.
The cafe was so busy they sat the four of us at a large table with another couple and one single, with everyone eager to try the drink for themselves and some also ordering breakfast and brunch specialties. A short distance away a bartender was making a dozen Irish Coffees in assembly line style, not unlike how they make Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s. The bartender is skilled and can whip out a batch in no time.
The Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista is made by pouring hot water into the glass to prepare it. Then the water is dumped and hot coffee is poured in. Then two sugar cubes are dropped in and quickly stirred, resulting in some coffee spilling out. Next, a jigger of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey is added, then topped with lightly whipped cream. I’d had a few Irish Coffees before but they pale to the Buena Vista’s, it was just that good. I really enjoyed the hot beverage and it had just the right balance of sweetness and enough whiskey to taste.
There are historical nods throughout the venue, including a plaque outside the building, so take the time to look around if you visit. There’s a gift shop next door and we enjoyed talking with the staff and seeing them work so efficiently.
Two visits this week to San Jose’s leading tiki bar, first for trivia night on Monday and then on Traditional Tiki Tuesday for a guest DJ set at Dr. Funk.
Risky Quizness brought their trivia set up on Monday once again, coinciding nicely with Mai Tai Monday where Dr. Funk’s excellent Mai Tai is only $8. The theme this time was Disneyland, a topic close to our hearts. We’d done pretty terribly at Office and Friends trivia, but this time with our sons in tow we did a team up effort and “The Rebel Spies” came in 4th place overall, not too shabby.
Traditional Tiki Tuesday features a rotating set of DJs who play records from 7-11 pm, plus all day Happy Hour which means that the Mai Tai is only $12 (plus, you know, some other cocktails). The “5th Tuesday” DJ this year is Doc Parks, yes the Doc Parks of bartending and tiki bar fame – who used to be a professional DJ before he moved in the hospitality industry. We dug Parks’ set, including a couple songs from Las Vegas surf band The New Waves.
Our food and drinks this week were pretty much perfect, and Mrs. Mai Tai is now just one rum from finishing Level 1 of the Rum Asylum rum list.
I was pleased to be a guest on the latest episode of The Tiki Talk Show, available on YouTube and on podcast platforms. We had a great discussion with Ellie and Ryley who have recently launched their podcast with a focus on newer tiki bars and what’s happening now rather than a focus on the past.
I think this is a great angle and with their discussions with bar owners such as Jason Alexander from Devil’s Reef this should turn out to be an interesting series and to document what’s happening in the industry. There is also a focus on an artist each episode as well, so I’m looking forward to seeing who will pop up on future shows.
In our session we talked about Mai Tai stuff and my own journey, but also industry trends of within the tiki bar genre. We also discussed rating criteria, cocktail ingredients and ratios, and a comparison of historical tiki bars with modern ones. Check it out on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.
After a round of cocktails at Smuggler’s Cove we Lyfted over to Zombie Village for more cocktails and to soak in the atmosphere Saturday night. In some past visits over the last couple years the venue hasn’t been that busy even on Saturdays, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that the space was very well attended this week including a large group that seemed to be holding some sort of convention over in the ice cave area. This was Maggie’s first visit and the huge tikis and special effects do continue to amaze guests.
The cocktail menu continues to have a nice selection of cocktails, almost all of which are from the venue’s launch in 2018 (thank you Doc Parks and crew!). We started with our two favorites: a Disco Banana for me and a Coco Pandan for Mrs. Mai Tai. Both were well-prepared, especially the Disco Banana that was frozen and had a great texture. I followed that up with a delicious and fassionola-forward Village Punch that still uses a fragrant gardenia as a garnish.
There were still a few of the amazing Woody Miller mugs for sale, one of which Joe snapped up to take home. There was a great energy and cool music at Zombie Village during our visit, and it was also so nice to see Carlos Jimenez (ex-Kon-Tiki) behind the bar as a new Villager. Things are looking up for this wonderful tropical oasis in San Francisco.
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.
