by Jennifer
Richmond
San Diego, A Tiki Oasis
Ahhhh… the Tropics. Tahiti, Jamaica, Fiji, and, of course, Hawaii. Warm water, beautiful fish, white sandy beaches, amazing food, and most importantly, amazing cocktails. When you put them together, you get a spectacular trip. But what if you can’t make it to the islands? There’s still plenty of ways to experience the island lifestyle. Today, you don’t have to travel across an ocean to taste food from a foreign land. Today, you can discover Polynesian food and tiki cocktails right outside your front door.
Once a thriving business in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, thanks to the original tiki aficionados Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt and Vic Jules Bergeron, the tiki culture waned after the ’70s. But in the past decade, it’s exploded back into the cocktail scene. Where there was originally only Gantt and Bergeron (aka Don the Beach Comber and Trader Vic), today it seems like there’s a tiki lounge on every corner. You’ve got Mahiki in London, Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, The Polynesian in New York… the list goes on and on. Some might call that a tiki renaissance. I call it heaven.
While some of the smaller towns only have one tiki bar if any, there are others that have two, three, even ten. San Diego is just such a town. I recently got to experience almost all of them when a girlfriend and I went on a tiki crawl. I’m a huge fan of Smuggler’s Cove, so I wanted to test out Martin Cate’s newest bar, False Idol. He’s the man behind both Cove and White Chapel in San Francisco as well as Oregon’s Hale Pele and Chicago’s Lost Lake. He also just happens to be the author of the tiki tome Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum and the Cult of Tiki.
Made up of 38 cocktails, Idol’s menu caters to both the classic and the modern. See, for every Trader Vic or Donn the Beachcomber original, Cate has designed a drink that reminds of the classic but has a modern twist. They’re even listed right below the original so you can compare. For example you could order Trader Vic’s classic Mai Tai or if you’re a little more adventurous, you can get Cate’s Mai Sha Roa Na which uses banana liqueur and a macadamia nut cordial. I enjoyed the vintage Coronado Luau Special from San Diego’s Hotel Del Coronado. Made up of 2 different kinds of rum and plenty of citrus, it’s easy to imagine patrons of the Del sipping this drink while lounging on Coranado’s beach. My friend chose to go modern and sipped on the Eureka Punch, a tipple made of rum, Yellow Chartreuse and ginger beer. It was a spicy take on the classic Bourbon Special and one definitely worth a try. While the drinks and décor screamed tiki, the atmosphere was not my favorite. It was just too loud and too crammed, which I suppose means the place is a big hit. That’s good news for Cate, but the next time I visit I’m getting there when it opens; that way, I’ll get to sit at the bar and watch as the bartenders shake up the wide array of drinks.
I mentioned this was a tiki crawl, so you’re probably wondering where else we visited. I just had to go to Bali Hai, since it’s the oldest tiki bar and restaurant in San Diego. Built in 1953, Bali Hai was the first Polynesian-themed restaurant to open on the newly developed Shelter Island. Filled with bamboo and tiki masks, it was the place to see and be seen. And while the views are definitely worth the trip, the food and drink aren’t anything to write home about.
The coconut shrimp were tasty and had a great crunch, but the drinks were waaay too strong and just not mixed well. Having been to my share of tiki bars, I can honestly say the warning I received that Bali Hai is overhyped is right on the money. There are a lot of classic restaurants that have stood the test of time, I’d like to list Bali Hai among them, but I think both the food and cocktail menu need an upgrade.
Then there was the first place we rested our high-heeled feet: The Grass Skirt. Located in San Diego’s Pacific Beach, it’s another speakeasy similar to False Idol. But unlike the crammed Idol, Skirt was wide open full of big tables and a fire pits. While you can see The Grass Skirt at the end of the little strip mall, the only way to enter is through the restaurant next door. They also take reservations, but if you get there early enough like we did, you won’t need one. You’ll just walk through the freezer door, and be promptly seated at the long bar. Don’t want to sit at the bar? No problem, there are all those large tables I mentioned earlier. Through the freezer door is a large room full of stone idols, raffia ceilings, a fire pit and adorable hula girl lamps. But you’re not just here for the décor, you’re here for the cocktails… and they’re just as amazing as anything you’d find at False Idol or the classic Tiki Ti in Los Angeles.
A small white binder holds pages of classic and modern tiki drinks that are mixed to perfection. But the real highlight of the Grass Skirt are the theatrics. That’s right, every so often the music stops, the lights go off and a thunder storm takes place. Right inside the bar! It’s a sight that only adds to the wonderful, tropical atmosphere. I can’t wait to go back! As a matter of fact, I can’t wait to go back to False Idol either, only this time I’ll get there early!
