There is no such person as Tommy Bahama. He is a marketing image, like Betty Crocker or Uncle Ben.
He is a combination of a Jimmy Buffet Parrothead and the sort of man who reads Playboy, along with Cigar Aficionado and The Robb Report. He is the “purveyor of island lifestyles.” Through the last decade or so he has come to define upscale casual. Even though I have a Tommy Bahama tie, he represents an open collar, slacks and sandals look.
The company actually was founded by three guys who wanted to represent a contemporary way of life. Not surprisingly, they operate from the capital of West Coast cool, Seattle. Their motto is, “Where life is one long weekend.”
Today there are some 50 Tommy Bahama stores, along with a series of other retailers who carry the line. The line consists of camp shirts and slacks. sandals and deck shoes, golf clubs and cigar ashtrays. Home furnishings, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
So popular has the line become that a series of restaurants (called Tropical Cafés) have sprung up, attached to some of the tonier stores. There is one in Newport Beach, of course. There is one coming soon to Las Vegas. And there is one in Palm Desert, naturally on El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the desert.
Located on the corner of El Paseo and Lupine Lane, the restaurant is actually on the second floor of the store. (Or the store is below the restaurant; it’s all a matter of perspective.) The decor is not as bad as you might expect. It actually has a South Beach Florida look to it. No plastic fish. No pink netting. There is some rattan and wicker. Dark wood accents the lighter paint job.
And then there is the food.
We started with rum drinks. Although Bahama has its own line of light and dark rum, it is an acquired taste. As our waitress said, “It’s not for everyone.” So we went with the Bacardi. One great Mohita and one strong rum and diet cola.
Heady stuff.
Appetizers consist of such humble titles as Tommy’s World Famous Coconut Shrimp and Crab Calloway.
The soups are Tortola Tortilla and Cooper Island Crab Bisque. With bits of crab and a good cream sauce, the bisque was as good as the better lobster bisques that I have had. The Tortilla soup, with chicken bits and lime sour cream sauce was spicy and good.
For entrees, we went with the Sanibel Stuffed Chicken and the Long Island New York Strip. They really had to stretch to get the island reference on the meat dish, but it works. It was a 14-ounce center cut brushed with seasoned butter and served with onion rings. The stuffed chicken was moist and flavorful. It was stuffed with a herb cheese and roasted red peppers and had a parmesan and Japanese breadcrumb crust. The strip, which I ordered medium, seemed like it was medium rare, but it was so good that I didn’t ask for any sauce to put on it. I took it as it was served. It was delightful.
We split a very generous side of “Perfect Storm Smashed Potatoes.” Too many restaurants are serving some sort of paste called mashed potatoes these days. It is always a pleasure to find light fluffy, tasty mashed potatoes and these were them. Other side dishes with island names included Dr. Mambo’s Plaintian Combo and Tommy Bahama’s Island Almond Rice.
Desserts are positively dangerous and jack your blood sugars till they register at Cal Tech. Things like Wha'jamaican Chocolate Cake and Pineapple Upside Down Vanilla Cheesecake. I foolishly went with the Blackbeards Butterscotch. It is made from dark brown cane sugar, buttered cream, vanilla and scotch whiskey, blended and served chilled, with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. I am seizing up just writing this.
After dinner I did the only proper thing. I went downstairs to the store and spent money. Well, you would have too.Tommy Bahama's Tropical Café and Bungalow Bar, along with the Emporium, are located at The Gardens of El Paseo, 73-595 El Paseo #2200 B, Palm Desert 92260. For reservations call 760-836-3338.