Food Review / SMOKIN’ TUNA

Charlie Bauer is the owner of The Smokin’ Tuna. In a nutshell, more precisely, ‘neath the giant bowers of a cousin of the ficus family, The Smokin’ Tuna is a restaurant typical of Key West. Which means it’s one-of-a-kind, like everything else in this smokin’ hot holiday destination. The setting is a couple of bars under shelter of roofs, much seating in intimate groupings and a spacious dance floor beneath the leafy ficus high as a sky scraper. Dominating the eye is a giant platform of a stage. The eatery is full service lunch and dinner of what you’d expect, fishy things and local pink shrimp and conch fritters but all with their ‘Charlie’s Secret’, which obviously I was not able to pry from the comfortingly professional staff. Taste Bud gave the thumbs up to the food. And then there are the mad scientist drinks. Taste Bud was a good sport and experimented sipping this and that, each a math equation of ingredients amounting to guileful candy and challenging your alcohol tolerance, which is always truly the goal. In other words you get your money’s worth. Taste Bud voted first place to something named Smokin’ Rumrunner, described on the menu as Bacardi Rum with Banana and Blackberry liqueurs, Cranberry, Orange and Pineapple Juices. Was I exaggerating? I think not! That same extemporaneous personality permeates every facet of this world of its own. There’s even a boutique, a cottage with tee shirts and such. Seasonal customers return with regularity, giving them quasi ‘locals’ status, and proudly sport the merchandise. Lunch is kid friendly. Early dinner suggests a hint of things to come when an acoustic set, Charlie does the choosing, plays discreetly yet entertainingly, soothing and sexy and relaxing. The late show guarantees a raucous band who pick up the pace inspiring  people to shake their booties and enjoy themselves. Charlie, an appreciator of music, selects the bands. Twenty-two years ago Charlie Bower conceived of and continues to operate the beloved Annual Songwriter’s Festival, when the biggest names in the business play in every bar in town. Charlie Bower makes magic.