Rumba

A cool breeze brings scant relief from the heat of the day, and you're happy to be sipping a refreshing rum cocktail and savoring a delicious empanada while playing dominoes with friends. It's so great to be able to visit the Caribbean…without leaving Seattle. It's even better to have Rumba as a quick escape from grey Seattle days. (Juego de Domino by Jose Rodríguez)

Rumba, with its warm sand tones, amber-lit 12-foot high back bar "wall of rum," bar ladders, retro turquoise bar stools and vinyl booths, S-curved bar, dark wood, and palm-shaped ceiling fans with leather belts transports you to a 1950s Cuban rum bar. Shelving wraps the whole bar, filled with knick knacks as well as dominoes, dice and cribbage boards, along with books that guests are encouraged to write in. Imported painted tiles give the bathrooms an authentic look. The space is cozy—60 total can fit into circular and L-shaped booths, banquette, and on bar stools (or 75 standing). Sipping and staying is encouraged—a mini-vacation as general manager/bartender Kate Perry describes it.

The space is on two levels with a ramp leading down to the main bar. The upper level can be rented out for a semi-private party of up to 30 guests, with your own bartender behind the bar. Food is available from Rumba or Tango (when booking a larger catering order/banquet) next door. Both locations are owned by Travis Rosenthal who purchased Tango in 2006.

While old-school may describe the atmosphere, rum cocktails are stepped up to another level. "Like wine, rum is different based on region and maker," explains Kate. "We'll have smooth Cuban-like rums to rich, almost Cognac-like flavors. We'll have cocktails and sipping rums. Classics like Daiquiris are a little more special due to the quality of rum and ingredients. Rum drinks can be so much more than rum, fruit juice and Grenadine, although those are great, too. We'll have one of the most extensive rum collections in Seattle." Kate spent time in the Caribbean this summer visiting distilleries in Puerto Rico, Martinique, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua. "They're all wildly different in texture, body and flavor; they all have unique styles."

Ironically, Kate grew up on an island (well, in Maine) and worked at a yacht club where she talked with people sailing off to islands—maybe this put her on track for Rumba? Moving to Seattle, she saw a sign on Tango's window announcing interviews. She stopped, had a three minute interview with Travis and went on her way thinking it wasn't going to happen. He called her that same day and offered a job on the wait staff. That was 2006 and she's moved from serving to handling the wine program and bartending.

Travis comes from a family of restaurant owners in Chicago and attended Cornell University's Hotel School in 1997. He worked at Il Fornaio in Pasadena, and helped open Il Fornaio Seattle in 1998, staying for two years. He moved to Piatti Ristorante & Bar as the general manager in 2000, staying until he bought Tango. For quite awhile, he's been looking for the right opportunity for a second concept. When the space next to Tango became available, it just seemed right. "We're able to share the larger Tango kitchen and staff. Tango's Chef Daniel Perez and Pastry Chef Joanna Chau (left) have created the food and dessert menus. How many 1500-foot bars have a pastry chef?" laughs Travis. "We're doing Caribbean island-inspired food; things like empanadas, tacos, ceviche, entrée salads, Jamaican pork, mojito semifreddo. Nothing is over $12-$13 and people can mix and match to create the meal they want."

Chef Daniel Pérez* grew up in Mexico City, immersed in Latin culture and cuisine. He helped open the kitchen of Tango Restaurant in April 2000, leaving after three years to move to San Antonio, Texas, to work at Biga on the Bangs. In 2006, he returned to take over Tango's kitchen and was named Executive Chef in 2010. Pastry Chef Joanna Chau was raised by restaurant owners and spent her whole life in restaurants. With a passion for desserts and pastries, she graduated from Seattle Culinary Academy's Specialty Desserts and Breads programs and found work at Zoka cafes and Oh! Chocolate. She moved back to the restaurant world, working as a pastry cook with Heavy Restaurant Group (Purple, Barrio, Lot 3). She moved to Tango in September 2011.

Rumba opens the first or second week of September: Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m., and Friday-Saturday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Make plans for your island getaway now!

* Daniel Perez has left Tango/Rumba.

Connie Adams--August/September 2012