WOW.

That’s all I can say.

It’s been four years since the birth of Tantalum and in that short period of time, we’ve managed to build a quite a group of loyal diners, many of whom I now consider good friends. Although I see many familiar faces in the restaurant on a regular basis, this blog is just another way for me to connect with each any every one of you personally – I love sharing all of our success with those who make it possible.

Recently, I was able to spend an evening with many of our regular clientele, as we welcomed new faces to the Tantalum family. When all was said and done, I partied with 300 guests, while raising $7,500 for charity!!

Sounds, unbelievable, but it’s true. Two weeks ago, RIVIERA Magazine joined us in hosting our first ever “Tantalum Bali Surf Sanctuary,” which raised much-needed funds for SurfAid International. For those of you who are not familiar with SurfAid International, it is an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the people of Mentawai Islands, located off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia (you can find more information at www.surfaidinternational.org).

Approximately 300 guests enjoyed our signature fare and cocktails featuring Ciroc, Tanqueray No. Ten, Oronoco, Crown Royal and Jose Cuervo Tradicional; wine provided by Hope Wine; and a great ice luge treating guests to chilled VeeV acai liqueur!

That evening, we made fundraising history by featuring a silent auction with the first-ever mobile bidding process presented by 3Screens, a boutique mobile marketing agency based in San Diego. By utilizing this never-before seen technology, we maximized our donation to SurfAid and added a new dimension to fundraising. Some of the items included in the silent auction included an autographed Surfboard with industry legends such as Greg Noll, Laird Hamilton and Robert August; a multi-course dinner for six at Tantalum, complete with cocktail and wine pairings; a Robb Havassy Original “Endless Summer” themed-Painting on a Robert August Longboard; a complete collection of the season’s hottest Urban Decay products; Gerry Lopez Autographed Lightning Bolt Surfboard; Shawn Tomson shaped Single Fin Surfboard; an event DJed by multi platinum-selling Songwriter/Producer “Spider” Ron Entwistle; INT Softboard Fish Pat O’Connell model surfboard with autograph; a Giclee of an Original Painting of Lance’s Right in the Mentawai Islands; a Cordoba guitar; accessories from Betty Belts; and original artwork from Jonathan Good Fine Art.

Thank you to all of our sponsors!

For those of you who missed the event, don’t worry, because there will be many more. Just be sure to sign up for our VIP membership on the “Contact Us” page of our new site! This will ensure that you are kept up-to-date with all Tantalum events and VIP specials.

Please be sure to visit my blog for my regular updates and stay tuned as we bring in Spring – Tantalum style!

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