Afrodite Caffe and Big Tittie Rum
Frankie Gagliano is a middle aged man with sun weathered skin, a grovely voice tinged with satirical humor, and a twinkle in his eye that matches his lack of appreciation for propriety. Known as an industry expert in all things food and beverage- he has a way of speaking that is both blunt and eloquent and a way of conceptualizing restaurants that has earned him his reputation.
He first arrived in Placencia in 1968. On summer break from his second year at University, he sailed here with a group of friends and quickly developed a case of what he calls “tropical intrigue”. When it came time to leave, he told his friends to go on without him.
After buying a locally built sailboat and fishing to feed himself, he eventually went home and returned with a new boat – a 112 foot wooden retired coast guard submarine chaser that any Belizean over the age of 40 will remember. He named her Fury. In the 1980s, before there was a road, Frankie’s Fury followed the likes of the Heron H, Maya Prince and the Honduran to run the coast as a shuttle and with supplies for the coastal communities of Punta Negra, Yccacos, New Haven Bit, Hopkins, Placencia and Monkey River. He then opened Belize Sailing Charters that offered high end, all inclusive adventure trips that he captained and chef’d. The grandson of two chefs, cooking and hospitality were in his blood. Many on the peninsula will remember Ooga Boogas and Tiger as two of his greater successes and the list of restaurants and resorts he has built and helped birth is long and notable.
In his latest endeavor, he has opened Afrodite Cafe on the sidewalk, outside of Tipsy Tuna. As Frankie says, he went with ‘the space not taken’. He loved the location and allowed the place to evolve around the space. He asked locals what they wanted and tried and tested until it was a place that filled a void.
As a result, Afrodite attempts, at every turn to distinguish herself from the crowd, an alternative to what else is offered in the village, she wants to be a place where you drag your conquest to, a place you go for something different. As you may expect from her decor, there are many layers to this quirky cafe. From 7am and all during the daytime you can expect to hear vintage caribbean music – anything pre-reggae- Calypso, garifuna and ska, to name a few. A bar without a blender, there’s nothing trite about how they introduce and make their signature line of daiquiris.
Their daiquiris, as well as all their other cocktails are made with Frankie’s Big Titty Rum & spirits. An ode to the freedom, humor and sexual promiscuity of the Caribbean culture, Frankie feels the Big Titty brand name isn’t offensive to locals but provides visitors with an “oh my god” moment that makes their trip identifiable and memorable. As with the logo which he designed and created, he makes the rum and spirits within. Visitors can buy a bottle to take home with them and many a man enjoys walking around with his branded shirt on.
Some notable products within the brand are his Fat Pussy Rum Liqueur. On the label? You guessed it- a really fat cat. His Belizovka vodka translates to ‘Belizean’ in Russian and is made from the prevalent local root vegetable, cassava. By Frankie’s way of thinking, cassava is nature’s way of saying “please make vodka”. According to him, it’s the ideal short change molecule that’s very easy to convert to sugar and the only reason the Russians didn’t use it was because they didn’t have it. A much simpler process than with potatoes, Frankie has been perfecting this method and recipe for years. In addition to his infused rums- habanero, island spice and demerara (brown sugar) he also has a 110 proof aged rum made with homemade charcoal.
Not competing for restaurant supremacy, he’s a got a focus on the rum and spirits and the ambience of Afrodite. He’s currently offering Mademoiselle French Pastries for dessert, makes exceptional pizza and salads and has plans to put a pergola and seating along the sidewalk.
As someone who has become one with the locals and helped blaze Placencia’s development, Frankie is eager to see Placencia become an international boutique destination and intends to cultivate Afrodite Cafe in a way that compliments that vision.
So the next time you’re looking for something a little different, consider pulling up a stool at the bar that looks like a piano. Strike up a conversation with Frankie and as you sip on some Big Titty, ask him about how he survived at sea for three days after the Fury went down, then ask him to tell you some stories about the real life swashbuckling pirate history of Placencia. And hey, if you feel you need it, ask him for the only Wifi password in the village that could rival the rebelliousness of Rick’s.
