Fired Up: The Smoky Note kindles Nob Hill nightlife

The Smoky Note, housed in the historic building that once was the Monte Vista Fire Station, will open Wednesday.

Bartender Jojo Martinez pours the Smoky Note’s signature cocktail the Smoky Note on Friday

Bartender Jojo Martinez pours the Smokey Note’s signature cocktail the Smokey Note on Friday, May. 17, 2024.

Bartender Jojo Martinez uses a hand torch to flame the rosemary garnish while Jojo make Smokey Note’s signature cocktail the Smokey Note on Friday, May 17, 2024.

The stairway of the Smokey Note has retained the original firefighter pole with a gallery of new pictures. Image taken on Friday, May. 17, 2024.

The outdoor upstairs patio of the Smokey Note looks over the Nob Hill area. Image taken on Friday, May. 17, 2024.

The Smokey Note has a secondary seating area and bar on the second floor. Image taken on Friday, May. 17, 2024.

From left, Heritage Restaurant Group and owner Grant Long, Bartender Jojo Martinez, and Adrian Perez, President of Heritage Hotels & Resorts will be a part of the Smoky Note which will be occupying the historic premises of the former Monte Vista Fire Station Restaurant & Bar.

A light fixture at the Smokey Note. Image taken on Friday, May. 17, 2024.

The lower bar of the Smokey Note. Image taken on Friday, May 17, 2024.

The Smokey Note bar is ready to open on Nob Hill at 3201 Central Ave. Image taken on Friday, May 17, 2024.

Rozanna M. Martinez Rozanna M. Martinez Rozanna M. Martinez Branded Content & Special Sections Editor

Published May 20, 2024 - 10:00 a.m. Modified June 25, 2025 - 2:00 a.m.

If You Go

If you go

The Smoky Note’s official opening is Wednesday. Its hours of operation are 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. More information can be found at thesmokynote.com.

A new ultra lounge in Nob Hill is igniting the night-life scene with its chill vibe and gilded art deco inspired interior.

The Smoky Note is housed in the historic building that once was the Monte Vista Fire Station. Its name, The Smoky Note, is an homage to the original fire station and kept its iconic fire pole that is the center point of the staircase leading to the second floor bar and patio areas. The Smoky Note is operated by owner Grant Long and managing partner Heritage Restaurant Group. Long is the son of Jim Long, the CEO of Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Heritage Restaurant Group.

“Jim’s passion is really about taking historic buildings like this and really turning those into something special,” said Adrian Perez, president of Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Heritage Restaurant Group.

Interior designer Carla Davis and Adriana Long, who is Grant’s sister and interior designer for Heritage, re-envisioned The Smoky Note as an elegant and posh experience.

“The Smoky Note was one of those places where we knew Monte Vista had this soul,” Perez said. “It’s something that we really loved, growing up. It was so many different renditions. ... I think we really felt like it was something that we needed to have the opportunity to show Albuquerque what it could be. That opportunity to show Albuquerque that you could take a building like this that is so beautiful, so dear to us, and give it that modern feel.”

The renovation of the building was mainly cosmetic, from the deep cabernet-hued walls to gilded bar panels and fixtures that give a sense of warmth and coziness that creates a space guests will want to spend time in.

“They really are very talented designers,” Perez said. “And you can see what someone can do with a little bit of vision, a little bit of paint and some new furniture, because it really is a testament to what they were able to do here. It’s a great mix of Albuquerque past and Albuquerque future.”

The Smoky Note, 3201 Central NE, has held some soft openings to test the waters and officially opens to the public on Wednesday.

The decision to change the Monte Vista branding was intentional, to tell the narrative of what once was and what is to come.

“The Smoky Note was the opportunity to tell the story of this fun place that has great music, great spirits, a place to be able to hang out with your friends, but a place to kind of unwind,” Perez said. “And I think the connotation that Monte Vista had in the past wasn’t necessarily more high energy. It was a very youthful place. ... But we wanted to transition a little bit, too. We feel like Nob Hill is transitioning as well. ... It is on fire right now. It is moving fast. And we have young, creative people that are doing some cool things down here. So we wanted to be part of that and have kind of a new spin on a bar in Nob Hill.”

Gone are the days where patrons would compete to get the bartenders’ attention to order a drink, its operators insist.

“We have a proper cocktail service, so you won’t have to be trying to fight your way up at the bar,” Grant Long said. “I’m sure you remember how (Monte Vista) used to be. It was tough to get a drink if you didn’t know the bartender. We’re really focusing on providing top level service and also making sure that this bar is approachable for everybody, and everybody’s treated with respect.”

A host will greet guests at the door and get them seated.

“And then a server will come up and make sure that they get your order taken,” Perez said. “They’ll make sure you get your little snacks. And then let you just relax and enjoy yourself. Service is one of the components that I think Grant and our team is really focused on. We want to make sure that people feel comfortable, and that they’re not having to get up and down. This is a place to relax. It’s a place to have a great cocktail but be able to relax and enjoy this beautiful scenery that we’re in. I think it’ll be important for people to know that it’s a very different place than it was.”

The Smoky Note does not offer food service. However, guests will receive a complementary European-style snack plate that they can enjoy with their cocktail, craft beer or wine. The plate will consist of a sampling of olives, European-style potato chips and a mix of nuts.

“So (it is) enough to be able to have something to nibble on, to make sure that it enhances the flavors of the cocktails, but also to allow you to still wander out in Nob Hill and go hang out and have a great meal,” Perez said.

The Smoky Note’s cocktail menu has something for every palate. Jojo Martinez, who is charge of bar program at The Smoky Note and Heritage properties, created the menu to appeal to the masses.

“If you look at the cocktail menu, you can see a lot of things that support our region that tells a story of our region,” she said. “And me growing up as a Latina and eating all the cultural foods, I like to incorporate that as well, but also have a super-modern approach to the beverage and making sure it’s an experience.”

Martinez created the signature drink, “The Smoky Note,” with a special Scotch barrel aged in a dessert wine cask that creates a hint of sweetness. The house-made syrup used in the drink is made with piloncillo, a Mexican brown sugar. A cherry bitter and Angostura bitters are added to create the structure of the drink. Martinez takes a quick flame to a rosemary sprig and attaches it with a tiny clothespin to the side of the drink glass.

“I start burning some cherry wood in my smoking gun and then I let this smoke billow into the decanter,” she said. “And that’s when I go ahead and ice it and make it nice and chill. Pour it in the decanter, pour it into the glass, and over a nice large ice cube. And I just burn that rosemary to make sure there’s that beautiful rosemary smell in the air.

“Being in hospitality for 22 years, with a major focus in beverage, the definition of hospitality is that all senses must be pleased. What are you smelling? What are you seeing? What are you hearing? What are you feeling? What are you tasting? I try to create these cocktails to give experiences.”