The legendary Trident Restaurant is set to reopen -- again -- during 2012, along the San Francisco Bay waterfront district in Sausalito, California. This delightful Marin County hot spot is marinated in a deliciously spicy past that is set to explode into perfection soon for new generations to savor. Once owned by the famed Kingston Trio, the Trident was a favorite hangout for off-duty rock stars, colorful hippies and the curious flower children.

The Trident Restaurant in Sausalito: How It All Began

In 1958, folk singers The Kingston Trio won the prestigious Billboard award for best new singing group of the year. By 1961, this singing group had earned a sum equal to about $180 million dollars, based upon year 2012 monetary value. In 1959, after the Kingston Trio strolled away with Grammy honors, it was clear to every financial mind involved that it was time to research the acquisition of appropriate tax shelter properties.

The Dock, in Sausalito, was a typical 1960 smoke-filled bar with sawdust on the floor to hide the spilled beers, when Kinston Trio manager Frank Werber procured the property for his clients. After extensive remodeling efforts, The Trident Restaurant opened in Sausalito as a refined jazz music dinner club. Waiters were dressed in immaculate jackets, and the building interior had been outfitted with sweeping architectural lines.

In the first 1960 version of the Trident Restaurant, most of the kitchen staff and helper positions were awarded to Koreans. Chef Pierre Flaubert was hired to create elegant New York steak entrees, escargot platters and a variety of soups, stews, fish dishes and sides to order fresh from the menu. By 1966, the formal Trident had modernized to satisfy trends with psychedelic artwork, rock 'n' roll music, creative drinks and striking braless servers.

The Trident Restaurant in Sausalito: Memories Of An Era

The years between 1977 and 1980 ushered in lifestyle changes for the counterculture. The Sausalito Trident Restaurant again evolved with the times and changed names to become the Horizon Restaurant. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Trident Restaurant was offering health-oriented foods on their colorful two-sided psychedelic menu. Menu art was done by Larry Noogle, with mind-expanding images embedded in the artwork.

A sampling from the old Trident menu: Vege-Burger Plate for $2.65, Palapa Prawns at $3.95 and a Trident Health Shake priced at $1.50, which might have been similar to a booze-laced smoothie. The old Trident was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; herbal teas at 65-cents per pot and raw milk at 60-cents a glass were popular drink options with consumers not using the bar. Tap beer was 75-cents and house wines $1.25 per 1/4 litre.

Year 2012: The Famed Trident Restaurant Returns

For 2012, local media reports indicate that Ron Davis and Bob Freeman have been meeting with the Sausalito City Council to finalize arrangements for the revival of the famed 1960s-70s Trident Restaurant. The new version of Trident may include an additional upper deck, an excellent menu plan and a facelift that revives or highlights the unusual interior architectural elements and beautiful wood-lined walls.

Ron Davis and Bob Freeman plan to have their new upper-deck seating area in place for the America's Cup yacht races, when this historic event takes place in the San Francisco Bay during the summer of 2013. The Trident building is perched over the water; an upstairs deck at the new Trident Restaurant will allow guests to have front row seats for the America's Cup races and all future activities planned in the popular Bay waters.

James Montejano, a former sous chef at Michael Mina, has been hired to help with the creation of the new Trident Restaurant menu line-up and offerings. The current Horizons Restaurant at 558 Bridgeway is scheduled to reopen during 2012 under the revived 1960s-70s Trident name. There are many nostalgic consumers in Marin County communities who are anxiously awaiting the rebirth of the famed Trident Restaurant.

For interesting Trident Restaurant memories, photos and rock-era stories, plus up-to-date information on the reopening of the Sausalito Trident Restaurant, visit the Trident blog: www.TridentRestaurant.com