Tiki Culture

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:58:25 GMT

Ohhh...I found a Tiki place I did not know about...and a perfect alibi to stay at a hotel within 20 miles of home!!

Chan's Dragon Inn

http://offthebroiler.word...ning-chans-dragon-inn/

Re:Tiki Culture (ces1948)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:38:17 GMT

I haven't been to the Mai Kai since the early 70's. I was surprised to see it was still open.

bosco lover

The Mai Kai in Ft. lauderdale is indeed awesome. Haven't been in about 5 years, but great floor show, great drinks and a garden filled with torches and tikis. A must do in south Florida as far as I am concerned.

I'm sorry I missed the Kahiki in Columbus, from all reports it was awesome. But i did manage to snag one of their hanging lights from their dining room-it has bamboo and starfish, very retro. They now make frozen Chinese food sold in grocery stores

Re:Tiki Culture (bosco lover)

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:43:19 GMT

The Mai Kai in Ft. lauderdale is indeed awesome. Haven't been in about 5 years, but great floor show, great drinks and a garden filled with torches and tikis. A must do in south Florida as far as I am concerned.

I'm sorry I missed the Kahiki in Columbus, from all reports it was awesome. But i did manage to snag one of their hanging lights from their dining room-it has bamboo and starfish, very retro. They now make frozen Chinese food sold in grocery stores

Re:Tiki Culture (Big Kahuna Kooks)

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:55:47 GMT

Every year in Ft. Lauderdale there is a gathering called the Hukilau that celebrates and worships all things Tiki. Very cool retro vibe.

Re:Tiki Culture (Vince Macek)

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:27:54 GMT

Great inspiring story, Metroplex Jim! Good to see someone come back from a nasty blow like that. I don't see myself up that way anytime soon, but what's the name of his restaurant?
We have a Trader Vic's here in Atlanta in the Downtown Hilton from the '70s, a bit past the peak of Tiki culture - it's doing very well (points to the young and hip who have embraced Tiki), and worth a visit, especially if Tongo Hiti, fronted by Big Mike Geier, is playing on Thursdays.
Back in the mid-70s I was in college up in Lansing, Michigan - there was a tiki place in the middle of Frandor shopping center called The Boom Boom Room - I never went there, that sort of thing being the opposite of cool then, and now I regret never going.

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 23:17:37 GMT

Anthony Bourdain (of all people) seems to love the Tiki Culture...

http://blog.oyster.com/an...-for-this-place-21833/

Re:Tiki Culture (HollyDolly)

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:30:49 GMT

Never to a tiki restaurant.There is a Kon Tiki Motel in Universal City,Tx near San Antonio that's been there for years.

Re:Tiki Culture (Aloha Mike)

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:05:34 GMT

mar52

The Los Angeles area used to have Trader Vic's, Kelbos, The Luau, Don the Beachcomber and a few others I can't think of.

Now we have none.
Maybe the Zombies killed them off.

Sadly, this is true in L.A. for the most part. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley (ironically, now I live in Honolulu where there's mai tais and tiki torches aplenty), and at least the Bahooka in Rosemead's still around.

Mike

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:37:22 GMT

Ohhh Dawn. Now I am envious...

http://www.tikiroom.com/t...hp?topic=35671&forum=1

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:51:08 GMT

I never got there but my Mom says Hawaii Kai was so much fun.

Times Square>>>tropical paradise>>>Times Square.

http://www.sevenpleasures...ai/hawaii_kai_4_tables

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:25:49 GMT

I wonder how many coins (and patrons) were fished out of the "pool" at the Aloha...on any given night.

Re:Tiki Culture (rumaki)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:06:46 GMT

Another defunct place -- the Aloha in Rochester, NY.
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=33074&forum=2

My first job with a law firm after graduating from law school was in Rochester. I remember going to this place on a very, very snowy Rochester winter evening, after work.   I recall the drive back home was dicey -- no doubt in part because of the consumption of tiki drinks.

Note the wonderful retro dinner plate in the link, above. They were still using them when I ate there with colleagues. I really don't recall much about the food.

I also remember going to the Honolulu restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. I lived in Old Town for about 18 years before moving to Minnesota.

http://critiki.com/pictures/?loc_id=4#/3

The food wasn't great, and the decor wasn't particularly stunning, but the drinks were good, and it was the only place around that had rumaki. I moved away in 1999; I think the article says the place closed in 2004.

Re:Tiki Culture (MetroplexJim)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:15:32 GMT

My first business was next door to a very nice Tiki place in Manassas, VA - pu pu platters, exotic drinks, very good asian food made with fresh ingredients. As their "neighbor" I was allowed into their kitchen which was always immaculate. I don't know that they grossed, but it was widely accepted that they were the most successful restaurant in the county.

Then, one of their jealous competitors started a (totally false) rumor that there were dog and cat carcasses found in their trash bin. Incredibly, the local paper printed it as a story. Even though the story was soon retracted, the damahe was done and my neighbors business fell to a trickle and closed.

The next time I saw the owner (who always greeted his guests in a Tuxedo) he was working as a grease monkey is a small gas station in a seedy sevtion of Arlington, VA which he and his partner had purchased with the remnants of their business. He took the whole debacle in good humor, though he seemed to regret that I had seen him in that circumstance.

Over a decade later I was taken for a business dinner to a high end Chinese Restaurant located in a very exclusive area in Tyson's Corner. When I walked in I was greeted by a much older but very familiar gentleman in a Tuxedo. He was very emotional upon seeing me again and simply said "I'm back".

At the end of the meal he came over and comped the $250. check saing simply "Nice to see you again, Mr. Jim". My host left a $100 tip and our business went well. Needless to say, I returned often.

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:35:28 GMT

Lucius Beebe. He had an opinion...

http://www.tikiroom.com/t...p?topic=37689&forum=1g

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:04:50 GMT

In 1972 Kon TIki Ports Chicago did 2.2 million is total sales! That is amazing. Tiki culture!

Look at those dreamy green booths!

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:06:43 GMT

Our tiki culture was all over the map. Jade Island to Canton...

http://www.tikiroom.com/t...hp?topic=14015&forum=2

Canton was Tea Garden by day...Cocktail lounge "casino" restaurant by night.

It was like the Shangri-la of Americanized-Chinese formal adopted tiki. You are part of the family tiki. Just bring your bottles...platters...and we will supply the the rest of the atmosphere. Thank you.

Re:Tiki Culture (MilwFoodlovers)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:32:42 GMT

For all things Tiki:

http://critiki.com/

Re:Tiki Culture (fishtaco)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:00:19 GMT

MilwFoodlovers

Milwaukee's Riverwest area has a new Tiki bar, The Foundation.

http://www.foundationbar.com/Home.html

The Foundation
2718 N Bremen St
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 374-2587

Pre Buffet concert cocktails?

Re:Tiki Culture (rumaki)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:13:31 GMT

I went to Kon Tiki Ports restaurant in Chicago (at the Sheraton) when I was in college in the 1970s. I think we dined in the Ship's Deck room.

http://www.billyspostcards.com/Postcard/68094_Postcard_Sheraton_Chicago_Hotel_Kon_Tiki_Ports_Restaurant_Illinois_IL.html

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:10:04 GMT

Thank you for starting the thread Dawn!

The Kon Tiki Hotel...WOW!

http://critiki.com/location/?loc_id=303

I want to find that postcard!

There were no architectural wow factors involved in NYC metro urban tiki culture. We missed the boat.

Re:Tiki Culture (DawnT)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:33:26 GMT

In it's own odd way, this thread has become quite interesting more from a historical perspective. What I find interesting is how the west coast associated Hawaii with the Polynesian/South Sea mystique while over here, the Everglades and mid state Cyprus swamp native American tribes were included in the Tiki culture here. From what my dad tells me of the early late 40's early 50's there were many clubs and restaurants that also blended in Caribbean/Calypso/Conga themes. I've spent some time on Youtube checking out some of the 50's "Exotica" music and dance acts that were associated with the Tiki culture by Les Baxter and Martin Denny and to some degree the 60's surf/racing music of the Ventures that featured Hawaiian themes. It would seem that the states were intrigued by a romanticized/imperialistic version of semi primitive tribal culture that was sanitized and played to their imagination of what they thought it would be like. Listening to some of this music was reminiscent of how the Florida Everglades wetlands were unrealistically portrayed in some movies back then. Sounds of exotic birds, jungle sounds, distant drums, yes, even sounds of monkeys howling in the night. Totally unrealistic, but apparently this pseudo media captured the imagination of folks in the heartlands that had a very vague idea of what other cultures were like. Thanks to those that have published photos, info, and links. This has been a very enjoyable thread indeed.

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:33:45 GMT

Can't pu pu Trader Vic's collector market...

http://www.ooga-mooga.com...i?mode=view&mug_id=933

Ooga mooga indeed. Whatever that means.

Re:Tiki Culture (plb)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:02:10 GMT

The Trader Vic's in Dallas was closed for a long time, reopened a few years ago, then closed a year or so ago.

Re:Tiki Culture (Foodbme)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:14:59 GMT

We had a Trader Vic's in Scottsdale but they closed it down about a year ago.
Not "Cosmo" enough for Scottsdale!

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:56:43 GMT

MFL that is beautiful! That has summer meeting written all over it!!

Now that I entered Tiki Academy...I found out the my new Tiki peeps really loved The Canton in Jersey CIty. It was not really Tiki (To Wong Foo the movie... was filmed there) but it was fun fun fun in a Tiki kinda way.

Re:Tiki Culture (fattybomatty)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:41:57 GMT

I have been to a bunch of "tiki" bars. I have always just associated them with outdoor bars and never anything else. As long as I am.outside with a drink in hand I don't really care what the bar is called :-)

Re:Tiki Culture (MilwFoodlovers)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:38:39 GMT

Milwaukee's Riverwest area has a new Tiki bar, The Foundation.

http://www.foundationbar.com/Home.html

The Foundation
2718 N Bremen St
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 374-2587

Re:Tiki Culture (CCinNJ)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:07:50 GMT

Thanks Rumaki!

I found the menu for Lotus Garden (I love menus too) and it is impressive!

http://www.lotusgardengre...iles/Sundayspecial.pdf

Chinese Mystery Dinner!! That sounds fun! Rumaki on the Pu Pu platter! Woohoo!

Re:Tiki Culture (rumaki)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:57:29 GMT

CCinNJ:

Here's a link to a postcard.http://www.flickr.com/photos/baikinange/4207144797/

I LOVE this place -- the Lotus Garden in Greenwood (southern Indianapolis suburb). Been going there for years and years -- a must visit for me every time I'm back to my hometown.

Classic Chinese-American food. Great tiki drinks and fabulous rumaki!

Re:Tiki Culture (Ralph Melton)

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:43:06 GMT

The Disneyland animatronic exhibit is the Enchanted Tiki Room. It's still there in Disneyland; I believe Walt Disney World still has one as well.