There are a lot of “Traders” when it comes to Tiki.
There are Trader Vic’s, Trader Dick’s, Trader Mort’s, and of course Disney’s own Trader Sam’s. But before there was Trader Sam’s, there was Trad’r Sam…
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #31 Trad’r Sam San Francisco, CA”
I remember reading a book from Chuck Palahniuk called Diary. The main point of the story is that everything about you is a diary. Everything is a “tell.” How you act, the way you dress, the type of music you listen to, etc. Even your furniture choices show your personality.
What makes every home Tiki bar special and unique is that the space was created and designed by the owner and no one else! As the old saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” but you can learn a lot about someone through their Tiki bar!
Disney, Hawaii, Tiki, and bulldogs. These are the passions of Brigitte and Jim “Kimo” Crawford and Kimo’s Iki Tiki Ahi Hale tells their story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #23 Kimo’s Iki Tiki Ahi Hale. Morgan Hill, CA”
An escape to a environment that is totally cut off from the real world…
This is the main reason why I love Tiki bars. The fact that you can walk through a door and be whisked away to somewhere else is pretty magical. Where did I get this fascination for escapism? It came from a fast food restaurant called Long John Silver’s.
Phoenix Arizona. It’s flat and hot with a sprawl that seems to go on forever. This is the perfect place to have a Tiki bar. I’ve heard nothing but great things about UnderTow and my good friend Caprice was in town so she checked it out. I’ll let her take it from here…
Continue reading “Guest Tiki Bar Review – UnderTow Phoenix, AZ by Caprice White”
So many Tiki bars, so little time…
My list of Tiki bars to visit is long—very long. I’m only one man and I only have so much time. That’s what friends are for! Carla and Joe took a trip to Monterey, CA and stopped in at Hula’s Island Grill. Here’s what they have to say…
Continue reading “Guest Tiki Bar Review – Hula’s Island Grill Monterey, CA with Joe and Carla”
Minneapolis may be one of the coldest cities in the country. People have to plug in their car radiators to keep them warm so they don’t explode! This is where Lucas Mark calls home. Lucas is the man behind the Meek Tiki, his blog which chronicles his adventures into the Tiki lifestyle in his neck of the woods and beyond! Let’s get to know Lucas a little better…
I’m not straight edge now, but I used to be back in the ’90s…
Continue reading “Straight Edge Tiki #4 The Diller Room 3/7/2017”
My how time flies…
It was one year ago, almost to the week. I was at Hula Hula chatting with the bartender. She had good news and bad news.
The bad news was that Hula Hula was closing because the building was getting leveled for new development. The good news was that Hula Hula would live again in a new location. The owners just needed to find the right place…
Continue reading “Hula Hula Grand Re-Opening! Capitol Hill Seattle, WA”
And then there were two…
As I write this post, there are only two remaining Trader Vic’s locations in America. One in Atlanta, GA and the other in Emeryville, CA. Back in the ’50s/’60s during the height of Tiki popularity, there were around 25! What happened? Well, tastes changed. But if there is one word to describe a Trader Vic’s restaurant, that word would be HUGE! Imagine trying to maintain a large space with many rooms filled with various Tiki artifacts. It’s a miracle such a place is still around! That’s why visiting Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, CA was a big deal for me. It could all be gone tomorrow…
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #30 Trader Vic’s Emeryville, CA”
When Disneyland opened it’s own Tiki bar, Trader Sam’s, it was a safe assumption that the décor would be dialed-in. Escapism is what Disney does best! But what about the drinks? Thankfully, Trader Sam’s has Kelly Merrell. Kelly was there at the beginning of Trader Sam’s and he brought his cocktail making skills with him. Here is Kelly’s story…
Continue reading “Tiki VIP #18 Kelly Merrell (Bartender, Trader Sam’s)”
