Imagine if Studio 54 had a Tiki bar…
“Canned Heat” from Jamiroquai is pumping through the speakers at Three Dots and a Dash as I sip my 1944 Mai-Tai. I love Jamiroquai, but as a punk rocker I’ve always considered them to be a “guilty pleasure.” But I digress. My Mai-Tai is top-notch, but am I cool with dance music at a Tiki bar? Let’ see…
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #40 Three Dots and a Dash Chicago, IL”
We all like to snack on something while we are sipping on our Tiki drinks, right? Why can’t it be something healthy? How about something vegan? The No Bones Beach Club is a vegan restaurant that happens to be a Tiki bar, or is it the other way around?
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #36 No Bones Beach Club Portland, OR”
Let’s talk about the Alibi in Portland, Oregon…
Most people who are familiar with the Alibi tend to have a love/hate relationship with this bar, myself included! Okay, “hate” may be too strong of a word. The word actually would be “disappointment.”
When I arrived at the Jungle Bird in downtown Sacramento, I didn’t know if I was at the right place…
I checked and re-checked the address: 2516 J Street. Yes, the address was correct, but where was the Tiki bar? I could hear that something was going on behind the door. People were inside. I could hear talking and laughing. Then I heard the theme song to Gilligan’s Island. Yes indeed, I had arrived at the Jungle Bird…
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #35 The Jungle Bird Sacramento, CA”
This is the line to get into Smuggler’s Cove. The place hasn’t even opened yet!
You might be asking, “What’s so special about this place?”
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #34 Smuggler’s Cove San Francisco, CA”
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”
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”
I’ll never forget seeing this clip on Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover.
It’s where Anthony checks out the Tonga Room in San Francisco. I’d been waiting for my day to come every since and I finally made it!
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #29 Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar, San Francisco, CA”
I’ll never the forget the first time I set foot in Tacoma Cabana.
Standing behind the bar was this dude wearing an Aloha shirt and fez on his head. I didn’t know anything about this guy, but he had a presence to him that made him really stand out. Without saying a word, the message was clear: I’m here to make Tiki cocktails and trust me, they will blow you away. This man was and is Jason Alexander. He is the owner of Tacoma Cabana. Let’s get to know Jason a little bit more…
Continue reading “Tiki VIP #17 Jason Alexander (Tacoma Cabana)”
