Tiki Bars in Sunset Magazine

In the "Things to do in Southern California" section (pg. 38) there is a "Five Great Tiki Bars to Transport You..." article (actually not an article, more of a very small synopsis of the joints). Anyway, Trader Vic's, Purple Orchid, Tiki-Ti, Bali Hai & Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge are all mentioned.

Here's the blurb...

**"Five great Tiki bars to transport you"

BEVERLY HILLS
Trader Vic’s. The Beverly Hilton’s secret weapon for nearly 50 years, this posh restaurant and bar is famous for its potent Mai Tai ($9.75) and the fascinating crowd it attracts. 9876 Wilshire Blvd.; 310/276-6345.

EL SEGUNDO
Purple Orchid. Puffer-fish light fixtures hang from the ceiling and locals shoot pool in the back of this neighborhood bar. Its namesake signature drink is a mix of vodka, honey, lime, and raspberry ($6). 221 Richmond St.; 310/322-5829.

LOS ANGELES
Tiki-Ti. The South Pacific approaches Silver Lake at this tiny spot run by father and son Mike and Mike Buhen. Despite a meager 12 stools at the bar, the Mikes serve more than 80 varieties of tropical drinks, 50 rum-based. Cash only. Closed Mon–Tue. 4427 Sunset Blvd.; 323/669-9381.

SAN DIEGO
Bali Hai Restaurant. Over-the-top South Pacific decor, a stunning view of downtown, and the Volcano Pupu Platter make the Bali Hai a tiki classic. The smallish bar sits inside a semicircular restaurant . 2230 Shelter Island Dr.; 619/222-1181.

SAN DIEGO
Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge. In the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, the trendy establishment features carved totems, glassblown fish, and a 48-ounce (no ice) Mondo Martiki serving four for a hefty $35. 801 Fifth Ave.; 619/233-1183. —Wendy O’Dea**

What?! No Royal Hawaiian or Sam's?

Or Bahooka?

Thanks for the head's up Matt!

No Lucky Tiki?

Sunset Magazine, falling head over heals into the Tiki tender trap.

Here is an article from their June edition (courtesy of Dawn Tiki):

Pick it up...

Steven Gunther
A tin-roofed tropical shack sits at the edge of a dark-bottomed pool. The uneven stone rim and creeping vegetation enhance the lazy lagoon mood.

Hawaiian at heart
Beside a backyard pool, an L.A. homeowner re-creates the islands she loves
by Sharon Cohoon
sunset/i/garden/2005/06-June/Pool0605/Pool0605PoolMain.jpg" BORDER="0">
When you're floating in Ruth Hunter's dark blue pool surrounded by palms and orchids, it's easy to forget you're in Los Angeles. "You feel like you're drifting through a Hawaiian lagoon," she says. And that was the whole idea. Though Hunter, her husband, Sean Daniel, and their son, Quincy, visit Hawaii several times a year, she never gets enough of the island paradise. Part of her heart is always in the tropics. When the family returned from one of those trips, Hunter said to herself: "Why not re-create the tropics in my backyard?" So what if the house was more English Tudor than grass shack? "I decided my traditional garden bored me. I wanted something more lyrical and fantastic."

Hunter imagined a pool that would remind her of the fishponds encircled with lava rocks she saw as she drove through the Islands. She also wanted a tin-roofed surf shack like the one depicted in her favorite Hawaiian watercolor. "I've always loved shacks," says Hunter. "Their simplicity makes me feel safe and secure."

Steven Gunther
Ruth Hunter enjoys her garden in, appropriately, Hawaiian attire.
To make her fantasy real, Hunter turned to landscape designer Mary Effron and her husband, Javier Valdivia, an artist and a mason. The couple gave Hunter a pool with a pond feel; it's 11 to 12 feet deep and uses a dark gray plaster to enhance its depth. To mimic the lava rock edging that Hunter wanted, they put in chunky individual stones rather than smooth flagstone around the pool, choosing rocks in the dark reddish tones seen in Hawaii. For the shack, they engaged Erik White, a designer and carpenter with movie-set experience, who built a casual-looking but rock-steady entertainment deck and the shelter. The floor is redwood, the supporting poles are of galvanized steel covered with split bamboo, and the back wall is covered with reed matting.

Hunter's son and his pals love jumping into the pool from the platform. (When they were younger, they pretended to fish there.) The shack has a practical side too: Pool equipment is hidden behind it.

Palms, ornamental bananas, cannas, and other tropicals planted close to the pool and in pots right at its edge deepen the lagoon illusion. Tropical-print fabric on the garden furniture, a few tiki torches, some large shells, and a surfboard complete the mood.

Hunter and her family love their movie-set backyard. "Reinventing yourself is practically an L.A. tradition," she says. "Why not extend it to your garden?"

DESIGN: Mary Effron Landscape Design, Santa Monica (310/452-7152); Erik White Designs, Los Angeles (323/662-4167)

Create your own instant Hawaii

You don't need a lagoonlike pool to get in a luau mood. Set-decorating alone can go a long way toward creating your own Hawaiian style. Roll out some jute rugs. Replace cushion covers with fabric in a Hawaiian floral motif — Hawaiian Fabric (www.hawaiianfabric.com) has about 1,000 prints to choose from. Display flowering orchids or exotic cut flowers like bird of paradise or heliconia. Bring in a few tiki gods to reign over the garden; if you can't find a local source, order them online from Tiki Master (www.tikimaster.com).

They got the same thing in this issue in Nor Cal listing the usual Bay Area haunts. They did include "Martini Monkey" at the SJ Airport, and Tradr Sam's in the SF tetnus district.

I guess it's always nice to have a passion recognized by such a touchsone of the upper-middle class, but just the same, dissapointing that it's the reader's digest version.

Links to Sunset's articles:

Hawaiian at Heart:
http://tinyurl.com/a7uro

5 Tiki Bars:
http://tinyurl.com/7c3ft

On a tiki beach in Carlsbad:
http://tinyurl.com/9jymf

Bali in your backyard:
http://tinyurl.com/78f4x

cheers,
Rupe

[ Edited by: rupe33 2005-08-04 13:01 ]

[ Edited by: rupe33 2005-08-04 13:02 ]

The following were listed in the Norcal edition:
Emeryville: Trader Vics
Oakland: Conga Lounge
SF: The Tonga Room and Trader Sam
San Jose: Martini Monkey

I love it - a geographic specific listing of tiki bars!

Way to spread the tiki love.

Sunset Magazine has wisely elevated the beloved Purple Orchid to the level of the granddaddy of them all, Trader Vics, and the venerable Tiki-Ti.