Post #388386 by midnite on Fri, Jun 20, 2008 2:51 PM

"Oh, we're going to a hirkilau..."

**Installment Four: *HIRKI LAU ***

This spectacular month of tiki travel wrapped up with an exciting series of visits to some of the most famous tiki spots here and in the Mid-West. First off, it's a happy birthday bash for the fair Michelle at Emeryville's Trader Vic's. That's fifteen birthdays together and she's still cuter than homemade shoes. I am one lucky midnite. It's been awhile since we'd actually sat in the dining room at Vic's, having in recent years preferred retiring to the bar and enjoying the best hamburger around. The decor in the dining rooms is swell (dig the Leeteg), the drinks were well made, and of course the company was unbeatable. Still, I think next time we'll be back in the bar with a couple of cheeseburgers.

Originally, the final phase of the tiki travel month was planned around a certain auction in the Illinois area. Predictably, my ridiculous travel luck this year had to manifest itself with a schedule change for that event. Fricken, fracken, friggin'...oh well, par for the course in aught-eight. Thus, the visit with my tiki-loving nephew Richard, a new home owner in Madison, was still on but the aforementioned eff-up allowed more time in Wisconsin and more money to spend on cocktails. Silver lining and all, folks.

A wee spot of back story. Richard had been expressing his interest in visiting the Mai Kai for some time. I repeatedly blew off his proposals saying, "It will be there, cool the jets, we got plenty of time." Well, ha ha, uhhh, it looked like maybe not so much, eh? I was able to see the Mai Kai but considering the circumstances it appeared perhaps Richard would not. I felt badly, so as compensation for my previous stupidity I brought out to Madison as a housewarming present my "Mai Kai" velvet framed in a very cool original Monkeyman carving. With that offering the first-ever official Hirki Lau could commence!

Hirki Lau started off with a trip to Milwaukee's Miller Park to watch some Brewers baseball. That's one more Major League park off the list. Good stadium, nice sausage race, the Bratwursts are better at ATT Park in Frisco! Back in Madison many cocktails were mixed as Richard and his lovely Kylie are burgeoning tikiphiles. Richard has amassed a respectable rum collection, we dove in head-first and without any inflatable gear. I dusted of my old semi-professional bartending skills and we downed many a fine cocktail. Make that many fine cocktails and one Painkiller, uh, omelet (long story). The final Wisconsin portion of Hirki Lau was spent in Madison at the best restaurant I've visited in a long while, The Old Fashioned. It's a restaurant centered around my favorite, non tiki, cocktail! Tyler Fitzgerald would be so proud. No club sandwiches though, that's going to cost a few points from the Czechoslovakian judge.

Hirki Lau is first and foremost a tiki event of the highest order. When one finds one's self in the Southern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois area one looks to the Chicago suburbs for some old school classic tiki experiences. First up, after some killer pie at Giordano's, was Hala Kahiki!

Hala Kahiiki will, without a doubt, go down as one of my favoirte tiki spots of all-time. I am hard pressed to think of a bar I like better. That room is a gem. As one well-known and respected tikiphile told me, "The decor will melt your brain." Figuratively that held true as the lighting, the set-up, the look...the best. This is coming from someone who could take or leave, mostly leave, Witco. That said, I could send countless hours there, having beers.

Now, I know the conventional wisdom on Hala Kahiki is the tiki drink quality does not in any way match the supremely high level of the tiki decor. My vaunted cocktail source was equally down on Hala Kahiki's offerings. Given my experience I have to say it's probably true, but Kylie's Pina Colada was pretty good and my Scorpion was passable. In a rush of tiki exuberance ("How can they mess up a Planter's Punch?", she declared.), Kylie went all-in and ordered said Planter's Punch. Unfortunately, the earnest enthusiasm of youth was met head on by the harsh reality of what actually could go wrong with a Planter's Punch. Shudder. Still, Hala Kahiki is superb, notwithstanding many of the cocktails.

Hirki Lau continued on at that classic Cantonese cuisine and tropical drink restaurant, Chef Shangri-La. Chef Shangri-La was quite the sensory experience. A bit of a hodge podge, some classic tiki history with a bit of urban adventure. I was immediately struck by its similarities to Modesto's own Minnie's. I dug the Chef, if for nothing else but to see one of the inspirations for my personal Tiki Mecca, Forbidden Island. The decor was at times a bit too colorful and the dining area substantially too bright. I dug the grotto though and the bar area has some great elements. I would certainly go back as one definitely gets from Chef Shangri-La a taste of an earlier era.

Other than a perfunctory dish of Pot Stickers we were at the Chef to enjoy some adult beverages. I mean, this is Hirki Lau, dammit! My cocktail source was much more positive about our chances at Chef's and he was again spot on. We tried five drinks and some were very nice, indeed. Particular mention must be made of the Dr. Fong and the Mai Tai. Both of these concoctions were first-rate, solid libations. Kylie continued her misguided selections with an off-target Flaming Virgin and some other too icky to recall sickly sweet beverage. The girl can take a fine snappie, though.

Hirki Lau ended up back at Richard's new casa, official home of the original Hirki Lau don't you know, and a Sunday full of cocktails. Go figure. We went through quite a bit of rum, we liked it...and it was good. Next year, at Hirki Lau 2, I am thinking of holding a cocktail slash sandwich slash travel seminar. Maybe something on pay-per-view. Now, while Hirki Lau was a small event, only three attendees for the inaugural, we made up for the diminutive size of the gathering with some good old Mid-Western stick to it-ness and heart. Plus, a lot of liquor. We have big plans for Hirki Lau, big plans, baby. From the little acorn...

A hirki, hirki, hirki, hirki, hirkilau
uncle midnite

This completes the tiki travel month of May 15th - June 16th. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as we visited many of America's finest old tiki havens. Remember, support your, our my, local tiki bar. Next up? Well, hmmm...the next tiki travel month. Say, August? Fuckin' Ay!