Post #42385 by Kailuageoff on Thu, Jul 10, 2003 8:05 AM

On 2003-07-08 13:42, ikitnrev wrote:
...part of the charm of the Kahiki was that it was in a northern state - Ohio, and in the cold months of January and February, you might have had to drive through snow to reach the Kahiki. Walking in from a winter storm, to see the Polynesian decor and to savor the exotic drinks -- well, to me that represents so much of what attracts me to the tiki lifestyle - it is the retreat, for a few hours, into the myth of Polynesia...

Exactly, Vern. That's why places like the Honolulu Restaurant near DC is so charming, or the Alibi in Portland, or the Hale Kahiki near Chicago. They are like walking into a wardrobe and finding the kingdom of Narnia. (see C.S. Lewis)

On a certain level, I think all of the old tiki places are great and the grandness and scale of the Mai-Kai shouldn't diminish any of them for what they are. A good example is the overlooked Hawaiian Inn in Daytona Beach. Even though it is definitely low-brow compared to the Mai-Kai, or even a Trader Vics or Tonga Room, I think it probably comes closer to what the typical Florida tiki joint was offering 30 years ago -- Witco decor, luau buffet, tiki drinks and a hula show for the sun-burned set, and that's why I love it.

God bless tiki bars, everywhere!

Aloha from the Sunshine State!

[ Edited by: Kailuageoff on 2003-07-10 08:07 ]