Post #517806 by jpmartdog on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 4:30 PM

Oriental Gardens is the place that most affected my "Tiki-ism" in my life. I often went there each year with my family. My parents were both born in Haverhill and although we lived in Amesbury in the 60's we would often drive to Haverhill for sunday dinners. We would take grandmother "Memere" to oriental Garden on Mothers Day and occasional Sundays.

The ceiling was a very deep blue and had a number of can lights - The cans had a cover that shaped the resulting light into a star shape. At the dining table , I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting from the thatch roofs to the bamboo, to the tiki poles and up to the stars. We would often wait for a table in the Outrigger Lounge - which had an outrigger canoe hanging from the ceiling. As a little boy, I would take notice of the couples sitting at dueces in the dark corners, enjoying the wonderful exotic cocktails. I remember noticing the garnishes and of course the flames of the scorpion bowls. It seems I remember some velvete Leeteg style painting that added to the allure.

Mey earliest polynesian memories are happily from Oriental Gardens.