Post #535615 by woofmutt on Fri, Jun 11, 2010 12:56 PM

(As posted originally in Portland Kon Tiki and other defunct Portland tiki bars)

From the 1957 restaurant guide book Be My Guest In The Pacific Northwest by Bill Spiedel. Jr.

*We in the Pacific Northwest have practically adopted the Hawaiian Islands as our own. Both the convenient overnight flights and the luxurious five-day cruise lure thousands of vacationers.

It is not surprising then to find the handsome Aloha Room, in the Heathman Hotel, filled with smartly dressed Portlanders- many of them leaving for or arriving from "The Islands" and celebrating the occasion in the sophisticated Polynesian-Hawaiian atmosphere of the Aloha Room.

The room is bedecked with articles representing the best of South Seas culture, which were acquired by Mr Heathman in his travels for use in the room and for sale in the adjoining gift shop.

Decor centers around a full-length mural, in resplendent tropical tones, depicting the arrival of King Kamehameha at a festival of the sea- "The Hukilau". The beautiful flower lei is seen everywhere as it is the age-old symbol of "Aloha".

General impression of the room is aquamarine with the dominating mural on your left as you enter, and a multicolored sheen of water cascading into a miniature tropical garden behind the bar.

As you become accustomed to the subdued lighting you commence to notice some of the finer details such as gracious, friendly waitresses dressed in sarongs- black, translucent tabletops inlaid with gold ferns and shells- hurricane lamps on carved wooden bases- brilliant red Anthirium and Ginger, flown in each week from the Islands, together with Vanda orchids which are presented to the ladies.

I do not wish to create the impression that the room is laden with bric-a-brac from the South Seas. What might be thought of as souvenir items are found across the hall in the Lanai Room- a combination gift shop and cocktail lounge. In the Aloha Room itself the South Seas atmosphere is deftly achieved by using accessories of museum-like quality.

The Aloha Room is very popular for after-theater and after-symphony parties- Portlanders are enthusiastic theater and symphony patrons.

Exotic South Seas cocktails, served in equally exotic containers, are one of the many enjoyable features. The menu offers a selection of curried, Hawaiian and Polynesian dishes which are served on trays of carved monkey-pod wood, surrounded by condiments and kept hot at the table. Another favorite is the Hawaiian Fruit Salad, served in a fresh pineapple hollowed out in the shape of a canoe.

Many guests have developed an avid taste for these featured Hawaiian and South Seas dishes. However, for those who prefer less exotic fare, the menu includes delicious entrees of a more familiar nature.

All in all, the Aloha Room is delightfully conductive to adventures in dining...and if you can't get away to Hawaii at the moment this can be a pleasant substitute.*

The Heathman Hotel is alive and going strong (tres swank) and according to the friendly concierge I once spoke with they have absolutely no history of the hotel on hand. We can only hope the bits and pieces of the Aloha Room wound up in numerous Rose City basement bars and rec rooms.

PS: Be My Guest In The Pacific Northwest is a great book for anyone interested in NW restaurant history or restaurants of the late 50's. Bill Speidel's writing is so detailed it's pretty much the next best thing to having gone there. "Guest" is a companion book to Speidel's 1955 "You Can't Eat Mount Rainier!" (and later "You Still Can't Eat...") which featured recipes from NW area restaurants. Both books have great line drawing illustrations by Bob Cram. Some of the drink recipes made it into Beachbum Berry's "Intoxica" as did a few of Bob Cram's illustrations (uncredited, I think).