Mai Kai, Fort Lauderdale, FL (restaurant) - Locating Tiki

T TikiTomD Grand Member (6 years) Flagler Beach, FL Joined: Sep 20, 2009 Posts: 700	T TikiTomD Posted posted on Tue, Jun 14, 2011 1:10 PM Hukilau 2011 at the Mai-Kai Part 1 of 4 To again experience the Mai-Kai is a delight that cannot be conveyed in mere words and photos, though that is all I can now offer of our Hukilau 2011 visit... Arriving early for Saturday’s Beachbum Berry Rumposium, we wandered around the perimeter a bit. South of the entry driveway along N. Federal Highway (US Hwy 1)... On the north side of the entry driveway along the highway is this Mai-Kai building apparently used for storage... The entry doors to the restaurant... Patricia, my wife, on the left and Christina (metikigal) on the right... Somewhat after the 2 pm scheduled starting time, the Rumposium began. Here are the featured rum experts and their host re-enacting a debate in the British House of Commons to abolish the daily rum ration for sailors in the Royal Navy; left to right are Wayne Curtis, Martin Cate, Ian Burrell, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry wearing a wig, and Stephen Remsberg... Martin Cate’s presentation concluded with a call to join the “Legion of Rum” (leadership pictured here) as part of a Rum Revolution to recognize that “rum is the greatest spirit in the world,” “to defend the honor of rum” and “to fight for rum” (see http://rumrevolution.net)... Here is our Hukilau organizer Christie (tiki_kiliki) taking up the call to arms, rum beverage in hand... While the Rumposium was getting organized, the Mai-Kai staff opened up beverage and appetizer service early for the participants. My wife and I each ordered strong drinks, me a Black Magic and she a Zombie. That was perhaps not the best of ideas, as numerous rum cocktail samples were offered throughout the presentations, including a high octane rum punch at the end. However, the Mai-Kai’s excellent PuPu Platter helped stave off the fog of excess for a while. The Black Magic was a huge drink and very high on the tipsy scale. It was also complex and nuanced, and, based on the description and acclaim of others, I expected this to be an instant favorite. But, like JOHN-O (see http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37580&forum=1&vpost=593528), I found that it didn’t quite work for my palate. The wife and I both really liked her Zombie, though. I’ve yet to try many of the cocktails on the Mai-Kai’s extensive tropical drink menu, so I’m not qualified to enumerate favorites. We were seated with... Randy and Bessie from Kansas City Peter and Jeff from California, I think Jeff from Eugene, Oregon David and Donna Christina (metikigal) and Bill from Brevard County, Florida Sue and Patrick To be continued... -Tom [ Edited by: TikiTomD 2011-06-16 12:50 ]

Hukilau 2011 at the Mai-Kai Part 1 of 4

To again experience the Mai-Kai is a delight that cannot be conveyed in mere words and photos, though that is all I can now offer of our Hukilau 2011 visit...

Arriving early for Saturday’s Beachbum Berry Rumposium, we wandered around the perimeter a bit.

South of the entry driveway along N. Federal Highway (US Hwy 1)...

On the north side of the entry driveway along the highway is this Mai-Kai building apparently used for storage...

The entry doors to the restaurant...

Patricia, my wife, on the left and Christina (metikigal) on the right...

Somewhat after the 2 pm scheduled starting time, the Rumposium began. Here are the featured rum experts and their host re-enacting a debate in the British House of Commons to abolish the daily rum ration for sailors in the Royal Navy; left to right are Wayne Curtis, Martin Cate, Ian Burrell, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry wearing a wig, and Stephen Remsberg...

Martin Cate’s presentation concluded with a call to join the “Legion of Rum” (leadership pictured here) as part of a Rum Revolution to recognize that “rum is the greatest spirit in the world,” “to defend the honor of rum” and “to fight for rum” (see http://rumrevolution.net)...

Here is our Hukilau organizer Christie (tiki_kiliki) taking up the call to arms, rum beverage in hand...

While the Rumposium was getting organized, the Mai-Kai staff opened up beverage and appetizer service early for the participants. My wife and I each ordered strong drinks, me a Black Magic and she a Zombie. That was perhaps not the best of ideas, as numerous rum cocktail samples were offered throughout the presentations, including a high octane rum punch at the end. However, the Mai-Kai’s excellent PuPu Platter helped stave off the fog of excess for a while. The Black Magic was a huge drink and very high on the tipsy scale. It was also complex and nuanced, and, based on the description and acclaim of others, I expected this to be an instant favorite. But, like JOHN-O (see http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37580&forum=1&vpost=593528), I found that it didn’t quite work for my palate. The wife and I both really liked her Zombie, though. I’ve yet to try many of the cocktails on the Mai-Kai’s extensive tropical drink menu, so I’m not qualified to enumerate favorites. We were seated with...

Randy and Bessie from Kansas City

Peter and Jeff from California, I think

Jeff from Eugene, Oregon

David and Donna

Christina (metikigal) and Bill from Brevard County, Florida

Sue and Patrick

To be continued...

-Tom

[ Edited by: TikiTomD 2011-06-16 12:50 ]

Post #593638 by TikiTomD on Tue, Jun 14, 2011 1:10 PM