Tiki Central / Locating Tiki / Naked Tiki, Miami Beach, FL (bar)
Post #763566 by Hurricane Hayward on Mon, May 9, 2016 7:53 PM
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Mon, May 9, 2016 7:53 PM
From The Week in Tiki on The Atomic Grog ... Celebrity chef Ralph Pagano’s ambitious Naked Tiki restaurant and bar in Miami Beach closed suddenly and without notice in early April, just two months after opening to much fanfare in the historic Stiles Hotel on Collins Avenue. While the restaurant remains listed on the hotel’s website, visitors arriving during the Miami Rum Festival in mid-April were greeted by a deserted venue with all the decor packed up in boxes. They were told that a Latin concept is slated to replace the Tiki bar and restaurant, though it’s possible the tropical-themed pool bar may remain. The restaurant website and Facebook page have not been updated, and Pagano has issued no statement regarding the latest of his “Naked” concepts, which also includes the more successful Naked Taco and Naked Lunch. While Pagano’s food at Naked Tiki was outstanding, the sprawling layout of the hotel and disjointed bar and dining areas may have worked to his detriment. This left many tables to fill in a competitive restaurant scene unaccustomed to retro-themed Polynesian-style cooking. The most successful new Tiki bars and restaurants opening across the country over the past several years have typically been tucked into compact spaces with overhead kept to a minimum. Even in trendy South Beach, this is an economic fact of life that should not be ignored. |