Tiki alive in New Orleans

What an amazing vacation I had in New Orleans. Tiki is alive and well.

Met an incredible Tattoo artist by the name of English Craig and checked out his shop http://www.freakytikitattoos.com that is amazing. Very talented guy and very nice. He will hopefully make it to this years Hukilau.

I scouted out the original location of the Huki Lau in Metarie, LA to find nothing. Also tried to find The Luau but came up with nothing as well.

I did score 6 original Huki Lau mugs from a Flea Market. The woman that sold them to me once worked there and told me great things about it. One of the former employees that saved much of the interior actually had an estate sale about 3 months ago, she said that I would've fallen over. Timing is everything. She now has my phone number and every other contact number I have to hopefully put me in contact with him. Wishful thinking.

Oddest thing of all - I was recognized twice from Hukilau 2002. Once walking down the street in the French Quarter by a shop owner and then at a bar while taking a picture the lovely Jeanne, Ms. Formikakini's friend, grabbed me and said hello.

Just wanted to share it with everyone!

*One of the former employees that saved much of the interior actually had an estate sale about 3 months ago, she said that I would've fallen over. Timing is everything. She now has my phone number and every other contact number I have to hopefully put me in contact with him. Wishful thinking.

Wow, that would have been something to see, huh? Another missed opportunity. Where was the flea market? Metarie?

We'll be in New Orleans at Christmas time, try to get there every year. One of my favorite places in the whole world, Napoleon House. Maybe this year we'll have better luck finding some Tiki.

Midnite's Tiki Flea Market

Mmmmm, Napolean House...I stayed next door to it my first visit in '96 and started every night out with a bowl of Jambalaya and a Pimm's Cup.

The flea market was on East Franklin Street. There were actually two next to each other.

I did get some great pics of architecture and signs as well. Including the Texas motel - the one that Jimmy Swaggart was caught with a prostitute!

Great!

Where is East Franklin St? Do you mean Franklin Ave?

The Huki Lau has been gone for some time. The original A-frame facade of the Bali Ha'i from Pontchartrain Beach, is at a park in Kenner.
Some other New Orleans really cool tiki/Polynesian that is gone forever:

The Outrigger Bar complete with decor as "Polynesian as a South Pacific Island" , Dan's Int'l which was on Bourbon St, as was Club Bali, there was also a place in the Fountainbleau Hotel on Tulane Ave which is now a rent-a-storage unit.

Did you go to the Carousel Lounge in the Monteleone Hotel?

"Oh, Oliver. Oliver, how could I have been so careless? I should have covered the entrance to the cave better. Those children are going to ruin everything. I've got to get rid of them." Professor Whitehead 10/6/72 Brady Bunch "Tiki Caves"

[ Edited by: suzywong on 2003-04-04 18:30 ]

The place at the Fountainbleau was the Bamboo Room, I believe, which was used to stage the Dorothy Lamour movies parody show "Lamoura of the Islands" shortly before closing.

P.S. The Napoleon House makes a great roast beef sandwich, and a decent muffaletta, too.

[ Edited by: purple jade on 2003-04-04 19:03 ]

I found a 1967 ad for:
"The Hawaiian Luau" Polynesian Restaurant and Lounge in the Fountainbleau Motor Hotel.
Is that the "Luau" you were refering to?

Wow, my memory is really shot...
Suzy, where did you see that ad for the Luau in the Fountainbleau? I don't remember it AT ALL. And I spent a lot of time at the Bayou Dinner Theatre, you'd think I'd have seen some of the remains in the stackrooms. I seem to remember there was a Pineapple Room upstairs at the hotel. But I'm straining to get an image of any Polynesian vestiges around there, except for the scruffy bamboo canopy in front of the Bamboo Room.

Purple Jade,
The ad was in an advertising brochure from the summer of 1967.

I did go to the Carousel Lounge. It's one of my favorite places in the world. A friend that I met through the Exotica list actually took Swanky and I there when we were there for Teaseorama. The bartender there always takes care of us!

I actually found out about The Luau on ebay. There was a beautiful menu from there for bid a couple of weeks ago and I wrote down the address and searched for it. Nothing. I don't have it with me here at work but I believe it's on Airline Highway?

And yes, it's was Franklin Ave.

Oh, I forgot the Rock N' Bowl was awesome!! A true vintage bowling alley complete with the pink interior!! I saw a picture of Joe Clay on the wall!! A friend of mine is a dancer in the Sophisticats and they played there a couple of weeks ago to a packed crowd.

Tiki Kiliki,
The only Luau I can think of as I mentioned above was the Hawaiian Luau in the Fountainbleu Hotel. Check your menu, I'd be interested to know.

Did you go to the Shim Sham Club? The have a burlesque show (focusing on New Orleans Burlesque every Sunday) GQ just voted it one of the top ten best clubs to fly to.

The Carousel is so cool! Postcards of it come up on eBay, it was always so different! I believe it used to be at the top of the hotel many years ago.

Sounds like you had a great time!

I plan to go at least once a year. I have a great time every time I'm there. Do you know Mimi Kersting?

We'll have to get together next time I'm there!

Are you coming to Hukilau?

These guys are cool, right? OK...

Now for the bad news...

I don't recall what this place was in it's day but it has been seriously shat upon since then.

WOW!

Checklist:
Ninja suit
Flashlight
Pry bar
Cordless Drill
Rope
Extension Ladder
Lookout person

Tiki Kiliki,
Yes, I have met Mimi on a few occasions.....
(Very nice).....Did you go to Tease-o-rama in N.O?
Sounds like you had a great time and found some neat items...

purple jade,
Yes, That is bar/rest with the tiki totems (so to speak) I mentioned last week in another post.

Suzy~
Musn't have seen that post...
I've been watching this place slowly go to crap for the last few years, and hoping the tikis don't disappear. I haven't been inside to see if there's anything remaining in there because now it just looks too skanky. I think Saia's Steakhouse was in there before they moved across the street to the old Crash Landing building (remember that place?), so I'm assuming they'd have obliterated any tiki traces.

I work with some People that just left the big N.O. about 7 or 8 months ago in the wake of Northrup-Grummen taking over Avondale Shipyard and the're familiar with the tatoo parlour of which you speak. It's pretty close to the airport and a good place to drop in on the way out of town(depending on your state of mind).