"CHOW 'n GROG" Pischoff sign - where IS it from?? Tiki Bob's!

I picked up this sign yesterday from Craigslist - the seller says it used to hang at the now defunct Trader Vic's at 20 Cosmo Place in San Francisco.

The story seems believable to me, but I was wondering if anybody has a picture to prove this (I couldn't see it in any pics in the locating tiki thread for 20 Cosmo: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30113&forum=2&hilite=20%20cosmo)

Signed "Pischoff" - which I found out is a defunct SF sign company

It appears to have been attached with metal bolts which were cut off:

It's not in perfect condition, but I don't care :) - I see paint drips in white and red (couldn't they have coveried it??)

The seller told me his family owned the 20 Cosmo Place building when TV's was a tennant. Apparently when TV's closed, some items were left behind - everything was auctioned off except for this sign. His father passed it on to him, and it has been in dry storage ever since. He told me he's been trying to sell it for a while, and almost sold it to Jimmy Buffett's new restaurant in Waikiki (yikes!! :D)

Adam (the seller) told me he remembers the sign hanging in an alley facing the parking lot(?) He said it was very difficult to remove, partially due to the fact that it had lots of lava rock surrounding it.

Anyway, I hope this is the real deal, but I like it either way. It was a fair price too (I believe).
Any info or pics about this sign are greatly appreciated!

Trad'r Bill

UPDATE - This sign is not from TV Cosmo PL - read my later post on this page
UPDATE - See page two - Sabu noted the connection to a Tiki Bob's menu

[ Edited by: Trad'r Bill 2009-08-19 17:06 ]

[ Edited by: Trad'r Bill 2010-06-15 21:50 ]

[ Edited by: Trad'r Bill 2011-05-05 17:06 ]

Looks very cool! If there's a picture of it in place, someone will come up with it. "Chow 'n Grog"... does that phrase appear on other Don's materials?

On 2009-08-16 03:05, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Looks very cool! If there's a picture of it in place, someone will come up with it. "Chow 'n Grog"... does that phrase appear on other Don's materials?

Bongo Bungalow-

Yep, I know I've heard Trader Vic use the phrase "chow n' grog" somewhere before... maybe it was in one of his books. I think he actually coined the phrase, but I will need to investigate more to prove this. :)

In Ooga Mooga they show a Tiki Bob's Chow and Grog mug...supposedly an early version. Just a thought as the sign came from a San Francisco Company. ??? OGR?

....and on a matchbook from Cherry Capri's collection on Critiki

Both Tiki Bobs and Trader Vics used that slogan on their menus and mugs.
I will look thru my menus and post.

Thanks OGR - forgot about Tiki Bob's using this too...

'61surf - can't wait to see what you can find!

Man...the ATL Craigslist only has "bad" ads for rusted out BBQ grills and "free" landscape stuff as long as you dig it up yourself....Super cool...nice!!!!

Don't feel bad tikisobayli - I had to wade through thousands of decaying tiki torches and party store tiki to find this sign on the SF craigslist... just gotta keep looking!

Well, I found some info... the sign is not from Trader Vic's 20 Cosmo:

From our friend, Kier - the TV Warehouse girl:

"Thanks for the Email.
Funny about the sign, I saw that on craigslist last week!
I have checked with all of the family members and they have confirmed that this piece is not from Cosmo Place.
Sorry to disappoint, but I do think it is a very cool sign and certainly is from the time period of the Trader and Don the Beachcomber.
Now you will have to keep researching and see if you can find out where it really is from!!!"

Kinda a bummer, but I still really like the sign. (I would have bought it anyway, even if I had known this info).
Anyway - my hunt is on to determine where this is really from! (Tiki Bob's??)

Trad'r Bill

Hello,
Does the current owner of this sign still have it?
This was created by my grandfather Darrell Pischoff.
We are trying to find some of his old pieces he created while owning
the shop in San Francisco.
Please let me know if it is still in your possession.
Thank you very much.

OMG - I just read this - YES I still have the sign! sending PM right now!!

[ Edited by: Trad'r Bill 2010-06-13 16:11 ]

You know, Tiki Bob's used the "Chow'n'Grog" concept, too....
Keep us informed!

hey bigbro-

yeah, I just recently bagged my Tiki Bob "Chow 'n Grog" mug on eBay... seems like the sign could possibly be from one of the Tiki Bob's incarnations... just a guess at this point. I'm patiently awaiting a response from anahata1!

Trad'r Bill

[ Edited by: trad'r bill 2010-06-14 09:52 ]

Ok, so I made contact with anahata1 (wu!) - she doesn't have info herself about the sign, but tells me her Mom/Aunts/Uncles all went to see their father's signs at various restaurants. Very promising lead! We are arranging a time she can stop by and see the sign - our quests have merged, so we are both very excited... I'm collecting pictures of old Bay Area tiki joints so she can show her family. Who knows, maybe this sign ain't even "tiki" at all, but it's a place to start... and I can dream :D

If anyone has any informed guesses of where this sign may have lived, please share so I can pass it along to anahata1's family...

Here's my list:
Tiki Bob's
Skipper Kent's
Zombie Village
Trader Vic's Cosmo Place or Oakland (Probably not, but I may as well ask)
Trad'r Sam's (longshot)

Thanks!
Trad'r Bill

Good luck with your quest Trader Bill .I would want to know as well .
I look forward to future info about this sign.

Maybe?

(bad scan from Book of Tiki pg. 48)

-Trad'r Bill

[ Edited by: Trad'r Bill 2010-06-15 22:52 ]

anahata1 and I should be meeting up in the next week or so... can't wait to see what info she can gather!

Trad'r Bill

Cant wait .

Maybe it's from Skipper Kent's??

Id still like to think it from here .

Pic of my early Tiki Bob's menu

Little update on my quest...

I've been in touch with the Pischoff family regarding the lineage of the sign - Mr. Pischoff's daughter confirmed that her father worked extensively with Trader Vic on his signs. She also specifically remembers my sign! I'm waiting to hear back if she can confirm this sign was actually at one of Vic's locations... and which one. Looks like the original seller of the sign may have been on the money when he said it was from Vic's?

The Bergeron clan has already stated that they believe this is not from Trader Vic's, but it's always possible that background info like this gets overlooked/forgotten.

Trad'r Bill

I'm more inclined to believe this sign came from Tiki Bob's now that I've seen the lettering on a new menu that just got posted on the Tiki Bob's location thread:

Agreed Sabu - this mystery is solved in my mind! Thanks for posting this connection.

Trad'r Bill