R.I. P. The Reef Bar & Welcome Tropics Restaurant/Congo Room Bar!

I was at The Tropics in February and took a bunch of progress pics which I will finally upload here.

I couldn't do it til now as I've been travelling out of state (Austin, Texas -- beautiful city but only one so-called "Tiki Bar", 'Headhunters', to which I advise one and all to give a particualarly wide berth, unless you like partying hardy with Hells Angels. I spent one minute there and promptly left. Eeeek!). But before I have to jet off once again (Indianapolis this time, followed by Philly), I'll attempt to get as many of them up here as I can!

Sorry for the delay, but at least things are looking promising (for one thing, that motorcycle mural seems to have been ditched), though a bit sparser than what I had expected to see by that stage.

And if anyone else has even more recent pics, please post 'em here for all the Ohana to see!

Okay -- here are some of my recent (as of mid-February) progress pics of the Caliente Tropics renovation...

First -- the Congo Room Bar:

(No real changes outside, as yet, which is no bad thing, IMO!)

Now for the INSIDE:

And here's what was happening with The Tropics restaurant -- a bit more of a question-mark, at least on the day I was there:

The stage is obviously set here for a MCM influence, though, as yet, I didn't see much pf a Witco or tiki vibe in evidence.

And I wonder what's in store for THIS back room space...

And I wonder what happened to THESE...

(Pics borrowed from someone else's post)

And then (also borrowed), the interior entrance to the Congo Room Bar...

Followed by my own less comprehensive view of same...

And I can no longer recall just where or what this is, but it's cool nonetheless...

And pardon my lack of working flash for these murky views of one of the restrooms...

Again, something of a MCM influence -- at least re. the lighting fixtures.

And then some wallpaper samples and promising logo designs...

And, last but not least, an always encouraging sign -- lots of matting and thatch, along with a bit of bamboo, ready to go up!

Well, that's it for now. Can't WAIT to see what things look like this summer!

Based on what I've seen so far, I'm wavering between cautiously optimistic and excited.

But, ya gotta admit, whatever the final result of this re-do, it's gonna be a heckuva lot better than the once dire prognosis for these spaces that existed a year or so ago. So here's to the glorious Caliente Resort for embracing it's vital heritage rather than chucking it out in favor of (horrors!) generic "progress"!

Cheers! :drink: :tiki:

I am happy to say, that I do believe that the Bar is now open. I myself have not confirmed it, but I will be stopping by later tonight or tomorrow to see whats goin on over there!

I spent several delightful days and nights at the Tropics at the end of May, but was unfortunately unable to attend Tiki Caliente II due to a nasty virus I caught from my Mom while visiting her at her Palm Springs home. So I spent that time back in My West L.A. digs recuperating and coughing my lungs out! (Fun!)

However, now that I'm mostly recovered (as is my Mom, thank goodness), I decided to upload a bunch of pics I took during my stay at the still classic Caliente Tropics Resort.

And I have to say I had SUCH a blast getting to know John (the talented architect/owner of the bar/restaurant) and Tony (co-owner with John)-- both stand-up guys when they aren't falling down drunk (only kiddin')!

And i wish I had pics to show of THEM, but though they are both warm and generous hosts, they are elusive camera subjects! Every time I tried to snap a pic of John he -- being an accomplished photographer -- seized the opportunity to turn the bar-tables on me and say "Here -- lemme take YOUR picture!"

And so he did...

And now a whole slew o pics without me in 'em...

And now as a prime entry in the "Hiding your tiki under a bushel" dept., take a look at this...

And a number of months earlier...

Ahh... what do we see peeking through the undergrowth? Could it be...?

Yes, by the Gods! It's a prime classic vintage Leroy Schmaltz tiki hidden away from admiring eyes and left all by its lonesome! Well, when I pointed this out to John he seemed quite determined to have some judicious pruning done so that this long time denizen of the Tropics Resort can once again join its brethren!

And now for more evidence of John's industry, talent, and handiwork...

Love that nifty combo of Witco and lime green!

And check out the Bosko over the booth...

I saw on another Caliente-related post, that Crazy Al was wondering what had become of his tiki which used to reside in the Reef Bar...

Well, here it is in its new and more prominent place as the official greeter of the Tropics Restaurant!

And here's the coolamundo bar hidden away in the secret lava-rock room way in the back of the restaurant behind a sliding door...

And ya just gotta love those swingin' (literally) Moai bar doors, dontcha?

John pointed out to me that the angles of this interior A-frame exactly mirror those of the classic "Reef Bar" A-frame entrance just outside (which John blessedly and wisely decided to retain for his new establishment.)

And see all them nifty niches chock full o tiki mugs?...

Well, they actually light up individually, which I caught a lovely glimpse of one night when I didn't have my camera handy. But they should be glowing every night the bar is open for business from now on! So go take a look for yourselves! And have a drink or two (or three) while you're at it!

And here's Yours Truly after a night of John and Tony's hospitality...

Man, those dudes know how to PARTY! (I suspect they may be Menehunes in human form!)

Well, John implored me to stay just a wee bit longer to await (and document) the arrival of a 300 pound pig! But the night was waning -- as was what little was left of my stamina -- and so I took a pass on the imminent arrival of the mighty porker and made my weary way to Room 209...

...waving a fond "Aloha" to the beloved Reef A-frame as I went!

And 'til next time...

Cheers & Mahalo! :drink: :tiki:

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2010-06-07 02:19 ]

Went by the Caliente Tropics today and found out the restaurant has been closed for a month!

The person at the front desk said a potential new owner was coming by to see the space that day. It basically looked like the circa-February pics that KreepyTiki posted.

There were many things wrong with the overall concept.

Worse, the drinks were lacking in so many ways. It's a shame. This is were I live and I would love to have seen a place that could keep me from driving to LA.

On 2010-10-03 22:18, MauiRose wrote:
Went by the Caliente Tropics today and found out the restaurant has been closed for a month!

Didn't they just open in June? that was quick...
I remember the night before they opened the owners were getting real drunk in there. Some buddy guy shows up and a couple hours later it breaks out into a fistfight between them all. Broken glass, yelling, repeated punches to the face. I remember last seeing the owner guys dragging the buddy guy off into the street out front. We asked about the fight the next day and they brushed it off as a "misunderstanding." the next morning, the new waitress shows up for her first day of work at her new job and finds the boss passed out in a booth in the restaurant...
They burned out fast, but they sure burned bright!

Buzzy Out!

...I wonder who gets the big Moto Bike Vynil Mural on the wall??

THAT was the coolest thing in there!

Wow. Most unfortunate. I really wanted the Tropics bar and restaurant to succeed and bring new life into the whole compound, to help it remain intact. I spent a lot of time conveying concepts and ideas, of which precious few were applied directly. But besides the esthetics of the decor, there are so many factors in the restaurant business that have to be considered to make a place successful, and that were not taken seriously here, it seems. Damn shame. Sigh.

It will get picked up by someone. They took everything out to the bare bottom deco wise including the Crazy Al tiki but left the motorcycle mural I heard they were mailing that off to Bamboo Ben :D

On 2010-10-04 21:56, RevBambooBen wrote:
...I wonder who gets the big Moto Bike Vynil Mural on the wall??

THAT was the coolest thing in there!

If you say so.
:o

Jeff(btd)

It is very sad that they closed. I had such high hopes for them. I myself have heard a whirlwind of stories about the place, and reasons why they may have closed. One, is I heard that they kept butting heads with the hotel owner (no surprise there, really) and another was that they just conducted very bad business with the employees. Apparently the chef that was hired, didn't get paid for like 3-5 weeks, and when he confronted them about it, they had him removed from the property. When he came back, they fired him. Now, I don't know if any of that is true, but again, I wouldn't be surprised. And then there was the fact that they were serving AND charging for alcohol with out a liquor license. But by everything else I've heard as well, I'm not surprised that they closed. I am hoping that someone with the right heart will buy the place and re-open it anew.

On 2010-10-05 20:07, bigtikidude wrote:

On 2010-10-04 21:56, RevBambooBen wrote:
...I wonder who gets the big Moto Bike Vynil Mural on the wall??

THAT was the coolest thing in there!

If you say so.
:o

Jeff(btd)

See, the motorcycle mural just says it all.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised either, considering the VERY haphazard and nonchalant way the place was being run. I mean, even after it had officially opened it never FELT as though it had opened. It was more as though they were PLAYING at having a restaurant/bar.

It seemed as though if you walked in and sat down at one of the booths, you'd kind of have to let whoever was there know in advance that you were actually there as an honest-to-goodness CUSTOMER so that they could actually assume their roles of waitress, chef, etc. Otherwise no one would probably have taken any notice as the place was usually empty as a tomb.

Speaking of which, I just went by there tonight and looked into the windows and almost all of the decor and furnishings are now gone. And when I inquired at the lobby desk I was told that the place is yet again up for sale, at which point they asked if I was interested in buying it! (I can only assume they were joking.)

And they indeed never did get a liquor license -- the sign is still there on the back door to the bar saying "No liquor past this point" -- so what was actually the point, then, of the Congo tiki bar/lounge?

Well, it's all very sad. And I can only hope that someone with the RIGHT kind of vision and with the know-how and plan to make a success out of that place in a way that truly does justice to the colorful history of the Caliente Resort snaps it up before someone else converts it into some totally non-tiki horror! (And PLEASE bring in someone with a knowledge and talent for proper mixology to stock the bar and plan the drinks menu!)

they need to turn it into a Cabo Wabo!

On 2010-12-17 07:05, RevBambooBen wrote:
they need to turn it into a Cabo Wabo!

Or a Margaritaville!

trader vics las vegas! :wink: