Blowfish Bar – Flagler Beach, FL

Mahalo for your visits and kind feedback, Wendy, Marlene, Jesse and hang10tiki.

Yesterday afternoon, husband and wife Tiki aficionados TikiHardBop (George Jenkins) and TornadoTiki (Chris Kridler) visited the Blowfish Bar, to our absolute delight. They had just come from the nearby Flagler County Library at Palm Coast, where Chris had given a presentation on her storm chasing experiences and talked about her new book, Funnel Vision.

After plying them with rum cocktails, they regaled us with their New Orleans adventures at Tales of the Cocktail. George recently posted web links on Tiki Central to news stories and video clips of the event reported by Chris on behalf of the The Times-Picayune.

Our rum cocktails were simplified Zombies prepared to the recipe on page 169 of Beachbum Berry’s Remixed, except we doubled the specified amount of the dark Jamaican rum. We used B.G. Reynolds’ Don’s Mix, Myers’s Original Dark Rum, Cruzan 151 Proof Aged Rum (no local availability of Lemon Hart 151), fresh limes and fresh mint sprigs. Our featured appetizer was Shrimp Avocado Salsa, served with tortilla chips. Our “happy factor” climbed right to the top of the meter after a few cocktails...

-Tom

We both had a really great time and are really looking forward to the next opportunity to visit the bar, hopefully without the tropical disturbance!

The local news posted the following article after TornadoTiki’s (Chris Kridler’s) presentation last weekend at the Palm Coast library...

Palm Coast Observer August 8, 2012

Tikification of the Blowfish Bar’s new head continues with the addition of “Tangaroa and the Sea” by zerostreet (Robert Jimenez)...

I expect that Nick Camara is grateful I didn’t submit an entry in response to the “Do you read your Tiki Magazine in interesting places” column...

Florida’s tropical weather season is in full swing right now. After a late afternoon thunderstorm yesterday, we were able enjoy our sundowners while gazing at a rainbow on the oceanfront deck outside the Blowfish Bar...

-Tom

Lookin good Tom
We need to sign up for a tour on our next Fl trip
Keep up the fun

Jon

Hey Tom! Thanks for posting the pic, including the remodeling ones! Lots of fun to look at! And I gotta say that Shrimp Avocado Salad sounds awesome! :D

Fun to read about the awesome guests at your lounge. Storm chasing is certainly not for the average Joe...what an interesting career. The art looks great in the new bathroom.

Jon, please do add us to your next Florida tour. The bar is open on your arrival.

Robert and Marlene, appreciate your visits and comments.

The Blowfish Bar celebrates the arrival of two new mugs from the Land Down Under. These are the creations of Melbourne, Australia artist Robbie Toth (Swizzle). They are variations of his “General Ra Ra” line of mugs, named for a military character...

When I asked Robbie on how he came to name the mugs, he related the story...

General Ra Ra is a drunken story. I was out with a friend at a bar, where I knew the bartender, and I ask him if they had any DEMERARA rum, and he said 'What? General Ra Ra', so naturally we all had a good laugh and that's where it comes from. If/when I make some more mugs they will have military names, the next one will be called Corporal Punishment because I like having shots of a particular OP rum and making friends have it without telling them.

It pains me to no end to report that Ben Charred/Chard, the Blowfish Bar yard Tiki carved by Ramay “Keylo” Lewis, has been heisted. Sadly, Ben, we only knew you for a short time. You always had that beautiful smile...

-Tom

Man, that is soo wrong! Bad, bad mana!

That's unfortunate! Hope the thieves get theirs & that you guys recoup in tiki at least ten fold!

NOOO!! Very sorry to hear that Tom.

It's a huge drag about the stolen Tiki, but, as always, thanks for giving us a look at all the work that goes into your beautiful home.

I hope that tiki comes to life and bites the thieves in the butt. Great stuff, thanks for the peak into the further progress. :)

Sorry to hear of the theft Tom! The new mugs are very cool though!

It is so sad that people steal. We have had so many parties/crawls at our home without ever an incident. It wasn't a real tiki collector that took it just an opportunist. So Sorry ): Wendy

Great job on the space! Well done! Looking forward to seeing you booth soon!
Alfie
"dean Martin"

Great job on the bar space! Well done! Looking forward to seeing you both again sometime soon!
Alfie
"Dean Martin"

[ Edited by: Alfie the Moai 2012-09-16 10:20 ]

I'm sad to hear about the theft of your beautiful tiki! I hope they get what's coming to them in form of bad karma. Loved seeing your newest updates as well as your very happy visitors!

I'm so sorry to hear of your yard tiki loss. It has to be people who do not understand what a family we all are and that the tiki was special. I hope they can't sleep at night.

I love your new zerostreet, you'll have to get his matching mug. Cheers, Wendy

Mahalo to all for expressing your sentiments on the loss of Ben Charred Tiki. I’m convinced there will be appropriate payback in life for the perpetrators. But it’s time to move on in our own life…

Alfie, delighted you dropped in. I look forward to our next soiree at Vintage 56, where we may once again enjoy your most excellent crooning.

Wendy, I agree. I’m going to have to acquire a matching Fisherman’s God Tiki mug when Robert has declared it ready for prime time.

I was grateful when Bamboo Ben agreed to go through the hassle of shipping one of his Tapa Cloth Outrigger Canoes across the country. It arrived perfectly intact, given that it was encased in enough Styrofoam packing peanuts to ship Ben himself. I now have a Tapa Cloth Canoe hanging above my desk, where in the words of the master, it lends a “nice Tiki Tiki feel”…

The modern sport of outrigger canoeing involves one of my favorite Hawaiian historical figures and athletes, Duke Kahanamoku. In 1917, he joined the Outrigger Canoe Club in Waikiki Beach, an organization initially established in 1908 as “a place where man may commune with sun and sand and sea, where good fellowship and aloha prevail and where the sports of old Hawaii shall always have a home.” Duke remained actively involved with the club until his death in 1968. The club still exists today and its story is told here.

Here is Duke Kahanamoku with Babe Ruth in front of an outrigger canoe on Waikiki Beach in October of 1933…

In one of history’s odd connections, the birth of beach volleyball occurred at the Outrigger Canoe Club. According to this web site, Duke Kahanamoku, “because of his exceptional athleticism, was the first to make beach volleyball a rugged sports activity rather than a leisurely way to pass the time away on the beach. Duke would jump to unmatched levels and spike the ball down at extraordinary angles. The Duke also made sure that the volleyball nets, at the Beach Club, were always properly taut. He is also credited to be the first to "spike" the corners of the rope lines on the Santa Monica courts.”

-Tom

Hi Tom, did the horrific storm miss Florida? The zerostreet mug has been bisque fired the day is close. Wendy

Sad about your yard tiki, sorry,
They will get bad luck 10 fold.
Great pic of duke and the babe.
Hope you and yours are ok with the storm.

Jon

Aloha Wendy and Jon!

We in Florida were very fortunate, having been subjected only to tropical storm force winds along the coast, accompanied by sporadic power outages and some minor beach erosion. Last Sunday, surfers (my son included) were getting some really great rides in the whitewater along Flagler Beach, courtesy of Sandy. Having lived through a number of hurricanes along the coast in my lifetime, the worst of which was Hurricane Donna in 1960, I can fathom the misery of the folks in the Northeast. A number of them will be in dire straights for some time to come. They'll need all the help they can get to recover. Here's what Sandy looked like from space as it passed Florida...

Wendy, thanks for the heads up on the progress of Robert's (zerostreet's) Fisherman's God mug. I'll need to pay it some attention so I get my order in before the mold gives out...

-Tom

You are welcome. What a photo. I'm on my way to the Red Cross web page to make a donation.

I'll look forward to your wall art and the mug being in the same picture. Wendy

Acquired a really colorful new Tiki mug for the Blowfish Bar through Jeff Central (Jeff Chenault), a Tiki Diablo (Danny Gallardo) hand painted creation inspired by the Trader Vic’s logo called “Tambu”...

My sister-in-law found this vintage Mai-Kai Tiki mug at a local garage sale...

It has no sticker or engraving, but others like it on the Ooga-Mooga web site are sourced to the Otagiri Mercantile Company (OMC) in Japan, as evidenced by foil stickers on the mug bottom. Oooga-Mooga notes that this mug was used to serve the Mara Amu drink.

The Mai-Kai web site provides the recipe for this drink: "For a real classic, try the MARA AMU drink; Tahitian for 'when the wind blows'. This is the rum punch the islanders drink when they know they'll be in port for 2-3 days."

**Mai-Kai Mara Amu

¾ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
¾ oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
¾ oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
¾ oz. passion fruit syrup
½ oz. light rum
½ oz. gold anejo rum
½ oz. dark rum

Combine all ingredients into a blender, add 2 cups ice, and process until smooth. Serves 2. For non-alcoholic, substitute club soda for rum.**

Hurricane Hayward writes about the history of this cocktail and rates it on The Atomic Grog web site.

A little shifting around is necessary to fit the new mugs into the shelf space atop the bar...

-Tom

Great additions to your collection. Looking fabulous as always, it is fun to see your updates.

Marlene, mahalo for your visit. Delighted to hear from you!

The Blowfish Bar just received a surprise package from my Mt. Juliet, Tennessee cousin... an Omni Hut 50th Anniversary Tiki Mug by Tiki Farm...

Here’s the card accompanying the mug...

It’s getting a bit difficult to find space for new mugs in the shelves above the bar...

My cousin, Bob, and his wife celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary at the Omni Hut in Smyrna, Tennessee several weeks ago. He noticed that they were serving drinks in this mug (it remains BYOB) and found they still had a few for sale, so he purchased one for himself and one for me.

Bob has been going to the Omni Hut for decades. During his recent visit, he learned that Jim Walls, the founder, passed away at 92 years of age in March 2012. The restaurant remains in the capable charge of Wall’s daughter, Polly. Here’s a November 2011 online restaurant review by The Murfreesboro Pulse...

-Tom

We go to New Smyrna/Flagler every year! I was just there two weeks ago..We stay at the Ocean Reef Villas. Wish I had known there were some tiki folk in the area.

Basement Kahuna, you were only 36 miles from the Blowfish Bar! Next time you're down this way, give us a shout... be delighted to meet you and share some rum cocktails.

Some time ago, I posted photos of Flagler Beach's pirate home, located six blocks north of me...

The Daytona Beach News-Journal just published an article about it. At any time you might see the home's owner, Griff Detrick, sitting atop the deck among the pirates and a few friends drinking brandy and smoking cigars...

-Tom

It's holiday time at the Blowfish Bar and, rather than a lump of coal, we've received several sweet items to add to the collection. The first is a Robert Jimenez (zerostreet) Fisherman's God mug, arriving in a box with an artful label...

Inside was...

Here it is on the shelf above the bar...

We picked up a couple of Orchids of Hawaii vintage salt and pepper shakers...

And here they are on the shelf above the bar...

A photo showing the current state of the collection above the face of the bar...

Time of day becomes somewhat irrelevant after a few sips of a potent tropical libation. To accommodate those who nevertheless insist on knowing where the time went, I turned to Darren Patrick Long of Tiki Delights. He has a fitting solution... Tiki D clocks made from old Exotica/Hawaiian LP record album covers sandwiching a piece of foamboard...

Pat and I wish all of you out there the very best of holidays. May the season be perfect on your own special island...

-Tom

Love the new items...

What a wonderful presentation of history and tiki. I love the puffer next to your sign. Wendy

Thanks for posting the pics Tom! Glad you like the mug. That clock is awesome too...great idea!

Where are you? Wendy

Aloha Jon, Robert and Wendy!

Wow, it's been a busy new year... we're launching rockets one after another, and I've been working on my Hukilau presentation about the Yankee Clipper Hotel. On my birthday in January, we attended a really fun Tiki party at the gorgeous home of Phillip and Ann Haire in Satellite Beach, where drinks were served by master mixologist, George Jenkins, and live entertainment was by "The Blastoffs," a band with a name perfectly befitting the Space Coast.

I took a little break last weekend and visited our friends at Ohana Luau in the Hawaiian Inn at Daytona Beach, Florida. Here's a photo of beautiful Wailana, leader of the Hawaiian Inn performing troupe, "Silhouettes of Polynesia"...

Weekend after next, I'm journeying back to Fort Lauderdale and the Mai-Kai... call it a research expedition, but it's really fun more than research. Traveling with me will be one of the former Yankee Clipper Polynesian Room performers who also worked at the Mai-Kai, as well as many other temples of mid-century faux Polynesia in Florida and elsewhere. More to come...

-Tom

Love how the palm tree mural overhangs the doorway. Everything looks so nice. Fun too!

Inspiration is starting to take root. :)

I just looked back a page. Where is that wall mural located? It's wonderful.
You are having an exciting life and more tiki adventures than one could dream of.
It's good to hear from you, Wendy

Mahalo, HereTikiTiki, for visiting. Flattered to serve as inspiration... time for you to make your own special island.

Wendy, that mural is located on the great room west wall over the stairway. The bar is to the immediate left (south) if you're looking at the mural. On the east side opposite the mural are two sets of sliding glass doors overlooking the open air deck and Atlantic Ocean.

-Tom

Wow, I wish there were in progress photos as it was done. Beautiful. Wendy

Wendy, you can see the progress photos on the mural, starting with the concept sketch on page 3 of this thread, and continuing intermittently with photos (in many instances, early iPhone quality) on pages 4 through 6.

Aloha,

-Tom

Hi Tom, I went back and saw all the photos. I must have missed some pages in the past. It's terrific that he got your son in the mural. What a beautiful work of art. Wendy

Your place still continues to amaze me...it looks so authentic and that mural is fabulous. Keep up the great work, you have a showcase there.

Marlene, mahalo for your visit and kind remarks.

The Blowfish Bar had distinguished visitors on a recent weekend. Barney Lee and his significant other, Wailana, drove up from Palm Bay, Florida, where they live, to Flagler Beach. Barney, known by his stage name as Faalia or Prince Faalia, was a fire knife dancer who came from the Hotel Lexington Hawaiian Room in New York City to Fort Lauderdale, where he performed in the Yankee Clipper Polynesian Room, then at the Mai-Kai. He later organized, produced and starred in the Polynesian show at Tahiti Village in Key Largo, Florida. Wailana had her own Polynesian production company that played club dates all over Florida and beyond.

Lee, as he prefers to be called in retirement, brought a special house gift: a Tiki he personally carved from a Palm log...

It now guards the doorway in the master bedroom...

Lee and Wailana are both warm and kind, grand individuals of the mid-century Tiki era.

-Tom

Awesome
Friends and Tiki
Great combo

Jon

Nice addition Tom!

Aloha, Jon and Robert! Welcome back to the Blowfish Bar! Jon, couldn't agree with you more.

Here's a peek back in time at a very young Barney Lee (Prince Faalia) when he was performing as a fire knife dancer at the Hotel Lexington's Hawaiian Room in New York City...

Prince Faalia was so talented that he made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show... there's a funny anecdote about that that I'll share at Hukilau.

-Tom

Wow, awesome photo....

Jon

I was fortunate enough to take delivery of two TikiSkip lights at Hukilau 2013. Here I am with Skip and one of the lights at the Hukilau Tiki Treasures Bazaar...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18485&forum=18&vpost=682229

That light went to the master bedroom, as shown below with one photo taken in daylight and the other at night...

The second light went to the southeast corner of the Blowfish Bar, but there was an aesthetic problem with the draped cord, as the light had been made for hanging where the cord wouldn’t be seen, such as under a fishnet canopy...

Well, Skip came up with a retrofit kit, shown in his thread here...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18485&forum=18&vpost=688776

It worked perfectly, as even I could tie reef (square) knots to attach the cord to a decorative rope drape...

Mahalo nui loa, TikiSkip, for those awesome lights, as well as a custom installation solution!

-Tom

Both lamps look gorgeous in your house.