James T (Tiki Bar Review Pages) on West Coast this week

Aloha everyone.

I am going to be in San Francisco tentatively Thursday the 18th and Friday the 19th of this month, then I will be driving to Los Angeles the morning of the 20th, and spending the evening of the 20th through the morning of Tuesday the 23rd in LA. I will be in Las Vegas the evening of the 23rd, and then I will be driving east on whatever parts of old Rt. 66 I can find, all the way back to Chicago.

Any Tiki Centraites who's town I may be rolling through are warmly invited to join me for Mai Tais at whatever local Tiki Bar seems most appropriate... I'm thinking of getting started at Tonga Room on Friday and then moving on, and trying to get into Tiki Ti early Saturday, and then...??? Any suggestions for Thursday? Trader Vic's Emeryville? Sunday - Bahooka?

The reason for this trek is to try to solicit interest from West Coast publishers for my book, Tiki Road Trip. The book is finished, and includes a lot of the data from my web site (The Tiki Bar Review Pages) and a whole lot more stuff that I have been compiling for the past few years (sorry guys, I've been holding out on ya a little bit!).

Any Tiki Centralites who know anyone in the publishing biz will have their bar tab paid for by yours truly if you:
a. put in a good word for me somewhere
and
b. meet me for a drink in one of the aformentioned towns...

Aloha and Mahalo...

I leave by car Monday morning, but I will try to check these messages as I travel... or Email me privately at: [email protected].

I'll join you (if possible) on Sunday in L.A. Don't know if I can make it all the way out to Bahooka in Rosemead, though. Have you thought about the new Tiki Lounge at the Tahiti Restaurant? It's on Fairfax and 3rd street, across from the world famous Farmer's Market. Not an authentic older joint, but a newer facsimile. I hear the drinks (especially the Coconut Martini -- yum!) are good. I'm also up for Tiki Ti, Trader Vic's, or anything else.

Come on out LA tiki heads!

Keep us Angelenos up to date on your travels. I'm always up for drinks in any of our exotic locales.

-Weird Unc

Hmm... haven't been to the Tahiti yet. That sounds like a good idea - I need to review it...

I will try to post here again closer to the weekend if I can find an internet cafe or somewhere else with a computer.

Aloha

JT

I would like to meet with you at Trader Vic's Emeryville for drinks this Thursday. Unfortunately, I won't have a publisher with me. Let me know what time you'll be there if you can make it.

WHAT time for Trader Vics on Thursday, James. Maybe you could check out my famous East Bay pad!--mrsmiley

Okay, here's the OFFICIAL and unchanging itinerary -

Thursday: Tonga Room for happy hour - 5 to 7, then get the hell out of there before the band starts...

Trader Vics for Mai Tais and maybe chow - 8 to 10

then...? Bamboo Hut or Tradr Sam?

Friday: I am having dinner with my family, but I am up for suggestions afterwards, Tiki or otherwise. Any other good retro bars? Is Club Deluxe still kicking? Somebody rescue me from the relatives!

Saturday - Bahooka for dinner and then Tiki Ti, and then...? Suggestions? Good Luck Bar? Tahiti?

Sunday - Trader Vics Beverly Hills, and then...?

Monday - hangover.

Also looking for fun things to do in the afternoons...

Hope to see some of you out, after all of this planning!

Aloha

JT

As I'm sure you know, Good Luck Bar is blocks away from Tiki Ti, so you should probably do that Saturday. Also, Tahiti (and the Tiki Lounge) are a few minutes drive from Trader Vic's, so you should probably do that Sunday. Also, I can't come Saturday but I can Sunday and I want to see the Tiki Lounge!

Keep us updated! What time are we meeting?

Any other LA TCs going to be there? I'm pretty new and would love to meet others.

• Monkey God (Teddy T.)

[ Edited by: MonkeyGod on 2002-04-17 20:14 ]

[ Edited by: MonkeyGod on 2002-04-17 20:38 ]

I'm in for Sunday!

I can make Sunday if it's a bit later in th day say, after 6PM. I'll be busy during the bulk of the day on sunday. Saturday I'm not sure about, but might be able to do that too.

JT-

I'll see 'ya at Trader Vic's tomorrow. Since you'll be in the East Bay you should check out Mr. Smiley's amazing house and tiki bar in Oakland afterwards. I'll show you the way from Vic's (if I don't run out of gas like at the pre-Crawl).

On Friday there are two good shows: The Saturn V (great early 60s frat-rock/twist/dance band) at the Were-Pad in San Francisco and Cari Lee and the Saddle-Lites (good hillbilly/western swing band) at Club Deluxe. I may check out both but I'm going to the Saturn V show for sure.

You might want to go to Damon's in Glendale on Saturday or Sunday. The word is that the place is for sale so who knows how long it will last.

I wanna try for Saturday....!

I wish I could make it. But, we just had our second daughter born on Fri. So I could probably go , just not be allowed to come back in the house and sleep.

I would recommend that the Tiki Ti visit be undertaken early, like 6:00 (I think that's when they open). Much later than that and the place is packed; you then must stand outside until enough people deign to leave and your group can work their way in - oy!

Hey Big Bro, are you planning to grace us with your presence?

Floratina has a good point. Tiki Ti is best when hit early. One never knows how the line will be later on, especially since Saturday will be their first night open after a 3 week vacation. I hope to meet you there. If not, then for sure at Trader Vic's on Sunday.

-Weird Uncle Tiki

p.s. As far as Bahooka goes, it sits in the middle of the best asian eatery areas in Southern Cal. My suggestion is to eat at a fabulous Chinese restaurant in Rosemead/San Gabriel/Monterey Park first and then hit Bahooka for drinks, but that's my food-snob side coming out.

[ Edited by: weirduncletiki on 2002-04-18 11:05 ]

Alright kiddies, I'm going to try to catch you all tonight. Hopefully at the Tonga Room, because I need to get that asswipe bouncer guy's name to attach to the bitchy letter I have ready to send them. Plus JT will be there, which is a big occasion. (I'm picturing him swaggering around while Ms. JT puts on his robe for him, Don King-style.)

What time are we meeting at Trader Vic's BH on Sunday?

JT-

It was good seeing you again last night. What a treat when the management brought our whole table a round of Mai Tais on the house! I don't think I'm going to make it to Club Deluxe because I don't want to miss the show at the Werepad. Here's the details:

The Saturn V featuring Orbit
The Inspectors
Ten Foot Five
The Werepad is at 2430 3rd. Street between 20th. and 22nd.
9:30 start and it's only $5

Hope you can make it but I'm sure you'll enjoy Cari Lee and the Saddle-lites at the Deluxe if you go there.

What is the latest plan for this weekend? I am thinking that I can maje it out this evening, but not sure where to go. Tiki-Ti? Damon's? Bahooka? If I don't hear otherwise, I'll probably shoot for Tiki-Ti as close to 6 as I can make it.

Anyone want to make up a time for Sunday at Trader Vic's? I'm pretty open in the evening, so whatever works. This'll be fun, let's keep it strictly on the kini popo.

-Weird Unc

Hey everyone. Thursday rocked! Thanks for coming out to Vic's, everyone! And Smiley's pad - whooaahhh! AMAZING!

I am at a Kinkos' in Santa Barbara right now, and am about to jet over to Tiki Ti - it'll probably be later than the suggested 6PM when I get there, probably closer to 8:30, but if anyone is reading this at this hour, try to brave the line!

As for Sunday, I am stopping by Sven's in the early evening, but let's try to do Beverly Hills Vic's at 8:30 or so...??? Unless that is too late for a Sunday?

Aloha and Mahalo

JT

I would like to get over to Vic's closer to 6:00 or 7:00. Anybody else interested in showing up at about that time?

hey everyone

Thanks for showing up a Vic's last night. Sorry I was so late! I guess I missed Al and Shelley by mere minutes... Still, it was pretty fun! I'm off to Vegas tomorrow, and then back to Chicago via rt. 66. It is super cool to know that there is such a fun and supportive group of tikiphiles in both SF and LA willing to come out and make a midwesterner feel welocome!

Hope to see yo all again next time I make it to the coast...

Aloha and Mahalo

JT

I am glad everyone was about to make it to The Ugh House to check out the home bar and sample Ehi'd Tiki punch. Plus, I am glad that they made it home alright!!

I just read this today and was very sorry to have missed you James, but i was tied up with a production anyway. Hope you had a good trip out west. Good luck with the book.

-Martin "occasional TBRP contributer" Cate.