Vintage Waikiki going going ...gone!

I heard that the auction for items from CHUCK's Steakhouse in Waikiki is tomorrow, Friday morning. Don't know the exact time and place, sorry.

Ooohh...they had some cool stuff on display, but that is really sad.

I wish I'd brought back one of their blue mugs. smack smack

Here I am at Chucks with Shelley, Bong, Gecko and Freddy the Lurker. I will never forget Chucks Steakhouse. This is truly tragic.
Mahalo,
Al

Nooo! Krustiki and I will be in Waikiki on Saturday....too late!

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:15 ]

Done!

Fil, Gecko, what did you get at the auction? Isn't Bong in Hawaii right now, too?

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 12:16 ]

Fil,
Where has gecko's favourite bar tender moved onto now? He makes the best Mai Tai's in Oahu.

.

Chuck's (off Beachwalk) closed the day or so before we got there. I was stunned.

I walked up the steps to the front door and peered inside through the plantation window slats. There was no window between me and the aroma of 35 years of broiled steaks and mixed drinks. A few lights were on and a ceiling fan twirled away over by the bar area.

The original Chucks did in fact serve the best and most accurate version of the Mai Tai in Waikiki. In 2004, Mdm Bong and I went into the bar and talked with Les Hong the owner as he mixed us up a few.

He said that the Lewers street redevelopment project was moving along and he didn't expect to be in business at that location much longer. He sold us one of his large bowls (still with OMC sticker), a small bowl, and a couple of the dark blue Mai Tai mugs.

He offered to sell us a case of them as he had a few unopened cases in the back. I declined (duh).

Each morning and at every night I took a walk around Waikiki. I always found myself unexplicably drawn to the old Chuck's location. I always had to walk up the steps and look in hoping to see someone inside. The only inhabitants were the ghosts of tourists past.

I tossed a Smokin' Menehunes band card inside the gutted building hoping to capitalize on a bit of the mana that may have still lingered there. If nothing else the card would be forever intwined with the Chuck's carnage.

The day we left I walked by Les Hong's other business - the House of Hong - and saw him cataloging all the booze behind the counter for shipment somewhere, as the House of Hong was also closing. I walked in and he stopped for a second and he said 'hi' to which I replied the same and walked out.

I loved the rancid, disgusting Lewers street, and when it comes down I believe I'll find it hard to return to Waikiki. I'm sure it will become a Mission Viejo of standardized, cookie cutter establishments.

In 1974 I stayed at the Reef Towers, it was a hole then and had become more so in later years. The Red Lion was always a fine Lewer sewer to toss back a drink or two. Davey Jones served up a pretty good rib, and Porgies buffet wasn't bad after a night of heavy drinking. Now all gone.

The ONLY decent Mai Tai is now served at either the Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai bar, or the Halekulani. The other Chuck's location by Duke's served a typical tourist Mai Tai although the steaks are still pretty good.

Aloha Lewers street, I'll miss you.

Bong,

Perfectly put. I luckily had the chance to visit Chucks in December last year and sample some of those fine Mai Tai. Perfectly made by an ex Don the Beachcomber bar master.

Sad day indeed.

Is the fate of the great Hawaiiana hotel in the balance now?

Chuck's, two weeeks into oblivion.

It looks like the construction is complete and the area looks like a generic resort.
http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/10/business/story01.html

One thing that caught my attention in the article is a business called "Freaky Tiki Tropical Optical". I always like to see the tiki represent itself in other forms than restaurants and bars but when you but a quick Google search http://www.waikikibeachwalk.com/shop_details.aspx?shopid=16 led to this description-

Enjoy the comfort and luxury of Maui Jim, Oakley, Von Zipper, Prada, Versace, Arnette and many more. The Freaky Tiki represents the ancient South Seas god of fun and sunshine. A counteragent in this modern world of plastic and chrome, he is a carved native idol symbolizing your successful escape from civilization. Unleash your suburban savage and experience the island style that is Freaky Tiki, your authentic Tropical Optical oasis. Welcome to paradise!

"A counteragent in this modern world of plastic and chrome" now why does that sound familiar?

:D Hmmm, yes, I wonder....if they are really promoting that motto, they are gonna have a hard time finding sun glasses to sell that are free of plastic or chrome!

"...Unleash your suburban savage and experience the island style that is Freaky Tiki, your authentic Tropical Optical oasis..."

And their use of the mid-century term "authentic" for obviously UN-authentic Poly pop points to the BOT as source too :) That was the whole joke back then...and why I called it a "shadowy term"...which actually it isn't:

au·then·tic [aw-then-tik]
–adjective

1. not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
2. having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle Ages; an authentic work of the old master.

They should've used the mid-century concept of making up your own word creations, too, and called it a "TrOptical Oasis- It's so authentiki!" :D

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-02-10 12:58 ]