Chicago next week

Hey I am in the windy city most of next week (Tues-Sat). If I am based downtown what should I try to do in the evenings tiki-wise? Any cool tiki events Friday night before I fly home Saturday?

As of this moment in time, there is no Tiki whatsoever (bar or restaurant-wise) in downtown Chicago.

All of the general Chicago info is here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18335&forum=1&hilite=chicago

There are no events happening, but if I am in town (I may not be) I am always up for making the trek out the the Chef or Hala Kahiki.

There are no events happening, but if I am in town (I may not be) I am always up for making the trek out the the Chef or Hala Kahiki.

bullshit!!!! the cocktail preachers surf band are playing the sandbar in brookfield...more info here:

http://www.cocktailpreachers.com

I stand corrected, and if I am in town, I will sit corrected on a barstool at Sandbar with y'all. Thanks for the tip, Tipsy.

Mahalo Tikibars. I will be stuck downtown at the Swiss Hotel on Wacker w/o transport so getting too far out into the 'burbs may be a problem. Which venues are absolute "must see" types and maybe I'll invest in a cab or brave the L.

I am only getting into town next Tuesday so I won't be able to make the gig at the Sandbar this Saturday but if Tipsy knows of anything next Friday night (24th) I am all over it.

Hopefully one of you guys will be around as well.

Matt

Which venues are absolute "must see" types and maybe I'll invest in a cab or brave the L.

Kat and I were just in Chicago. By my calculations, taking public transportation to the good Tiki destinations was prohibitively expensive with regards to time, which is why we rented a car. Of course, if you get stuck in a traffic jam, a car can be as bad.

I would recommend Tiki Terrace, Hala Kahiki, and Chef Shangri La as good destinations. Hala Kahiki has a great collection of Witco works. Tiki Terrace is surprisingly good considering how young it is! I really hope they continue to do well.

Since you are downtown, you might want to visit the Pacific Spirits display and the Maori Meeting House at the Field Museum of Natural History. Both blew me away.

there is simply no point to visiting chicago and not getting out to see the great tiki stuff this town has to offer if you have never seen them before....to get this close and not be able to go is almost criminal....rent the car...it cost $30 a day from enterprize rent-a-car. I'm sure that there is an office within walking distance of your hotel...you only need it for an evening...you can easily hit all three places in one evening....start with tiki terrace for dinner....work your way back into the city with a stop at hala kahiki..then get even closer to the city with a final stop at chef shangri-la....as long as you don't over-do the booze you'll be fine and glad you went...

I agree with Tipsy, rent the car...it would be criminal to not visit the Chicago Tiki.

I third the motion for car rental, but an even better idea is to just suck up a little to one of the ohana and get yourself a ride.

I'm definitely unavailable for the night inquestion, but come on Tipsy (or someone!), step up to the plate and help this guy out!

If you have a night where you aren't heading out to the burbs. There's a place called the Golden Buddha just West of the corner of Franklin and Randolph. I've swapped drink recipes with the owner (Alfred) and he's pretty serious about doing the drinks well (if not historically accurate).

It's really more of a chinese steakhouse, but they have a nice free appetizer happy hour, and a great lunch special.

Here's a link to some reviews:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/gTfPFgTKbDR7L8FyQPTbuw?hrid=heQh6JnqhddBPvT__ygi_Q

If you are looking for a lunch time drinking buddy, let me know!

Mahalo to the local Ohana for the suggestions. I'll see what I can do about getting a car, if not can the train get you out near the Terrace or Hala Kahiki (and then I'll cab it from the station). Do the trains even run close (within 5 or 10 mi.) of any of these destinations? Unfortunately this is a work trip without a copious amount of free time I am hoping for a few open evenings though.

Maybe the best thing to do is just wait until summer and then do my own trip back out there. That way I can enjoy all the windy city tiki and take in a Cubbies game!

Matt

Take the blue line towards O'hare, and get off at the second-last stop (Rosemont). From there it is 4 miles south on River Road to Hala Kahiki. There should be cabs near the train station, but get their card, because you will have to call them from HK in order to get back - they don't cruise that neighborhood much, it's sort of in the middle of nowhere. The train will be $2 each way, it runs all night. Bring exact change, the ticket machines in the train station do NOT make change, and the attendants will absolutely not help you out either.

We took the train to hala kahiki. It drops you off by a graveyard! We walked up to the street and saw a bar. We went there and called a cab. The ride to hala from there was about $15.00? with tip. We got lucky and our cab driver took us to hala kahiki, tiki terrace. Then back downtown. Not cheap! I would Say you must go to hala kahiki! The cocktail preachers are great! Never been to the chef. But I think that would be my second choice. One thing I would add. They say the hala kahiki is not going anywhere. But that is the kind of place that you look up one day and its gone! I know i'm glad I went to trader vic's when we where there.