Cajun Tiki

Found some interesting photos on-line of these Tiki head figures that are strangely placed on the main entrance of the old Tulane Medical School in New Orleans. The blog found them on describes the building as a rather somber art deco building without much ornament except for these. They are about eight inches tall.

Cajun Tiki!

DC

Here is red swizzle variety I purchased from the Outrigger lounge at the Hotel Sheraton Charles hotel in New Orleans.

A nice replication of the menu cover.

I did a little research online and found some actual photos of the Outrigger entrance on St. Charles Street in the French Quarter.

Look at that Tiki out front on the right.

And a close up of some tapa and a Tiki at the entrance inside.

This is really cool find for Dusty CAJUN!

DC

Picked up another nice little artifact from the Outrigger at the Hotel Sheraton Charles.

An advertising postcard extolling the virtues of the drinks and the tid-bits. Open from 9 A.M., now that's New Orleans style!

DC

I don't collect a lot of Tiki mugs, but was happy to get this one from the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans (being a fan of Cajun and all).

Styled after the clasped hands Swiss Movinpick mug

But made in Brazil.

The bottom has a 135 stamp, so I am assuming this was a limited run. I cant' remember seeing this one before and it does not show up on Ooga Mooga. Anybody else got one with a different number on the bottom?

DC

Ha, that Swiss/German mug was the first thing that came to mind when I saw that poor bastard's face. A good example of Tiki devolution, never seen it before.

By the way, that stiff-lined Moevenpick Tiki DOES have its admirers :D :

Bigbro,

I had noticed that Movinpick mug on the Tiki Magazine cover as well. Must have been a German artist or something!

I have this other funny mug made in Brazil that is also similar.

DC

How super funky! Westwood, Brazilian style! Hey, I know how it happened! I was over in Rio in the early 90s shooting this music video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoblz9g13NA

when this Voodoo priestess...

Sven, nice video. I was in Rio in the early 90's to. Saw Tina Turner for an HBO live concert.

Here's another old photo from the Bali Hai at the Beach. Good close up image of the restaurant exterior.

DC

I found and old 1966 New Orleans tourist guide that has some nice Tiki ads.

The Outrigger

The Bali Hai

And the Hawaiian Luau at the Fontainbleau.

(A little different than the one posted by Sabu).

DC

Awesome thread DustyCajon. I am enjoying looking at this Tiki history. :D

Saw this great menu cover from the Hawaiian Room at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.

Pre-Tiki - great graphics!

This matchbook is for sale on etsy.com from the Hawaiian Luau.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/107793125/vintage-1960s-motor-hotel-hawaiian-luau?ref=sr_gallery_27&ga_search_query=south+pacific&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=all

Tried for this Kodak slide photo of the Bali Hai restaurant on ebay.

Nice view of the interior with the blue Tiki bowl in action.

What's that drink menu doing on the floor next to the women's purse? Treasure hunting perhaps?

DC

I picked up a postcard showing another unknown Tiki bar in a New Orleans hotel. This one is the Reef Lounge located in the Hilton Inn by the airport.

DC

A somewhat rare matchbook from the short-lived Beachcomber that became the Bali Hai in New Orleans.

I have several of the Beachcomber mugs but this is the first paper item I have seen from the Beachcomber.

DC

I found this one over the weekend in New Orleans. The old lady in the antique store said she remembered Bamboo Villa but I can't seem to find anything about it online. Anybody know anything?

Dustycajun,
You have done masterful research regarding Tiki activity in Louisiana. It gives me hope that an occasional artifact will surface here. Been slim pickings so far. I was told recently that there was a Tiki-type restaurant/bar in Alexandria that closed in the early 1980s. Still have yet to discover any evidence. Thanks again for your efforts.

[ Edited by: johnnyvelvet 2015-02-26 05:43 ]

I was a member years ago but had to re register (same name) for unknown reasons?

I posted this reply on the wrong topic but didn't know how to delete it.

Cajun Tiki, a term I never heard until today. HA

Nice photographs!

I remember going to most of the places mentioned here as a child/teenager. I have some mugs, matchbooks and swizzle sticks.

The only one I don't recognize is "Bamboo Villa". I believe Barney's was a seafood restaurant.

Bali Ha'i had a distinct accent to the name unlike others with that same title.

I posted this ages ago, it's the blue tiki bowl my grandmother got in the 1960's? from Bali Ha'i. What a fantastic place as was Pontchartrain Beach amusement park attached/next door.

Suzie Wong,

Welcome back and thanks for the post. Here is another location from Alexandria Louisiana - the Port O Call restaurant (spotted on ebay).

Complete with Tiki drinks

And the Polynesian food menu.

DC

The Mai Tai restaurant, with locations in New Orleans and Metairie.

DC

I scored this great napkin from the Hawaiian Luau restaurant at the Fontaineblau Hotel in New Orleans.

One side has a rendering of the Tapa clad A-Frame entrance.

And the other side has a rendering of what appears to be the restaurant patio with some Tikis.

A real beauty!

DC

Here is the menu cover from Tonga Island in Monroe.

My parents (in Louisiana) found this trio of Warrior Mugs marked 'Tiki Club - Thibodaux, LA.'

Some more information and images from the Bali Hai in New Orleans. First a little more history from the web.

"In April 1958, park director Barry Batt brought in massive amounts of bamboo poles to build the roof and walls of what was originally called the “Beachcomber,” a new tropical-themed restaurant to take the place of the Beach Terrace that had operated since the park’s early days. Joseph Lenz designed the new eatery under Barry Batt’s direction. Featuring Polynesian cocktails and Cantonese cuisine, the new place attracted plenty of attention from customers – as well as from attorneys for Don the Beachcomber, a popular West Coast restaurant with similar cuisine and South Seas decor. Consequently, When Pontchartrain Beach’s ’59 season began, the restaurant re-opened as the Bali H’ai."

So that explains the change from Beachcomber to the Bali Hai - Don the Beachcomber copyright lawyers at work again.

Here is an add for the Beachcomber with the Waikiki Room and the Tahitian Lounge

The Bali hai employed a Sampan Taxi to transport you from the parking lot to the restaurant.

An of course the Tiki Bob style mug.

A few wedding photos with a glimpse at the interior.

DC

I picked up this cool little key chain from the Hawaiian Luau at the Fontainebleau Hotel in New Orleans.

It has been shipped to Jeff Beach Bum Berry's Latitude 29 restaurant in New Orleans and you can see it in the Tiki display case at the restaurant.

DC

Great work Dusty!
Louisiana is my next travel destination!

Found another one just in time for Mardi Gras! The Beach-comber in Shreeveport with the Mai Tai dining room from 1964.

DC

Found a few more Tiki entries from the Bayou state.

First off, the Blue Hawaii in Lafayette.
Anyone recognize that cover image?

(hint, think Vegas)

The back cover encouraging aloha ware.

A nice array of drinks

and food

Next up the Chin Tiki in Alexandria, another one of the traditional Tiki name grabs.

And finally, the Happy Hour from the Tiki Room lounge in the Bamboo restaurant located in Shreveport.

Love that Cajun Tiki!

DC

These are fantastic, thanks for sharing! The NOLA Mai Tai restaurant was the first place I ever saw tiki mugs. :)

I picked up this nice newspaper archive photo of the bar at Hawaiian Luau restaurant at the Fontainbleau Hotel in New Orleans. Skipper Vince's bar, hmmm a nod to Skipper Kent perhaps.

The designer was Robert L Bennett from New York. The article on the back of the photo pegs the grand opening on Tuesday May 21, 1963.

DC

Excellent score DC!!

Another news photo from NOLA, this time the exterior of the Hu Ke Lau in Metairie.

DC

Another old newspaper photo of the impressive A-Frame and bridge entrance at the Hu Ke Lau.

DC

Great thread Cajun!
I lived in New Orleans about 18 years ago, next to Ports O'Call on Esplanade & Dauphine. I just wish I was huntin' tiki back then.

The Blues Boys album cover featuring the entrance to the Bali Hai in NOLA.

DC

I picked up some cool placemats from the Hawaiian Luau in New Orleans, always one of the hard paper items to find intact.

DC

Scored this ad from the Reef Lounge at the Hilton Inn located near the New Orleans airport.

The Tiki image was modeled after one that Eli Hedley carved for the Aku Aku in Las Vegas.

DC

4 foot warrior? Pigmy?

On 2020-01-17 10:11, MadDogMike wrote:
4 foot warrior? Pigmy?

Eli carved 7 Tikis for the Aku Aku in Vegas from big to small. Here is a photo posted by Bamboo Ben showing the small 4-footer.

DC

I'm late to your party but also from Nola and getting into collecting bygone tiki. Here's my humble beginnings.

A Bali Ha'i Bob? Dude, that's hardly humble! Congrats on a strong start!

Thanks! I want to find more. I have some Bali hai at the beach chopsticks too.

I would like to find some cool stuff from the Outrigger too but I'm not much into swizzles.

It is truly wonderful that some people seek out and save paper ephemera which would otherwise just be lost forever.

Finally got my newest Bali Hai at the Beach items, sadly the pic didn't save to my phone, whoops!

Here we are! The Salt and Pepper Shakers with my mugs and chopsticks

Mug 3 came in. I really want to find one of those Pontchartrain Beach Comber marked ones.

[ Edited by LenfantsCocktails on 2023-04-27 16:44:59 ]