LA/Beverly Hills Tiki Suggestions

I'm following up on a comment that I made about the Luau closing. My Wife & I are going to Palm Springs for our fall vacation, and we are staying in Beverly Hills for a couple of days at the start of our trip after we fly into LAX. We are staying at the Beverly Hilton, the one that has the Trader Vic's bar in it (I don't know what to expect of that TV location). We had planned to spend an evening at Luau, but that's not going to happen now. Can some of my fellow TC'ers give us suggestions for some Tiki destinations in LA and/or Beverly Hills?

I'm likely hitting Hi Times Liquors while in LA in order to stock the bar at the house we are renting in Palm Springs. It looks like a bit of a drive from Beverly Hills to Hi Times-can anyone recommend another store nearer BH that has a comparable selection (and prices)to Hi Times?

Cheers,

Craig

[ Edited by: CincyTikiCraig 2009-07-27 20:25 ]

Beverage Warehouse is very close to LAX.

http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/

You definitely want to visit the Tiki Ti. Order at least a Ray's Mistake.
The Trader Vic's at LA Live is very good. Of course if you order their Mai Tai, ask that it be made from scratch (no mix).

Beyond that, The Bahooka in Rosemead is astounding for the decor.
And Don The Beachcomber in Sunset Beach is amazing (be sure to see the Hidden Village).

Cheers!

Oh, and don't forget about using Critiki.

http://www.critiki.com

The Warehouse in Marina Del Rey would be another good option for a nice dinner.

Vendome Liquors was once ubiquitous (well, almost) on the LA landscape and was one of the best places to stock up on stuff you would be hard pressed to find at the corner liquor store. Most are gone now, but one of the few that is left is in Beverly Hills on Olympic and Pine. It still have a good selection, but not as good as Hi Times, Beverage Warehouse or Wine and Liquor Depot in the Valley. Also, don't expect to find any bargains in Beverly Hills. People pay $10,000 for a T-shirt in Beverly Hills.

Also, if you're going to Hi Times anyway, a detour to Sunset Beach and Don the Beachcomber is something you will not regret. Go there and you won't feel like you missed anything with the Luau closed.

Thanks for the kind replies Gents!

The Tiki Ti is a must! If you had only one tiki place that you could stop at, then that would be my choice. The other recommendations are good, too. Don The Beachcomber is good, both food and drink, plus good decor. I'm not personally crazy about the fare at Bahooka, but the decor is nice - Oceanic Arts isn't that far away, so you could hit both in an afternoon.

Also, don't forget that there's a brand new Trader Vic's at LA Live. I haven't been there yet to check it out, but I'm sure that I will during the week of Tiki Oasis. I think Tiki Central night there is on Tuesdays:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=33182&forum=17

Also, the Purple Orchid is very close to LAX, like a short cab ride close. It's worth checking out if you have time. Dave and Rebecca are super cool - give them a head's up that you'll be there, and they'll come over to meet you and hang out!

Hi Time Wine is a fantastic liquor store, and worth the drive. They have just about anything I've ever wanted, and usually at the best price. I usually make a point of going there to stock up every time I'm in Southern Calif. All of their merchandise is listed on their website, complete with prices and sales, so you can check out the deals there: http://www.hitimewine.net

Have fun on your trip, and let us know where you decide to go!

PiPhiRho, I haven't checked out the other liquor stores that you mentioned. Care to give us a run down on them, and how you'd rank Hi Times, Beverage Warehouse, Wine and Liquor Depot, and Vendome Liquors? I'd certainly like to know how they compare to Hi Times, as I usually make a special trip there.

i second the purple orchid.
nice bar; good drinks; custom mugs.