LA Weekly lists L.A.'s Best Cocktails with Bahooka, Tiki-Ti and Damon's

LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold lists L.A.'s Best Cocktails, Tiki-Ti (naturally) + Bahooka and Damon's make the list? :o That's a cool surprise.

Now of course I have to hit all the ones I haven't tried yet. It's gonna be a long year. :lol:

Wow, what an extensive article! That Jonathan Gold sure gets around! Of course, as a Pulitzer price winner he has free reign at the WEEKLY. Good for him, the more power to him. I really appreciate that he supports these local Polynesian pop veterans, even if some are not known as "craft cocktail" providers. Few food writers have appreciation for "old" haunts like that and see that it is not only the taste, but the atmosphere that creates a complete culinary experience.

Regarding the Bahooka bowl: At the last Bahooka event I went to, I was very much enjoying seeing my mugs in use at various tables....

...but then it pained me to see those cheapo salad bowls being used for the bowl drinks:

... so I started doodling a design for a Bahooka BOWL that could be a companion piece to the mug. Based on the Trader Vic's Wahine bowl form...

...I aimed at a design that not only picked up on the nautical decor, but would also pay homage to all the aquariums at Bahooka's -and would also match the look of the mug so the two would work as a set next to each other (apologies for my untrained drawing style):

The flaming insert could be in the shape of a rum barrel.

Talking to the Bahooka owners and Tiki Farm, the difficulties for such a design involve a.) practicality in daily restaurant use, and b.) the high cost of such a sizable vessel to the consumer. I was thinking that perhaps making the design less baroque, by replacing the anchor and mermaid with wooden pylons, the cost could be lowered, handle-bility improved, and the simpler look would put more emphasis on the aquarium aspect.

I give Jonathan Gold a lot of credit. Unlike some other food critics who only write about the usual (upscale) places, Mr. Gold will venture into places that no white man has ever been. He'll wax poetic about a $5 bowl of noodles or intestine taco as passionately as some critics will about dinner at French Laundry. Also his reviews carry clout, having the ability to take some hole-in-the-wall barrio joint and making it the "It" place for slumming Foodie Westsiders.

It's funny, I visited a a favorite Pho place of mine in El Monte and a BBQ joint in Compton, a few weeks after one of his LA Weekly reviews. The owners were scratching their heads as to why so many white people from "Beverly Hills" were all of a sudden showing up. :)

He definitely knows his cocktails. Gibson at Musso's, check. Tapping the Admiral at La Descarga, check. Old Fashioned at Coles, check. Etc, etc. It however would have been nice if he had identified some of the "newer" places when it comes to Tropical mixology. His choices of Tiki-Ti, Damon's, and Bahooka could have been based on a list from 10 years ago.

I would have REALLY been impressed if he had been in the know enough, to mention a cocktail called a Shaka Hula Bossa Nova (or Zorroro or ...) in a former NoHo Tiki dive bar crafted by one Kelly Reilly.

Maybe next year. :)

Excuse me, I have a letter to go write.

His comment about absinthe is a classic: "Never has a food culture leapt from connoisseurship to douchebaggery to flameout quite so fast."

BTW Bigbro, don't you think the most appropriate communal drink at the aquarium-themed Bahooka would be something like this...

You could put your brand on it and call it the "Bigbro Fish Bowl".

:D

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-03-04 10:24 ]

Hmmm....only if it would have REAL fish in it! You could do it by having two layers, with a second glass bowl inside the fishbowl holding the alcoholic beverage.

You can candy coat things of you want, but the only place worth mentioning for a decent drink is Tiki Ti hands down. Damons has good food but the drinks suck. Bahooka is an awesome place but both food and drinks blow!

[ Edited by: The Sperm Whale 2011-03-04 17:52 ]

I like the idea of the fish bowl. Would be nice to have them designed like some of the old mai tai glasses.

The aquarium bowl reminded me of a list of drink concepts my wife came up with while we were visiting the (RIP) Lucky Tiki:
The nautical themed drink would have been served in a square aquarium, with an octopus tentacle as garnish.
Ran

On 2011-03-04 17:51, The Sperm Whale wrote:
You can candy coat things of you want, but the only place worth mentioning for a decent drink is Tiki Ti hands down. Damons has good food but the drinks suck. Bahooka is an awesome place but both food and drinks blow!

[ Edited by: The Sperm Whale 2011-03-04 17:52 ]

Don't hold back Scott,
tell us what you really think.
:wink:

Jeff(btd)

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2011-03-08 13:17 ]

That is too funny Scott & Jeff in a well,.. it's funny. Nice concept Sven on a bowl, I hope a bowl happens soon at Bahooka the Big Lots, restaurant supply salad bowl does stink. I know bowl ideas were presented to them in the past and failed but hopefully one happens soon.

[ Edited by: Hiphipahula 2011-03-10 20:04 ]