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Go girlie.
When Lisa introduced the Funky Flamingo as her “girlie tiki bar,” I was curious. Women building home tiki bars is less common than men. At least in my experience, it is. Of the seventy eight home bars...
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Jim’s in, no matter the breaks.
You might be stoked about surfing if you’re willing to compete in an arm cast. That’s Jim for you. It all started when Jim heard from one of the Thunderbirds that the Air Force was looking for Surf...
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Houston, you copy?
“Houston, we’ve got a problem.” Bryce couldn’t recreate the Mai Tai, and this was a problem. He found the recipe for the drink, got some rum, and bought some fruit juice, but when he tried making it...
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Try tiki à la carte.
The menu offered mouth-watering options. What would I order? Water Chestnut Pork? Precious Shrimp? Steak Kue? Surely some Crab Rangoon. Something fried? Or, should I go saucy? The Poly-Asian offerings...
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Let’s dodge fireballs!
Tiki bars are for grown-ups, right? Not so. Captain Lou’s Shipwreck Lagoon, located near the ports of Mystic, Connecticut, is a harbor for kids and grown-ups. When Lou and his family want to spend...
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A panda and I talk story.
An hour into our conversation, Andy grinned and said, “I love to tell stories.” Andy is talented at storytelling. He has cultivated the lost art of heartfelt conversation. Hawaiians have a unique...
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Doug bathes in the Afterglow.
“Need a light?” The visitor’s question made Doug blush, but he answered it anyway. “No, thanks. I have around 100 lights already, in a variety of shapes and sizes. You should check them out.” Doug was...
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Get lost in the Rangoon.
Sara and Brian found the perfect Crab Rangoon. Then, they lost it. For those that might not know, Crab Rangoon is classic Tiki. Although many might erroneously think the appetizer could be traced to...
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I got three for one in N’awlins.
Cajuns revel in lagniappe. It roughly translates to a little something extra. So when I returned to N’awlins, it should have been no surprise that one simple invitation turned into something much...
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The ambassador knows what you need.
“She needs a Black Magic,” Mirielle offered. When Christie walked into the Mai-Kai for her first visit, Kern, Pia, and Mireille, like diplomatic ambassadors, greeted her at the door. Christie was...
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Aye, we need more aloha pirates.
I grew up thinking pirates were bad guys, but I might be wrong. Although Matt “Tikiman” Willis is part land pirate, part collectibles dealer, and part heart-happy agent, he’s all aloha. As a...
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Can’t help falling in love with the Nauga Hydaway.
Elvis missed his chance. The Witco bed that he could have purchased for Graceland now lives down the hall from Kim’s Nauga Hydaway. Cross my heart and hope to die. It’s not a fairytale. I just can’t...
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The Flamingo Lounge will make your head spin.
Aloha shirts don’t make Eric dizzy. You’d think he’d have been classically conditioned with all that spinning around, but no. Eric wears a different aloha shirt every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor...
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Il a créé le Paradis du Zombi.
Would you create a paradise for zombies? Zach did, but not for the undead zombies that haunt your dreams. Building a paradise for the living dead would be a questionable pursuit. No, Zach created a...
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