New Era for Tiki Bars and Culture
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Tikis, those irrepressible Hawaiian gods with the big eyes and mischievous smiles, are making a comeback now with new tiki bars showing up from coast-to-coast and a renewed interest in tiki lore and culture.
The Polynesian, one of the newest bars on the scene, is right in the middle of New York City – in the lobby of the trendy Pod Times Square Hotel.
The 200-seat indoor/outdoor bar, decorated with carved-wood and lava stone, is a tropical island escape from NYC’s crowded streets and subways.
In Chicago people are lining up at the popular tiki bar Lost Lake and in New Orleans it’s Latitude 29. And you can bet that Las Vegas is in on the tiki action with its Golden Tiki Bar.
California has tiki bars up and down the coast with a recently-opened Jan & Dean’s Tiki Lounge at the tip of the Huntington Beach Pier.
SurfWriter GIrls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are big fans of all things tiki – from the Island decor, Hawaiian shirts and fun mugs to the food and fancy drinks with parasols.
The tiki artwork of Doug Horne and Josh Agle (AKA “Shag”) always makes us feel like were on a Polynesian adventure.
It’s great to see this culture that originated in the Hawaiian Islands and South Seas is still luring us into another world of fantasy far from the everyday.
And, if you’re looking to really immerse yourself in the tiki culture, check out the annual Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs held in May (Plan ahead because this year’s sold out) and Tiki Oasis (August 7 – 11th) in San Diego.
With all the tiki-inspired sights, sounds, food, drinks, art and entertainment, these events are a tiki-lover’s dream.
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