Tiki Time: Bahooka

Summertime is prime season for tropical excursions and it just wouldn't feel like we had participated fully in the summer season unless we made our way back to that mecca of tropical splendor, Bahooka in Rosemead, CA.

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Bahooka (est. 1967) is the world-famous tiki restaurant that has been celebrated in many books, on many websites and "best of" lists, and in the hearts of tiki-philes everywhere.  It truly is a mecca for enthusiasts of Polynesian pop and although it may seem so well-known that it wouldn't need to be featured here, we just couldn't live with ourselves if we didn't shine one more light on this wicky-wacky tacky landmark.

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On our most recent visit, we were joined by our newlywed pals, Jesse and Emily (be sure to visit her film blog, thesilverscreenaffair.blogspot.com).

Mary, Mr. Tiny, Emily & Jesse

Bahooka is a tiki restaurant, so it straddles the line for us between a Tiki Time and Chow Time post.

  

Decisions, decisions....

It wasn't difficult to choose the heading under which Bahooka would fall; let's just say that they are not as well known for their food (not the best we've ever tasted) as they are for their huge assortment of (very strong, so we're told) tropical, tiki cocktails.

I've mentioned it before, but we are confirmed teetotalers so we left the rum
to the rummies in our group.  The newlyweds sharing a flaming "Scarlet Sails"
which according to the menu is actually a gin-based drink.  Do you call
someone drinking gin a ginny?  Or maybe a gin rummy?

Scarlet Sails in the sunset.

We definitely brought down the cool factor at our table
by several points by just drinking water.  At least it came
 in bamboo-shaped glasses!

Our real motivation in visiting Bahooka is the atmosphere - a combination south seas shipwreck, tiki bar, and marine aquarium.  I love that there isn't a blank space in Bahooka; everywhere one looks, there is an overabundance of visual stimulation.

Our dining table, a true feat of nautical craftsmanship -
anchored to the wall and suspended from the
ceiling by marine-grade chains.

As ever, my love for amazing light fixtures never wanes.
My favorite was this meteor lamp in a fish net.

The Big Kahuna

The best!
A tiki head illuminated inside a vintage,
 flower-bedecked gas pump

The most amazing thing about Bahooka is the amount of upkeep required to maintain the hundreds of fish tanks that fill the restaurant and surround each table.  The most famous fish in the aquarium that is Bahooka, is Ruffus.

Emily thought it was going to be like those old-timey lobster tanks
where you could choose your dinner.  She was inconsolable when
she realized she couldn't have Ruffus as her main course.

My favorite fish was this guys - dig those crazy fish lips!

To some it might seem ridiculous for the last remaining member of the Temperance Movement (not really) to drive forty minutes for a mediocre meal at a place famous for alcoholic drinks, but it is always a huge treat to visit Bahooka.  Such is the life of wacky tacky, searching out the delightful places that aren't so much frozen in time as they are a sweet respite from the worries and hurries of time.  

Bahooka
4501 N Rosemead Blvd
Rosemead, CA
(626)285-1241

www.bahooka.com


Cheers & Aloha!

Mr. Tiny

Tiki Time: Exotical

As much nostalgia as I have for the places that have, after years of return visits, become part of our wacky tacky repertoire, there is something so exciting about discovering and putting a "new" landmark on our map!  In fact, my favorite part about writing this blog is getting suggestions of cool places to visit from wacky tacky aficionados.  I love getting a tip, gassing up the wacky wagon, and hitting the road to explore!  When our pal told us about Exotical in Downey, CA, we could hardly wait to go on a tiki adventure.

It was just at the very end of last year, thanks to some good friends, that we found a gem among the greater Los Angeles landscape, the city of Downey.  You might have read our blog posts about the City of Downey's Rose Parade float and our grub session at Bob's Big Boy Broiler, but we just knew that we hadn't exhausted all of the fun that Downey had to offer.  In fact, just down the road from Bob's is Downey's answer to crystal blue waters of the tropics - Exotical Hawaiian Apparel (est. 1964).

Family owned and operated since day one, Exotical offers a bounty of Hawaiian shirts, MuuMuus, cabana sets, hats, leis, and plenty more Polynesian goods and apparel for the kanes and wahines in your life.  Beautiful music whisks patrons away to islands as they peruse rack upon rack of flowered shirts.  

We thought she couldn't get any taller!

A selection of children's cabana sets

If the canned music isn't enough, there is a whole shelf of ukuleles, an inherited collection of the owner, that can be tested out.  He said that he didn't have the patience to learn the instrument himself, but he loved hearing others play.  It didn't take Mary but a few moments to tune one up and start to strum.

You can see that she test drove more than one model.

And then continued her musical tour of the islands on the drums

Unsatisfied by instruments alone, here she is trying her
hand at poi balls.  Out of fear, I took this photo from
a distance.

The neatest part about Exotical is that there is dead stock Hawaiian clothing mixed among the new offerings.  When the owner saw us picking out some of the vintage stuff, he offered to take us to the storage room out back to look through some additional racks of clothing; we didn't have to think twice.  Of course, on the short walk back there, visions of Shaheen danced in our heads.  Well, there was a Shaheen...

...but it was a 70's/80's style that just wasn't quite
what we were looking for

Back inside the store, there was still so much to see.  Our favorite part of the decor was the dressing rooms.  The women's dressing rooms were styled after the architecture of Polynesian longhouses and each booth was upholstered in an animal print!  Exotical is such a luau for the eyes, that I forgot to get any pictures of me; don't be too downhearted.

The men's dressing room was not as inspired, but had
cool wall paper and a neat tiki lamp.

Because we are the closest point to Hawaii on the mainland, there is so much of the island lifestyle present in Southern California; sometimes, I think we're just "Waikiki East."  

I'm aware of the childishness, but when I see all these leis, I can't help but
think of a million "lei" jokes/puns.  I'll just stick with the Wayne's World
classic, "Come on you wanna lei me"...

One of my favorite representations of the island is my nephew.  Born on Oahu to my sister and my islander bra-in-law, with a middle name like Pomaika'i O'Kalani, there is no doubting his heritage.  We didn't buy much at Exotical during our visit, but we couldn't resist picking up a little something for our favorite "hapa haole."  

The living embodiment of the Hula Boy doll above, no?

Is it wrong to be jealous of a two year old?  He is everything I will never be - perpetually tan, curly of hair, and just so dang cute!!!  It seemed weird walking up to the checkout with a pink set, but this kid is the only person in our family who could pull it off.  Honestly, he would look cute in a paper sack!  On second thought, maybe I should have saved my money and just put him in a paper sack.

The "little grass shack" check stand

So, if you wanna go back to your little grass shack, but you can't afford the fare to Kealakekua, be sure to stop into Exotical to get your island fix.

Call me indecisive, but I really found it hard to pick a version of "My Little Grass Shack."

So here is Arthur Godfrey, Teresa Brewer, and The Andrews Sisters all singing the same tune.

Exotical

8136 Firestone Blvd.

Downey, CA

(562)869-0575

www.goexotical.com

Cheers & Aloha!

Mr. Tiny

Sew What?! Mary-mekko

My parents did a good job with our names (Mr. Tiny seems like a bit of an unconventional choice but when you see a beatific, little, infant male, "Mr. Tiny" starts making a whole lot of sense).  Mary in particular works with so many puns, plays-on-words, rhyming couplets, etc.  Not only that, but how many songs are written for and about "Mary" - answer, like a million.

"Mary's A Grand Old Name" - Tom Burke

"Mary, Mary" - The Monkees

"Mary, Mary" Run DMC

Along the way in my highly-sordid and meandering career path, I worked for a large retailer that had a unique relationship with the Finnish fabric manufacturer, Marimekko.  For those unfamiliar with the company, Marimekko was founded in 1949 as a maker of oilcloth.  The company switched gears rather quickly and really took off when the fabric designs (heavily influenced by a mid-century Scandinavian aesthetic) were printed on sturdy cotton and turned into a small line of dresses and skirts.

A sample of early Marimekko apparel from the book,
Marimekko, by Marianne Aav
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Designer, Maija Isola's  Unikko by Marimekko
This iconic floral is probably their most
 well-known (and imitated) design.

Marimekko's international popularity blossomed in the 1960's when their oversized, mod patterns

became part of the American domestic landscape with table linens, dishes, decorator fabric, clothing, and even toys.

I love this one!

 Other Marimekko prints

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I guess that all of this information is the most circuitous and roundabout method of telling you about "Mary-mekko," the Marimekko outfit I made for Mary.  Last weekend we took part in a top secret mission that "required" a new outfit for Mary.  All I can say is that there was a VERY loose theme - 50's, tiki, pool party.

Once upon a time, when I worked for the aforementioned
retailer, we used my favorite of all Marimekko prints,
1960's "Tulipunainen" by designer, Maija Isola.
  This fabric was printed in many colorways, and when
it became available for employee purchase,
I bought yards and yards and yards of each color. 

To be perfectly forthright, I have never used purple much in my designs; it is one color that just doesn't appeal to me as much as the rest of the spectrum.  Thusly, this particular length of material had languished at the bottom of my fabric hoardings for many years.  The tonal purples (none of them a rich, bright purple) and the awesome print, however, made this material a definite winner in my book.  Moreover, I knew (in the sick way that hoarders are always able rationalize their behavior) that this fabric would one day come in handy and make the perfect outfit.

   

Inspired by a top that was recently made by my friend
 Lauren at Wearing History, another pattern that I altered to
make her a top for VLV, and the very brief period
of time I was alloted to accomplish this project
(about 5 hours), this is the "Finnish-ed" product -
a ruffled, crop top and a gathered skirt.

I had to laugh at the outcome because I made it out of Scandinavian fabric designed in the 60's, for a 50's-themed Polynesian party, and the result was a little Mexican folky. Unlike the rest of the clothes I make for her, this one was actually pretty quick and simple (as they relate to my middling ability to sew) and she swore that she'd actually wear it again!

Unfortunately, we were in a rush on the day of the secret mission,
and I wasn't sure if cameras were allowed, so I didn't get pictures
of her outfit until long after dark at which time it had become
apparent that my jokes had lost all of their potency.
This is the face of low tolerance.

She carried a large, vintage rattan basket purse that I threw
a fabric medallion/flower adornment on right before we walked
out the door.

Not knowing whether she should say, "Hei,""Aloha," or "Buenos Dias,"
Mary added a hothouse full of orchids to her hair and loaded her arms down
with all of her bamboo bangles to up the tiki ante.  Would you believe
that her bamboo earrings were crafted that morning out of napkin rings?
  Well, believe it!

When the time comes, I'll be able to show & tell a little bit more about our secret mission.  Until then, Mahalo from wacky tacky!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny