Tiki Treasures & Polynesian Pinups II

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , ,

Tiki Treasures & Polynesian Pinups

Just a few months late on this one, but I wanted to post a few pics from this summer’s Tiki Treasures & Polynesian Pinups II event at Bahooka… I wish I knew how to do my hair rockabilly-style like these ladies.

Kimo on steel guitar

Sadly, we couldn’t stay too long to hear all the musicians lined up, but we did catch a set from Kimo on steel guitar.

Tiki torch mugs from Go Tiki

Several vendors and artists set up tables for their wares, Go Tiki among them. I love the cleverness of their tiki torch mugs, so realistic!

Nelson's Tiki Hut
Nelson’s Tiki Hut also had some great stuff—I scored an awesome handmade tiki frame decorated with netting and tiny glass fish floats.

Nelson's Tiki Hut frames

Mine’s the one in the middle (photo from Nelson’s Tiki Hut). In keeping with our tiki/baseball mashup, I put in it a photo of Mr. Baseball and I on the field at Dodger Stadium a summer or so ago.

Bahooka's Gold Cup

I was sipping on a Gold Cup ($6.50), which is billed as “rum, sugar and a touch of almond flavor,” but I mostly recall it tasting like pineapple juice. I would get it again, but there are so many other drinks to try!

Lanterns at Bahooka

WaiTiki Restaurant – Orlando, FL

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with , ,

WaiTiki signage

Before you think I’ve actually moved to Florida, I’m finally wrapping up this trip. After working up an appetite mini-golfing at Tiki Island Adventure Golf, we stopped for lunch at WaiTiki on the way to the airport.

Inside Waitiki Bar in OrlandoThis awesome tiki establishment is nestled in downtown Orlando’s Wall Street Plaza, a pedestrians-only stretch of bars and restaurants.

Corner booth

I can imagine it can get pretty fratty in here, but at the hour we were there I’m sure that crowd was still nursing last night’s pina-colada-induced hangovers.

Glass floats and thatch decorating WaiTiki
I love the look of it, with all the bamboo, glass floats, thatched huts, Mai Tiki pieces and nouveau tiki art. Not too many folks were there when we first arrived, but it filled up as the afternoon wore on.

Mr. Bali Hai & Shag art
In case you hadn’t caught on after reading this post, this post or this post…I really dig Shag. (Also, note the rendition of Mr. Bali Hai in all his heavy-lidded, bone-through-the-nose glory on the left.)

Can never have too much Shag
Unfortunately, I neglected to consult my trusty “Tiki Road Trip” guide again before I visited and thus forgot to check out the Monkey Bar upstairs. No worries, though, since I’ll definitely head to WaiTiki again the next time I’m in the area.

Tidal Wave cocktail

Now, on to the libations. This blue beast was a Tidal Wave, which according to their drink board was made with Bacardi Coco, amaretto, a “splash of blue” (curacao, I would imagine) and pineapple juice. I vaguely recall it being good, but there was so much ice that it got watery at the end.

French toast

They had a Sunday brunch menu so I had to go with french toast, though I kind of regretted that when I tried…

Babe's Nightmare
…the super-flavorful “Polynesian-style” pulled pork sandwich ($7.99) that Mama Tiki Chick ordered. All the dishes had creative names like Babe’s Nightmare (above), London Underground and Bourbon Street Hangover, so you’re sort of forced to read the entire menu and descriptions to figure out what you want. But I do that anyway so I didn’t mind. 🙂

Patio of Waitiki Retro Tiki Lounge
They also had a nice outdoor patio with thatched umbrellas and a few ceiling fans to beat the heat, but then you’d miss out on all the tiki-ness!

WaiTiki
Waitiki Retro Tiki Lounge
Wall Street Plaza
19 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
407-481-1199

Waitiki Retro Tiki Lounge on Urbanspoon