Alphie’s Restaurant – Goleta, CA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Alphie's, Goleta, restaurant review, Restaurants, Santa Barbara, Tiki February 4, 2013

Even though I went to college just a few miles away from Alphie’s, I must admit I’d never heard of this restaurant until I read James Teitelbaum’s guide Tiki Road Trip.

This family-run diner in Goleta, about a 15-minute drive north of Santa Barbara, has been around for decades (since 1957). It has a bit of a Polynesian look to it, starting with these Maori-style carvings around the door and surrounding the support beams inside.

On the right when you first walk in there’s a counter that looks into the kitchen (note the giant tiki fork and spoon mounted on the wallpaper border). Maroon vinyl booths run the length of the dining room and there are also some round tables. In the back there’s another dining room with a large outrigger overhead and a live music setup. Apparently the owner plays a mean jazz organ.

The walls are white, but most of them are half covered in lauhala matting trimmed with bamboo. They’re accented with tapa cloth, paddles and tikis that range from Asian imports to large, rough-looking carvings to Oceanic Arts wares.

Probably the strangest (or most awesome, depending on your point of view) part of the decor is the arrangement of, uh, interesting wildlife photos.

There is no lack of choices on the menu, from pancakes and cream cheese stuffed french toast to huevos rancheros to hamburgers and deli sandwiches. Some of the omelets and frittatas have Hawaiian names like Kahuna and Wahine, but the only island influence in the food seemed to be including linguica (Portuguese sausage) as a filling.

I went for the Beachcomber ($8.25) — their version of eggs Benedict “smothered with our blended cheese sauce,” a description that was deliciously accurate. The “ranch cut potatoes” were a perfect vehicle for soaking up the extra sauce.

Most of the egg dishes come with their famous biscuits and gravy, but mine did not so we ordered them as a side. I couldn’t help stuffing myself silly with all that tasty salty food.

If you’re inspired to take a little detour off the 101, keep in mind this is a breakfast and lunch spot and it’s only open until 2 p.m. Early risers, on the other hand, will appreciate that they open their doors at 6 a.m. every day.

Alphie’s is a good spot for greasy spoon grub that will help cure a hangover. You know, it really is too bad I didn’t know about this place back when I was at UC Santa Barbara…

Alphie’s
5725 Hollister Ave.
Goleta, CA 93117
805-683-1202

Lamenting the Short-Lived Lani Kai in New York

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Lani Kai, New York, restaurant review, Restaurants, Tiki, Tiki Bars January 3, 2013

Sadly, 2012 saw the closing of several tiki bars, including the Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, Hong Kong Inn in Ventura, Okolemaluna Tiki Lounge in Hawaii, Trader Vic’s Palo Alto, and Lani Kai in New York. I visited the latter before it closed in September, so here’s a tribute to one of the Polynesian-style places we lost last year.

Julie Reiner (Flatiron Lounge, Clover Club) opened Lani Kai in October 2010, naming it after an Oahu beach she frequented while growing up in Hawaii. On the bar’s web site, she stated: “My favorite drinks are the Manhattan and the Mai Tai, and I have always wanted to create a destination that blends the two places I call home.”

In interviews she made sure to clarify that Lani Kai was not a tiki bar but a “modern tropical” cocktail lounge with more minimalist décor — and indeed there were no tikis, thatch or bamboo to be found. Rather, the dimly lit dining area featured whitewashed brick walls with boxes of tropical plants and orchids, a bar in the back with a wooden trellis above, and an impressive capiz shell chandelier suspended over the stairwell.

Downstairs was the lounge area with red banquettes, simple wooden tables and chairs, bamboo wallpaper, hanging ferns and a stone fireplace, plus another bar.

The menu was pretty brief and seemed to offer mostly small plates. We composed our own pupu platter with awesome bacon-wrapped shrimp and crab rangoon, along with huli huli yakitori (chicken skewers), char siu baby back ribs, and chicken wings with basil dipping sauce.

We also put away a few of the pork belly buns (though not enough, apparently, to spare me from a hangover the next day after we continued the evening at PKNY).

I wanted to try a straightforward tiki drink so I opted for the Kamehameha Rum Punch ($13, Nicaraguan and dark Jamaican rums, lemon, fresh pineapple juice, grenadine and crème de mure), based on a 1960s recipe from the Hotel King Kamehameha, while Mr. Baseball’s drink was made with whisky and absinthe. Both were perfectly balanced and exactly what I’d expect from a high-quality establishment, though in hindsight I wish I’d gone for one of the creative concoctions made with tea-infused spirits, lemongrass, lychee or jalapeno syrups.

So this brings me to another resolution we all should make for 2013 — support your local (and not so local) tiki bars!

Tahiti Nui – Hanalei, Kauai, HI

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with George Clooney, Hanalei, hawaii, Kauai, restaurant review, Restaurants, Tahiti Nui, The Descendants, Travel September 24, 2012

Tahiti Nui Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge in Hanalei has the distinction of being, to my knowledge, the only tiki bar on the North Shore of Kauai. (Although, that’s about to change with the opening of Tiki Iniki in Princeville… Sounds like I need to book another trip!)

Tahiti Nui was opened in 1964 by Louise and Bruce T. Marston, who met in Tahiti while Bruce was serving in the U.S. Air Force. A native of the French Polynesian island Tubuai, “Auntie Louise” could trace her lineage back to Tahitian royalty. Their son, Christian, now owns “da Nui.”

Patrons can choose to sit outside on the shaded lanai or inside where the space is divided between tables and the bar. (Check out those tiki bar stools!) Colorful round lights, reminiscent of fish floats, give off a nice glow and the walls are covered with lauhala matting, tapa cloth and bamboo, plus many photographs of the founding matriarch.

Tahiti Nui has long been a popular local spot, but it has recently gained lots of tourist attention when it appeared in the movie “The Descendants” along with other Kauai filming locations like the St. Regis Princeville and Hanalei Bay.

It’s featured in the scene where George Clooney’s character meets up at a bar with one of his cousins (played by Beau Bridges). If you want to follow in his silver fox footsteps, snag a seat at the bar behind the beer taps or head to the corner of the dining room with this black-and-white-photo of Louise above, which is where his character went to join his daughters for lunch.

The restaurant hosts a luau on Wednesday nights ($75 for adults) in a separate building with food, musicians, hula dancers and free Mai Tais for the first hour. The Mai Tai ($7.50) is pretty much the only tiki drink the Tahiti Nui serves — it’s made from their 50-year-old recipe with pineapple juice, rum and a dash of guava, lilikoi and other tropical fruits.

My dining companions hadn’t been expecting much from the food, judging by the humble surroundings. But everyone was pleasantly surprised, particularly by the macadamia nut- and panko-crusted ono with coconut-lime sauce.

Another great dish was the ginger, garlic and cilantro baby back ribs. The meat was tender and fell off the bone, and the thick sauce had a little kick to it.

The pizzas listed on the menu are prepared at neighboring Tiki Man Pizza. We were warned that since our orders were going to two different kitchens that our food would not arrive together. The pies were the last to make it to the table, but they were definitely worth the wait — the toppings were fresh and flavorful, and the buttery crust put it over the top. It was difficult to decide which to get, so I was glad to hear they could do half and half. Our server said a popular choice was the #3 Huli Huli Chicken with red onions and cilantro, and it was much better than your average barbecue chicken pizza. I was also crazy about the combination of pineapple and kalua pork on #5 Da Hui.

Traditional Hawaiian music is usually performed during dinner every night starting at 6:30, and then around 9 p.m. the kitchen closes, the lights are turned way down, and local bands take the small stage to play classic rock.

I had wanted to buy one of the Tahiti Nui tank tops ($20) they have tacked up on the wall, but at the time they only had the men’s style black t-shirts (the kind the servers wear). They said they’d be getting more in a day or two, but that hadn’t happened by the end of the week when we left Kauai. Chalk it up to “island time,” I guess.

There are other restaurants on Kauai that play up the tropical setting, like Keoki’s and Duke’s, but Tahiti Nui truly offers the experience of a cozy tiki bar, and with good food and drinks, too. If you have more time in Hanalei, be sure to check out Havaiki Oceanic & Tribal Art.

Tahiti Nui
5-5134 Kuhio Hwy.
Hanalei, Kauai, HI 96714
808-826-6277

The Tiki Chick

A California girl chronicling modern tiki culture

Tag Archives: restaurant review

Alphie’s Restaurant – Goleta, CA

Lamenting the Short-Lived Lani Kai in New York

Tahiti Nui – Hanalei, Kauai, HI