Brunch at Psycho Suzi’s – Minneapolis

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with Brunch, Minneapolis, Psycho Suzi's, Restaurants, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Travel April 30, 2013

While I love that some tiki bars (like the Tiki-Ti in LA and Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale) are like time capsules, staying pretty much the same for decades on end, I’m also impressed by the (relative) newcomers that are continually evolving and upping their game. Psycho Suzi’s in Minneapolis definitely falls in that category.

As I outlined in a previous post, a few years ago Psycho Suzi’s outgrew its original location and moved into this huge space with a riverfront patio for when the Midwestern winters let up. Last month they expanded their alfresco square-footage with a balcony patio. However, it’s part of the Shangri-La Cocktail Lounge upstairs, so it’s only accessible on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. on.

Another new addition I noticed since our last trip was this photo booth decked out like a tiki hut. The opening that spits out the photos is cleverly framed by the mouth of a tiki mask with red glowing eyes.

We paid a visit to Psycho Suzi’s this past weekend, but we chose to sit inside to soak up the atmosphere instead of the sunshine. (It’s a luxury we can afford thanks to living in Southern California.)

We were dining during brunch hours (Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) so there were omelets, waffles, skillets and breakfast pizzas in addition to the regular menu, plus a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar ($7.95).

I’m a fan of Psycho Suzi’s comfort food with a twist, and brunch keeps that theme going with dishes like The Mercury Breakfast Pizza ($8.95), a thin-crust pie with a quiche-like layer of eggs, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and hollandaise sauce, topped with Canadian bacon and caramelized onions. It’s highlighted as one of their signature menu items and I can vouch for its goodness.

Even better was the Biscayne Biscuits ($9.95), the unholy (but amazing) offspring of eggs Benedict and biscuits and gravy. Two biscuits were topped with a sausage patty and poached egg, then covered with creamy housemade sausage gravy. My dining companion generously shared but next time I’ll be sure to get my own plate.

My brother opted for the Chocolate Chip Waffle ($5.95) topped with shavings of Ghirardelli chocolate. He’s a big guy with an appetite to match so I initially thought this might not be enough, but he ended up leaving a few bites behind so it must have been satisfying.

You have to admire a tiki bar where you can have your fill of rum one night, then come back the next morning for brunch to cure your hangover!

Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
1900 Marshall St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418
612-788-9069

PKNY (Painkiller) – New York, NY

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Bar & Restaurant Reviews and tagged with New York, NYC, Painkiller, PKNY, Tiki, Tiki Bars, Travel April 15, 2013

The craft cocktail craze of the last several years has spawned a slew of new tiki bars seeking to carry on the traditions of mixology masters like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic. Last summer we visited a few newcomers in New York, including PKNY and the now-shuttered Lani Kai.

Opened in May 2010, PKNY is a project from Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato of Dutch Kills bar in Queens. It was originally named Painkiller but they were soon faced with a lawsuit from Pusser’s Rum, who trademarked the cocktail of the same name (which they did not even invent).

There’s no official sign, so look out for the blue door declaring “Tiki Bar” in bamboo letters. Then you’ll descend a few steps into the bar area. Beyond that, there are leopard-print booths (seating two, four or more) lining both sides of the long, narrow space. (It’s normally quite dark so you wouldn’t take as much notice of the cheap tiki masks on the bamboo-covered walls.)

The decor merges tiki’s romanticized vision of the South Seas with the owners’ nostalgia for the grit of New York’s Lower East Side in the 1970s — hence you have this graffiti art take on the sailors and Polynesian beauties from the cover of the menus at Trader Vic’s. My boyfriend got a kick out of the signed headshot (boobshot?) of porn star Marilyn Chambers on the wall. Meanwhile, the tiki tunes ranged from exotica (Les Baxter) to surf (The Ventures) to Andy Williams “House of Bamboo.” Good stuff.

I was admittedly overwhelmed trying to socialize while browsing the menu of 100-plus cocktails, including swizzles, frozen drinks and several variations each of the Mai Tai, Planter’s Punch, Zombie and more. (The menu is now on their web site so you can study up beforehand.) There are original creations as well as classic tiki cocktails based on the recipes uncovered by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, who heartily endorsed PKNY’s versions. Housemade coconut cream helps elevate poolside libations like the Lava Flow ($16), a strawberry banana pina colada our server said was a staff favorite. We also sampled the signature “PK” ($12) aka Painkiller ($14 with Pusser’s) made with Virgin Islands rum, coconut cream, fresh pineapple and orange juices, and nutmeg. It was good, of course, but it was gone in a couple sips because of the copious amount of crushed ice.

For round two I went for one of the Scorpion Bowls (available in three sizes: for one, two or four). The Pahoehoe ($16) was a tart, puckerface-inducing concoction of silver rum, passion fruit, lime and housemade grenadine.

It was recently rumored that PKNY may move in July to the East Village with a new name and perhaps a food menu, so now’s your chance to check out its current incarnation. Every night there’s the Pau Hana happy hour from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. with half a dozen $9 drinks and a $39 Trader Vic’s 1946 Scorpion Bowl. And on Tuesdays, DJs Jack Fetterman and Gina of the Jungle present “Primativa in Hi-Fi.”

UPDATE: PKNY closed in July 2013.

PKNY
49 Essex St.
New York, NY 10002

Saying Goodbye to Bahooka

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Other Tiki Topics and tagged with Bahooka, Bahooka closed, Los Angeles, Restaurants, Rosemead, Tiki, Tiki Bars March 14, 2013

It’s always a bummer when tiki bars shut down, but hearing last month that Bahooka would be closing was a particularly tough blow (as you might have been able to tell from all my tweets on the subject).

It was such a unique place with its mazelike corridors and intimate booths surrounded by fish tanks. (See my previous review for more photos of their nautical style.)

The owners said they wanted to sell due to an illness in the family and wanting to retire. Word on the street is the space is going to be turned into a new restaurant, which would be better than a parking lot as was also rumored. The fish tanks are supposed to stay but the tiki stuff is going. The Bahooka owners are also keeping the rights to the name with the intent to start selling their signature salad dressing. (UPDATE: The building’s fate is apparently in limbo again…)

Bahooka had long been a special occasion spot for local families, and they turned out in full force to say farewell. The response was so great that the restaurant stopped taking reservations a few days after announcing the closing. I snagged one for Saturday, March 9th, the night before they were supposed to officially close. (Although they ended up deciding not to re-open the next day.)

These fellows donned their best “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” attire to pay tribute to Bahooka’s cameo in the movie. Probably not a coincidence that they were standing next to the framed film stills of Johnny Depp.

As the kitchen was running through the last of the food supplies, they were serving a limited menu of sandwiches, teriyaki chicken, fried shrimp and ribs. (Glad I got my fill of crab puffs and stuffed shrimp on a previous visit.) But more importantly, all their cocktails were still available so we shared a couple of Honey Bowls.

They’ve been selling off bits and pieces of the decor for the past couple weeks, but I’ve heard the big stuff will be sold in a yard sale on March 17th. The details are supposed to be announced on Bahooka’s Facebook page. (UPDATE: Andrew Meieran purchased many of the iconic items for his upcoming relaunch of Clifton’s Cafeteria. Los Angeles magazine has more on the story.)

By the entrance they had a table where they were selling those glowing tikis in the photo above ($75 & $100), wine glasses ($2), drinking goblets ($5) and this 46-year-old paiting ($100), which Mr. Baseball saw somebody later purchase.

Behind them was a pile of plastic parrots waiting to be adopted into new homes for $20 each.

Some tiki artists were inspired to create commemorative items for Bahooka’s closing, like these tiki pendants ($40) made by Tiki Al. “Goodbye Bahooka – 2013” was written on the back.

Also on offer were postcards featuring Eric October‘s drawing “Last Bowl at Bahooka.” I love how it captures so many iconic things about Bahooka, including tikis based on ones in the restaurant, bucket lamps, parrots, a chain running through the table, and of course Ruffus noshing on a carrot.

I couldn’t resist giving a goodbye kiss to that famous fishy face. Here’s hoping our currents cross again someday…

The Tiki Chick

A California girl chronicling modern tiki culture

Tag Archives: Tiki Bars

Brunch at Psycho Suzi’s – Minneapolis

PKNY (Painkiller) – New York, NY

Saying Goodbye to Bahooka