Tag Archives: Tiki Mugs

Bali Hai Restaurant – San Diego, CA

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

The Goof on top of Bali Hai Restaurant

After our quick stop at Trader Mort’s Liquor, we went to have dinner at Bali Hai on Shelter Island. The restaurant is more than fifty years old and seems to indirectly owe its origins to Clark Gable, a definite plus in my book. (That disembodied head on top of the roof is known as “The Goof.”)

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We still had some extra time, so we took a little stroll around the garden and grounds. I didn’t find the hidden tiki mentioned in their gallery, but we did find these dudes guarding the dock.

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Mr. Baseball poses in front of the sign. I think one of my favorite things about him has got to be his maturity…

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As you enter you’ll see Mr. Bali Hai, the very distinctive headhunter-esque mascot of the restaurant. He’s a face you won’t soon forget!

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Inside were lots of fun things to look at, as well as a gift shop that was closed during our visit.

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Our dinner coincided with a high school prom and SDSU’s graduation, so the dining room was filled with families and kids in unfashionable formalwear. There also seemed to be a family reunion going on on the lower level of the restaurant.

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Good for Bali Hai for still packing ’em in during a recession!

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I have to admit that when I first saw Mr. Bali Hai, I thought he was pretty ugly. Of course, as I grew in tiki knowledge I began to appreciate his history. The tart Mr. Bali Hai drink ($15.50 and ya keep the mug) was made with light rum, pineapple juice, blackberry, sour mix and Lemon Hart 151.

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I ordered the “Chicken of the Gods” ($17)—breaded chicken in orange cream sauce, which was just ok, but I was already full from eating our starters of clam chowder and salad. I actually liked both of those more than the mains. Our server had said that the house dressing was pretty tasty, and he was right.

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Mr. Baseball had the beef and pea pods ($17) that were “combined to create a mouth watering delicacy on thin noodles.” At work, I pretty much read menus all day, every day, and most places don’t really use that kind of hyperbolic language anymore, so I found it amusing. Especially since the dish was kind of bland…

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Bali Hai is certainly worth a visit. The view is quite lovely and now I’ll know next time to just go for the spiciest-sounding thing on the menu.

Bali Hai Restaurant
2230 Shelter Island Dr.
San Diego, CA 92106
619-222-1181

Note: Bali Hai underwent extensive renovations and re-opened in April 2010. Stay tuned for a revisit to check out their new look and menu!

Bali Hai on Urbanspoon

Cheeseburger Las Vegas

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

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On our last day in Sin City, Mr. Baseball and I had lunch at Cheeseburger Las Vegas in the Miracle Mile Shops. Wouldn’t normally be my first choice for food, but you’ll see why we visited in a moment. I do dig that neon sign, though.

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Some of my favorite parts of Vegas are the most Disney-esque, like interiors that are made to look like exteriors! I also like how Planet Hollywood seemed to have gotten lazy with their renovation and just left the Aladdin influences the farther you venture into the old Oasis shops. Anyway, that was our view from the “patio” of Cheeseburger.

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The “Mai Tai Bar,” as the sign labeled it, in the middle of the restaurant. Hmm, why not just call it a tiki bar?

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On our table was a plastic pineapple mug they were trying to pawn off, but I asked for this little dude instead. Ain’t he cute? (Tiki Farm, natch.) The mai tai he was filled with was not too shabby in my amateur opinion, though each sip was alternately either super sweet or alcoholic.

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Does this look like a “five-napkin” burger to you? I didn’t think so. Indeed, Mr. Baseball’s beloved Oldtimer burger from Chili’s is superior. Also, thumbs down for charging extra for fries.

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The walls are chock full of tchotchkes, but the vibe is a little odd because it’s a hodge podge of Hawaiian, Asian, Indian and other cultures, plus some tikis and cheeseburger paraphernalia.

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It seems to be a common misconception that this restaurant is part of the Cheeseburger in Paradise chain (owned by the odious—to tikiphiles, anyway—Jimmy Buffett). Au contraire! It’s confusing, though because the owners did open a few restaurants under that name in Hawaii, but Buffett sued them so they had to go with something different with the ones on the mainland.

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Cheeseburger Las Vegas
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-735-8600

Cheeseburger at the Oasis on Urbanspoon

EDITOR’S NOTE: CHEESEBURGER LAS VEGAS HAS SINCE CLOSED

From Muay Thai to Mai Tais

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

Last weekend, Curiouslaydee and I went to the Songkran Thai New Year festival in Hollywood. We drank Singha beer on empty stomachs, gorged ourselves on food from Jitlada and then watched some Muay Thai fighting before we fled the hot sun to sip Mai Tais at the Tiki Mugs book signing at 8-Ball.

Now, you might be asking yourself—Didn’t I just go to a Tiki Mugs book signing? Well, yes. Yes, I did. But this one was different because artists Crazy Al, Tiki Tony, Tiki Diablo and Squid had merch set-ups for their wares. And I mentioned the free Mai Tais, right?

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The centerpiece was “The Collector,” a carved tiki by Crazy Al. I dig the fleur-de-pineapp-lys nose.

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Squid’s excellent “Uncle Shrunkle” bowl. You lift the top of its head and put the straws in the brains! (Photo credit: Curiouslaydee)

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I also really loved Crazy Al’s Kona Club mugs.

This repeat trip to 8-Ball also gave me the opportunity to pick up a few more random gifts for some folks. And I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of new stuff among what I’d seen before. Those who weighed in on the telephone vs. the bed purse may be saddened to know that they both seemed to be sold out. But take heart, as I did end up with a very cool purse that day. Stay tuned…