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Ports O' Call, Dallas, TX (restaurant) |
bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10599
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
|  Posted: 2008-10-24 1:19 pm Permalink
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On 2008-10-24 12:35, mochaloca wrote:
I'm new here, so not sure if this is appropriate- just let me know- but my family lived in Dallas during the 70s. Port's o' Call was one of my father's favorite places, and where I first heard of "surf and turf". I only ate there once - my high school boyfriend took me to the Singapore room when he announced his appointment to the Naval Academy. The main thing I remember is that the place was freezing, and the boyfriend wasn't allowed to take off his suit jacket for me to wear. Instead, they loaned me one of the jackets they had for the men who didn't meet the dress code - I wasn't that thrilled. This was in 1973.
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I think any eyewitness anecdotes about long gone Tiki palaces are very relevant, this one in particular pointing out the divide between the young generation and the "establishment" back then, which eventually was the death stab of fine "theme" dining places like these. They probably would not have let me past the door even because of my shoulder-long hair back then....
Well, maybe if I would've tried to pass as a girl  . Tiki and trying to be 'hip" were two opposing worlds back then.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2008-10-29 12:02 am Permalink
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On 2008-10-06 12:56, Dustycajun wrote:
I saw this photo on ebay with a great shot of a woman dining at the Papeete Room at the Ports O Call in Dallas.
Here is the photo
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Here is the Mr. to go along with the Ms. Looks like a prom date!
Your right Sven, judging by these photos, I think you would have had to gone as the girl to get your skinny ass in there! Nice DJ photo hipster.
DC
[ This Message was edited by: Dustycajun 2008-10-29 00:06 ]
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2008-12-19 05:51 am Permalink
Article in todays Dallas Morning News about the 90 million dollar renovation being done at the Dallas Sheraton:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-sheraton_19bus.ART0.State.Edition1.4abff3f.html
"The hotel's fitness center will get much bigger, and the 38th-floor restaurant – formerly the Chaparral Club – will be revamped.
"It's being totally redone as a 4,000-square-foot-plus catering venue," Mr. Hammer said.
There's even talk of reviving the central tower's top-floor space, once used for a signature restaurant – Ports of Call – and an observation deck. Now the owners are considering everything from a nighttime venue to a spa, Mr. Hammer said.
Please, not a spa. How about a four-dining-room-themed restaurant?
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Unkle John
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 1216
From: Middle-of-the-Ocean, TX
| Posted: 2008-12-19 09:36 am Permalink
Maybe you could show them the success of TV.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10599
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2009-01-22 1:03 pm Permalink
Found this postcard of the rendering of the tower recently, I thought it really brings out the contrast between this ultra modern box, and the elaborately decorated and themed rooms of the Ports of Call:
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1542
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2009-05-31 4:09 pm Permalink
Postcard for the Macao Room. Gotta love the exotic description.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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Nikko
Member
Joined: Sep 03, 2009
Posts: 4 | Posted: 2009-09-03 4:02 pm Permalink
Hey all, first poster tiki noob here!
But all this talk of the Ports O Call has brought me to yall! Anyways, my folks got engaged there back in 1976. Have a napkin, matchbook, swizzle stick........and oh yeah I got a couple of mugs from there too. B)
I was reading this post and called to chat with mom and she told me that the tiki mugs she gave me long ago were from there. I opened up the cabinet and bang!
She assures me they are from Dallas as she has never even been to Chicago or Boston.
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2009-09-03 4:24 pm Permalink
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On 2009-09-03 16:02, Nikko wrote: m
She assures me they are from Dallas as she has never even been to Chicago or Boston.
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Welcome to TC Nikko!
Interesting factoid there, as we've been wondering if Ports used tiki mugs and if so did they say "Ports O' Call" on them. Someone found a menu that says "tiki mugs available at the bar" but we could never figure out which mugs they were. Perhaps now we have our answer. Kon Tiki Ports was the name given to other Steve Crane owned locations that were nearly identical to Ports O' Call in Dallas.
Post some pics of your other Ports O' Call swag when you have the time!
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2677
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2009-09-03 4:25 pm Permalink
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On 2008-10-24 13:19, bigbrotiki wrote:
Quote:
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On 2008-10-24 12:35, mochaloca wrote:
I'm new here, so not sure if this is appropriate- just let me know- but my family lived in Dallas during the 70s. Port's o' Call was one of my father's favorite places, and where I first heard of "surf and turf". I only ate there once - my high school boyfriend took me to the Singapore room when he announced his appointment to the Naval Academy. The main thing I remember is that the place was freezing, and the boyfriend wasn't allowed to take off his suit jacket for me to wear. Instead, they loaned me one of the jackets they had for the men who didn't meet the dress code - I wasn't that thrilled. This was in 1973.
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I think any eyewitness anecdotes about long gone Tiki palaces are very relevant, this one in particular pointing out the divide between the young generation and the "establishment" back then, which eventually was the death stab of fine "theme" dining places like these. They probably would not have let me past the door even because of my shoulder-long hair back then....
Well, maybe if I would've tried to pass as a girl . Tiki and trying to be 'hip" were two opposing worlds back then.
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Holy Crap, is that YOU ?
_________________
http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com
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Nikko
Member
Joined: Sep 03, 2009
Posts: 4 | Posted: 2009-09-04 1:25 pm Permalink
Ok so here are a couple more pics. Turns out that you could get more than one type of mug at the bar I suppose. Stopped by my mother's on the way home today and she told me these were from the Ports also. She said they got them on a different trip to the restaurant.
Here are scans of the matchbook I borrowed from mom's scrapbook. Was able to get the 30 year old tape off without destroying it.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2010-08-04 10:48 pm Permalink
Kenike,
Sorry to have missed you when we were out your way this summer.
Came across this photo of Stephen Crane and figured this had to be from the Dallas location.
DC
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2010-08-05 08:47 am Permalink
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On 2010-08-04 22:48, Dustycajun wrote:
Kenike,
Sorry to have missed you when we were out your way this summer.
Came across this photo of Stephen Crane and figured this had to be from the Dallas location.
DC
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Wow...this is the first pic I've seen that shows some of the entry into one of the dining rooms. They're standing at the entrance of the Singapore Yacht Club. She appears to be holding the top of the handrail that can be seen in this postcard:
Thanks for posting this...great pic of Steve the Ladies Man. Any idea who the woman is?
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2010-08-06 12:37 am Permalink
Kenike,
I knew you would spot that photo as Dallas.
I'm pretty sure the women with Crane is his (third?) wife, Martine Carol.
He was the Ladies Man!
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-01-14 6:29 pm Permalink
The Ports o Call in Dallas had the very cool Clipper Ship White Cloud theme that was advertised in this brochure...
I grabbed some web images showing the early construction phase of the White Cloud.
Including this one showing Steve Crane christening of the ship herself.
How cool is that!
DC
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2011-01-15 06:48 am Permalink
Definitely cool..thanks for posting!
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