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New Luau in Beverly Hills? |
Crowntiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
Posts: 23
From: Crowntown, USA
|  Posted: 2008-01-17 11:15 am Permalink
From EaterLA: "BEVERLY HILLS: A reader sent this snap proving that Colors on Bedford is finally and 100% defunct. Moving in: The Luau Restaurant. Interesting name choice considering one of LA's early classics was The Luau on Rodeo Drive (1954-1978 according to LA Time Machines), owned by Steve Crane, one of Lana Turner's husbands. Obviously not the same owners, but similar concept? We can't wait to hear"... http://la.eater.com/ .... Anyone have any info on this? Pretty ballzzzzy to use the name, even decades later in Beverly Hills... LA.EATER JUST ADDED THIS INFO: "Jay Weston, who writes Jay Weston's Restaurant Newsletter, spills some dirt about Luau in Beverly Hills: "Owner is Andy Hewitt of Il Sole, Chef is Mako of Mako’s on S. Beverly Drive and Loree Rodkin is doing the design…should be fabulous".... It doesn't sound very tiki, and will probably just be a haunt for pseudocelebs to drink $18 cinnamon infused-rum coladas but if Mako is doing the food (I'd love to see his take on Hawaiian / Polynesian cuisine), it should at least be great eats - but no doubt insanely pricey...
[ This Message was edited by: Crowntiki 2008-01-17 14:03 ]
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icebaer69
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 03, 2007
Posts: 191 | Posted: 2008-01-17 12:51 pm Permalink
good site with many links to interesting
(and sometimes sad) stories:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ambassador16jan16,1,3406872.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10558
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-17 1:49 pm Permalink
I am not holding my breath. So far, when classic Polynesian pop names were acquired, the realization of the concept was anything but classic. My question: Why bother getting the name in the first place?
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2008-01-17 2:21 pm Permalink
I did a little Googling and found this -
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW
11. 369 North Bedford
LUAU RESTAURANT
Façade Remodel, New Signage, and Outdoor
Furniture
Preliminarily Approved with Conditions; 6-0.
CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION SYNOPSIS
I'm prepared to be disappointed.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10558
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-01-17 2:46 pm Permalink
Cool, now we have the address and can watch what develops. Who would be a good Tiki agent in the area?:
>>ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW
369 North Bedford
LUAU RESTAURANT
Façade Remodel, New Signage, and Outdoor Furniture
(PL 076 5219)
Preliminarily Approved with Conditions; 6-0. <<
Outdoor furniture? I see another Vegas Trader Vic's in the making...OR even more to the point, a nouveaux Beverly Hills Trader Vic's style competitor to that one -just like in the old days, when Steve sent Gabe to spy on Vic!
What the permit SHOULD ask for is things like "...bridge over waterfall-fed moat, flanked by open-flame gas torches..". 
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-01-17 14:48 ]
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2008-01-17 3:42 pm Permalink
I can do it Big Bro,
I'll take a picture this weekend and then a couple a week until it's finished.
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2676
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2008-01-17 4:03 pm Permalink
Well...with the post yesterday about MAXIM MAGAZINE'S IN and OUT list, with TIKI BARS "IN" for this year coming up, let's see what develops. No one is going to do a Tiki restaurant the old school (ie: right way) but let's see what happens.
A bridge over a moat, with a HUGE A-Frame entry is what SHOULD be on those permits, but I;m not holding my breath.
Imigine if one of us in here had big developer's money..... 
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2008-01-17 11:45 pm Permalink
Bring it on!
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3056
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2008-01-20 6:09 pm Permalink
There is good reason to be optimistic about this venture. Keep your fingers crossed!
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2008-01-20 6:15 pm Permalink
Beverly Hills was like a Ghost Town today, which was nice.
Next time I'll shoot before the Sun starts going down. 
_________________
 
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2008-01-20 7:16 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2008-01-17 11:15, Crowntiki wrote:
"Owner is Andy Hewitt of Il Sole, Chef is Mako of Mako’s on S. Beverly Drive and Loree Rodkin is doing the design…should be fabulous"....
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Il Sole is on Sunset in West Hollywood, so the owner should have the necessary contacts to secure financing sufficient to do justice to the interior, particularly if hiring an interior designer.
I think this BH space is considered in the "Golden Triangle," so there should be enough traffic to keep it going (unlike SF TV).
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floratina
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 997
From: West Los Angeles
| Posted: 2008-01-21 9:52 pm Permalink
That appears to be the former site of "The Ginger Man" restaurant, owned many years ago by Carroll O' Connor. Except then it was dark green with brass accents, that sort of thing. New York style place, piano bar. It was lovely.
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2008-01-21 11:01 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2008-01-17 16:03, tikiyaki wrote:
Well...with the post yesterday about MAXIM MAGAZINE'S IN and OUT list, with TIKI BARS "IN" for this year coming up, let's see what develops. No one is going to do a Tiki restaurant the old school (ie: right way) but let's see what happens.
A bridge over a moat, with a HUGE A-Frame entry is what SHOULD be on those permits, but I;m not holding my breath.
Imigine if one of us in here had big developer's money.....
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In Waikiki, a new A-frame is being built.
However, this structure, with its emphasis on the horizontal and the patio, is probably not the best candidate for an A-frame.
However, Trader Vic's BH and Tiki-Ti have small A-frames, so who knows?
I was hoping for tiki torches.
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spy-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 11, 2003
Posts: 696
From: glendale, ca
| Posted: 2008-01-23 9:21 pm Permalink
Found this recent Zagat article:
http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SNP=NLA&SCID=37&BLGID=9295&zagatbuzzid=jan08week4
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Bora Boris
Mr. Unreasonable
Joined: Mar 25, 2005
Posts: 2401
From: Boogie Wonderland
| Posted: 2008-01-24 7:10 pm Permalink
Here's a map from the Old Luau location to new Luau location -
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