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Bali Hai, San Diego, CA (Restaurant) |
bigtikidude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 9163
From: Anaheim,Ca.
|  Posted: 2012-11-21 5:16 pm Permalink
3.50, such a deal,
what is thanksgiving out now,
like 30 to 40 bucks and up.
Jeff(btd)
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4859
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-01-14 5:25 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2012-11-21 16:43, Luckydesigns wrote:
Found this in a San Diego Union newspaper from 1963.
It was just laying around my office!
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I love the old Thanksgiving Day ads from Tiki restaurants, nice find.
Here is another ad for the sunset viewing of the lights turning on across the bay.
And a few more old photos found on-line.
This is a cool one of Dad checking out the Tiki with his little daughter.
DC
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arriano
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 1405
From: Dog Patch - San Diego
| Posted: 2013-01-16 08:42 am Permalink
Here's a new article about the owners of Bali Hai:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jan/14/tp-all-in-the-restaurant-family/
_________________
"I am Lono!" -- Hunter S. Thompson
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4859
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-03-24 11:11 am Permalink
I had a conversation with Bigbro a while back (over rum drinks) about the lack of menu imagery from the Bali Hai. For being one of the oldest long-running Tiki meccas, they had a paucity of interesting menu art. They used, and continue to use, two basic styles:
The Fisherman God
And the exterior rendering
And there was also Bigbro's menu that started from "The Hut" that transitioned to the Bali Hai.
So it was great interest when I saw this menu on ebay, pretty cool, a different style from the Bali Hai.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11550
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2013-03-24 3:21 pm Permalink
Indeed. Compared to the artistic level of some of the other great Tiki Mecca menu covers, both the Fisherman's god and the restaurant-with-sailboat renderings are kind of crude and loveless - the Fisherman being just a copy of popular souvenir statue, and both renderings being printed in this dark, monochrome brown. They just don't reflect the intricate concepts used at the place - its architecture, its Tiki statue map, and the humor of the head hunter entrance statue and logo mug among them.
I mean:  BALIIII HAIIII !!? That should inspire some evocative romantic imagery!
And sorry, that last one is completely off in my view:
The patterns have nothing to do with Oceanic art, and rather remind me of some Bavarian farm furniture folk art.
I really would like to know what happened to the original Christian's Hut proprietors, and why the place failed for them. Did THEY come up with the map display case concept, and the entrance head hunter design? Its cartoony-ness is certainly in keeping with the Goof logo of the Christian's Huts.
And WHO was it that designed those?
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4859
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2013-12-24 12:38 pm Permalink
Just in time for Christmas, Mr. Bali Hai Santa!
Tiki Shaker told me about these old photos when I saw him at the Don's International Market Place earlier this month. Be cool if the restaurant brought the tradition back some day.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 4859
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2014-04-23 10:28 pm Permalink
1957 version of Mr. Bali Hai.
And a 1956 shot.
DC
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hang10tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 18, 2010
Posts: 6023
From: Las Vegas
| Posted: 2014-07-18 6:36 pm Permalink
Found this postcard today
I didn't see it posted here
_________________
Worst sound ever, slurp of an empty tiki mug through my straw!!!
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Kon-Hemsby
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 17, 2003
Posts: 1287
From: Andover, England
| Posted: 2014-09-19 01:42 am Permalink
[ This Message was edited by: Kon-Hemsby 2014-09-22 03:08 ]
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ErichTroudt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 602
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2014-09-29 4:55 pm Permalink
Finally hung up my plate next to the bali hai mugs
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nui 'umi 'umi
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 21, 2011
Posts: 2037
From: La Mirada Atoll
| Posted: 2014-09-29 9:58 pm Permalink
Datsa nice plate ErichT. Got an interesting story to go with it?
Cheers
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ErichTroudt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 602
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2014-09-30 12:43 am Permalink
Not sure if its interesting, but it was surprising to find it....
A few years back I went to a yard sale....I almost didn't get out of the truck because it looked like all baby clothes and toys. There was one little area of old stuff. It was laying on a blanket. I was shocked, because I had never seen one before and there was no other tiki, hawaii, polynesian stuff.
I asked if they had any other pieces, they said no. The stuff came from the ladies Mom who had passed. The lady didn't even live in the San Diego area.
The plate is old and small... No markings on the back. Doesn't look home made. Did the Bali Hai sell these? Did it get looted? Seems like a souvenir... the gold paint seems like it wouldn't last long if it was used or washed a lot.
All I know is that its cool... and I gave a whole .50 cents for it.
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Unga Bunga
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 06, 2003
Posts: 5848
From: CaliTikifornia
| Posted: 2014-12-25 6:55 pm Permalink
New facelift 12/23/14
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11550
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2014-12-26 11:00 am Permalink
So good to see that this iconic statue is being properly maintained, not just painted over! It went through some horrible changes in the 80s and 90s…
...until in 2001, Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily took it upon themselves to travel down to San Diego and invest their own time, labor and materials to restore him as close to the original as possible. Quote:
"...All his characteristic grain was covered up and he began to resemble a fiberglass playground statue. We counted 6 layers of different colors that he has been over the years (We all remember him being green several years back, but did you know that he has been three DIFFERENT shades of green over time? And for awhile his pupils had been bright orange!)…"
See the progress here:
http://tikimodern.com/pages/bali.html
The iconic branding value of such a logo Tiki is priceless - as this thread's photos show, generations have posed with it!
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finky099
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 15, 2012
Posts: 453
From: Orange County, CA
| Posted: 2014-12-26 11:11 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2014-12-25 18:55, Unga Bunga wrote:
New facelift 12/23/14
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Awesome and thank you for the update. Just curious, if you are allowed to comment: is this something you volunteered your time and resources to do, or did the Bali Hai take the initiative? Extra tiki-kudos and a  to you if the former. I love that Mr. Bali Hai (and the Goof on the roof) are still there after so many years.
I look forward to returning to the Bali Hai again in 2015!
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