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"The Tikis," Monterey Park, CA |
procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
|  Posted: 2003-07-31 12:34 am Permalink
Name:"The Tikis," Monterey Park, CA
Type:restaurant
Street:Potrero Grande
City:Monterey Park
State:CA
Zip:91755
country:USA
Phone:
Status:defunct
Description:
Hi Tiki Fans,
I need your help--your Tiki Help!
Here’s the situation in a nutshell: I’m writing numerous Tiki-enthusiasts on the web with a special request. You may perhaps know of a now-defunct Tiki Restaurant (created by Danny Balsz) known as “The Tikis,” which was located on Potrero Grande Blvd. in Monterey Park, California. It was closed sometime in the mid-70’s, and is, from what I understand, well documented in Sven Kirsten’s “The Book of Tiki.”
I grew up in Monterey Park in the 70’s, not far away from this place--in fact, the club was situated at the bottom of the hill I lived on. But you couldn’t see much of it from the top of the hill. I do have memories of hearing the drums from the restaurant pounding away into the night each weekend. Apparently, they had some hot and cookin' nights down there! I was too young to visit the place, and, honestly, at the time I was not interested in such things. Since then I’ve developed a great fondness for Tiki culture, and now have a nagging desire to know what this restaurant looked like, as I never got a good look at it. I’d love to see a picture or two of the place, if anyone has something like that!
Pictures of other Tiki clubs are readily accessible on the net, but not pictures of this one. Mr. Kirsten’s book is out of print and somewhat difficult to get hold of; I did actually write Mr. Kirsten, but unfortunately he was out of town on business, and unable to help. (A new printing of the book is forthcoming, but when that will be is unknown.)
If you have a photo lying around that you have scanned, or a scan of a magazine photo or something, would you do me a big favor and email it to me? I would be very, very appreciative. Anything at all, even something low-res, would be verily cool.
Thanking you for your time and attention...
Most sincerely,
Rodd Matsui
http://www.progressivecinema.com
darkcorner@hotmail.com
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 on 2003-07-31 00:40 ]
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 on 2003-07-31 00:41 ]
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thejab
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2984
From: Forbidden Island, CA
| Posted: 2003-07-31 11:57 am Permalink
I recall some pictures in an old issue of Tiki News. I'll look through my back issues for it and let you know. Some back issues are still available.
_________________
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-07-31 7:24 pm Permalink
I appreciate all your help. In fact, I'd be happy to create some small piece of original tiki artwork (most likely digital) for the first couple of people who are able to find something for me. Fair exchange for services, you know. Thanks again!
Rodd Matsui
www.progressivecinema.com
darkcorner@hotmail.com
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2003-08-01 09:51 am Permalink
This man has to be helped...
First of all, the Book of Tiki is available again, and because it is now in a "flexi" cover, you can get it for only 19.99!
Second, I am back in LA now (...err, from next Wednesday on again) and if the BOT chapter does not suffice (only then), I have a brochure and a matchbook floorplan you can xerox if you come by.
I've been up on your hill and surveyed the site (now a self storage), and talked to some people, seemed they had quite a rowdy backyard in it's time...
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SugarCaddyDaddy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 03, 2002
Posts: 1500
From: Huntington Beach, California
| Posted: 2003-08-01 1:35 pm Permalink
Well, I'll say it...
I can appreciate procinema29's search for info on The Tiki's, but shouldn't this be in The Main Discussion Forum? I can understand a newby confusing the title of this forum "Locating Tiki" as a place to ask questions, but if you read Hanford's requirements BEFORE you can actually post, it says:
This is not the forum for questions about locations and other inspecific location-oriented posts. Those belong in the Main Forum. Look at some of the posts in the Locating Tiki forum to get a feel for the format.
Please, please, correct ME if I am wrong. I just would hate to see THIS forum to turn into "Searching For Tiki Locations and Informations". I don't believe that's what Hanford had in mind for this forum.
Shouldn't the first poster already be someone with lots of information to share with everyone?
I will delete this post if I end up being correct and Hanford transfers this to "The Main Forum".
Just my 2 coconuts worth.
[ This Message was edited by: sugarcaddydaddy on 2003-08-01 13:47 ]
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-08-01 2:05 pm Permalink
Actually, yes, on reflection, my original post is at least riding the line, being half listing and half query...
You know, there was a rule page, but I just tried looking for it, and I can't remember how I navigated over to it...could you post the address to this rule page? Thanks!
In the meantime, I'm up for purchasing a "Book of Tiki" softcover, if anyone can point me toward one....
In regards to the place itself, I recall that the sound of the drums was positively unearthly...everyone in the vicinity noticed it, especially in the hours when the traffic on the nearby freeway was quiet.
The resaurant was considered a kind of "local Disneyland" in Monterey Park, and the kids in the area were well aware of the place, since it had such novelty appeal. Even I, a person who never visited it, had a certain awe of The Tikis. I wonder if any record albums were produced, similar to the LPs of the "Tiki Gardens" in Florida. Will have to look this up...
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 on 2003-08-01 14:39 ]
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hanford_lemoore
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 1864
From: Tiki Central
| Posted: 2003-08-01 7:31 pm Permalink
Here's the rules page (it appears when you hit the "New Topic" button):
http://tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/nt-location.php?forum=2
SCD wrote:
Quote:
| I just would hate to see THIS forum to turn into "Searching For Tiki Locations and Informations". I don't believe that's what Hanford had in mind for this forum. |
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SCD, when I saw this posting I wondered too. I was going to do something but then I thought I'd wait and see what people say.
It seems like if we only had the exact street address we could edit this into a legit listing. Procinema does explain a little bit about it, so we could keep that in there. Perhaps when we get pictures we can link up to them here.
Does anyone have the address of this place?
~Hanford
PS If we can get the information on the address I'll move this back into Locating Tiki.
~Hanford
[ This Message was edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-08-01 19:32 ]
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-08-01 8:19 pm Permalink
Ah, thanks for taking care of that, and for posting the rule page address; I stand corrected. I'll locate the exact address, which I did see listed somewhere...
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-08-04 11:15 am Permalink
AHA!!! I found a reasonably local store that has "The Book of Tiki," and will be making my way down there in the next couple of days. (Sigh.)
--------------------
Postscript: Drat! There was a computer glitch in their inventory, and they were all out of copies! Back on the search again. Oh when?
--Butthead
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 on 2003-08-05 14:02 ]
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TikiGardener
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 24, 2002
Posts: 1359
From: 1st website dedicated to Tiki Gardens
| Posted: 2003-08-04 8:18 pm Permalink
Hey, good luck in your search. I started out with a couple of postcard images, and now I'm backlogged with web viewers contributions ( apologies to all who have sent photos, they'll be up with attributions ).
Don't be surprised if its slow at first, but you'll get your lucky break soon enough.
TG
http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-08-05 08:58 am Permalink
I did visit your Tiki Gardens site, and was floored. Nice documentation of an amazing place; truly a perfect use for the Web. I saved some of the pictures and was staring at them, thinking, "This place can't have been real. It looks huge!" Do my eyes deceive me?
I have had some responses from friendly folks who may have "Monterey Park Tikis" material tucked away somewhere, but nothing has been located as yet, so my offer to the first few people who can dredge up some material (this is to limit my obligation, of course, in case fifty million people produce some material) still stands! and I'll upgrade that to physical, actual, real Tiki artwork of some type. It's better than digital! It's ANALOG-O-RAMA. (Let's say the first THREE people to produce something get a nice tasty piece of artwork.)
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2003-08-19 7:16 pm Permalink
Okay, I got hold of "The Book of Tiki," and I've been thumbing through it. An amazing book.
"The Tikis" was located at 1001 N. Potrero Grande Drive, Monterey Park, CA (according to the documentation in the book).
And looking at the pictures, I find it very hard to believe that such a place existed in Monterey Park. I'm not sure I do believe it at all. The photos seem impossible; how could all that stuff have fit anywhere down there? All that sculptured, painted cement... From the edge of the hill, very little of the place was visible; the cover provided by trees effectively blocked the view from above, I suppose, ensuring that only paying customers got the show.
An excerpt from the text:
"THE TIKIS represents the culmination of the Tiki era, which peaked with unprecedented grandeur and decadence..."
Yes, the idea that this establishment was practically in my backyard the whole time I was growing up completely amazes me.
Thinking back now, I do very vaguely recall that some people in the neighborhood had been complaining about the noise generated by the place, and that the complaints had had something to do with THE TIKIS eventually being closed.
But that was quite some time ago. "Wow" is all I can say.
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1888
From: socal
| Posted: 2003-08-19 10:51 pm Permalink
PC29, I had the fortunate opportunity to get the grand tour of all the caves and passage ways at the Lake Elsinore Tikis a couple of years ago. Danny B didn't pay his bills, but boy did that man have an awesome imagination. Very sad to see an broken dream with so much effort invested.
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PolynesianPop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2341
From: Corona, Ca
| Posted: 2003-08-19 11:21 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2003-08-19 22:51, thechikitiki wrote:
PC29, I had the fortunate opportunity to get the grand tour of all the caves and passage ways at the Lake Elsinore Tikis a couple of years ago.
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YOU DID???!!
Lucky Bastard. That's one of the things I've always wanted to see. Now that its a paintball park I've kind of lost interest -- unless the caves are still there.
_________________
Poly-Pop *
Bartender, make mine a glass of WATAHHH!!!!!
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1888
From: socal
| Posted: 2003-08-19 11:31 pm Permalink
ADRIAN! O O Kaibigan. It helps to speak spanish and have the BOT with you.
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