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Tiki Past: Seattle, Wash |
woofmutt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 2584
From: Seattilite Telstar
|  Posted: 2002-04-05 07:41 am Permalink
I love the smell of old phone books. A recent round of research at the public library showed that in the early to late 60's the greater Seattle area had around a dozen Polynesian themed joints operating at once. At least 6 were within staggering distance of each other in the downtown area.
Except for flotsam and jetsam it's unlikely any trace of these places still exists. I've included addresses so any Jet City Tiki hunters can check out the locations if in the neigborhood.
The Polynesian Room/Outrigger/Trader Vics opereated from 1948 to 1991 in the Benjamin Franklin/Westin hotel. In 1991 the conglomerate that owns the Westin kicked TV's out, auctioned off the decor, and put a Japanese restaurant (Nikko, which is still there) in the spot. (Long description in Tiki Central archives on Yahoo)
The Kalua Room in the Hotel Windsor at 6th & Union. Designed by Ed Lawrence who, according to a Nov 15, 1953 Seattle Times blurb "conceived the idea for the famous Don the Beachcomber Restaurants." (Longe description in Tiki Central archives on Yahoo)
The Polynesia on Pier 51 was open from 1961 to 1981 when the State of Washington took over the Pier and literally kicked the Polynesia off. (Longer description right here at the NEW! Tiki Central)
Not much info on the following:
The Luau Barbecue Restaurant , 314 Broadway E, "Cocktails in a tropical hut"
The Trade Winds, 1st and Wall, had The Palm Room lounge.
Kau Kau, 1115 1/2 2nd, "Cocktails in the Polynesian Room"
The Golden Door near Pioneer Square had a live Polynesian dance show on weekends.
Lapu Lapu, 3296 Aurora N, "Exotic Tropical Cuisine"
Hula Hut, 7116 E Green Lake Dr
Tropics Restaurant 225 Auroar N
Tiki Hut, 544 Elliot N, "Exotic cocktails in the Shell Room"
Just outside of Seattle:
Porterhouse Restaurant, Bothel Hwy at Kenmore, "Superb buffet dining in a tropical atmosphere"
The Reef Restaurant, 1001 E Valley Hwy Kent, "Polynesian Atmosphere" "Cocktails in the Tiki Room"
Pantley's Pagan Room, 3201 156th SE Bellevue, "Exotic island atmosphere"
Clark's New Islander, 11th and A St Tacoma, (Long description in Tiki Central archives on Yahoo)
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JTD
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 07, 2003
Posts: 407
From: J'ville
| Posted: 2003-12-13 12:06 pm Permalink
As Woofmutt's ancient post is the only one in all of TC to mention the Kau Kau Polynesian Room, I thought this matchbook might interest those of you who collect the rare and exotic.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2209606083&category=477#ebayphotohosting
-JTD
p.s. Not my auction.
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puamana
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 02, 2002
Posts: 291
From: Seattle, WA
| Posted: 2006-01-30 4:49 pm Permalink
Thought I'd bump up this post from a few years ago, and add some eye candy from the Seattle tiki bars & restaurants that Woofmutt listed :
Outrigger postcard:
Ad for the Outrigger, from Seattle Magazine, August 1951:
Description of the Outrigger, from the 1955 book " You Can't Eat Mt. Rainier":
The book is a great guide to Seattle area restaurants of the time, many of which
are no longer around, and nice graphics on the cover:
Outrigger Matchcovers:
Description of the Kalua Room also from the book " You Can't Eat Mt. Rainier":
And recipe for the Kalua Room's Surf and Sand Cocktail:
Luau/ Tropic Hut matchcover:
Tropics matchcover:
Tiki Hut matchcover:
Tiki Hut ad from Seattle Magazine, March '67:
Canlis Matchcover:
Polynesia menu:
Islander, Tacoma menu :
The Islander was located in the Perkins Building, at the corner of 11th & A streets in Tacoma.
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2006-01-30 5:09 pm Permalink
Z A Z Z !!!!!!
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-01-30 6:36 pm Permalink
Fantastic work from puamana...the images could maybe benefit from some compression (guess who's on dial-up....ME!) but really, it's like a little Book of Tiki all served up in one jaw-dropping post! Amazing. Amazing.
_________________
"Joyous Songs and Wondrous Miracles."
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3056
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2006-01-30 7:19 pm Permalink
Outstanding post! Many thanks.
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Monkeyman
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 04, 2003
Posts: 2300
From: Vista, CA
| Posted: 2006-01-30 7:23 pm Permalink
great images. wow super clear and bright
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tikiyaki
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: May 18, 2004
Posts: 2677
From: The Exotic Port of REDONDO BEACH, CA
| Posted: 2006-01-30 7:48 pm Permalink
To quote Jeff Spicoli...
"AWESOME...TOTALLY AWESOME !"
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-01-30 10:51 pm Permalink
And BAM, there it is, right in the foreground of the first image, that tres moderne minimalist Tiki from Hawaii that Martin Denny poses with in this thread: http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=17791&forum=1&8
Whoooo made those?
Anyway, yesss, that's the eye candy we like to see, Mimi! I love those illustrations for that restaurant book, especially that New Guinea drum mug one, does anybody have a pic of the actual mug (also seen in famous Kalua Room postcard on the table with guests)?
I will quote that description of the Kalua Room, together with another good one about it that woofmut found, in my new book. Original descriptions are always way better than anything I could write today, their tone transports one back just as the images do.
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2804
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2006-01-30 11:20 pm Permalink
Yeah it looks to be from the same carver, this variation is almost identical except it has no neck!
Here's a copy of the photo that Puamana posted in the thread you mentioned above.
and here's the Outrigger postcard.
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2006-01-30 11:28 pm Permalink
Fantastic post as usual, Mimi. I love that Islander menu. Didn't know about that place. I'll see if I can add some more photos of Seattle locations in the next few days.
A question for Mimi or any other Washington tiki-historians - Which restaurant was the premiere Polynesian restaurant in the Seattle area at the time. Which was bigger, better, and most popular? Was it the Polynesia, the Canlis, or Trader Vic's?
Bigbro - here's a photo of that New Guinea Drum Mug from the Kahlua Room:
We should probably also add to Woofmutt's list; The Four Seas
Sabu
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2006-01-30 23:33 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2006-01-30 23:41 ]
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-01-31 02:03 am Permalink
"Four Seas"? I thought there were 7 !? Maybe it was a low budget Chinese version of the "Four Seasons" 
Also, Sabu, not to split this thread too much, but can you also post that small early recipe booklet/mini menu(?) rendering of Trader Vic's in Oakland, where you can clearly see the Hinky Dink's hut AND those two Tikis? (Not the one I used on p.82 of the BOT. They have the original of that lil' rendering hanging at the Emeryville Trader, if I remember correctly)
The Outrigger was just a bar at first (1949), and then in the early 50s Victor Bergeron built the restaurant onto it and renamed it Trader Vic's. That's where the "christening the Moai" photo on p. 87 is from. The Exterior above left is the NEW place, where on can see the OLD bar front in the back, as it is pictured in all it's glory on page 86 (and now on Puamana's matchbook above).
PS: I love how T.V. used the outrigger as a Pre-Tiki icon, first above the entrance, and then built into the bar, and in the graphics.
I still kick myself that I never made it up there before they tore it out! (and did not hear about the auction until after, sigh).
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2006-01-31 02:11 ]
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1766
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2006-01-31 05:42 am Permalink
I love this post! Great pictures. I'm putting together a drink menu at home and the menu here with the drink pictures is terrific. How could one resist ordering from a menu that looks like THAT?!
Much thanks for the post.
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2006-02-04 8:53 pm Permalink
A few more images. I bet Puamana already has most of these, but here goes:
Some interior shots of the Tropics Motor Hotel on 225 Aurora, in Seattle:
Some more pics of the Seattle Canlis:
The Polynesia:
Is the shield a Witco? 
The Daffodil Parade in Tacoma
But what's this bar behind all the people?
And one of my favorite signs. The Trade Winds Motel in Spokane:
More in a day or so...
Sabu
_________________
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Hakalugi
Site Administrator
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 2804
From: Redondo Beach, CA
| Posted: 2006-02-04 9:30 pm Permalink
Here's the same Trade Winds Motel as seen September 2005:
"It's getting better all the time" - John Lennon
NOT!
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