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    Ohio Tiki: Polynesian Idols, Coconut Trees and Tropical Cocktails
    Ohio Tiki: Polynesian Idols, Coconut Trees and Tropical Cocktails
    Ohio Tiki: Polynesian Idols, Coconut Trees and Tropical Cocktails
    Ebook251 pages2 hours

    Ohio Tiki: Polynesian Idols, Coconut Trees and Tropical Cocktails

    By Jeff Chenault and Doug Motz

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    About this ebook

    Hula girls, palm trees and Tiki gods beckoned Ohioans of the 1950s and '60s as tropical hot spots sprang up in suburban neighborhoods and concrete jungles alike.


    The Kon Tiki restaurants of Cleveland and Cincinnati slung rum cocktails to patrons eager for escape to a South Seas paradise. Visitors to the famed Kahiki Supper Club of Columbus, the Tropics in Dayton and Toledo's Aku-Aku could spot celebrities swaying to the exotic sounds of steel guitars and native percussion. Venturing a step beyond restaurants and bars, others decked out theaters, bowling alleys and even a McDonald's in sultry island décor. Join author and Tiki veteran Jeff Chenault on an excursion into a bygone era when the South Pacific came to Ohio.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe History Press
    Release dateDec 9, 2019
    ISBN9781439668726
    Ohio Tiki: Polynesian Idols, Coconut Trees and Tropical Cocktails
    Author

    Jeff Chenault

    Jeff Chenault is an author, producer and music historian. His first book, published by The History Press, was Kahiki Supper Club: A Polynesian Paradise in Columbus, Ohio, co-written with David Meyers, Elise Meyers-Walker and Doug Motz. Jeff has also written for multiple publications, including Cool and Strange Music Magazine, Bachelor Pad Magazine, Tiki Magazine and Exotica Moderne. He is currently producing a series of rare Exotica music for Dionysus Records.

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      Book preview

      Ohio Tiki - Jeff Chenault

      fun!

      1

      COLUMBUS

      Tiki has deep roots in Columbus. The city was home to one of the grandest Polynesian restaurants in the world, the Kahiki Supper Club. For almost forty years, the Kahiki reigned supreme in Columbus and solidified its place in Tiki history. At least two generations have fond memories of the Kahiki, one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world; famous actors, businessmen and weary travelers all visited her shores. The local theater company, the Kenley Players, had their own table (#51) in front of the giant Tiki god fireplace so actors and locals could mingle and share tropical cocktails. In 2000, when the Kahiki’s voyage was nearing its end, Otto von Stroheim decided to throw the largest Tiki party ever. He called it the Bon Voyage, Kahiki party, and it was a party that would change the course of Tiki forever. It was the first large-scale Tiki gathering of its kind, and Sven Kirsten’s Book of Tiki, which premiered there, ushered in a newfound appreciation for Tiki culture that still exists today. Columbus is also the birthplace of the Fraternal Order of Moai (FOM); the Kahiki chapter was founded in 2005. In the beginning, the FOM was a way for people who loved Polynesian culture to come together and share drinks and stories of our once-glorious past. Today, the FOM boasts chapters nationwide, and they donate the proceeds from various Tiki events to educational grants for Easter Island residents and local charities here in the United States.

      Multiple Tiki-related events have been held in Columbus over the years. In 1992, Columbus hosted the Ameriflora ’92 event that featured a pop-up Polynesian restaurant called the Hawaii Kai. In May 2010, Hills Market hosted a Hawaiian luau as a tribute to the beloved Kahiki. It was a grand event held outside, with entertainment from Curtis Silva and Francis Llacuna. In March 2015, artists Eric Immelt, Lena Simonian and Todd Hickerson organized one of the first Tiki art shows in Columbus called Modern Primitiva. It was held at the Clayspace/Gallery 831 on Front Street in Columbus, and it highlighted many of the local artists that were inspired by the resurgence of Tiki culture. DJ Trader Jeff spun exotica music at the show’s opening reception. Columbus is also home to Mahana Productions, a Polynesian dance troupe run by Xitlali Moore that performs in central Ohio. Their goal is to spread love and appreciation for Polynesian culture. As of January 2019, a new Tiki bar opened in Powell, Ohio, called the Huli Huli Tiki Lounge and Grill. Owner Dustin Sun has high hopes for the modern and sleek-looking Tiki bar that serves classic cocktails from the recipes of Jeff Beachbum Berry along with a few original creations too. With an impressive cocktail menu and a five-foot-tall Moai protecting the back door, they’re off to a good start.

      A Fraternal Order of Moai bumper sticker featuring the Kahiki Fireplace. Courtesy of the Fraternal Order of Moai.

      PALM GARDEN (1934)

      1298-1392 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio

      This pre-Tiki night club opened on February 1, 1934, shortly after the end of Prohibition. It was created by the Lazarus department store and located downtown at 1298 North High Street. Eventually, the restaurant moved down the street to 1392 North High Street. The business was run by Joe Alexander, a prominent Columbus Italian who also owned the Desert Inn and Little Italy restaurant. The Palm Garden was a hot spot for music, drinking and dancing, and its drink menu featured tropical cocktails like the Planters Punch, Singapore Sling, Green Alligator and Zombie. The Palm Garden’s menu offered a standard fare of steaks, fish, chicken and spaghetti. It also had sandwich specials for lunch. The Palm Garden hosted nationally known entertainers, including Louis Armstrong, Mel Torme, Stan Kenton and Count Basie. A young Dean Martin from Steubenville, Ohio, is also rumored to have played here. Local acts like the Noveliers, Jean March and Johnny Rubber-Face Frisco also got their start here. While no closing date can be found, the Palm Garden was still advertising in 1952, the same year that Tony Bennett performed there.

      The Pre-Tiki menu from the Palm Garden in Columbus, Ohio, circa 1940s. Author’s collection.

      Who wouldn’t want to see Johnny Rubber-Face Frisco at the Palm Garden in Columbus, Ohio? Author’s collection.

      THE GRASS SHACK AND KAHIKI SUPPER CLUB (1959–2000)

      3583 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio

      The Grass Shack was opened in 1959 by Bill Sapp and Lee Henry, and it was the first real Tiki bar in Columbus. The small building covered in thatch would inadvertently be the testing ground for the famous Kahiki Supper Club. It was the place where head Kahiki bartender Sandro Conti came up with all of the future restaurant’s drink recipes. When the Grass Shack mysteriously burned down on Bill Sapp’s birthday, the planning stages for one of the grandest Polynesian restaurants in the world began. Bill Sapp and Lee Henry officially opened the Kahiki Supper Club in February 1961. For almost forty years, the Kahiki was the go-to place for any celebration. Despite the building being on the National Register of Historic Places, the property was sold by Michael Tsao to the Walgreens drugstore chain, which promptly razed the building. For the full history of the Kahiki, please read Kahiki Supper Club: A Polynesian Paradise in Columbus, available from The History Press.

      The interior of the Grass Shack, or as a friend referred to it, The Seed of the Kahiki. Courtesy of Linda Sapp-Long.

      TOP OF THE ISLE

      Deshler Hilton Hotel, Columbus, Ohio

      The Deshler Hotel was a landmark hotel located in downtown Columbus on the corner of Broad and High Streets. The historic hotel was built in 1916 by John G. Deshler. In 1953, the hotel changed its name from the Deshler-Wallick to the Deshler-Hilton. The top floor of the hotel was partially used for fine dining. One of the first well-known restaurants to occupy the space was the Sky View Restaurant, which was known for its picturesque view of the downtown skyline. In 1963, the space was transformed into the Top of the Isle, a restaurant with a South Seas motif constructed by Glenn Wisecarver and Company. A tape machine was installed to emit sounds of crashing surf, seagulls and foghorns for authenticity, a form of Polynesian Muzak. The inside of the restaurant wasn’t overwhelmingly Tiki, but it did have a fair amount of tropical décor, including water fountains and hand-carved Tiki barstools. The restaurant’s menu featured an alluring wahine carrying a tempting bowl of fruit on its front cover. The inside of the menu contained a picture of a Tiki and all of the delectable Polynesian delights prepared by executive chef Martin McInerney. The male staff all wore Hawaiian shirts, and the ladies wore grass skirts and sarongs. The restaurant’s drink menu offered thirty-three exotic cocktails with rum as the drinks’ primary ingredient. During the day, the Isle offered an all-you-can-eat luau buffet for $1.65. For entertainment, the Top of the Isle hired the Kauai Surfriders and hula dancer Momi Lani. The highlight of Lani’s performance was the Tahitian Drum Dance. The Top of the Isle was the only Polynesian restaurant in Ohio to occupy the top floor of a twelve-story

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