Los Angeles, CA

[Carbon]

I was surprised there wasn't a thread for LA. Did I just miss it?

Anyway, I'm originally from Los Angeles. I know some in LA probably miss the old Trader Vic's (the new ones are a bit too corporate and mainstream from what I've heard), Don the Beachcomber's, and Steve Crane's The Luau, but I wasn't around to experience them unfortunately.

A little bar I ran across on the internet was Tiki Ti. It's a small, family-owned and operated place which I'm definitely going to check out when I visit home. Anyone been? Apparently it's been around since 1961 in one guise or another. The only thing that's off-putting is that they allow smoking (although I'm not sure how this works since it's outlawed in LA), but this may be appealing to those that like to pair a pipe or cigar to their drink (not me).
http://www.tiki-ti.com/pages/home.html

Apparently a new place called Luau just opened in Beverly Hills inspired by the old one from back in the day. It's more of an upscale bar/restaurant that one would expect to find in Beverly Hills.
Link#1
more info

I'll check out both places when I can and let you guys know what I find out.

[RC]

Tiki Ti is a very cool and strange place. We gave them a plug on the Rum Connection site last week. They are family owned since birth and mix up some of the best drinks in Hollywood. Definitely check it out!

[Paul C]

Tiki Ti is the bomb! I've been going there for years and that bartender is one of the best (if not the best) I've ever seen. Beware the drinks - any more than 2 of most of them and it's cab time. I love the fact he closes for months every year to go to Hawaii. If any of you happen to be in LA and want to go there it's at 4427 Sunset Boulevard, in between Los Feliz and Silverlake.

I am a person who used to go to Don the Beachcombers in Hollywood all the time. Really great. There was also that large Polynesian place near Pico and Fairfax, the name escapes me now. The staff dressed like they were crew on the Love Boat.

They are opening a new Trader Vic's downtown at L.A. Live.

There also used to be the most fantastic Polynesian "gee-gaw" warehouse on San Fernando road. It was called Sea and Sand if I remember correctly. There you could buy anything from the cheapest plastic tiki head to a fully carved "totem" palm tree. They also had a black light room with a full size glowing Creature from the Black Lagoon. All the salespeople were ladies in mumus with plastic leis.

As for rum bars in LA, haven't found a lot but Ciudad downtown on 5th and Figueroa has rum flights, fantastic mojitos and REALLY good food. Their selection of rum is pretty good, that's where I first tried Oronoco, Zaya, Barbancourt 15, Aniversario and a few others.

Their chefs are the Too Hot Tamales who also have the Border Grill in Santa Monica and many cookbooks. The food is great. It's a nice place to hang on a weekday night on the patio, in the SoCal weather looking at downtown. Sunday is tapas night so that's a favorite. There's also a really great paella night.

Cheers

pbc

[Dood]

Originally Posted by Carbon

I was surprised there wasn't a thread for LA. Did I just miss it?

Anyway, I'm originally from Los Angeles. I know some in LA probably miss the old Trader Vic's (the new ones are a bit too corporate and mainstream from what I've heard), Don the Beachcomber's, and Steve Crane's The Luau, but I wasn't around to experience them unfortunately.

A little bar I ran across on the internet was Tiki Ti. It's a small, family-owned and operated place which I'm definitely going to check out when I visit home. Anyone been? Apparently it's been around since 1961 in one guise or another. The only thing that's off-putting is that they allow smoking (although I'm not sure how this works since it's outlawed in LA), but this may be appealing to those that like to pair a pipe or cigar to their drink (not me).
http://www.tiki-ti.com/pages/home.html

Apparently a new place called Luau just opened in Beverly Hills inspired by the old one from back in the day. It's more of an upscale bar/restaurant that one would expect to find in Beverly Hills.
Link#1
more info

I'll check out both places when I can and let you guys know what I find out.

Tiki Ti is very well-known here on the forums. Great rum selection, great drinks, but get there EARLY and avoid Wednesdays - the Tiki Central forum people show up on Wednesdays and fill the place up.

I tried out Luau a few weeks ago. The drinks are fantastic - the drink menu being developed by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry. The mai tai was one of the best I've had. Their rum selection is, well, better than most places, but nothing phenomenal. I wouldn't call this a tiki bar so much as a polynesian-themed restaurant/bar with upscale tiki-style drinks.

[charlie]

I live in Southern Cal and also am interested in bars that appreciate , and have a good selection of Rum. It seems like a Vodka & Tequila town

[Dood]

Originally Posted by charlie

I live in Southern Cal and also am interested in bars that appreciate , and have a good selection of Rum. It seems like a Vodka & Tequila town

There are some great places for cocktails and/or whiskey. You can check out Seven Grand for a phenomenal whiskey bar.

As for rum, there's a rumor that a bar in the Hollywood/downtown area is opening a rum room, but I don't know how solid that is yet.

There's always Eva's Caribbean Kitchen in Laguna Beach. I have yet to go because I'm a loser, but they have quite the impressive rum list.

[charlie]

rum places seem slim then in la, curious if its an underserved market or really not much of a rum drinkin market??

[Edward Hamilton]

Spirits distribution is very difficult in LA due to many factors, the least of which the distances, not to mention the traffic, that sales people have to contend deal with in southern California.

As mentioned above, there is a much larger market for tequila and vodka so distributors are much more interested in those products. And then there are only a few distributors in Southern California who are interested in rum. The good news is that several great rums are coming south from the Bay Area.

Like good rum, patience will be rewarded, it just takes some time.

[Moonclip]

Not a bar, but for anyone in Los Angeles or Orange county, Hi Time Wine liquor store in Costa Mesa has a rather good selection of rum.

A lot of the more obscure or harder to find rums on I've seen on this site I've seen for sale at this place.

[Dood]

If you're looking for rum in LA these days, I highly HIGHLY recommend Audrey Saunders' newest creation: The Tar Pit.

They have quite a nice selection of great rums, from La Favorite to Appleton to Santa Theresa to El Dorado. It is easily the most complete collection of rums I've seen north of Laguna Beach and south of San Francisco.