Aloha to Bahooka: A Last Look at The Kitschy Tiki Restaurant

Sadly, another Southern California restauran institution is now history. Bahooka Restaurant in Rosemead shut down this weekend after nearly five decades in business. Bahooka wasn't necessarily known for its food, but it was definitely known for its kitsch. Fish tanks at nearly every table, Tiki heads and plenty of surf memorabilia lined the walls, and stepping inside was like stepping back, well, almost five decades.


Here's how big fan Chris Nichols eulogized it over at his L.A. Times "Ask Chris" blog:

No! No! No! This can't be happening. Bahooka, the most lavish, bizarre and wonderful restaurant ever built in Los Angeles (did I mention the drinks are served on fire and in salad bowls?) will be gone by next month. The massive labyrinth of flotsam and jetsam, filled with hundreds of blue glowing fish tanks, tikis. street signs, plastic birds, and a jail cell, will close its doors on March 10th after 46 years in business. The first Bahooka opened in my hometown of West Covina but was just a tiny guppy compared to the full majesty of the Rosemead location, which sold after just one day on the market. “They don’t want tiki around here, they want Asian,” says co-owner Suzanne Schneider. “The new owner just wants the building, the liquor license and the fish.” Schneider would not sell the Bahooka name as she plans to sell a line of salad dressing through Costco. A sick relative caused her to act quickly to dispose of the beloved restaurant.

We stopped by on Saturday night (which turned out to be the last night of operation), and although the 4-hour wait meant that we couldn't get a table, I still wandered around and snapped plenty of photos for posterity. Here are some shots from the final weekend of Bahooka, including Rufus the fish:























And here's a video produced by LA Foodie about the final days of Bahooka:

A Celebration of Tiki in Glendale

Maria's pal Jamile tipped us off to the opening night party for "In Search of Tiki," the new exhibit that officially opens today at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale.

First, a quick note about the Forest Lawn Museum. It's truly one of the best-kept secret attractions in Glendale. Get over the idea that it's a museum within a cemetery -- Glendale's Forest Lawn is a beautiful, well-maintained site (with countless statues, monuments and chapels), even if you have no particular reason to visit. Perched high above the city, the museum boasts incredible views -- and its entrance is always free. The permanent collection is interesting enough, but the museum's rotating exhibitions are almost always unique and well-curated.



That brings us to "In Search of Tiki." The exhibit offers a mix of history and kitsch, as the museum notes:

The Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale presents "In Search of Tiki," featuring a fascinating contrast between the traditional Oceanic art made by the native peoples of the Pacific Islands and the entire gamut of second-generation Pan-Polynesian artifacts that embellished restaurants and bars after World War II. The exhibit will also include inventive interpretations by a new group of artists who are stretching the genre.

Embodying the Forest Lawn Museum’s goal to enrich, inspire, and educate the community, "In Search of Tiki" includes examples of traditional Oceanic Tikis, Tiki Americana, and the work of contemporary Tiki artists who are pushing the boundaries of Tiki Style, now an internationally and commercially recognized art movement. Serving as guest curators for "In Search of Tiki," are authors Douglas Nason and Jeff Fox.

The opening party took place Thursday night. Among the notables in attendance: Big tiki fan and artist Shag (above, signing a book for someone).



Above, the famed Forest Lawn cross -- visible for miles around -- shines above the Tiki party. It's not every day a rockin' surf band performs at the cemetery.



Fans of fez enjoy the beverages and the pupus -- pork ribs, Vietnamese rolls and chicken won tons -- as the sun sets behind them.



The exhibit is definitely kid-friendly. We brought along the Kid Formerly Known as Blogger Toddler, who got a kick out of the tikis. Plus, above, an actual bird (well, this one was an "alternate") from the Disneyland "Enchanted Tiki Room."



Behold, the lights of Glendale.

"In Search of Tiki" continues through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009. The Forest Lawn Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forest Lawn-Glendale is located at 1712 S. Glendale Ave.

In Search of Tiki

It's by no means a thorough list (I'm sure we could all name several right off the bat that aren't on the list), but here's Gridskipper's list of its favorite L.A. tiki bars.