Timewarps and Tiki bars (in place)
Late last summer, in the early days of east bae, we did an edition called “Timewarps and Tiki Bars”, with the goal of helping you find local places that would transport you to another era or place.
Tiki bars have long been an American escapist pastime - coming to rise in the 1930’s during and after the great depression when many Americans couldn’t afford to travel as easily and instead satiated their curiosity with these new exotic restaurants and bars. Donn the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s were the tiki bar pioneers and while the tiki cocktails weren’t exactly authentic to the Polynesian ambiance they were trying to replicate (the rum came from Cuba, not the South Pacific), Americans still embraced the tropical decor, convivial atmosphere and sugary sweet libations.
Since we could all use a little escapism ourselves right now, its time to shake up your stay-at-home scenery by paying a visit to one of our best local tiki spots. Put on your mask (now mandated by law), gloves (just in case) and maybe a lei and head downtown to Oakland’s Kon-Tiki.
In case I haven’t mentioned this yet, the liquor laws are lax right now, so you can order cocktails-to-go from your favorite bars and restaurants. Now you might be looking at the prices and thinking “gee i’ve got a whole liquor cabinet at home, why would I pay double digit dollars for a cocktail without even getting the service or ambiance?” Well, most restaurants make their margins on liquor and wine markups (usually up to 30% of their revenue) —so by ordering drinks, you’re really helping your favorite businesses weather this coronacrisis and keep paying their bills. At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself as I stock up. You can also help people and places by buying gift cards and of course tipping really well.
Anyway. At the Kon-Tiki, they bottle and cap their cocktails - so you can get a mai tai, a rum grog, a pineapple and passionfruit ma kua, or a zombie to go and drink it at your convenience. Or better yet, a ready-to-drink frozen coconut Uma Uma which you can maybe throw a little paper umbrella in to transport yourself fully beachside no matter where you are spending your shelter. 🍹
But perhaps the most exciting part of all at the Kon Tiki is their burger. Oh boy. Tiki Bars are not known for the quality of their food. You’re usually lucky if you can find a sticky wooden bowl of stale popcorn or some greasy faux Chinese food.
Not so at Kon-Tiki. They have hands down my absolute favorite east bay burger for 2020. It’s in-n-out style; two thick but flattened juicy double patties crisped at the edges with melted cheese, pickled onions, lettuce and special sauce on a soft sesame bun. If you’re going out in this pandemic and love burgers - this is your spot. Some burgers get soggy on the drive home but this one retained its deliciousness, though next time I will def get an extra one to eat right outside. Browse the abbreviated Kon Tiki menu and call ahead Tues-Sat from 5-8 p.m. (510-823-2332) to place your order and swing by for pickup. The staff is in masks and running a careful and clean operation. They’re also selling their lovely barware so you can bring the beachy vibes home with you. Plus if you go for pick up you can step inside the tropically decorated space, and just for a moment, peacefully imagine yourself drifting off to the islands — or at least — to a local tiki bar.
Now on to a Time-warp so you can travel through time without traveling anywhere at all. By now you’ve probably cleared the netflix and hulu queue, maybe watched free HBO and are looking for a new way to consume content. It would be the absolute perfect time for drive-in movie theaters to have a resurgence, and believe me - I spent plenty of time googling this for you, but apparently they are non-essential businesses, so the Solano in Concord is temporarily closed.
But that doesn’t mean you still can’t pretend you’re at the drive-in. So here is a humble idea to help you get a change of scenery. Pop some popcorn, grab your iPad, hop in the car, drive up to inspiration point, or heck, keep the car where it is, roll the windows down and start streaming. The east bay theaters are closed, but some of the SF ones are adapting to the times and offering movies to stream at home, like Alamo Drafthouse’s “Alamo at Home” with new films ($10) and the Roxie with “The Best of Cat video fest” at their virtual cinema (pay what you want, 99 cents and up). Or you can just fire up all 219 episodes of Love Island on Hulu and travel to a place where Gen-Zers are also trapped in a house they can’t leave for months on end, but poolside and with a handful of sexy, bathing-suit clad singles looking for love.
For more helpful stay-local reading:
The Atlantic on the rise and fall of the American tiki bar
1933 and the first drive-in movie theater
Cooking, ordering food in and sheltering in the East Bay