Category: South Florida

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The Mai-Kai celebrates its 56th birthday, rings in 2013 with special events

On Dec. 28, 1956, the venerable Mai-Kai restaurant opened its doors on a desolate stretch of Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale. In the ensuing half-century, the rest of the world has changed radically but you can still be guaranteed a totally immersive South Seas experience in this one-of-a-kind slice of Polynesian paradise.

Ty (left) and Andrew with fellow Mai-Kai Islander Hokulani
Ty (left) and Andrew with fellow Mai-Kai Islander Hokulani at a recent catered event. The duo will be performing at the 56th anniversary party on Dec. 28. (Photo courtesy of The Mai-Kai)

This mid-century marvel will celebrate its 56th anniversary next Friday (Dec. 28) with its annual Customer Celebration Party in The Molokai bar starting at 5 p.m. Live music will be provided all night by Ty and Andrew, The Mai-Kai’s house band, playing a mix of island and holiday music on ukuleles, bongos and guitar.

There will also be an extended happy hour all night in The Molokai. After 7 p.m., just tell your waitress that you’re there for the celebration party in order to receive half-priced drinks and appetizers. This includes most of The Mai-Kai’s legendary tropical cocktails, many of which date back to the early days of Tiki mixology in the 1930s. Taste history in a glass all night while you munch on decadent small bites such as Shanghai Chicken and Crab Rangoon. Click here to see the menu.
* Click here for the Facebook event

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The Mai-Kai hosts ‘Classic Dining’ author Dec. 13 with special event, extended happy hour

Classic dining establishments that date back to the middle of the 20th century and are still thriving today are a rare find. South Florida is lucky to have one of the most grand and well-preserved in our midst: The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale, est. 1956. A new book, which features the Polynesian palace on its cover, takes an in-depth look at these survivors of another era with vintage and new photos, inside information and authoritative stories.

Classic Dining: Discovering America's Finest Mid-Century Restaurants

Classic Dining: Discovering America’s Finest Mid-Century Restaurants by author and historian Peter Moruzzi is a lavishly illustrated hardcover book published on Nov. 1 by Gibbs Smith. It features many photos and additional stories from Sven A. Kirsten, author of The Book of Tiki and Tiki Modern.

Mouruzzi will be at The Mai-Kai on Thursday, Dec. 13, for a special event featuring an illustrated talk about his new book. The event, presented by Tropic magazine, will be held in The Mai-Kai’s elaborately themed Tahiti dining room from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include an extended happy hour with half-priced drinks and appetizers.
* Click here or on the book cover for the Facebook event

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Hulaween was hoppin’ all night at The Mai-Kai

Slip and the Spinouts rocked the house during The Mai-Kai’s fourth annual Hulaween on Oct. 26 in Fort Lauderdale. The South Florida rockabilly favorites were the highlight of the seven-hour party that also included a costume contest, retro tunes and the return of a special “lost cocktail.”
See below: Video, photos from the party
* See the Hulaween poster | Event preview

Bassist Marvin Ray Hawkins and guitarist/vocalist Slip Mahoney of Slip and the Spinouts rock The Molokai. (Atomic Grog photo)
Bassist Marvin Ray Hawkins and guitarist/vocalist Slip Mahoney of Slip and the Spinouts rock The Molokai. (Atomic Grog photo)

The party kicked off in The Molokai bar with the Atomic Retro Happy Hour pre-party from 5 to 7 p.m. hosted by The Atomic Grog. In a salute to the half-century-old Mai-Kai, the musical playlist featured tunes spanning the 1930s to the 1980s, from Skip James to The Cramps. A special thanks to Mrs. Hurricane for digging up most of the eclectic music.

Partygoers were also treated to a “lost cocktail” that was on The Mai-Kai’s original 1956 menu but has been retired for years. The Last Rites was a deadly concoction perfect for the occasion, impeccably crafted and presented by manager Kern Mattei’s bar staff.
* Click here for a Last Rites review and new tribute recipe

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South Florida’s macabre festivities aren’t quite dead yet

A mid-week Halloween always offers a great opportunity to spread out the ghoulish fun over two weekends, and with the growing popularity of the Day of the Dead there’s no good reason to stop the revelry.

South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration

That’s particularly true in Fort Lauderdale this Friday, Nov. 2, when the third annual South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration takes over downtown with a free five-hour bash and skeleton processional. That will be followed by the official after party at The Mai-Kai.
* Official website | Facebook page | Facebook event

The celebration will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. in the FAT Village Arts District just north of downtown. Led by a mariachi band, the processional will start at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art at 6:15 and wind its way north on Andrews Avenue to Northwest Fifth Street, ending at FAT Village.

Participants are invited to don skeletal attire and join the processional of giant puppets, stilt walkers, floats, drummers, circus performers, and more. At FAT Village, revelers can enjoy art, crafts, music, theater and much more. The Boneyard Bandstand will feature sets by local bands The Riot Act (6 p.m.), Los Diablos (7 p.m.), Arboles Libres (8 p.m.), Bobby Lee Rodgers (9 p.m.), and Everymen (10 p.m.)

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Hukilau returns to June, historic ‘Yankee Clipper’ in 2013

Next year’s Hukilau will feature several changes that will return the annual gathering of the Tiki tribe in Fort Lauderdale to its roots: The 12th annual event will move from April to June, and it also will be centered around the Sheraton Beach Hotel, better known as the Yankee Clipper.

Hukilau 2013

Tickets are on sale now for the June 6-9 event at TheHukilau.com, and “passengers” are also being encouraged “book a stateroom aboard the Yankee Clipper” to ensure a prime spot at this extravaganza of vintage Polynesian Pop.

After five years in early June, the event was held in April last year and was centered at the Best Western Oceanside on the south end of Fort Lauderdale Beach. But with interest in mid-century culture still blooming, a move was made for 2013 to include the Sheraton, one of South Florida’s most iconic hotels. It will serve as the host hotel and will be the center of the action for most of the Hukilau activities. Guests will also receive perks for staying at this oceanfront classic, home of the legendary Wreck Bar and its enchanting mermaids, aka Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s Underwater Swim Show.

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A great pairing: The Mai-Kai to host premium rum tasting

The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale, one of the best places in the world to sip rum and tropical cocktails, will be the perfect site for a special tasting event on Thursday, Sept. 27.

Premium rum tasting at The Mai-Kai

From 7 to 9 p.m. in the legendary Polynesian restaurant’s Molokai lounge, guests will sample two top-shelf rums, served both neat and in vintage cocktails. The featured rums are Fortuna 8 from Nicaragua, and Dos Maderas PX from Barbados and Guyana. Of course, you also have the option of sampling other selections from The Mai-Kai’s premium rum list and acclaimed assortment of nearly 50 classic cocktails.

Presented by Robert A. Burr, organizer of the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, this exclusive opportunity is limited to the first 40 guests. The cost is $20 per person in advance and $25 at the door. The price includes the four drinks: One cocktail and one neat featuring each of the two rums. Click here to make advance payment and reservations. Click here for the Facebook event.

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The Mai-Kai’s Hulaween rises from the dead for a fourth spooktacular on Oct. 26

Updated Nov. 2, 2012
NEW: Event recap, video and photos | UPDATE: Last Rites tribute recipe

Hulaween 2012 in The Mai-Kai's Molokai bar

The historic Mai-Kai Polynesian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale ghoulishly presents its fourth annual Hulaween party in the crypt of The Molokai bar on Friday, Oct. 26, from 5 p.m. into the witching hours.

Featuring special fiendish performances by South Florida’s rockabilly zombies, Slip and the Spinouts, the event will also scare up a costume contest, special cocktails, and a retro-themed throwback party during happy hour.

The Atomic Grog will host the pre-party from 5 to 7 p.m., with The Mai-Kai offering up an appropriate special “lost cocktail” for the occasion. Last Rites, which was on the bar’s original 1956 menu, will be resurrected for just this one night.
* See the poster artwork | Facebook event

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Mai-Kai parties are a festive cure for the summer doldrums

The Mai-Kai's bar features classic Tiki cocktails served by The Molokai Girls
The Mai-Kai's bar features classic Tiki cocktails served by The Molokai Girls. (Photo courtesy of The Mai-Kai)

Updated Aug. 15, 2012

Got those sweltering August blues yet? Even if you don’t, you’ll want to get in the Tiki spirit this month within the cool, dark confines of The Mai-Kai’s Molokai bar with a couple of special events.

The two parties – set for Sunday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 18 – promise to serve up two radically different experiences in the legendary Fort Lauderdale restaurant’s vintage shipwreck-themed lounge.

We urge you to sample one, or both:

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Pick up some Hukilau glassware for your summer Tiki party

The annual gathering of Tikiphiles in Fort Lauderdale is still more than 10 months away, but organizers of The Hukilau event know that some of us are always seeking out cool new mugs and glasses.

The original Florida Tiki History Glass, released in 2009
The original Florida Tiki History Glass, released in 2009. (Photo from TheHukilau.com)

This summer, they’ve re-released a classic and introduced something new in their Tiki Icon Series of glassware designs.

The Florida Tiki History Glass debuted at Hukilau 2009 and later sold out. This high-quality double old-fashioned glass features the the original logos and artwork from many current and defunct bars and restaurants, including The Mai-Kai and Julian’s in Ormond Beach, which unfortunately just closed.

This glass has been reissued in a special edition “exotic red” color (the original was brown). It’s just $40 for a set of four glasses. We’ve put our original set to great use over the years and highly recommend it. You’ll find a Hukilau cocktail recipe to fill your new glass below. Check out the artwork:

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Craft cocktail bar goes ‘swankadelic’ this Saturday

Sweetwater Goes Swankadelic
Click on the image for the Facebook event

Boynton Beach’s Sweetwater Bar and Grill, one of the cool off-the-beaten-path treasures of the South Florida cocktail scene, will vastly expand its scope of entertainment this Saturday when DJ Mike “Jetsetter” Jones spins some out-of-this-world “retro-active” tunes.

“Sweetwater Goes Swankadelic” starts around 9 p.m. and will likely continue into the wee hours at the small, year-old speakeasy on Federal Highway, just south of Woolbright Road. Sweetwater’s classic and inventive cocktails and decadent small-bites menu have garnered rave reviews from many critics, including The Palm Beach Post and New Times.

Liz Balmaseda wrote in The Post in early June that Sweetwater “exalts its boozy identity, wraps itself up in a speakeasy aesthetic, and defies its unexpected location in a Boynton Beach plaza. Yes, rarely thrilling Boynton Beach is home to Sweetwater Bar & Grill, one of the county’s funkiest bars.” She praised the “fresh and wild infusions, barrel-aged rum, mad assortment of bitters and homemade syrups, extensive craft beer menu and nicely curated wine list.”

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