WINTER!

hey!

so i'm just revamping the site with new features, and I've also been doing a TUMBLR!

http://darkandtiki.tumblr.com

take a peek!

still in business!

sorry I've been dark for a while..

been busy with lots of other blogs/music/etc

so please bear with me while I'm STILL with you guys!

if you wanna hear some of the music I've been doing click here
http://soundcloud.com/carlosrossi

Bars : Trader Sam's is now OPEN!

(WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

I have survived the amazingness that IS: Trader Sam's.

Honestly, I went in with very LOW hopes since I'm used to getting let down with 'new' Tiki Bars, but seriously these guys nailed it.

This is the exterior of the stunning (but small) A-Frame that stands outside the famed Disneyland Hotel. Just a stones throw from your hotel can you crawl up this bar and stagger back. Not to mention they serve food from the Tongaroa Terrace next door which was the only let-down. I was expecting a full restaurant but it's nothing more than a cafeteria style food. However, if you're inside of Trader Sam's you can order some of the smaller dishes inside and enjoy them with a cocktail. So that sorta makes up for it!

This is what Tongaroa Terrace looks like from the outside, very intriguing but roughly small inside.

Ok, let's get to Trader Sam's!...

So outside the front door sits so much awesome memorabilia such as this great sign, and some other pieces of decor that came from Disney's Polynesian Resort according to Jason Klepper whom was the FIRST patron inside the bar.

This guy was pretty awesome, ex-skipper and knew just about EVERYTHING about the Jungle Cruise and Disney's Tiki fascination. It was a great pleasure to meet this guy and chat with him during our visit.

 So we walk in and THIS is the first thing we see, our amazing Skippers inside the bar! All of these guys were amazing and had the same attitude and humor as the Skippers do on the Jungle Cruise, well at least the GOOD ones. I've had a few boring Skippers in my day and these guys are the best.

..so how were the drinks?? Well I'll tell ya.. Hell I'll even SHOW ya!

Inside this little menu book had the list of snacks and beverages and shot all the parts I liked the most to display for you..

First I'll show you the cocktails I enjoyed..

Here we have the pouring of the 'Hippopoto-Mai Tai' ! This was a very well executed drink since they followed very closely to the Don Beach recipe and a smidge of the Trader Vic's style but completely creating their own. Also another key point was they were using Trader Tiki's Syrups as their main mixers! That alone was a good choice for them as Trader's makes excellent Orgeat, and other classic flavors like Don's Mix and Falernum.

Here is their version of the Painkiller dubbed the 'Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum', which was delicious! a little heavy on the ice but hey it was still good considering it had Pussers, Coco Lopez and the proper mix ratio to give that nice spiced taste with the nutmeg and cinnamon on top. Extremely recommended.

So next up, ..wait actually. I need to show you the snacks..

This was the Kalua Pork flatbread pizza thing, I love making these at home and now they have em at the bar! Very convenient! They were delicious by the way, crispy flatbread, slow roasted pork, and the sauce was delish! It was about 8.99 for this but that's typical for Disney faire.

So here was my 2nd cocktail, the Shrunken Zombie Head! Now this was a zombie that packed a serious punch. With 151 in that mix, it had to be my last drink before venturing into the park for the afternoon. It was really good, and it went down WAY too easy. So this drink could be very deadly for those seeking adventure such as myself..

The final drunk consumed was the Krakatoa Punch and indeed it was the last straw. This guy was very similar to a traditional Tiki Punch and was on the sweeter side but absolutely delicious with the hibiscus grenadine in full force! It also comes with an awesome show as do a few of the drinks on the menu; The Uh O'A!, the Shipwreck on the Rocks, and the Krakatoa Punch. For this drink, you'd see something like this...

As you can see this bar is stocked with surprises, amazing scenery and amazing staff that has love for the part of Disneyland us Tiki folk really really enjoy.

On a scale of DARK & TIKI i'd have to go with an 8 because there is in-fact some darkness in that bar, hence NO windows (true tiki bar), and a great ambiance that has been created there and hopefully will last for years and years.

Mahalo! till the next one!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fatalblades/sets/72157626812169414/ = full Flickr set of all the photos I shot that day!

Disneyana Tiki fans take note!

Yes my friends, this is in fact one of the composites for the upcoming Trader Sam's opening at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim!!!!!!!!!

I've been a Disney fan as much as any, but now.. I might not even enter the park. The proposed the new restaurant is now also the motif for the hotel as they are trying to redo the style. It's pretty exciting pending since I would've never thought the Disney camp would say, hmmm let's re-do the resort... hmm HOW ABOUT TIKI?!

According to one of my sources at the beloved Tiki Central Forums has posted that the Hotel is trying to keep this as classic as possible. So think classic Trader Vic's, The Luau, The Tikis, Don the Beachcomber, ..you know, all the big name classics. At first I read a thread saying they were looking for a "Jimmy Buffet" style entertainer, but apparently that has been cleared up and they're not going to have entertainment as of YET. You can definitely bet that I'll be begging for a DJ gig in the upcoming future!

So going back to this amazing place.



 
So here's an idea of what the place is gonna look like. HUGE a-frame building, lots of outdoor as well as indoor seating. Kind of reminds me of the Bali Ha'i in San Diego and hopefully the drinks & food will be just as good! I just read the new menu on their blog today:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/05/whats-on-the-menu-at-new-disneyland-hotel-restaurants-opening-may-25/

...sounds amazing to say the least.


The more info I get, the sooner I'll post!

MUSIC: The Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble

as this blog as progressed, have touched base on a lot of new music acts that have not NECESSARILY been directly associated with Tiki, however they fuel my dark corner where my bar sits. When guests arrive and I'm making drinks, I plan my playlists very well. This is a new release by a 'collective' called the Kilimanjaro Dark Jazz Ensemble.

From their site: "The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble (TKDE) formed in 2000 as a project to compose new music for existing silent movies. Jason Köhnen and Gideon Kiers, both graduates of the Utrecht School of Arts, combined their audio and visual skills to reinterpret classic movies by F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and F. Langs (Metropolis)." With this in mind, you will see that this group creates some amazing atmospheres that are definitely along the lines of early Exotica, whereas the sounds and background noises create a haunting atmosphere. Hey, remember.. This is DARK&TIKI talking..


I've been following this group for only 2 years and their releases have been in constant rotation & on various mixes I've made for friends. Creating a more 'Lynch-ian' type of feel but definitely dabbling into primitive percusions, giving it that Arthur Lyman vibe. In some cases adding vocals like on this new release ''From the Stairwell", the track "All is One'' gives a bit of a lounge feel as the song progresses into it's murky feel. Others give a more sultry, lounge feeling, but always coming back to what I completely love about this band.

Again from their site: :"Live TKDE  fuse analog and digital as much as possible. Combining traditional instrumentations (comprising cello, trombone, violin, beats, guitar, bass and vocals) with existing and/or self-developed software, continuously blending and mutating, creating an organic and electronic performance, supported by visuals which add to and interact with the frequencies of said instruments."

The sounds created on this record are purely organic fused with modern technology and ultimately giving it a modern feel.

If you're interested in purchasing, I'm sure it's on iTunes, or otherwise go visit the band's site: http://www.tkde.net/tkdenet/tkde.html where I'm sure there will be plenty of more information. Thanks for listening & enjoy the music! 

Tiki Ti 50th Anniversary coming UP!

so, last year I did a little story on my favorite bar in Los Angeles, The Tiki Ti..
..and now it gives me great pleasure to give a little blurb on the BIG celebration coming up in April!! The Tiki Ti turns 50!!!!

if you want a small piece of background, check out the video below..

I've been steadily coming to the Tiki Ti for sometime now, and I honestly haven't had a better Tiki drink elsewhere. Mike sr., Mike jr., and Mark put a lot of love into their drinks and they always have been the nicest people ever. Not once have I felt the typical Los Angeles bar vibe in here. It's the one place you can go to and rub elbows with different sorts of people and everyone is having fun. No one is acting rude, and if they do, they never stay long enough to spread their negativity around the bar.

When I come here, I feel like family and I can't get over the fact that this bar has been dishing out the best cocktails since 1961! Before the Enchanted Tiki Room even, (which opened in 1963), and this place deserves every ounce of cred there is. The drinks are still made the same way, same ingredients, same love, same location, and the same decor!

You must come and experience this for yourself, and if you can.. COME IN APRIL!

 this is the new Tiki Ti mug made my the good people at Tiki Farm! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies and have my favorite bar's mug at my use ALL THE TIME!

not to mention new merchandise like Jackets, Fez Hats and lots more!

I've been gone for TOO long!!

obviously, you must think i'm a total hermit, and just can't finish my blogs.

..well you're wrong! I've been slowly recovering from most recently, a birthday week (thank you), and lots of DJing and various projects.

not to mention, I've been doing my own personal research on many things DARK & TIKI.

I promise I'm going to start doing this more often, and please leave me your comments!!