The Bikini Lounge - Phoenix Arizona

Friday, October 19, 2019

Can I just say I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this place. 

Dale and I are in Phoenix visiting family and decided to give the Bikini Lounge a try. Last year we visited Under Tow, and on Spring Break of this year we hit Hula's Modern Tiki. 

Tiki snobs need to check their attitudes at the door. Comfortable, kitschy, unpretentious, fun, and friendly are all words that come to mind as I try to sum up the place. 

Yep, it's a dive and that adds to the charm. If you can't appreciate that then you really don't belong. We arrived shortly after it opened at 3 p.m. so it wasn't anywhere near crowded which allowed our bartender, Michelle, to give us lots of attention and tell us stories about the history of the place. 

The place has been open since 1947. It's been mostly a beer joint for most of that time but more recently since the tiki revival actual tiki drinks have been added to the menu. 

I started with the Mr. Howell which, according to the menu, contains coconut rum, spiced rum, mango puree, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour. 

Michelle told me I could make it a Mrs. Howell by drinking it half down and adding champagne to top it off. I tried it. That was pretty awesome too.

The place was ready for Halloween. Spider webs had been put up all over the place. Michelle told us the place was laid out pretty much the way it originally was when it opened and that a lot of the decor is original too. 

I believe some of the paintings are newer. 

For my second round I went with the Blue Hawaiian. Dale stuck with beer. The menu describes it as light rum, blue Curacao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. I remember one of my first if not the first tropical drink I had was the Blue Hawaiian. I ordered it back in college when it was legal for me to drink. Not sure what prompted me to order that particular drink and it was the 80s and I not sure where I heard of it. Any way I loved it. I don't remember it having cream. However, I think that's was made it especially good. Michelle told me they mix coconut milk and coconut cream. It made it hearty and rich. 

The place had a pool table toward the back. 

And a vintage condom machine in the bathroom. 

Michelle told us the story about the ledge to rest your feet on while sitting at the bar. It used to be a urinal trough so men could drink and pee and never have to leave the bar. The grating that used to be over the trough was replaced with a floor covering so now it just looks like a foot rest. Go figure. 

I loved the place and as did Dale so I'm almost positive we'll be making a return trip! 

So much more to see.

And so many more drinks to try. 

10th Psycho Suzi's Visit for 2019

Monday, October 7, 2019

Sara contacted me a few weeks ago to tell us that she and her husband Tim would be in town  this week due to Tim needing to be here for a business conference. We decided to meet up at Psycho Suzi's tonight.

We arrived at around 6:15 to grab a table and successfully did so. Sara arrived at 6:30 and told us Tim's company decided to surprise him and a group of managers with a riverboat cruise tonight. This prevented Tim from joining us for dinner. 

However, Sara's brother Carter lives in town and Sara invited him and his girlfriend  along. 

Drinks and dinner were great and it turns out Tim's event ended in time for him to join us at Suzi's for a drink afterward. 

It was great to see everyone and a good time was had by all!

Tiki Mug Inventory 2019

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Here's what I got:

Yes, I realize that a few of the things pictured here are not tiki mugs so, obviously, they are not being counted in the inventory.

I found the above guy in the basement. He's a double of another mug also pictured. 

All totaled I counted 52! Three more than last year...

Feeling' Fall - Cigars, Cocktails, Playlists

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Fall is on the way. Astrological fall starts tomorrow but today we just came off a run of hot, sticky July-like weather. Today however was mid-60s, cloudy, and rainy in the afternoon. I set up for a cigar in the garage and lit up after making a hula-hula cocktail. I also worked on one of my tiki themed playlists. 

 I also worked on one of my tiki themed playlists. 

Back to Lucky Cricket (Lucky Cricket 4 for 2019)

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Dale and I went back to Lucky Cricket today for the first time since their temporary closure.

I started with the Tiki Reviver which the menu describes as, "Rich and mystifying. Rums, coconut, pineapple, lime and spiked with coffee liquor." Delicious and very well made. 

Dale was my designated driver so he drank iced tea. We ordered the egg rolls as an appetizer. They were crunchy and tasty. 

For lunch Dale ordered the Tangerine-Sesame Chicken and I ordered the Kung Pao Shrimp.

For my second drink I ordered the Saturn which the menu describes as, "Light and mysterious. Tattersall Gin, passionfruit, falernum, almond and lemon." I really enjoyed its tanginess which was enough to keep me sipping rather than slurping it. 

For dessert we had some pineapple soft serve which was awesome. 

It was good to be back at Lucky Cricket. We weren't sure after the sudden closure that they would actually reopen. The food was excellent and I found the drinks to be well made and not over-sweet (which can often happen with tiki drinks).  Both the food and drink menu items have been drastically reduced and for what reason I'm not quite sure. At first I thought that maybe we were seeing a lunch menu rather than a more extensive dinner menu. However, upon returning home I checked out the only menu posted online and it was the same as the one at the restaurant. 

We plan to be back!

Dole Whip at the Minnesota State Fair

Friday, August 30, 2019

Dale and I came across a Dole Whip booth at the Minnesota State Fair. We went with the pineapple flavor in waffle cones!

9th Psycho Suzi's Visit for 2019

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Union meeting today so I stopped by Psycho Suzi's before hand.

Of course I started out with the Psychotic Suzi.

And had the Hawaiian Surf pizza for sustenance.

My second round was a Crummy Scoundrel but I thought it tasted a little over-sweet this time.

As I didn't get there until around three o'clock it was a bit on the quiet side.  The manager on duty came over and struck up a conversation with me which was very sweet. After I asked her about business lately she replied that it's been rather slow. I mentioned I had been in for lunch a couple weeks ago with Mom and that the patio was packed. She said it really goes in waves and that the last week has been more quiet than usual. We also had a nice talk about our dogs.

By the time I left I felt quite prepared for my union meeting. 

Birthday Boy

Monday, August 12, 2019

I recently celebrated a birthday. It was an amazing day and I had a chance to spend a little of it in the backyard with a cigar, a cocktail, and the one and only Athena.

Dale dropped by the yard for a little bit before he took me out to dinner.

Athena enjoyed being outside.

All in all, a great birthday.