Tiki Tuesday! The Tropics: a 1940s Sacramento nightclub

 From my ephemera collection via my Flickr photostream

I sure could go for a fruity drink right now! Just this last week I finished the narrative for SacMod's official 501(c)(3) status and wrote the guide for SacMod's free self-guided walking tour featuring six mid-century modern commercial buildings in Midtown.

I'm just stopping the old blogeroo to share some tiki goodness with you in a segment I'm calling "Tiki Tuesday." I'll be talking about other classic Sacramento tiki spots in future posts.

First stop: An oldie, but goodie. The Tropics. 1019 1/2 Jay Street, Sacramento, California.

From the collection of my friend and Sacramento historian, William Burg.

Unfortunately, I don't know who these happy people are; I do so love the couple dancing in the background!

According to Billboard magazine (October 9, 1943, page 21), the success of the Tropics was in part due to a larger phenomenon: "Soldiers Bring Prosperity to Sacramento Spots; Acts Profit"

"Sacramento, Oct 2 -- With soldiers from three neighboring fields -- Camp Kohler, McClellan, and Mather Field -- virtually taking the town over after dark, Sacramento night spots are flourishing and multiplying.... Tropics upstairs night spot, which opened the first of the year has ... augmented the orchestra. Gabriel Silveira leads a five-piece combo. Spot is owned by Yubi Separovich and Frank Radich."

In his article regarding Zombie Hut (I've shared my research findings about the legendary Zombie Hut here, here and here), Valcom News reporter Lance Armstrong stated that the Tropics nightclub "advertised itself as the 'Pacific Coast's most beautiful nightclub' with 'dancing, entertainment and tropical drinks'."

If the name Yubi Separovich sounds familiar to you, here's why; Mr. Saparovich is credited with saving Sacramento baseball in 1943 through a heroic last-ditch effort. He worked feverishly to keep the Sacramento Solons in town and later became their general manager. At various points in time Mr. Saparovich owned several other businesses in Sacramento, including a liquor store, carpet store, grocery store and an industrial loan company.

In a toast to The Tropics and in honor of Mr. Separovich and Mr. Radich, here's a classic, old-school tiki cocktail recipe: The Mai Tai.

 Mai Tai photo and recipe via Chow.com.

From: Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari, by Adapted from Martin Cate via Jeff Berry

Cheers, and, Aloha!

The Tiki Gods Approve

Last month during the kids' winter break, we ran away to Maui and stayed at the delightful Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. As you may know after reading my blog for a while, I am all about tikis (we have several in our backyard); I've been looking for the chance to add to our collection.

For a little background about tikis in Hawaiian history, visit Mythic Hawaii and Ancient Huna.

The tiki gods must have been smiling on us; on our last day, we met master third generation tiki carver, Funaki Tupou. We were so glad to meet him and see his incredible work.

He uses wood from the Monkey Pod Tree and his tiki carvings incorporate ancient Hawaiian symbols. The tiki above with the extended tongue is a warrior. He found a nice home with a family from the MidWest.

We were enchanted by the pair below.  Our son liked the warrior; our daughter, who loves turtles, liked the smiling one. She had just swam with a Green sea turtle in the ocean the previous day. The turtle symbolizes long life and good luck.

Can't wait for them to arrive! Just so happens he visits Sacramento periodically and we will likely order more. We really love his work and are pleased to be purchasing his art directly from him.

Thanksgiving in Sacramento, 1949

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so I bid all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and leave you with a little piece of Thanksgiving in Sacramento, 1949. Let's take a trip in the way-back machine! "Places to take the family for Thanksgiving dinner":

From my microfilm research: Sacramento Bee, November 23, 1949, page 18

Many familiar players here: The Chuck Wagon, Robert's Fish Grotto, Frank Fat's (the original location near the Capitol -- still in biz -- respect! Redo by Sacramento MCM architect Sooky Lee, I must add).

But sadly, no Zombie Hut :( Bummer! 'Cause that menu looks mighty tasty.

However you choose to celebrate the holiday, have a wonderful one! Aloha!

More Zombie Hut!

Found during my microfilm research. Ad from the Sacramento Bee, June 16, 1968; page A4

Aloha! It's been a rough week so I'm going to imagine that I'm having some grog at the Zombie Hut. I've posted about this restaurant/lounge before here.

Enjoy this ad from 1968. Somebody needs to put it back, preferably within stumbling distance of our neighborhood.

Been on vacation with the family

We've been away on family vacation and busy with other things; just dropping by to share some snaps taken at the Mai Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I'm serious about this tiki thing and can't get enough. Ever.

Built in 1956, the Mai Kai is a lot of tiki and a little bit of tacky -- just the way I like it! Based on a Polynesian theme, the owners purchased authentic artifacts from the islands and shipped them to Florida with the intent of recreating a Polynesian village.

If you are a big mid-century tiki fan you will love Mai Kai: one of the last of genuine tiki places left standing from the 50's. The sheer size and scope of this restaurant amazed me. I loved the way you can order your drink in one of four different strengths. I got the Zombie and it was strong, just like they promised.

The Mai Kai scored big on Humuhumu's Critiki -- for you tiki fans, that's a lot of tiki cred.

My kids had a blast hamming it up with the tikis and checking everything out. The bar was cool and had a rockabilly band playing. The pupu platter wasn't that great but my chicken with ginger peanut sauce was pretty good -- better than I expected! The show was very enjoyable: singing, dancing, fire sticks. Definitely as I remember similar shows in Hawaii from my childhood.

We had a great time at this true tiki joint from an era long past. If you are in town by all means go; before you know it places like this will be only a memory.

And now, with your Mai Tai in hand and as the sun is setting on this post, catch a glimpse of what the Mai Kai looked like years ago. Visit SwankPad's Mai Kai Postcards..... Aloha.

Blast from the past -- Zombie Hut!

I am transfixed with all things tiki, so of course am very sad I never got to visit the Zombie Hut, which used to be so close to our neighborhood at 5635 Freeport Boulevard (before it was bulldozed and replaced with a strip mall.) I imagine this must have been quite the happenin' exotic spot.


Some great sleuthing has been done by Amadscientist, who has written a Wikipedia entry regarding the Zombie Hut's history and includes images from their business card.


The Zombie Hut lives on as a reincarnation in Brooklyn, NY per several Sacramento Bee articles written by R.E. Graswich:

August 14, 2002: "The Next Big Thing in New York might be straight from Sacramento. We are talking about the Zombie Hut, a long-gone bar on Freeport Boulevard that featured bartenders in Hawaiian shirts, plastic tiki idols, pink umbrella drinks and Ed Leeteg's sexy velvet portraits of Polynesian maidens. This week, amid much fanfare, the Zombie Hut reopens - 3,000 miles away on Smith Street in Brooklyn, N.Y. "I was born and raised in Sacramento and worked as a busboy at the original Zombie Hut," said Tod Bullen. "I decided the time was right to bring it back." Since moving to New York, Tod has become a mini-tycoon in the Brooklyn restaurant scene, having partial ownership in several establishments. The new Zombie Hut, which opens Friday, is in Carroll Gardens, a gentrified Italian neighborhood known for its mob connections (Al Capone was married there). If the Zombie Hut is a hit, it's only a matter of time before some smart operator brings the concept back to Sacramento."

A post on Tiki Central from Psycho Tiki D lists this enchanting painting, "Native Dancer" original oil on silk, by Burke Tyree, 1964, as having been hung on the wall at the Zombie Hut.


A really great and in-depth history, as well as other excellent examples of Burke Tyree's velvet paintings can be seen on Minnie's Restaurant & Bar's website.

Another painter, Ed Leeteg, reportedly had several paintings at the Zombie Hut. Per another Sacramento Bee article from August 25, 1999:

"The former Sacramento sign painter, whose velvet tropical maidens are craved by collectors in Los Angeles and Honolulu, has re-exploded onto the Sacramento scene. Leeteg died in 1953, but a mention of his name right here stirred readers who recalled him hanging around the old Zombie Hut on Freeport. "He had four or five pictures there. He would sell them for a bottle of rum..."

A great article regarding Ed Leeteg is posted on Barracuda Magazine's website.

Mary Z. Johnson was a waitress at many local restaurants including the Zombie Hut. Per her May 7, 2008 obituary in the Sacramento Bee, she had quite a following according to her sister, Josephine Bodda:

"Funny and charming, she loved meeting people from all walks of life. She teased politicians at Dick and Eddie's downtown, joked with fishermen and tourists at the Crow's Nest in Isleton and dished with gay men who gave her pet names and insisted on sitting at her station in the Zombie Hut.

"She had a big gay following," said Bodda, who managed the Polynesian-themed restaurant on Freeport Boulevard. "All her tables would be full, but they would say, 'We'll wait for Mitzie.' Sometimes they would leave her a hundred-dollar tip."

Does anyone have any fun stories, pictures, artifacts or mementos from the original Zombie Hut to share?

Napkin via mcclatchy1958.com
Matchbook cover via Psycho Tiki D, Tiki Central Forum post.