Chicago Pit Stop for "Tiki Road Trip 2"

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 10, 2007 7:17PM

As we posted earlier this summer there's quite a hidden history of tiki in the Chicagoland area that's been all but forgotten, which is why local author James Teitelbaum's research is so valuable. His book Tiki Road Trip chronicled his coast-to-coast quest for the best in tiki, both modern and vintage. It was so successful that earlier this year he published a new edition. This Thursday he'll be in town for a reading and signing.

Well, sort of in town. He'll actually be at the Tiki Terrace in Prospect Heights, a bang-up establishment that alas is a bit hard to reach without a car. But we suggest you find a way to get out there. In addition to the book signing, there'll be live entertainment and tiki vendors, and Thursdays' killer drink special means two-for-one Zombies all night long. Nab a designated driver and make the trek! The fun starts at 7 p.m.

As awesome as Tiki Terrace is, it's a crying shame that truly tropical lounges within the Chicago city limits are as rare as a snowcone in Honolulu. But that may finally change soon. Teitelbaum dropped a hint to us in an email that the long-promised Trader Vic's reopening is indeed still on the horizon. "The date is now early 2008," he wrote. "Apparently, the investors have chosen a location and are in negotiations to secure it."

In the meantime, you can't go wrong with House of Wah Sun on Lincoln Avenue. It's really more of an old-school Chinese-American restaurant, but in the drinks department they really deliver: great libations, well-made, dirt cheap.

Tiki Terrace is at 1 S. Wolf Rd. in Prospect Heights. For more info, see the Tiki Terrace web site.