VenTiki: Three Years and Pouring Strong!

Well it's been a whirlwind of Mai Tai’s, Pulled Pork and Trees Falling but we have survived three wonderful years at VenTiki Lounge & Lanai in Downtown Ventura, CA. Come join us Sunday July 17th at 6pm as we recount the many joys over the past three years. There will be cake and a oh so potent punch on the patio for your enjoyment as well as our full menu of fun. Bring a friend, bring two this will be one Luau you don’t want to miss.

VenTiki is an Island Paradise located in Downtown Ventura, CA featuring the best in Traditional Cocktails, Modern Tiki Drinks, Polynesian Inspired Cuisine, and even Sushi. VenTiki is guaranteed to transport you away from your modern life to a tropical oasis right in the heart of Ventura. Escape your work week with Magnum Monday's, Tsunami Tuesdays, Beachbum Wednesdays and Throwback Thursdays from six to closing.

Step foot onto the Lanai (Patio) and you already can feel the warmth of the islands with tiki water fall, wahine muraled flower garden, Tikis and a fire pit for those chilly island nights. As you approach the lounge you hear music of the islands, surf tune, lounge and even exotica inviting you to have a seat and order your favorite drinks. 

As you enter the Lounge you are greeted with Tikis, Custom Art and of course the best rum selection in the county. The bartenders in their best aloha wear making the most intoxicating beverages this side of the pacific.

BEWARE the GODS DO ANGER EASILY!

Mai Tais made the way they were invented by Trader Vic with a healthy dose of lime and rum, no grenadine or pineapple can be found in these drinks. Lapu Lapu's named for Chief Lapu Lapu who killed Ferdinand Magellan. Don the Beachcombers' 1934 recipe for the Zombie is sure to remind you of your own mortality. VenTiki also has Modern drinks like the Alter of Sacrifice, which comes complete with a flaming lime to ward of evil spirits. The Lagoon of Forbidden Desire will transport you to your own private Island Oasis. The Shrunken Head may not keep the witch doctor away but after a couple of these whiskey drinks you may not care. 

The Punk Rock Kitchen (PRK) you will assault your taste buds with the most amazing food you will find. Including the famed Seared Diver Scallops, Feta Tuna, Loco Moco, Shaka Rainbra Roll and even Tuna on Fire. Using the freshest ingredients locally sourced when available. 


Always testing and creating new dishes and specialized desserts the PRK is never boring. So always ask your server or bartender about what's new in the kitchen.

8 SPOTS LOCALS LOVE TO FREQUENT IN VENTURA

1. An island paradise…on Main Street.

It just so happens that despite the beach being half a mile away, many Venturans choose to sit beneath a straw canopy and brave the “tsunami warnings” at VenTiki Lounge & Lanai on Main Street for a little taste of island life.

First, forget everything you thought you knew about Tiki culture. VenTiki’s cocktails aren’t your diabetes-in-a-highball-glass kind of beverage. This place prides itself on cultivating classic, legit-as-you-can-get cocktails created by the folks who brought the island culture stateside back in the 1930s. No, there aren’t any singing birds, but thunder and lightning will greet you if you’re around on Tsunami Tuesdays.

Read More 8 SPOTS LOCALS LOVE TO FREQUENT IN VENTURA

805 Living Magazine

VenTiki got an amazing write up in 805 Living Magazine check it out online or drop by one of these fine establishments.

An island paradise…on Main Street.

It just so happens that despite the beach being half a mile away, many Venturans choose to sit beneath a straw canopy and brave the “tsunami warnings” at VenTiki Lounge & Lanai on Main Street for a little taste of island life.

First, forget everything you thought you knew about Tiki culture. VenTiki’s cocktails aren’t your diabetes-in-a-highball-glass kind of beverage. This place prides itself on cultivating classic, legit-as-you-can-get cocktails created by the folks who brought the island culture stateside back in the 1930s. No, there aren’t any singing birds, but thunder and lightning will greet you if you’re around on Tsunami Tuesdays.

Excerpt from Matador Network

A Downtown Tasting With Ventura Food Tours!

Excerpt from a article by LAUREN MESHKIN 
 

Bon Voyage, Lauren!

AFFORDABLE LUXURY: USA & EUROPE

View fullsize

BY LAUREN MESHKIN

Ventiki is a tiki lounge in Ventura that is loved dearly by locals. I’ll be honest, when I think of tiki lounges, good food doesn’t come to mind. But Ventiki is the exception and I was so happy to be proven wrong! Before we get to the food, I have to talk about the incredibly friendly staff who are so passionate about what they do. Our bartender made us the best mai tai I’ve ever tasted, and shared with us the history behind the drink as well.

View fullsize

BY LAUREN MESHKIN

Before I knew it, the chef brought out giant platters of sushi that couldn’t possibly be for just one person. I was proven wrong, yet again. We tried California rolls, salmon rolls, peppered seared ahi, albacore, tiger shrimp, coconut curry rice, and an array of sauces. I was overwhelmed in the best possible way. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, I was genuinely sad to leave.

The Very Best Tiki Online

We often get asked how do I learn more about Tiki while someone is a few Mai Tais into their evening. We try and help them as time and customers allow but many times they will wake up in the morning asking the same question right after where's the aspirin. 

There are many great books written the best being anything written by Sven Kirsten his Book of Tiki is considered by most as the bible of Polynesian Pop and the handbook for the Tiki Resurrection. There are many Museums and Videos you can watch that will explain the history of the islands. I am going to list the websites that  speak directly to Polynesian Pop and Tiki Bars in general. 

Tiki Central

I often joke if it’s not on TC it’s not tiki, that isn’t entirely true because they have many fun posts that have nothing to do with tiki one of my favorites is photo association. There are area’s dedicated to creating tiki. Restaurants and Bars past and present. Home bars is always a great time consumer watching the construction of someones home bar from dirt to drink. There is no better place to find all the answers and no nicer people for you to ask the questions if you can’t find an answer.

Critiki

Critic is by far the most valuable travel planning site on the internet and it has nothing to do with booking a room or airfare. It is instead a beautifully designed (Thanx the @Humuhumu) website with listing of almost every tiki bar past and present all around the world and she is adding more every day. If I am going on vacation or even just meeting somewhere out of town I will pull up Critic and see if there are any sites locally (or within reasonable driving distance) to stop by and see before hand and after. If you register and logged in you have the opportunity to vote on each location (Hopefully VenTiki will be all 10s hahahaha) and keep a log as to where you have visited. 

OogaMooga

OogaMooga is a site just for those of us who collect Tiki Mugs of all shapes and vintages. Another great site by @Humuhumu (can you tell what this webmaster loves) which is dedicated to Tiki Mugs and nothing more. People post their collections online which allows for others to search for mugs they have never seen. There is a area for mug trading and links to eBay for recent prices for sold items. 

These are all great sites and there are many more blogs, wikis, and of course personal sites. If your love goes as deep as ours you will become aware of all of them. 

Ventura Visitors Center Stop by for a Periscope

Early Afternoon @VisitVentura dropped by to do a periscope of Ventiki making a Hurricane. While they were here they decided to snap some photos around the Lounge and Lanai. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Creative Types

Our good friends upstairs.

Anthony Valadez works on a belt in his downtown Ventura shop.

T&A LeatherWorks

By Michel Miller 02/25/2016

Location, location, location
With popular cocktail spot Ventiki below and surf-chic boutique Betty B next door, T&A LeatherWorks is part of a cluster of hip shops on the eastern edge of downtown Ventura’s entertainment district. Colorful leather scraps share space with one-of-a-kind handbags and other accessories designed and crafted by Anthony Valadez, whose neat display oftools can be seen from Main Street. A self-described clean freak, Valadez keeps his work space orderly and the shop welcoming with dark woods and local art on the walls. On a clear day, a sparkling ocean can be seen from the large front windows.“It definitely beats the garage,” he laughs.

All dat jazz
Though a Southern California native, Valadez spent a good spell living in New Orleans, his allegiance to which is evident in the music playing in the store, his fleur-de-lis tattoos and the matching pendant he and his partner in life, love and business, Todd Sellers, both wear. After losing everything to Hurricane Katrina, Valadez returned to his home state where, among other things, he managed a Buffalo Exchange. As a gifted designer and craftsman, his lifelong passion for fashion along with his customer service acumen made it a no-brainer to start his own line and open a retail space for it. Having Sellers to run the business side of things affords Valadez the time he needs to create. It’s a true win-win.

Skin trade
Every item in T&A’s product line is handmade using up-cycled, high-quality leather remnants. Old belts are reborn as cuffs, holsters and guitar straps. Sexy clutch bags and wallets are pieced together using various animal skins. Thrift shop finds are deconstructed and reconstructed, dyed and re-imagined into fashion-forward accessories or commissioned pieces. Point to any item in the shop and Valadez can tell you the origins of the materials, many of which are donated by the folks he and Sellers have met during their extensive travels, including buttery scraps of hide left over from a rock and roll tour-bus upholsterer.

Pleasure principle
In addition to T&A’s stock of everyday accessories, there are various fetish accoutrements to satisfy the kink community at home and elsewhere. (They attend Pride festivals from Santa Barbara to San Diego, Palm Springs to Vegas and more.) Collars, restraints, harnesses and other bondage gear can be purchased at the store or made to order. (Collars and leashes are also available for furry pets.) Having hosted his share of fetish balls, Valadez is not only comfortable with the subject, he’s thrilled to be of assistance. As someone who “used to wear 21-inch corsets and walk around with bullwhips and knee-high boots,” he says he appreciates people who want to spice things up and reinvigorate their intimate relationships. Thanks to the50 Shades of Grey phenomenon, which he says has created a surge in interest, especially among straight couples, people are more comfortable talking openly about their kinky proclivities and curiosities. “As long as it’s safe, sane and consensual, I’m all about it,” he says.

Crafters for life
When the Craftcation conference returns to Ventura on April 7 (this time at the Ventura Beach Marriott), T&A will teach a leather craft workshop in addition to hosting the opening-night mixer. Valadez and Sellers have history with Craftcation co-founder Delilah Snell, whom they met while living in Orange County. Snell has been a friend and business mentor since the formation of T&A. In just one year, the outgoing entrepreneurs have made quite the splash, both inside and outside their Ventura store. “We’re social butterflies so we’ve gotten to know everyone around here,” says Valadez. They will also have a booth among fellow local artisans at Ventura Rancho Days on March 13 at Olivas Adobe, where their DIY table will equip kids to make their own key chains. With classes planned for the store, a growing clientele and a knack for being awesome, it’s only a matter of time before Todd and Anthony have the whole town hell bent for leather. 

Visit T&A Leather at 8 N. Fir St., Ventura. For more information, go to www.TandAleather.comor call 585-5804.

Cafe Society: Toasting a close call at Ventiki in downtown Ventura

What do you serve to celebrate the reopening of a tiki bar after high winds send a 70-foot palm tree crashing onto the patio, demolishing a seating area and part of an awning but miraculously causing zero injuries?

"The obvious choice would be to run a special on Hurricanes," said Scott Noble, head mixologist of Ventiki Tiki Lounge and Lanai in downtownVentura.

"A few Dark 'n' Stormies wouldn't be out of place, either," Noble added.

Both cocktails suggest the blustery, bitterly cold conditions that on Jan. 31 caused the tree to topple from its shallow root ball foothold in the 100 block of North Fir Street and onto the Ventiki patio facing Main Street. (For a previous Star story about the incident, click on http://bit.ly/20uSJtE. For a video interview with eyewitness Anthony Valadez, go to http://bit.ly/1SMGv9K.)

Within hours of the 7:30 p.m. incident, a post on the tiki bar's Facebook page boasted that Noble and company would — to paraphrase the 1970s TV show "The Six Million Dollar Man" — rebuild the lanai "better, stronger, faster."

And when the doors reopened Friday, it became clear they had done just that.

"We have time to get it varnished and looking better," said Billy the Crud, theVentura County native and tiki carver who had completed the original thatched pergola just last month. At the time, rain kept him from adding protective coats of varnish to the wooden supports carved with an undulating design.

A nearby Ku tiki also received a coat of varnish "because it saved someone's life," Crud said, adding that the sculpture kept the pergola's roof from falling on a woman sitting on a bench next to the fire pit when the tree came down.

Designed to add shade and ambiance to the patio, Crud's lanai is perhaps the most recognizable sign of recent, pre-palm tree changes at Ventiki.

Noble, who opened the tiki bar and restaurant in 2013, last fall sold to Duane & Tonya Couch, who also own the 1890s-era building that houses Ventiki and several other businesses.

The bar's original list of 19 classic and modern Polynesian cocktails, some served on fire, has grown to 37 — and counting.

A Throwback Thursday promotion gives the bar staff carte blanche to offer a different vintage concoction each week. Beachbum Wednesdays are all about working through the recipe books of Jeff "Beachbum" Berry at a one-drink-per-week pace.

In the kitchen, head chef Anthony Longoria oversees a menu that includes kalua pork sliders, peppered seared ahi with fire sauce and other dishes that — thanks to former Ventiki chef Thom Davis — will ring taste-bud bells for those who remember the late Ventura restaurant Juro Cho.

Longoria is planning to launch a chefs' menu that will feature one dish from each of the cooks currently working in the kitchen. But as repairs were being completed last week, Longoria's focus was on creating something thematic for Ventiki's first day back. Something involving chicken and red palm oil, perhaps.

Using the latter ingredient would be "in honor of" the fallen palm tree rather than a revenge tactic, Longoria said with a laugh.

But by Friday, Longoria had changed his mind: "Have you ever tasted red palm oil?" he asked as happy hour went into full swing. "It's supposed to be really good for you. But it tastes really funky."

Ventiki's specials board for the day instead offered a dish called Ku's Revenge, named for the life-saving tiki. It featured chicken skewers with tahini and coconut on a bed of mixed greens, served with an orchid-topped mound of mango rice on the side.

And the palm tree? Only three, 4-foot chunks of its trunk remain, each bearing the name of a different local tiki artist: Billy the Crud. VonTiki. Tiki Tony. It will be interesting what they create from the Great Palm Tree Incident of 2016.

Ventiki's hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily (701 E. Main St., 805-667-8887,http://www.ventikiloungeandlanai.com).

THANKS LISA MCKINNON @ THE VC STAR

Ku Saves the lives of Ohana

While the wind blew Sunday January 31st around 7:30 pm a large palm tree around 70 feet tall collapsed on VenTiki Lounge and Lanai. Chef Anthony and a few guests were seated around the fire pit when the tree crashed through the upper building and fell along the railing of the staircase. With the graces of the Tiki Gods no one was hurt and VenTiki was able to rebuild the patio and reopen by the following weekend. 

Read More on these various news sites.
VC Star
KEYT
NBC LA
 

VC Reporter Surprises us with a Story

5 O'Clock Somewhere

Kitschy cocktails and everything but the singing parrots at Ventiki

By Chris O'Neal 01/28/2016

Chris O'Neal

For the first time in eight years, I visited Disneyland. Memories of sore feet, long lines and overpriced everything came flooding back — but, as it turned out, I was going with a first timer so there was a bit of excitement in the air.

One memory that I had tried my best to rid myself of was the painful experience known as the Enchanted Tiki Room. There are no cocktails in the Enchanted Tiki Room, only singing parrots and kitschy, but not in a good way, décor. When you’re stuck in a room for 20 minutes with clanking animatronics belting out earworm tunes from the 1960s, a drink is what you need.

Thankfully, right here in Ventura, the Tiki vibe that Walt himself had dreamt of has reached its potential. Ventiki Lounge & Lanai offers up strong cocktails, kitschy (in a good way) décor and, most importantly, no singing birds.

Ventiki’s cocktail menu is separated into two categories: classic cocktails featuring the famous (or infamous) Mai Tai — made with real fruit juice at Ventiki, not the canned stuff, and a blend of Platino and Gold rums, Orgeat orange curacao and lime juice with a dark rum float, alongside other classics with fun names such as the Suffering Bastard and the Singapore Sling.

In the modern drinks section, a slew of original cocktails like the so-called Voodoo Temptress of the Seven Pleasures with Sailor Jerry spiced rum, cherry rum, Maraschino liqueur, bitters and pineapple juice.

As much as I loathe the songs of the Enchanted Tiki Room, I take great pleasure whenever someone orders the Jet Pilot (a blend of gold rum, Whalers dark rum, Hamilton 151, lime, grapefruit and a syrup known as Black Hawk 113) at Ventiki. The lights suddenly alternate between red, white and blue as the theme from Top Gun follows the cocktail to its owner.

Sure, Ventura isn’t Disneyland, but magic can be had at Ventiki. If you want singing birds, bring your iPod and some headphones.  

Chris O’Neal survived Disneyland but it took several cocktails to recover. Follow him on Instagram @atchrisoneal. 

VenTiki & Channel Islands Rum @ Pier Under the Stars

VenTiki had the opportunity to once again team up with Michael and Joe from Channel Islands Distillery at the Pier Under the Stars. It was a great event and a great deal of fun was had by all. The Rouge Wave was even invented at this event. The band that played was rocking all night long and in between they kept returning to the scene of the rum. 

VenTiki Named #2 in Top Ten Things to Do in Ventura

And now for something completely different... to be transported in both time and place head directly to VenTiki, Ventura's only tiki bar. Here the drinks are positively tropical, the decorations are certainly magical ,and the service is just delightful. Enjoy all the classics like Mai Tais, Zombies, Singapore Slings and more, all served in appropriate tiki glassware. They also have food... so you can keep drinking of course. Sit at the bar and watch classic movies play on the TV or enjoy your drink in the sunshine on the patio. One tip: if you've got a great Hawaiian shirt, this is the place to wear it. (805-667-8887).........Read More

Mai Tai Time At Ventiki, Part 2! Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en

Kelly and Paul talk with Michael Machuzak, distiller and owner at Channel Islands Distillery!  VenTiki after Tiki Oasis

http://www.velveteenloungekitsch-en.com

http://www.cistill.com/

Mai Tai Time At Ventiki! Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en

Kelly and Paul visit VenTiki after Tiki Oasis http://www.velveteenloungekitsch-en.com

State of Mine - Review

Hey guys! We get a 3 day weekend this weekend, but am I going to earn it! It is crunch time at work and I am feeling it today. It’s only 2 times a year that it gets this crazy though, so not too bad. I am so excited for 3 days off!! It can’t come soon enough. All I want to do is bake in the sun and dip my toes in the ocean. Maybe we can also imbibe in some Sunshine in a Cup. It’s going to be a short one today. I am tired of looking at a computer screen. I can’t believe I have never blogged about this restaurant before on the State of Mine Blog. It has quickly jumped to the top of  my list anytime I want to have fun and day drink. We are  also trying to plan a trip here at night sometime soon too! Here is a report on Ventiki Tiki Lounge and Lanai in Ventura, Ca....Read More

Ghost in a Shot Glass: Channel Islands Distiller

Late fall 1926, a Coast Guard ship not far from Santa Cruz Island spotted a fastmoving boat. Suspecting it was carrying contraband and trying to escape, the Coast Guard's officer-in-charge, Boatswain (T) L. H. Williams, signaled for the boat to heave-to. But the Grey Ghost, as she was known, failed to do so. Williams opened fire, and so did crewman Edward O. Calioutte.

The Ghost took multiple crippling shots. She ran aground about one-and-a-half miles east of Valley Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island.

Though the identity of the rum-running boat's operator was lost to history, the Coast Guard reported that they arrested him for violating the Tariff Act of 1922.

Ventura County has a rich tradition of rum-running, as it was known, including a spot not far from Ventura Avenue in Ventura known as "rum row," where bootleggers churned out Prohibition-era booze to sell across the country. Rum runners often landed on the Ventura coast to unload their cargo.

It is here that Michael Machuzak and Joe Freas of Channel Islands Distillery set up shop in a humble industrial space to become modern- day, "legal bootleggers." In the hours away from their day jobs as aquatic toxicologists testing municipal water supplies and performing other environmental analyses, they distill small batches of artisan spirits far beyond the dreams of a backwoods moonshiner.....Read More

Ventura Limoncello Cocktail Series - Channel Islands Mai Tai

Skipper Scott shows exactly how to make a Channel Islands Mai Tai with Channel Islands Rum and Ventura Limoncello. 

Ventana Magazine Stops by for a Little Fun

By Lisa Snider

Despite its downtown location, you’re sure to feel like a castaway at VenTiki Lounge & Lanai. With its piped-in ukulele music and occasional orchestrated volcanic eruption, you can almost hear ripe coconuts falling to the ground. Cocktails are taken seriously here—you won’t find a drop of pineapple juice in the Mai Tai, which is made the proper way, right down to the hand-smacked mint leaves called for in the original recipe created by Trader Vic’s in Oakland in the 1930s.

“In the tiki community, we believe in traditional garnishes to accentuate the drink,” says Dr. Shocker, VenTiki’s manager and self-proclaimed evangelist preaching the gospel of tiki.

The first tiki movement came about when World War II soldiers returned home from the Pacific, but became a fad in the ‘70s when original drink recipes were lost and adulterated. “The ‘70s were the dark days of cocktails,” explains Dr. Shocker. “These drinks are part of the craft cocktail movement and made the correct way: light and refreshing and balanced, not sickeningly sweet.”

Since opening 15 months ago, the quirky little bar has become a popular locals’ hangout, and a regular stop for Ventura Food Tours. Drinks made with myriad ingredients are served in intricate tiki mugs and sometimes set ablaze.

“The Alter of Sacrifice—it just screams it needs fire.” Made with lime vodka, two kinds of bitters, and spiced vanilla syrup, it certainly does.....Read More

Happy Hour with Joby & Curtis pt 2

Second Part of the interview with Skipper