November 13, 2008

Tiki-tastic: Win dinner for two at Luau in Beverly Hills

Jewelry designer Loree Rodkin, a former interior designer who designed Rod Stewart’s house in the 1970’s, is returning to her décor roots, designing both the interiors and exteriors of new Beverly Hills tiki restaurant, Luau.
A revival of the original Luau restaurant, a 1950s Brat Pack hangout owned by Steve Crane (one of Lana Turners' husbands), the new Luau is located close to where its predecessor was located.
Rodkin's added her touch to each detail, selecting everything, from the pepper shakers, to the crushed bamboo walls and the laser-cut Murano glass tiles. Staying true to the original's South Pacific, she sourced a a striking Puffer Fish chandelier suspended from a bamboo raft, and decorated the space with imported black coral, and authentic Papua New Guinea masks. Rodkin’s vision was executed by Ben Bassham, a.k.a. 'Bamboo Ben'.
The original Luau was known for its top-secret cocktail recipes. All of the drink recipes were saved in code (splash of ‘A,’ splash of ‘B’, dash of #2) to protect the formula and bartenders went so far as to mix their drinks in the kitchem to prevent people from seeing the prep. Mixologist Jeff Berry spent more than a decade decoding the top-secret ingredients of Luau’s legendary drinks via countless interviews with original Luau bartenders, resulting in the today's Luau cocktail menu.
The restaurant is owned by Andrew Hewitt, co-owner of Los Angeles dining hot spot Il Sole.
Chef Makoto “Mako” Tanaka, a protégé of Wolfgang Puck's and former execuitive chef at Spago, devised the Pacific Rim-fusion menu, which features many contemporary takes on typical Polynesian dishes. (Think Wagyu meatballs, Fire Cracker Shrimp, and Short Rib Satay served with a trio of red, yellow and green curries.)
We're sure former customers like Frank Sinatra would have approved.
LUAU is offering a Stylephile reader dinner for two at the restaurant. To win, tell us about the best Tiki cocktail you ever had. Leave your answers as a comment and don't forget to include your email address.
LUAU 369 North Bedford Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Tel: 310-274-0900.

November 13, 2008 in Stylephile All Archives | Permalink

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