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2733 NE Broadway, 662-8454, halepele.com. 4 pm-midnight daily.
It's a shame what post-WWII America made Polynesian
culture into: little else than Spam sliders and heavy-handed
knickknackery. The cozy, jungle hut feel of Hale Pele doesn't exactly
deviate from the Trader Vic's/Don the Beachcomber model, but owner Blair
Reynolds' focus on a back-to-basics approach to notoriously cloying
cocktails makes this easy to forgive. It's the drinks that you're here
for—and dear Lord, are they stiff. While bars such as Clyde Common and
Rum Club win credit for serving rum-based classics in moodier low-key
environs, Hale Pele should be deducted zero points for going the extra
mile by adding the appropriate flair—whether swizzle stick or pillar of
flame—to their concoctions. Consider the menu a map and the bartender
your compass when ordering drinks. Looking to tie one on in classic
fashion? The Zombie Punch ($15) is a guaranteed winner. Stuck holding
the crew's car keys? Try the Beachcomber's Punch ($9) and, more
importantly, try to drink only one. Then try to remember where your car
is parked, at which point you should go back inside for another while
your cab materializes.
Happy hour: 4-6 pm daily. Steeply discounted tiki faves and food.
Entertainment: Volcanic eruptions. Occasional rain showers. Plus, someone's bound to light their eyebrows on fire before getting carried home by his neighbor's wife.
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