Vintage rendering of the Kahiki interior, from the Columbus Dispatch
Can you believe it’s been ten years since the Kahiki Supper Club in Columbus closed? Time flies when you’re cursing frozen egg rolls. Time doesn’t seem to have healed this wound… of all the lost and lamented tiki temples, the Kahiki is the most legendary, the most beloved. The Columbus Dispatch misses the Kahiki, too, and they’re paying tribute today. They tracked down a number of former employees and patrons to get their greatest Kahiki memories. There’s a nifty little gallery of ten images, and even a quiz to test your Kahiki knowledge.
It’s a thoughtful, honest and loving look back, but dang if it doesn’t make me cranky. Can you imagine the Mai-Kai-like love they would have in store for them if they were still open today? Oof. Frozen food? Really? That’s the lasting legacy? I want to just enjoy this look back, but it’s hard for me to overlook the still-too-fresh tragedy of it all.
Mahalo to Jeff Chenault for the tip!
- 10 years after torches go out, Kahiki memories live [The Columbus Dispatch]
- Former patrons and employees share their favorite Kahiki memories [The Columbus Dispatch]
- The Kahiki Image Gallery [The Columbus Dispatch]
- Test Your Kahiki Knowledge [The Columbus Dispatch]
- Kahiki Supper Club, Columbus [Critiki]
August 25th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
[...] Humu Kon Tiki » Blog Archive » Columbus Dispatch Pays Tribute to … [...]
August 28th, 2010 at 5:10 am
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February 9th, 2011 at 7:15 am
[...] The Kahiki survived far longer than the original age of Tiki (2000), succumbing finally not to abandonment by its customers, but to a need by the owners to divert capital to their frozen food business, which still thrives today. The Kahiki food in its early days got the laughing reputation around Columbus as the only place where the food could kill you, served as it was on sharp swords and spears with lots of open flames on the table. I’ve eaten the grocery store product they have now, and it isn’t half bad. [source] [...]