Late Breaking News

I'm finding this out more than a decade after the fact, but Cirals' House Of Tiki has closed.  It was one of those places, like the Woodlawn Tap and Valois (pronounced vuh-LOYS) "See Your Food" Restaurant, that made life at the University of Chicago bearable.

The House of Tiki had, as you might expect, a Polynesian theme, with netting, wicker and puffed fish all over the place.  It also had, in addition to the bar drinks and surprisingly good bar food, tropical drinks and a pseudo-Polynesian menu.  The place included a jukebox filled with classic soul and R&B, and a low-lit atmosphere where you could talk for hours--partly because the place stayed open till 4 a.m., partly because it took them forever to get you your check.

If you want to see what the interior looked like, you can rent the forgettable 1989 thriller The Package, or the forgettable 1997 romance Love Jones, both of which have scenes shot there.  I personally wrote my own memorial to the place in a couplet from our third-year law school show, where a Harvard professor was being seduced into coming to Chicago (sung to the tune of "Road to Morocco"):

"Cambridge has so many things for everyone to do/
Not as good as Cirals' House Of Tiki after two"

The House Of Tiki had been there long before I came to Hyde Park, and I always assumed it would remain as a neighborhood favorite, but time marches on.  So tonight, pour yourself a large tropical glass of whatever libation you prefer, and make a toast to a touch of the South Seas on the South Side.