After what seems like a hundred years (OK, maybe just since last June), Petaluma tiki bar Kapu has finally opened to the public.
Owner Michael Richardson is a longtime tiki bartender and co-author of “Liquid Vacation.” Chef Mike Lutz will helm the kitchen, serving Hawaiian-inspired dishes. The bar has been outfitted with a mashup of faux Polynesian, midcentury, Indian Jones-meets-Blackbeard decor that will perfectly match the tropical drink that will set you on your seat after two sips.
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Much of the look comes from professional tiki bar designer Ben Bassham, whose grandfather, designer Eli Hedley, is credited with cultivating the “beachcomber” aesthetic in the early 1940s in Southern California. Decor for Kapu also comes from Oceanic Arts in Southern California, a legendary purveyor of Asian and Pacific Islander crafts that inspired, for better or worse, the tiki craze in the 1950s and ’60s. Stay tuned for more details. 132 Keller St., Petaluma, kapubar.com
More dining news
Pigs and Pinot: Chef Charlie Palmer (Dry Creek Kitchen) will host the 16th annual Pigs and Pinot event March 17-18 in Healdsburg. The tony event features a tasting of 60 highly acclaimed pinot noirs competing for the Pinot Cup award, along with a mind-boggling selection of pork dishes from Palmer, Spoonbar chef Thomas Mulligan, Top Chef’s Bryan Voltaggio and a host of other celebrity chefs. Tickets for the event as well as seminars and dinners are available at pigsandpinot.com.