who arrive clad in tropical-themed apparel, ready to sip Mai Tais. Billed as “The World’s Most Authentic Tiki Event,” the Hukilau was founded in 2001 by Christie “Tiki Kiliki” White, who grew the event from its humble beginnings at Fort Lauderdale’s Mai-Kai, a longtime tiki establishment that played host to the event through 2016. When White announced she’d be ceasing the event following the 2011 Hukilau, newbie attendees Michael Zielinski and Richard Oneslager took ownership of the Hukilau. To- gether, the duo has kept its promise to propel the Hukilau forward, even giving it a much- needed “revival” with a grand reintroduction at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Hotel in 2017. Today, the event continues to grow, at- tracting repeat attendees from all corners of the globe and bringing more than 1,200 visi- tors to South Florida each year. “Taking over this event was a happy mis- Photo courtesy of Black Tap | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café ▼ BRICKELL BLACK TAP TO BRING BURGERS AND “CRAZYSHAKES” TO BRICKELL CITY CENTRE A cotton candy “CrazyShake” from Black Tap. about the cocktails that we’re designing with Miami in mind — like a Miami Vice but taken to a new level.” She says the team will likely reach out to local vendors for unique items to use in some creations. “We love to work with local places and do collaborations.” The menu, accompanied by a beer selec- Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, the New York-based restaurant known for its burgers and shakes, will open its first Miami location at Brickell City Centre sometime in 2023. Black Tap’s success story started when husband-and-wife team Chris Barish and Ju- lie Mulligan opened a tiny 15-seat burger joint in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood in 2015. The restaurant, named after the black pub taps at the bar, resonated with New Yorkers who flocked for a griddled burger and over- sized milkshakes it trademarked as Cra- zyShakes. Seven years later, Black Tap is an interna- tional chain with locations in Las Vegas, Cali- fornia, Singapore, Switzerland, and throughout the Middle East. Barish tells New Times he and Mulligan had targeted Miami for a location but couldn’t find the ideal spot until now. “It’s part of our growth strategy to open in iconic cities as we continue to ex- pand. I’ve visited Miami my entire life and my family has a home there. We’ve always had an eye on expanding to Miami. We just hadn’t found a location that was perfect until Brick- ell City Centre.” Barish says Black Tap is different from most burger restaurants because the menu continually evolves. “Our chef likes to go and try a ton of places to get inspired. Our menu changes twice a year. We’re constantly doing research and development on new items. The Miami location will offer the restau- rant’s core menu of burgers, salads, wings, fries, and shakes, including some items created specifically for the Magic City, Mulligan notes. “We have been working on a bunch of new sal- ads with Miami in mind. We’re also excited tion and a cocktail program, allows the res- taurant to cater to a broad clientele, Mulligan says. “A family with young kids and a couple at the bar can have a very different experi- ence. The playlist is a mixtape of 80s and 90s music so it’s got fun energy,” she says. Though plans are still in the works, Black Tap Miami’s centerpiece will be an open kitchen. The design will incorporate black beer taps and local Miami artists will be com- missioned to work on some mural art. “It’s not fancy materials, but everything is used in a fancy way,” says Barish. “The design is sup- posed to feel a bit old school, a bit new school.” Décor aside, Barish says the food is what sets Black Tap apart from other burger res- taurants. “When we opened Black Tap as a lo- cal joint, we made sure that the food quality was great and craveable so people want to come back. Whether you’re in Singapore or New York or Dubai, when you bite into that burger, you smile. It’s that quality and consis- tency that we feel will give us longevity.” Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer. Brickell City Centre. 701 S. Miami Ave., Miami; blacktap. com. LAINE DOSS ▼ POMPANO BEACH THE HUKILAU RETURNS FOR ITS ANNUAL TIKI TAKEOVER take,” Oneslager tells New Times. “I often tell people I was looking for a new hobby. I na- ively thought it would be cheaper than a Fer- rari and less stressful than a mistress. I was wrong on both counts.” This year, from June 9-12, the Hukilau will make its first full return from pandemic lock- downs. The event will take over the Beach- comber Resort in Pompano Beach, offering guests a four-day lineup of educational sym- posiums, classes, tiki-themed parties, spirit tastings, live musical performances, a vendor bazaar, and a chance to sample world-class cocktails from more than a dozen tiki bars from the United States and Europe. Three tiers of tickets range from $129 to $569 per person and allow entry for one day or the entire weekend. Tickets include cock- tail samples and access to some events. Locals unfamiliar with the event are en- couraged to spring for a more affordable $129 Palm Pass, which allows for access to the event on Saturday, June 11, says Oneslager, who adds it’s a great way to experience a large variety of what the Hukilau has to offer. That includes symposiums led by new- comer David Wondrich, who will be attend- ing this year’s Hukilau as a guest speaker and class tutorial teacher. Wondrich, who serves as editor-in-chief to the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cock- tails, will be hosting “A New History of Rum Until 1900” (an educational exploration of the history of rum) and a class called “How to Make Punch Like Captain Kidd.” “I really feel fortunate and blessed to throw this party for the tiki community,” Oneslager says. “There’s really nothing else like it.” The Hukilau. Thursday, June 9, through Sun- day, June 12, at the Beachcomber Resort & Club, 1200 S. Ocean Blvd., Pompano Beach; thehukilau.com. Tickets cost $129 to $569. NI- COLE DANNA ▼ FORT LAUDERDALE JAY’S SANDBAR FOOD BOAT NEEDS $125,000 TO REBUILD Mother’s Day 2022 is a day chef Jay Lycke will never forget. May 8 began like any other Sunday aboard Jay’s Sandbar Food Boat, the modest floating eatery he owns and operates on Fort Lauderdale’s New River. And then a sudden fluky encounter sank his livelihood. As a novice boater zoomed past, the star- “THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING THROUGH ALL THIS.” board pontoon on Lycke’s boat gave way. An hour later, the craft had completely capsized. Fortunately, Lycke, hostess Coulette Murray, and another chef on- board escaped un- harmed. But the business he’d built for the past four years — known for its fresh gator bites, wings, and Hong Kong-inspired pork – was gone. Within four days, the shipwreck site was salvaged at a cost of $8,000. And now, two weeks after that fateful Sunday, he and many of his loyal patrons and neighbors are counting the days to a rebuild. “The community has been absolutely out- standing through all this,” Lycke tells New Times. “Even the town [of Fort Lauderdale] has been outstanding. They fought us tooth and nail when we opened. They didn’t want to grant me a license and gave us a lot of hell wherever we parked after opening. But, through this shipwreck, they’ve bent over backward to help me. It really is a small town, and everyone has been incredible.” When Lycke bought his food boat, it was a relatively affordable investment. Now, the chef says, a new boat will run him about $125,000. To augment Lycke’s savings, Mur- ray, the hostess, started an online fundraising effort to raise $85,000. As of May 24, the fun- draiser had generated about $11,500. “I am so grateful for $5 or anything we can When June arrives in South Florida, tiki lovers rejoice. Why? Because it’s time for the Hukilau. For the uninitiated, South Florida’s Hukilau ranks among the nation’s largest an- nual events for tiki fanatics. Now in its 21st year, the Hukilau is celebrated over four days, acting as a reunion of sorts for tiki fans and friends The Hukilau will return to the Beachcomber Resort & Club in Pompano Beach. get from anyone,” Lycke says. “We’re very much a family business and we provide a magical experience out there. It’s my passion that pulls it forward. It’s not just a food boat, but it’s a dinner party during the day for 200 boats and friends.” Lycke hopes to raise the remainder of the necessary funds for a new boat and, ulti- mately, to open a brick-and-mortar location. “I’m hoping to be back as soon as possi- ble,” he says. “This is all an obsession of love. I love cooking for my friends.” Donations for rebuilding efforts may be made via gofundme.com. JESSE SCOTT 13 13 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 JUNE 2-8, 2022 Photo by Ian Witlen
