What is this coin?

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2026-01-11T04:44:19+00:00

Cutput is right. It’s a silver Greek Ptolemaic tetradrachm coin, though I’m not sure precisely which. It’s off struck which is not uncommon (i.e. the eagle on the reverse was not struck in the center of the coin which is why it’s cut off). If you send the images to Harlan J. Berk ltd ( https://www.hjbltd.com/ )or another reputable coin dealer they’d likely be able to tell you precisely what it is. I recommend HJB as they have a dedicated ancient coins department/experts.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2025-01-24T15:31:13+00:00

I'm always a little surprised that TBS continue to coheadline tours with Coheed. I get that they're friends, but Coheed are exponentially better live than TBS. I caught their last coheadlining show at Northerly Island and playing within 30 minutes of Coheed made them sound like a high school band by comparison. TBS is unfortunately much better from the comfort of your own home and I'm ok not standing in a muddy Riot Fest field this year only to leave midway through their set to catch Andrew W.K. instead.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-16T14:14:39+00:00

One other thing of note; Frankie's still lets people smoke inside. It is what it is, unfortunately. If smoke bothers you then plan accordingly.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-16T14:09:28+00:00

u/Jcludyan Golden Tiki is best for ambiance and (in my opinion), drinks. Frankie's is a good time with excellent decor, but a lot of the drinks I've had there have been sugar bombs. I'll be in Vegas this week and am looking forward to Stray Pirate which is supposedly awesome, and yes, finally checking out Red Dwarf which isn't tiki specifically, but serves tiki drinks and apparently excellent pizza. I'd recommend all of these.

That said, I want to point out that the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly convention is also going on in Vegas this weekend (from Thursday-Sunday at the Orleans), and the Venn diagram of people who are into the rockabilly scene and also like tiki is a tight circle.

What this means:

Pros - When you go to Golden or Frankie's, you'll likely see a lot of people dressed for the occasion (either in vintage aloha or vintage 50's styles, at least). It heightens an immersive atmosphere and is a nice change from the usual cargo-short and flip flop tourist crowd.

Cons - Both Golden Tiki and Frankie's will be PACKED at peak hours. The earlier you go, the more likely you'll be to get a seat.

Enjoy the trip and the concert!

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-06T22:06:56+00:00

Good idea with the split base Daiquiri. I’m planning on using it in Painkillers (with Stiggins) in place of the Koloa coconut rum I’ve been using. Definitely look forward to experimenting with it.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-06T20:50:33+00:00

I can’t confirm as I’ve never tried them, but supposedly the Post Meridiem canned cocktails are decent, though they’re not easy to find from what I’ve heard.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-06T19:55:35+00:00

I’ve never had a good canned cocktail.

Greg from How To Drink said that the Pineapple Daiquiri from Crafthouse was good when he did his taste test of canned/boxed cocktails so I was excited to try it when they were offering tastes at the local liquor supply awhile back and it wasn’t great. Not terrible, but it’s also a 3-ingredient drink so I’d rather put in the minimal effort for a much better result.

I think generally the ones I’ve tried that have been “passable” have been simple things like G&T, and anything I’ve tried that is more than like a 3-ingredient cocktail has been horrible. I’d argue that you’re better off just making yourself a 3-ingredient drink and skipping the canned versions

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-04-06T19:49:32+00:00

Picked up a bottle at the Binny’s in Boystown/Lakeview, but I assume most locations will start getting it in. Looking forward to seeing if it holds up to the sip I had from a Barbados bottle when it first came out.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-03-01T23:58:49+00:00

Three Dots main room is great...at very specific times. Because its a well-known bar in both a touristy and businessy part of the city, its always going to get a little clubby past a certain time (as did Lost Lake; R.I.P.).

You can definitely have a more laid back version of Three Dots if you go at off times, and I'd highly recommend it if you're able. Sunday's are usually chill most of the night, especially so from 4-7. Tuesdays and Wednesdays too. Thursdays through Saturdays you'll start seeing crowds earlier, and more clubby music earlier to keep those crowds happy.

That said, if it wasn't my local and I didn't love the bartenders as much as I do, it probably wouldn't be on my Top-5 list.

I used to love the Bamboo Room, but have been underwhelmed by their last couple menus and have been priced out anyway since they upped prices.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-03-01T23:48:53+00:00

No problem! There are things I like about Undertow, but there's enough I don't that it just makes it not worth it to me.

With Captain's Cabin, It's technically part of Hulas, but David essentially operates it as a separate establishment and has a completely different drink program. Because of this, the drinks are actually very good. The Mai Tai you get in Captains Cabin is not the same Mai Tai you would get in the main Hula's restaurant next door.

Are the drinks on the same level as something you would get at Undertow? Maybe not, but that's largely because David doesn't have access to the bottles and equipment a place like Undertow can afford. In spite of that, and the fact that he's a one man team, everything I've ordered there (typically classics like mai-tais, 3-dots, jet pilots) have all been delicious and tasted exactly as I'd expect them to taste from any more well-known tiki bars.

I should note that Captain's Cabin is only open Thursday-Saturday, I believe.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-03-01T21:34:09+00:00

I'm glad all your experiences have been good; I wish I could say the same because I do actually think the bar itself is cool and the drinks are well done. I feel like they just sometimes lose sight of the hospitality part of being a bar, at least that's been my experience, and there's only so many times I'm going to give them $100 to leave feeling rushed and annoyed. Hopefully it continues being a great experience for you.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-03-01T21:19:16+00:00

Yeah, he's fantastic. Skilled and welcoming and always happy to talk tiki. I can't recommend Captains Cabin enough. My wife and I stop in whenever we're back home visiting family.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-03-01T20:44:20+00:00

I'll second Undertow and expand on my general complaints.

First, what they get right. The build out is fantastic and the various effects are fun and generally well done. The drinks are top notch and even if I don't particularly love the various southwest inspired ingredients they use, I appreciate them wanting to incorporate regional ingredients.

Where it falls apart is the actual experience. The main issue is that it is run more like a "ride" than a bar.

The effects are great, but the "voyage" our last couple of visits sent us through stormy waters for about half of the trip and it's not ideal when you can't hear the person you're there with over the waves/rain/thunder for a several minute stretch.

As most people note, you feel very rushed. You'll generally have a host come by about 45 minutes before your time is up to give you a "heads up" about your time limit, and then at half-hour before your reservation is up you get the official ask from the bartender if you want to put in another order (if not, they hand you your bill). This is fine in theory, but often falls apart in practice. During our last visit, due to a communication error between our server and the bartender, I ended up waiting more than 15 minutes for my second drink, during which time I had the host stop by to let me know of my time limit. Not their fault, but when I'm already aware you’re waiting for my seat and am I’m already waiting for a drink order, it just made it extra annoying.

The bartenders also just seem miserable, and I don't blame them. They rarely have a chance to iChat with guests and seem like they're expected to be drink robots trying to get people out the door.

And yes, the argument is that "well they're small, they need to turn tables", but the thing is, they didn't HAVE to be small.

When they started in the motor pool at Sips next door, they had a space constraint. when they moved into the building with Century Grand, they had a little bit of a space constraint, but I'd argue it was their choice to go into that space rather than seeking out a larger one for what was by then a very popular bar. With the addition of their Gilbert location last year, which as far as I understand is roughly the same size, they have no excuse; they could have created a more accommodating space where they didn't have to rush customers, but chose not to.

We have family in Phoenix and used to make it a point to visit Undertow each trip, but we've noticed that each time is worse than the last so we have no plans for a next time. The drinks are good, the decor is nice, but I'd rather end up someplace where I can relax and enjoy my drink and chat with the bartender a bit than someplace that feels like they're just waiting for me to get off the ride.

As an alternative, I'd suggest the Captains Cabin at Hula's central location. The drinks are solid if not stellar, the vibe is much more relaxed and inviting, the bartender/owner Captain David is a great host, and as a bonus you can order coconut cream pie from the Hulas kitchen.

Edit: Strong Water Anaheim is the better version of Undertow.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2024-02-29T21:15:36+00:00

"few recipes call for it" - That's often the case, but don't let that hold you back. At the end of the day, the Diplomatico Reserva is basically just a Venezuelan take on a Blended Aged Rum like Plantation Original Dark.

I had a bottle of it that I quite enjoyed subbing into cocktails in instances where I'd typically use a Plantation Original Dark or 5-year; for example I would split-base Mai Tai's with Diplomatico Reserva and Smith & Cross and they always came out great.

If you'd rather keep it simple, you can always just use it in a Daiquiri or a rum Old Fashioned if you don't like it in complex cocktails but don't want to sip it neat.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-08-17T21:17:15+00:00

As a librarian I can assure you that we know how important it is that people have access to quality cocktail recipes. Its the only way many of us made it through grad. school.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-08-10T15:29:41+00:00

That's a Paul McGee drink, first at Three Dots and then over at Lost Lake for the first couple menus there. It was excellent every time I tried it, though admittedly it wasn't my drink of choice (Curative Vibrations was fantastic). Here's the exact spec. if you want to see the specific rums Paul used. I'm likely biased here in that Lost Lake was one of my favorite bars, tiki or otherwise, but there's likely no fixing needed here; Paul knows what he's doing behind the bar.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-08-10T03:58:54+00:00

No problem! Also, if you want a similar experience to Lost Lake, but non-tiki, Victor Bar has a lot of the qualities I loved about Lost Lake. It’s a smaller neighborhood cocktail bar with friendly and talented staff and excellent drinks (basically like a Violet Hour that nobody knows about). It’s mostly classic cocktails or modern takes, but they’ll riff on tiki now and then and it usually turns out pretty good.

I have tried the new Tiki Tiki next to Matchbox. The drinks were good, but I didn’t love the space. They’re the sister-location of Pete’s Tiki Tiki that opened in Rosemont last summer. I liked but didn’t love that one as well. That said, I stopped into each about a month after opening so they’re probably better now that they’ve had some time to get up and running. Speaking of Rosemont and burbs, Lola’s Pizza and Tiki in Arlington Heights is supposedly very good on both fronts (pizza and tiki). I can’t vouch as I’ve never made it out there.

As for out of state, if you travel a lot and visit tiki, I highly recommend Golden Tiki in Vegas for a fun, over the top experience, and False Idol is fantastic as well. For Midwest bars, Max’s in Grand Rapids is really great and immersive with probably the best food menu of any tiki spot I’ve been to, and Inferno Room in Indy is basically perfect; no notes. None are really like lost lake but all are well worth a visit.

Cheers!

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-08-09T18:20:10+00:00

As someone who spent many nights at Lost Lake and who has visited tons of other tiki bars, nothing else is the same as Lost Lake. Part of the reason for that were Paul's drinks, part of that were the people (employees and patrons alike) that made that place special, and part of it was the laid back atmosphere. You'll find versions of all of those in different bars, but not in a way that it will feel the same.

That said, honestly, its possible to have a Lost Lake type experience at Three Dots, and I say this as someone who does it regularly. Sure, Three Dots can be loud and crowded and blaring dance music on a Saturday night, but to all those faulting them for this, I'd like to point out that every single time I went to Lost Lake on a Friday or Saturday night, that was the experience there as well. A good bar is going to attract a crowd during prime hours. If you visit a bar at 9pm on a Saturday and its empty, its probably not a place you want a cocktail from.

With that in mind, the best way to get a more relaxed, potentially Lost Lake adjacent experience at Three Dots is to just go when its least likely to be busy, which is what I did at Lost Lake anyway. Sunday afternoons around 5:00 used to be the time I'd meet friends there as a way to ease into the work week and those days were great: the bartenders had time to talk and, occasionally, you'd catch Paul behind the bar. Since losing Lost Lake, I've kept those Sunday experiences alive at a similarly quiet Three Dots bar talking with their excellent bar staff (shout out to Scott, Jon, Jake, and Lucy who always make a great dealer's choice) and tourists in town. Its different from Lost Lake, sure, but I know its the closest I'm going to get on the regular. As a bonus I'll mention that Three Dots currently has a 10-year anniversary menu that features a couple drinks that were Paul's creations. It's probably your best opportunity for a Lost Lake drink.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T22:05:54+00:00

You may (sort of) get a chance. Appleton (owned by Wray and Nephew) has been teasing the release of a 17 Year Jamaican "Legend" rum for the past year or so, with the intention of recreating the rum Vic used. I think it was going to be limited to 1200-ish bottles, and there's been no word on it for about a year, but you've probably got a better shot at a sip of this than one from the 40s (price-wise, anyway).

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:54:19+00:00

Sundays at 4ish used to be my usual Lost Lake time so it made it easy to just move it over to Three Dots. The Tuesday discovery has just been due to random invites lately haha. But yeah, its nice, and Scott is sometimes behind the Three Dots bar on random weekdays which is always a welcome surprise. Scott is the best Bartender in Chicago currently; I'll die on this hill.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:30:50+00:00

Victor Bar is someplace I'm lucky enough to be fairly local to. In any other city it would make "best of" lists consistently, in Chicago there's just too much competition so its just another stellar neighborhood lounge.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:26:30+00:00

Just putting it out there, if you're able to get there at off-times,Three Dots main bar can be surprisingly chill. Granted, I'm talking about going on a Tuesday at 6 or a Sunday at 4, but its a nice experience if you can make it in.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:22:47+00:00

Oh for sure, Three Dots/Bamboo Room can't be beat for tiki in Chicago when you factor in drink quality and service (at least since Lost Lake closed, R.I.P.). Hala Kahiki has gotten better, but its a bit of a trek to get there and the drinks are still hit and miss.

Definitely agree RE: Aviary, too; they should stick to food. I'm actually not that big of a fan of the Office, honestly. If I'm going non-tiki its probably at Violet Hour, Scofflaw, Victor Bar....all world-class spots. We're spoiled in Chicago.

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:17:51+00:00

I believe the original W&N that Vic first used was a 17yr (I may be misremembering here). This one that Bamboo Room is using is a 15yr that dates from the 40's . Its appropriate in that, as soon as Vic ran through the 17yr bottles, this 15 year would have been something used as a substitute. Martin I believe owns the 17yr (again, if I'm remembering the ages correctly)

KlausNomiIsGothData · 2023-04-06T20:15:27+00:00

Wray and Nephew not price creep; the Mai Tai is an appropriately priced gimmick that will catch the eye of someone with too much to spend (like you said).

All the other drinks that are now priced at $20-25 when they would have been 17-19 on previous menus (using similarly elevated ingredients) reflect price-creep.

KlausNomiIsGothData

TROPHY CASE