SS SEXY ARMPIT CAPTAIN’S LOG
MISSION: BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
FRIDAY MARCH 11, 2011
It wasn’t my intention to go to work on my birthday, so I thought ahead and took the day off. If you follow me on Twitter (@sexyarmpit) you probably already know that my day wasn’t filled with Jaeger bombs or butt cheeks flailing in my face. My birthday included a malfunctioning pneumatic tube at the bank drive thru, getting Appolonia’s “Sex Shooter” stuck in my head all day, and almost driving away with a little Mexican lady who clearly wasn’t finished cleaning my windows at the car wash. I closed the doors and she was still in the back of my car unbeknownst to me, all this while I battled clogged sinuses, and pumped myself with Red Bull because I haven’t been getting proper sleep.
Later in the night the family took a trip to Lee’s Hawaiian Islander in Lyndhurst, NJ for a birthday dinner for myself and my dad whose birthday is a couple of days after. I’ve never been to Lee’s but have always wanted to go to check out the kitchsy ’50s and ’60s Polynesian decor. The whole retro Tiki trend has always fascinated me and it’s been my mission to have a birthday dinner there for a long time. Lee’s has been a Jersey institution for decades and they even had 2 locations for a long time until one burned down several years back.
If you’re into Tiki culture, Lee’s is the most prominent stop for that in New Jersey. It’s such an odd place, but not for the fact that it hasn’t changed one bit since it opened in the early ’70s, more so because they may have the exact same staff from when the opened! The place was fairly empty when I got there at 7pm but I waited for several minutes before anyone asked me if I would like to be seated. From there I don’t have many complaints about the food since it’s exactly what you expect from Polynesian/Chinese type cuisine. Our waiter barely spoke English which made it very difficult to order and ask questions. Only a few minor drawbacks, but it’s well worth it to be able to enjoy such an iconic Tiki restaurant in New Jersey. Overall it was a fun dinner, and such a different experience than any other restaurant in the state.
*Visit Jason Perlow’s Off The Broiler blog for a full review and an excellent pictorial of the interior of Lee’s.