Alright, sat down with the crossword today and got stuck on one for a bit. The clue was something about a typical starter you’d get at one of those tiki places. You know, the ones with the crazy mugs and strong drinks.
So, I started thinking. What kind of food do they push at those joints besides the cocktails? My first thought went straight to those big sharing plates.
Thinking About Tiki Food
Yeah, the Pu Pu Platter! That’s the classic, right? Comes with a little flame in the middle sometimes. But “Pu Pu Platter” felt kinda long for a standard crossword slot. Usually, they want a single word or a shorter phrase.
Okay, what else? Had to dig into my memory banks a bit. Been to a few tiki bars over the years. What appetizers always seem to be on the menu?
- Those fried wonton things? Cream cheese, maybe some crab… Crab Rangoon. Yeah, those are everywhere at places like that. Definitely a strong contender.
- What about simple stuff? Like egg rolls or spring rolls? Sure, they have ’em, but you get those at any Chinese takeout. Didn’t feel specifically “tiki”.
- Potstickers? Dumplings? Yeah, often see those too. Another possibility.
- Sometimes they do fancy chicken wings, maybe with a pineapple glaze or something.
- Oh! And those little bacon-wrapped things… Rumaki! Usually water chestnuts or chicken livers wrapped in bacon. That feels pretty retro tiki, actually.
Narrowing It Down
So, I had a few ideas floating around. Without knowing how many letters I needed or what letters crossed it, it’s always a bit of guesswork. But the clue said “common appetizer”.
Pu Pu Platter was out, probably too long and it’s a collection, not a single item. Egg rolls felt too generic. Wings are everywhere too.
That left me mainly with:
- Crab Rangoon
- Potstickers
- Rumaki
Crab Rangoon felt really strong. It’s almost a cliché of American Polynesian-pop restaurants. Super common.
Potstickers are definitely common appetizers found there, very plausible.
Rumaki has that vintage tiki vibe, but maybe less common nowadays than Rangoon? Hard to say for sure, depends on the place.
In the end, without the grid in front of me, it’s tough to be 100% sure. But if I had to bet, based on how common and iconic it is for that specific type of place, I’d lean towards Crab Rangoon or maybe just RANGOON if it fits. Potstickers would be my second guess. You really need those crossing letters to nail it down sometimes. Just gotta make a best guess and see if the other clues confirm it later. Always part of the fun, figuring these things out piece by piece.
