How Delightfully Satisfying is Trader Vic's?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

http://www.tradervics.com/images/nav1-top.gif

I only found two references to Trader Vic's on ILE, one a recipe for Mai Tais, the other a shocking denunciation from a San Francisco resident. True the branch in the Plaza Hotel, NYC, long gone, was stinky. Yul Brenner got food poisoning there-famously-once.

The Oakland original was by all accounts very tasty. San Francisco's, despite the post cited above, always seemed swank and resplendent to me--nothing like the Tonga Room in the Fairmont, which was cheesy, but ultimately only cheesy.

The Beverly Hills outpost is once again rife with hipsters--catalog definition hipsters, that is, with trucker hats, not necessarily the actually hip.

Strangely, in Berlin, there's a relatively new Vic's, in the basement of the Hilton on Gendarmenmarkt is a touch subterrenean, perhaps. I wonder how Momus feels about it?

But anyway, the Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills is a fantastic place to get appetizers and fogcutters. And other drinks that go down fast and hit like a velvet sledgehammer.

What do you think?

I should have a secret thread started somewhere that allows me to predict the responses to this question (if there are any, of course). I can think of several already: probability of appearance: 100%

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:37 (twenty-one years ago)

apparently so delightful it requires a double thread!

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Friday, 27 May 2005 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sorry! Happy fingers! MODERATOR, please delete one!

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

ah, you're talking about the tiki bars? aren't there grocery stores named Trader Vic's?

― Miss Misery (thatgirl), Friday, 27 May 2005 23:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Trader Joe's is the grocery store.
I found Trader Vics in Chicago to be a letdown. Tiki Ti in LA is better. For drinks anyway.

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 27 May 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Oddly, Trader Joe's is owned (or was for a long time, I think still is) by the Aldi bros., the richest men in Germany. Aldi is a dump. Weird.

In the past several years, Aldi has entered the U.S. market with its own Aldi stores. But the company has been active there for decades, having purchased the Trader Joe's gourmet discount chain in 1979 and controlling 7 percent of the Albertson's supermarket chain.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,638440,00.html

But please, Trader Vic's is a much better hang out than Trader Joe's

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.tradervics.com/images/mai-tai-drink.jpg

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Ray's Mistake
PWND

― Orbit (Orbit), Friday, 27 May 2005 23:51 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.tradervics.com/images/rest-bevhills-photo1.jpg
http://www.tradervics.com/images/rest-bevhills-photo2.jpg

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:52 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.tiki-ti.com/Home/WelcomeHome.jpg

I'll try Tiki Ti. Sounds fun.

http://www.tiki-ti.com/Tiki-Ti.html

― MuShu, Friday, 27 May 2005 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Ray's Mistake
PWND

Ray's Mistake is delicious! Too bad it's such a hard place to get into though. I don't like waiting around.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 28 May 2005 00:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I found Trader Vics in Chicago to be a letdown.

I was there just last week, it was most excellent. What did you find disappointing?

Great as it was though, T. Vic's just could not compare with the legendary Kahiki in Columbus, Ohio. How I wish it hadn't closed.

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 28 May 2005 01:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I guess I'm standardized on Tiki Ti and Trader Vics seemed overpriced and touristy.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 28 May 2005 01:48 (twenty-one years ago)

a shocking denunciation from a San Francisco resident.

They're very opinionated up there!

Also, I will hit Trader Vic's anytime for perhaps a fancy-FAP?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 28 May 2005 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Trader Vic's and Tiki-Ti are completely different propositions apart from the kitsch (Tiki-Ti being a dive, a sometimes fun dive but you always leave completely plastered and the hangovers are brutal).

Trader Joe's is actually a pretty good hangout and the 3rd Street and Silverlake locations especially are serious meet-markets!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 28 May 2005 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Spencer you are SO West-side ;-)

--I was gonna post that but then you made yr second post so I take it back.

― Orbit (Orbit), Saturday, 28 May 2005 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, not really. I mostly hang out in Hollywood and Silverlake/Echo Park.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 28 May 2005 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

How in the world is a Trader Joe's a "meat market" ? "Rock N Roll Ralph's" is a different story though...

― Vichitravirya XI, Saturday, 28 May 2005 04:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought Trader Vic's was like a frat-boy bar?!? I think I walked by it once and there was a bouncer outside harrassing people to try to get them to come in. It was just very Lincoln Park. I dunno.

― jaymc (jaymc), Saturday, 28 May 2005 05:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Trader Vic's in BH isn't as good as it used to be... nevertheless, the drinks are still good. Scorpion, anyone?

― luna (luna.c), Saturday, 28 May 2005 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

the last time I was in the trader joes in culver city they played 'love will tear us apart' followed by 'everyday is halloween' by ministry ontheir musak system. the place was also teeming with hipsters, which you dont really see alot here in town. it was totally surreal.

― Actor Sizemore fails drug test with fake penis (jingleberries), Saturday, 28 May 2005 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, I went last night. To BH location. True, the food isn't spectacular, although the drinks are. I had two of those kahaaina's or whatever they are. They come in a ceramic coconut THAT YOU GET TO KEEP!!!! Despite only having two, I came home with FOUR ceramic cocounts. Oh Happy Day! Therefore, I cannot retract my thread title--still delightfully satisfying!!!

― MuShu, Saturday, 28 May 2005 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

For schmancy cocktails in LA, I highly recommend the revolving bar at the top of the Bonaventure hotel. You can order a drink in a ceramic replica of the hotel itself which you get to keep! I use it as my desktop pen holder!!! It is one of my favorite posessions.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 28 May 2005 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I love all revolving restaurants. You know it's going to be good if the room is already spinning when you walk in.

― MuShu, Saturday, 28 May 2005 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Aldi is not a dump! It's cheap and cheerful.

― Jetlag Willy (noodle vague), Saturday, 28 May 2005 16:53 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.seeing-stars.com/Images/Slides/BonaventureHotel.JPG

a ceramic cup in the shape of this would be classique!

― MuShu, Saturday, 28 May 2005 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

IT IS.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 28 May 2005 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

my ceramic Bonaventure hotel-rotating-bar drink memento is in the shape of a large vinyl record, and for the $13 concoction (you forgot to mention how overpriced they are!!) it was most definitely worth it, as it is also one of my favorite possessions. there are other ones ...like the one the shape of the entire state of california. one of my friends has collected them ALL.

i heart the bonaventure so much, it is maybe my very fave building in los angeles..or at least from the 70s. it is like a time portal...it IS the '70s again as soon as you walk in there. the glass elevator rocks, as does that stoop you can sit to have your boots polished. i was expecting the rotating to be a lil faster first time i went into that bar, but if you drink enough you will feel satisfied w/ the speed...it takes about 45 mins for it to make one complete rotation

the place was also teeming with hipsters, which you dont really see alot here in town do u mean culver city ? hey someone should start an LA bar thread, there are so many cool places for alcoholics to talk about in depth etc (have any of you been to the Escape Room?)

― Vichitravirya XI, Saturday, 28 May 2005 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Drinks served in hollowed-out pineapples = classic.

I'm in for that FFAP.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Sunday, 29 May 2005 01:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I almost went to Tiki Ti last night. Went to Johnny's in Silverlake instead and was served flat, warm beers. That place is DUD. Also, ho hard alcohol wtf jerks?!

― Community Cornerstone (deangulberry), Sunday, 29 May 2005 04:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Frederic Jameson's thoughts on the Bonaventure.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 29 May 2005 05:17 (twenty-one years ago)

It's cheap and cheerful.

Is this some kind of British stock phrase? Are you British? Sorry, but I've been hanging out with my Irish-by-way-of-Northern-English mom and this is something she's said for my entire life.

I am American.

[/douchery plus off-topic]

― giboyeux (skowly), Sunday, 29 May 2005 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.