LGUYNUP wrote: > > [email removed] > > >Anyone have an opinion or review on Trader Vic's? > > > > > It's rather the last bastion of a whole other generation's way of life. Most > of TV's items are expensive versions of something that's done better somewhere > else. However, service is appropriately respectful. It's a great place to > take Mom and Dad on their 30th or beyond anniversary. AND I can't think of any > place that does lamb so well as what comes from the their Chinese oven. Their > Indonesian lamb roast with peanut better sauce is divine. > Hmm, obviously not a citizen of the Cocktail Nation are you? Trader Vic's is to Lounge Kultur what the Temple of Jupitor Stator was to the Romans - the very heart and soul of the state religion. You don't go to Vic's to eat so much as to worship and honor the memory of the man who descended from Kiluea with a Mai Tai in one hand and a plate of crispy duck fried rice in the other - "Trader" Vic Bergeron. I challenge you to find a better Mai Tai, or kitschier surroundings anywhere else. BTW, I'm only halfway to my 30th wedding anniversary I've been to the Vic's in Beverly Hills, Emeryville, London, and Hamburg. I am hoping to put together a trip to the United Arab Emirates in the near future to visit their restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi...no, I'm not on their payroll or receiving kickbacks. Yes, their food is expensive, but the decor, service, and POTENT drinks are well worth the price of admission. No, it's not somplace you'll want to go every week, but it's definitely a great place to go for a special occasion. Yes, the house specials which are typically smoked in a Chinese BBQ oven are to die for (and you will die when the bill arrives!). The Vic's in Emeryville is situated on a little spit of land right by the local marina. The view of the Bay at twilight is spectacular. The service was attentive to a fault. There was a creepy guy with a German accent who watched us during our entire meal. We couldn't tell what his official function was - maybe a wine steward of some sort. The drinks are wonderful and typically are topped with some sort of little tschotske like a rubber Hawaiian leprechaun called a Menehune or a parrot perched on a chopstick. I asked the waitress to help me complete my Menehune collection by providing me with a female one to match the male that I picked up in Beverly Hills...she happily complied. The food was good - not as good as what I had in LA, however, and the dessert menu was a little disappointing. But there again I'd had my expectations raised to astronomical heights at the Beverly Hills Vic's. On our way out, we grabbed lots of free postcards, matchbooks, and anything else that looked not to be nailed down. If you poke around long enough at the following site, you'll find my review of the BH Trader Vic's and lot's of other stuff related to them: http://www.kevdo.com/maitai/ Bon Appetit! Matt
San Francisco Bay Area, CA