trader vic's rec?

I'm having dinner there tomorrow...any recommendations?

[kresge86]

Had dinner at the Emeryville Trader Vic's tonight. This is definitely my favorite Trader Vic's location. I ordered the prix fixe menu for $25 - mache salad, braised beef short rib and tropical fruit salad/dessert. The beef was absolutely delicious. Service was good. Drinks were, as you would expect in a place like this, silly and not very good. We enjoyed a table with a beautiful view, and sat for hours without feeling like we were inconveniencing the staff. Overall, a nice experience.

I was very skeptical, but honestly one of my best friends (a picky eaty) took my wife and I there, and it was one of the best steaks I had ever had... I would say it was one of my favorite meals this year... I guess we lucked out...

Definitely the roast pork out of the chinese oven. Friends of mine love it so much they catered their own at home tropical party with a full suckling pig from Trader Vic's. It was terrific.

I should add that they frequent the Emeryville location. Can anyone comment on the relative merits (or demerits!) of the different locations? I imagine that might make a difference too.

[Atomica]

We visited the Emeryville Trader Vic's yesterday for a very early dinner/very late lunch. Suffice it to say, breakfast was at about 9:00 at Lois the Pie Queen, and by 4:00 we were really hungry. We are huge tiki buffs and love Trader Vic's, but had never been to the Emeryville location. It's a gorgeous restaurant. I had a hoisin chicken sandwich and my husband a burger, and both sandwiches were excellent. Service was great. They had their Father's Day brunch posted and the menu was quite extensive. I've decided we're doing Father's Day brunch there next year, when the littlest member of the family might be less squirmy. (They kindly made a kid's noodle dish yesterday for Little Miss as well.)

Definitely one of the best Trader Vic's I've visited (in atmosphere and interior decoration), miles better than the SF location.

I would disagree with the other people on this. Bongo Bongo soup is great. Veal porterhouse is great as are the pork chops from the chinese oven. I have had excellent service there and poor service there. but you can say that about most places really. Drinks are great. especially original mai tai.

Liquid dinner is the best way to go here.

I couldn't agree more. After a scorpion, you won't care what you're eating.

Any recommendations? Yes, cancel your reservations.

I ate there only once, about three months ago, and it was mediocre from start to finish. If you absolutely, positively have to go, lower your expectations and then order the safest, blandest dishes on the menu. Sorry!

Richard

I second this recommendation.

Drink Heavily. Food IMHO is very mediocre, service same, drinks are pretty good. Not at the top of my list, but with enough umbrella drinks .....

You got it. TV did invent the Mai Tai after all, so that would be a must. He also invented Crab Rangoon and (allegedly) Rumaki, so I would go for those if they are on the menu, just for history's sake.

Link: http://eatingchinese.org

Since the closing of the real Trader Vic's 10 years ago we have dined at the Emeryville location. Several of the staff migrated over here from the SF location so that the ambiance of the Trader remains.

Last night-out of nostalgia-we ate at the new SF Trader Vic's and probably won't return. The food is prepared the same including using the great retro plates for the curry, the scorpion still packs a punch and comes with long straws and a floating gardenia, the service was fine. But.... the soul is gone!

The little touches that made Trader Vic's unique are missing. Here are some examples that come to mind..The hat check girl keeping a supply of pins so that you can wear your gardenia out after dinner, no longer a dress code for the captain's room so no ties and jackets hanging behind the hat check stand. In fact there is no hat check area and people were wearing tee shirts at dinner. House-made sesame and almond cookies delivered with the check- along with the forturne cookies and chocolates. Smooth, attentive service where the diner sets the pace rather than the server clearing plates according to their time table.

My comments are based on 3 visits to the TV in palo alto which has all the atmosphere of its el camino location. I just found the food, etc ... overpriced & hokey ... it worked in SF ... it doesn't work down here. Haven't visited the other locations so hopefully they retain some of the original charm ...

I have dined at the Palo Alto place once and had drinks and appetizers two other times. The service in the bar is HORRIBLE. The only reason I went the second time is because my friend had won a gift certificate. We were the only ones in the bar and she still had to go up to the bartender and order a drink @@

The one time I dined there, I had a delicious ahi tuna entree. If only I could go anywhere else to get that again. The second time I tried to dine there, dh and I walked out. Even though we had a reservaton, they kept us waiting 45 minutes despite being told *any minute your table will be ready* and they implied it was our fault for showing up on time!

ewwwwwwwwwwwww I HATE THAT PLACE

Ah ... I feel better already. I am new to this site and am trying to be polite. Won't last long.

This place reeks of "amateur hour" in pretty much every regard ... it's location, the "valet parking" in a strip mall (come on), the " I'll be your server tonite" mentality, and the hugely overpriced/mediocre menu.

Glad at least they have a good dish/drink or two ... but there have to be better ways to spend the mortgage money ....

I agree. They act so stuck up for such a crappy location. I swear they are only still in business cause people travelling on business go there. I live in Los Altos, and no one I know willl go there. I am sure they don't get the repeat locals business.

Plus, I forgot to mention that dh had one of their *famous* mai tai's and it was like a snow-cone. Crushed ice with about two sips of mai tai. A total rip off as the drink was mostly ice and still cost $8 or something.

Minor point. The first Trader Vic's opened in Oakland in 1934. Vic opened the San Francisco place in 1951. Trader Vic's in Oakland was at 65th and San Pablo, where Vic first started with a tavern called Hinky-Dinks. In my opinion, the original was quite wonderful and Trader Vic's has been going down hill ever since.