B
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 9222
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B
Ok so I got my behind over to the TVL yesterday around 4 pm.
I figured if I was gonna comment on this, I needed to have a good grasp of what was going on there.
Between being in Circa 55 about 2 months ago, and seeing the pics people have posted I kinda had an idea of how it was gonna look. But I thought that in person it was a tid bit better, but not much. Over all I think the decore
needs to be done up way more. its too light and airy. needs to be darker, more wood, more stuff. Loose the orange paint on the ceiling. and those square lamps above the bar have to go. its too late 60's and doesn't vibe right, with what tiki decore they have. Would I be happy to see a new tiki bar like that open, yeah sure why not. Is it a decent replacement for the now gone Trader Vics, (hell no). but we gotta make the best of it or boycott it, and I thought boycotting was kinda silly.
So I got there, and asked Mike(I think it was/big white guy/not small Asian
bar tender) for a Mai Tai, old style/from Scratch. He used the bottled mix.
Dumbass. So im sitting there ready to be throughly unimpressed. When in walks
Alphine(or Alfee)as some know him. hes been at TVs about 20 years if I recall
corectly, and I(and some of my friends) have become one of his biggest fans.
He really knows how to do the TVs drinks right. Where some of the other guys
are kinda so so. Anyways he said he had taken 2 weeks off, and Sun. was his first day back. He said they have him working Banquet rooms(crime in my book)
but if they are short staffed at the bar they call him over. He said that he was really happy to see me and that he was worried that some of us real drink fans would have thought he had been let go. I guess others had been asking about him too, and the management told him that people were asking about him.
I asked if we should call the place and request that we'd like him in the Bar
more often. He said sure, that it wouldnt hurt. So back to my Mai tai, it tasted ok, as if a from the mix Mai tai should taste. But Alfee rolled his eyes when I told him that Mike had not made it from scratch. And he went on to explain the difference to him.
So after awhile My friends Jon Paul(tiki mag photo guy) and his girlfriend Marie showed up. They were very excited to see/hear that Alfee was there too.
But were very hesitant about coming back. We ordered 2 Navy grogs, and I think Marie had a Fog cutter. Just superb!!!! The best drinks I can ever ask for. We went outside by the pool after a few minutes. They discussed how the first time they were there it was not such a good experience.( Many Factors I wont go into, as they may not be PC enough for TC.) But we agreed that having the right drinks, sitting by the pool,under the 100ft. palm trees, and in good company that it was not a horrible thing. Yes the prices have gone up, and made my wallet scream, every time I opened it. But for a once in awhile treat it is worth it.
About an hour or so later, a guy came over to JP and asked if he was Jon Paul from the tiki magazine. He said his name was Marc, or PremEx on TC.
So we asked him to join us, and proceeded to get our drink on, and discuss all things about the new and old TVs, as well as many other things. Like all the TV's that Marc has been to around the world with his work trips.
There was some teen event by the pool for a few hours, and they had hip hop playing, and there was a lot of talking through a PA, and it didn't really help to make us feel real comfortable, but the drinks helped,and they were done shortly. and we asked that the Hawaiian music be turned back on. I think they put on Santana or something similar. Better than hip hop. Around 10 pm I decided I needed to get going.
So in summary, its definetly not Trader Vics, as the old resturant bar was. But with Good friends, and Good drinks courtesy of Alfee, it was very tolleralble. I will go back.
But I hope that they do plan to open a full resturant and Bar else where.
Jeff(bigtikidude)
p.s
good to meet you Prem Ex(Marc) hope to see you around again.
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