Post #556565 by Otto on Tue, Sep 28, 2010 1:10 AM

Trader Vic's opens today!
Though I was not there tonight I was able to preview it a few days ago and I have excellent news for Tiki fans - the food menu is better, the bar decor is better, the layout of the bar area is better.

Trader Vic's management did exactly what they said they were going to do and if you haven't experienced it yet this coming weekend offers a great opportunity with the Tiki Oasis 10 afterparty
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37948&forum=17&hilite=emeryville

As you know, Trader Vic's Emeryville closed abruptly about 5 months ago. Rumors of it closing and getting remodeled were denied by management so of course we feared the worse when suddenly they announced their closure for remodeling and giving walking papers to all their employees.

But sometimes change is good...

Upon entering the newly refurbished TV you will get a feeling of a larger space, more homey, more inviting, slightly less formal (imposing hostess station is gone and, unfortunately, Claudette, an institution, is also gone. though we were happy to see the return of manager John)
The bar has been totally Tikified! Some historic artifacts have been added to the walls. The ceiling is now perfectly filled with assorted lamps and fish traps. The walls are matted from floor to ceiling. The new wall coverings add a dark warmth to the room without sacrificing the brightness of the sunsets on the harbor or the liveliness of the room at night. The bar has a new monkeypod style countertop that is far more interesting than the previous. The private room that was adjacent to the bar has been opened up to the bar to allow for more bar seating, creating a very large semi-private party area in the bar as seen in the photo below!

The dining room has more Tikis and more outriggers than ever and nice new chairs. Captain Cook Room has new artifacts in the diorama but otherwise remains intact as does the back patio.

The staff were super nice and energetic!

But best of all is the revamped food menu! All the most popular TV classics remain on the menu and are highlighted by an icon for those of you who have not memorized the classic menu. We are very happy to see there are a few more vegetarian items. We sampled some of the appetizers and were very happy with the new additions. I forgot the name of the new chef but he is obviously doing a good job and I hope that everyone takes the opportunity to support his efforts

http://www.tradervics.com/locations/location-emeryville.html

[ Edited by: Otto 2010-09-28 01:13 ]