Post #608586 by JOHN-O on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 5:14 PM

I have two major Tiki regrets in life. The first is I didn't make an immediate Tiki pilgrimage to the Kahiki when I first read about it in the Book of Tiki. I blame the Bigbro for getting BOT published so late. ( :D )

The second is that I didn't frequent the original Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills beyond my sole visit there in the 1990's. From Santa Monica, it really wasn't that far. Now it's too late. (And for that I have no one to blame but myself. :()

Now I know that some Tikiphiles here took the closing of the restaurant personally. The way I see it, the closure of the original joint wasn't so much a slight against Tiki as it was the demise of "Old Hollywood". It's now in good company with other extinct dinosaurs like Chasen's, Perino's, and Scandia. That's life in L.A. I guess. (I am however prepared to lie in front of the bulldozers should my beloved Musso & Frank ever be threatened.)

We do however have the Trader Vic's Lounge to enjoy. :)

While some dismiss the place as not really being that Tiki, I see the Tiki mug as being half full. I can appreciate it for the following...

It's still housed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, a place that carries its own mid-century historical street cred. The Beverly Hilton was Conrad Hilton's showcase hotel back in 1953 and has been the annual home for the Golden Globe awards since 1961. Although renovated, I can still get a sense of those Hollywood ghosts.

Also the lounge is located right at the pool and is surrounded by the original low-rise rooms. It's a pretty groovy environment to enjoy a Tropical cocktail on a warm summer night.

Also the Lounge contains some of the half-century old remnants from the original location.

One of those "remnants" even happens to be one of the bartenders. We're talking about an old-school Filipino Tiki bartender !! He'll mix you up one of the best Mai Tais you'll ever enjoy.

Well let me qualify that actually. One of the best Mai Tais you'll ever enjoy... at a Trader Vic's.

The biggest issue I have with TV in this New Cocktailian age is that the Trader Vic's brand well rum is not that good. The presentation of the cocktails is excellent but when you have that first sip, it's not going to change your life. What's merely a good Mai Tai (at best) should really be a great Mai Tai. And the Mai Tai at the BH Lounge ain't cheap. It was $14 !! Compare that cost to the one of the best classic Mai Tais I've had which was at Forbidden Island. FI's Mai Tai is only $9. Oh well, I guess that's the price of (brand) history.

So while the Beverly Hill Trader Vic's Lounge isn't a place I'd fly across the country to visit, it is a significant place to detour if you're in the immediate vicinity. And why not make it part of historic Beverly Hills twofer? It's less than a mile away from Nate N' Al's...

Have a corned beef on rye in a classic Jewish deli (since 1945) and then wash it down afterward with a Vic's Navy Grog inside a mid-century luxury hotel lounge. There's not many places where you can do that. :)