Trader Vic's Returns to San Francisco

Vic's is open....!?!

A Tiki Central gathering in the cards?

midnite

On 2004-11-03 18:10, midnite_tiki wrote:
Vic's is open....!?!

A Tiki Central gathering in the cards?

midnite

Midnite, time to drink some coffee!!! :)
here it is for Friday Nov. 5;
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=11292&forum=4&22

On 2004-11-03 18:10, midnite_tiki wrote:
Vic's is open....!?!

A Tiki Central gathering in the cards?

midnite

Hope you can make it to my Saturday Night party in Oakland.

"Midnite, time to drink some coffee!!!
here it is for Friday Nov. 5; "

Thanks, Bruce. I gotta pay better attention, read the other topics. Friday, eh? I must get my little black dress back from the drycleaners...and buy some new stockings.

This is Vic's, so I'll splurge for a leg-waxing as well.

midnite

Here is a video I put together in about "30 seconds". D Minus quality. They were kinda a weird (understandably) about filming the new place so I filmed really short bursts without a tripod or thinking about framing. (God forbid one of my clients sees this)
For those of you with modems, just right click on the link and choose "save target" and the "open". Adjust movie to keep it about 5x5 inches for best pixels.

Trader Vics Video

Thanks for the great little video Unga.

The entrance is quite dramatic as it opens to the large main room with the outrigger, and tons of booze & floats and acres of tapa. The raised room adjacent with the nautical bits is very similar to parts of Emeryville and BH. There's an excellent small private room just to the left of the main entrance which has acres of memorabilia and great old pix of Vic. There is a still unfinished Cuban room that is promising, which includes an etched glass map of Cuba that apparently hung in the old Havana Vic's!

However, the other two private rooms are hideous. The first has a fireplace but no real character at all, and the other (see above pic) is a total disaster- a pink(!) velvet wallpapered victorian nightmare that would look right at home at The Madonna Inn. Nothing even REMOTELY Polynesian/Nautical about it. Mauve and pink ceiling as well. Sad. I think I know why it's there, but that's a long story and maybe one day we'll see it torn out and updated.

Overall, a big step up from Palo Alto and a (mostly) beautiful restaurant. And of course, a must see for everyone.

On 2004-11-05 15:51, martiki wrote:

However, the other two private rooms are hideous. . . . and the other (see above pic) is a total disaster- a pink(!) velvet wallpapered victorian nightmare that would look right at home at The Madonna Inn. Nothing even REMOTELY Polynesian/Nautical about it. Mauve and pink ceiling as well. Sad. I think I know why it's there . . .

Not to make too much of one of the side rooms but possibly the pink color and unfortunate absence of tiki is an effort to recreate Iolani Place Queen Kapiolani and the Merrie Monarch lived.

On 2004-11-05 19:11, christiki295 wrote:

On 2004-11-05 15:51, martiki wrote:

However, the other two private rooms are hideous. . . . and the other (see above pic) is a total disaster- a pink(!) velvet wallpapered victorian nightmare that would look right at home at The Madonna Inn. Nothing even REMOTELY Polynesian/Nautical about it. Mauve and pink ceiling as well. Sad. I think I know why it's there . . .

Not to make too much of one of the side rooms but possibly the pink color and unfortunate absence of tiki is an effort to recreate Iolani Place Queen Kapiolani and the Merrie Monarch lived.

You're exactly right. I looked in that room last night and overheard the staff telling someone that it is meant to be a reproduction of that. There is a large portrait of who I assume is Queen Kapiolani. Knowing that doesn't make me appreciate it though.

One of the most impressive things about the decor is the quantity of fresh orchids. There is a whole wall covered with clamshell shaped containers overflowing with orchids.

I'm finally posting my pics from our special "preview" night a couple days before Vic's officially opened. Thanks to Otto for the invite!

I'm going to be out that way in January and I can't wait to see the new TV. Are they selling any of the mugs?

I hope the Tonga room is open by then.

I miss the cozy and dark feeling of a labyrinth of rooms like in Atlanta, Chicago, and London. Otherwuise, I'm a fan.
Much more on this when I get back from Rapa Nui.

Mahalo for posting the breathtaking photos, Tiki-bot.

I love the SF Trader Vics:
All sorts of tikis, Hawaiian, Marquesean and Paupa New Guinea style.
I Love the immense size of the tiki, also.

TV appears to now be focusing more on tiki and less on a nautical theme of design.

The light fixtures in the bar and the abundance of orchids are also beautiful.

Were any of the tikis properly endowed or did someone take a saw to them, again?

wow!

who do we talk to about re-opening trader vic's washington d.c.?

who do we talk to about re-opening trader vic's washington d.c.?

...or Dallas?

Van-cou-ver!
screw it, I want one right here in Victoria!

I think the best tables are those in the far corner. I love gazing out upon the 8 foot marquesan tikis, the colorful nauticall balls suspended from the ceiling around the outrigger canoe.

I also like watching the large tikis surrounding and in the middle of the main mirrors.

Sitting in the corner enables one to gaze upon the vast (African?) mask collection and to avoid the non-descript shutters behind.

The lava wall actually has real orchids, which is a beautiful touch.

Take care to avoid sitting in the nautical area - no tikis there.

The gift shop is excellent. Everything is for sale! I selected one of the large tiki bowls and decided agaisnt the $100 tiki votive candle holders.

Hey Jab!
Did you score?

That's one of Jabbo's married coworkers. So no.

On 2004-11-30 11:46, martiki wrote:
That's one of Jabbo's married coworkers. So no.

All fidelity issues aside, such does not necessarily preclude one from sinking the swizzle stick into the Mai Tai, particularly as hubby is not around.

Christiki! For Shame!

Also, said co-worker's spouse is a prominent local radio DJ who would no doubt spread ill words about our dear Jabbo.

On 2004-11-30 19:08, christiki295 wrote:
such does not necessarily preclude one from sinking the swizzle stick into the Mai Tai,

When's happy hour?

I wrote about the night some of us "took over" the SF TV's Nov 1 - the night before the election, which seems so long ago now - and posted some photos in my new column. (BEWARE: my typical lefty rant dominates the first few paragraphs, since I wrote the column on Nov 3, so anyone offended by liberal-jibberish but are bonded by our common love of Tiki which transcends petty political boundaries, skip down to the pix, also some from Mondo Lounge):
http://www.thrillville.net/beat/index.html

On 2004-12-03 15:39, AquaZombie wrote:
...and posted some photos in my new column.

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-13 11:32 ]

Just had another great time at the SF Vics while celebrating Dangergirl's birthday last week.
Recently I told some friends that I have been to Minnies in Modesto a lot more in the last year or two that I have to Trader Vics (which is closer). This has now changed!!! I think I have been to the SF Vics about 5 or 6 times now, and Otto and I went to the Emeryville location when Evening Magazine filmed us a few weeks ago. ZAZZ!!!!

THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:

1. Finish the interior design.

There is a room off the main hallway which is completely undone - I guess it was left untouched from Stars cafe. It becons for a tiki transformation.

2. Provide waitstaff some tiki training.

One of the guys in suits who saw me examining the tall tikis off the bar proudly announced that "this was tiki!" However, when I asked him whether it was based on the Marquesas style and where they acquired them, he went completely blank and moved on.

4. Do something with the exterior.

A huge, blank, naked wall, except for Trader Vic's lettering, and a tiny door, does not make for a very inviting, much less tiki, first impression. A large tiki (bolted down) would be appropriate.

After passing the larger than life restaurant on the corner, Trader Vics appears to be downright hiding.

5. Make their shirts in XXL, for men of substance.

[ Edited by: christiki295 on 2004-12-08 19:06 ]

On 2004-12-08 19:02, christiki295 wrote:
THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:

1. Finish the interior design.

There is a room off the main hallway which is completely undone - I guess it was left untouched from Stars cafe. It becons for a tiki transformation.

2. Provide waitstaff some tiki training.

One of the guys in suits who saw me examining the tall tikis off the bar proudly announced that "this was tiki!" However, when I asked him whether it was based on the Marquesas style and where they acquired them, he went completely blank and moved on.

4. Do something with the exterior.

A huge, blank, naked wall, except for Trader Vic's lettering, and a tiny door, does not make for a very inviting, much less tiki, first impression. A large tiki (bolted down) would be appropriate.

After passing the larger than life restaurant on the corner, Trader Vics appears to be downright hiding.

5. Make their shirts in XXL, for men of substance.

6. A waterfall. Every Tiki bar needs a waterfall.

THINGS CHRISTIKI NEEDS TO FIX:

1. Call us when you're in town!

On 2004-12-08 19:02, christiki295 wrote:
THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:
4. Do something with the exterior.
A huge, blank, naked wall, except for Trader Vic's lettering, and a tiny door, does not make for a very inviting, much less tiki, first impression. A large tiki (bolted down) would be appropriate.

Bad idea. A large outdoor tiki in that neighborhood would definitely get "tagged" or otherwise damaged.

On 2004-12-09 10:13, cynfulcynner wrote:

On 2004-12-08 19:02, christiki295 wrote:
THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:
4. Do something with the exterior.
A huge, blank, naked wall, except for Trader Vic's lettering, and a tiny door, does not make for a very inviting, much less tiki, first impression. A large tiki (bolted down) would be appropriate.

Bad idea. A large outdoor tiki in that neighborhood would definitely get "tagged" or otherwise damaged.

I agree the outside is way too understated for a Trader Vics (it looks like a back entrance or something), but someone mentioned in an earlier post that Vics couldn;t do much because of "zoning" or some nonsense!!! NOT ZAZZ, but RAZZ!! :(

[i]On 2004-12-08 22:27, Unga Bunga wrote:

THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:

6. A waterfall. Every Tiki bar needs a waterfall.

Coming soon to the Tonga Room, return of the waterfall!!!

On 2004-12-09 11:45, mrsmiley wrote:
I agree the outside is way too understated for a Trader Vics (it looks like a back entrance or something), but someone mentioned in an earlier post that Vics couldn;t do much because of "zoning" or some nonsense!!! NOT ZAZZ, but RAZZ!! :(

If you want to complain, here's who to contact:

Mayor Gavin Newsom

City Hall, Room 200
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102

Telephone: (415) 554-6141
TDD: (415) 252-3107
Fax: (415) 554-6160
Email: [email protected]

I don't know if complaining to the mayor will do any good; the owners probably could have applied to the City Planning Dept for a zoning variance (like a waiver); maybe they did and it was rejected or something like that; or they decided it wasn't necessary.

Regardless of the lack of outside/media publicity - that place is CROWDED any day of the week! Good luck getting a table! Where do all these customers come from??

On 2004-12-09 10:13, cynfulcynner wrote:

On 2004-12-08 19:02, christiki295 wrote:
THINGS TRADER VICS SF NEEDS TO FIX:
4. Do something with the exterior.
A huge, blank, naked wall, except for Trader Vic's lettering, and a tiny door, does not make for a very inviting, much less tiki, first impression. A large tiki (bolted down) would be appropriate.

Bad idea. A large outdoor tiki in that neighborhood would definitely get "tagged" or otherwise damaged.

The large tiki outside the Trader Vics Bev Hills seems to have withstood theft and other vandalism. Maybe its impressive size makes would be hoods appropriately think twice (or maybe the valets stay after all guests have left).

The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach had a missing tiki, back when they had the painted tikis in front (as opposed to the current natural stained versions). I always wondered if some hacked at it to take home a broken tiki souvenir.

On 2004-12-09 12:19, dangergirl299 wrote:

Regardless of the lack of outside/media publicity - that place is CROWDED any day of the week! Good luck getting a table! Where do all these customers come from??

There was a small, but oh so tempting article and picture in Diablo magazine and SF Magazine, both mentioning that in the heyday (like this isn't) TV was "social San Francisco's headquarters." The article goes on to name drop a bit about current socialites/investors, and quotes CEO Hans Richter: "It waasn't a restauant, it was a club without membership, you either belonged or you didn't." The piece ends with, "The city's young swells could just make it their new spot."
That article is also strategically placed, making it not too obvious, but just interesting enough to be compelling.

There's also another article (SF Mag) in The Socialist pages featuring a picture of Danielle Steele at the TV opening (wearing lots gold lame & gold jewelry). One of the characters (described as "Longtime rake and raconteur")was there so often in the old days that they saved a table for him every day, he only had to call if he wasn't coming in! Isn't that what MrSmiley does?

On 2004-12-09 19:15, christiki295 wrote:
The large tiki outside the Trader Vics Bev Hills seems to have withstood theft and other vandalism.

It's in a much nicer neighborhood than the SF Trader Vic's.

"It's in a much nicer neighborhood than the SF Trader Vic's."

Cynful is the Mistress of Understatement. :D

Worse than being tagged, a Tenderloin Tiki would probably become a..uh...wee-wee station.

Oh well.

Y'all could look at it this way: the outside is quiet, subtle. The inside, therefore, is even more of a glorious surprise!

Er...

rationalizing tikivixen

Some photos;

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeBMXDFk2bt3PQ

The review from an "expert" is unfavorable:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/16/CMGHGAG34N1.DTL

I'm certainly not a bon vivant but that guy's full of shit. I was at Trader Vics last Saturday and Sunday and my experience was nothing like what this reviewer supposedly experienced. Did the appearance of the article in Sunday's paper effect the behavior of staff on Sunday night, possible but doubtful.

It feels as if the original never closed. Service is solicitous if you're known, dismissive if you're not.

Complete bullshit. We let them know from the beginning that we were nobodies from out of town and that we dig TV and tiki bars. The bartenders were very friendly, even talking recipes with me, the waiter was courteous and efficient and the manager (err..."captain") was a little weird but talked to us at length about TVs and even sold me one of their centerpiece oil lamps.

The food -- a mix of Asian and Continental -- is a two-note ode to salty and sweet.

Again, I may not be as "sophisticated" as Mr Bauer but I did not find this to be the case. I was very pleased with my appetizer and entree.

The handsome Stars interior looks as if it's been redone in Polynesian kitsch for a one-night debutante party, with a wooden boat and glass buoys hanging from the ceiling.

I don't know anything about Stars but it sounds as if this reviewer misses the place. I didn't feel as if the decor is kitschy (admittedly, my perspective, as yours, is different from the reviewer) at all. Classy tiki. The Tonga room was kitschy, not TVs. Hell, if Mr Bauer saw my apartment he'd probably seize up into a fetal position, foaming at the mouth, and have to be medevaced to the nearest Robb and Stuckey or Rooms to Go to recuperate.

If your name or face is not recognized, trying to get a prime-time reservation is a challenge or, in our case, impossible.

Fiction. This ass should be flogged, drawn and quartered, then litigated into oblivion. Maybe they did recognize his face and that's why he couldn't get a table.

Fact: Went on Saturday night and didn't even think that we'd need a reservation. The hostess (same one in Unga Bunga's vid) said she'd do what she could but we could eat at the bar if we want. We waited a while and no table became available so we ate appetizers at the bar. At that point we made a reservation for 6:30 pm the next night (Sunday). No problem. Before leaving we decided to change our reservation to 7:30 pm. Again, no problem.

After repeated failures, we simply showed up -- once after 9:30 p.m. on a weekend and another time around 6 p.m. early in the week. The hostess looked at us with pity as she consulted her book, making us feel like patients waiting for the doctor to deliver a dreaded diagnosis. After some furrowed brows and fumbling, she gave us good news but warned that we'd have to be out the door in an hour and 20 minutes.

Y'know, maybe Mr Bauer smells like pee or something. The hostesses were as friendly as can be expected. Maybe because everyone in SF is very friendly (they are IMO) Mr Bauer doesn't know what it's like to be treated in a dismissive manner.

We were escorted to a dining room alongside the impressive bar, which looks nearly identical to what it did during the Stars heyday.

Yeah, he misses Stars. Deal with it!

Our seating area was defined by a tacky rock wall that's filled with orchids and helps to reinforce the quirky theme.

Quirky? Loser.

We received menus promptly, but the waiter disappeared for 15 minutes before reappearing with a tray filled with glasses of water that he delivered to three tables. It took another 10 minutes for him to return to take our order.

I did not experience this.

Two captains in dark suits continually surveyed the dining room but mostly conferred with each other, set up a tray stand for a waiter and removed a single dish from an "important'' table that had obviously been misdirected into steerage.

Bullshit again. One of the "captains" pre-bussed our table after the appetizer, that's how I got to talking with him. We sat in "steerage" by the way. I guess a brute like me wouldn't know the difference.

One of them presented each diner at that table with his business card, presumably so that on the next visit they would take their rightful places in the Captain's Cabin, located on the opposite side of the room in what was once the most coveted section of Stars.

Forget about Stars! It's gone!

Here, the tables seem farther apart, and each is set with a nautical hurricane lantern, something missing from the other tables.

Damn, I knew something was lacking in our dining experience: hurricane lanterns! Now I feel cheated.

This two-tiered system can work only if the staff is savvy and smartly trained; on my three visits, the floor crew seemed ill-equipped to handle even remedial tasks.

Petulant asshole. This sorry excuse for a reviewer obviously has some sort of agenda. "the floor crew seemed ill-equipped to handle even remedial tasks." Hyperbole like that just makes the entire review worthless.

It's more the exception when they place the correct order in front of the right person. Waits between courses can be long, and if you want another drink or need water, you'll likely have to flag someone down.

Petty, mean-spirited and untrue per my experience.

For the price, the food needs to be much, much better, too.

I did not have one item that he critiqued. The nature of the rest of his article causes me to give him zero credibility as a reviewer so I have no reason to believe him on his food reviews. (For someone who has the ultimate difficulty in getting a table, he sure did have the opportunities to try a large portion of the menu)

For appetizers we had (me) the ahi, salmon and scallop tartares, with taro chips, which I loved enough to get the next night. My friend had the spring roll which she said was good but not worth the price. For entrees I had the seared ahi and she had the Indonesian rack of lamb and both were excellent. Of course, I'm not prejudiced by missing my favorite restaurant "Stars" nor am I obsessed about seeing a "two-tiered" service conspiracy and wondering who gets to sit at a table with a hurricane lamp. So take it for what it's worth.

We noticed an empty table in the Captain's Cabin, so we inquired about being seated there, only to be told that it wasn't available. After being seated next to the popular bar where the tables are packed in too tight for comfort...

I'm not a little guy and I had no problems. I even got up and went to the bathroom and didn't overturn even one of the neighboring tables! Asshat.

I was recognized as a reviewer.

And that's what it's all about isn't it?

Service this time around was attentive, but still not very professional, and the food was marginal.

And it took sooo long for them to recognize me!

At least this time we got the iced Jamaican chocolate parfait and were surprised to find that it was basically a chilled ganache with an intense bitter edge.

Anyone who uses a phrase such as "a chilled ganache with an intense bitter edge" around me stands a chance of getting socked in the kisser. j/k

Orange cream caramel ($7) had been hanging around the kitchen long enough to pick up a vague oysterlike flavor,

What? Has this guy ever worked in a kitchen? What a loon.

and the raspberries around the perimeter tasted as if they were beginning to ferment.

FYI, fermentation is a good thing.

It was then I realized that the two-tiered system employed at Trader Vic's is an illusion;

Nope, you're wrong about that. A 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason friend of mine has assured me that the section of tables with the hurricane lamps is the favorite haunt of the West Coast Illuminati.

To fulfill our fantasy, Trader Vic's needs to move into the 21st century.

And change it's name to Stars. Who cares about your fantasy loser? My fantasy would be to watch you try and swim from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf with me tossing great globs of bloody tuna in the water around you.

However, like the food, the finished product varies in quality, depending on who's behind the bar. It may be the home of the original Mai Tai, created at Trader Vic's in 1944, but on one visit the bartender must not have been following the recipe because the results were watery. Most times there's so much crushed ice in the drinks they look more like a snow cones than whistle- wetters. When you're paying anywhere from $8 to $12, the tab adds up fast.

Bleh, my drinks were great though I only experienced two different bartenders. As I said, I may not be a gourmet but I do know my liquor tolerance and my drinks were definitely not "watery" nor like a snow cone and I did get quite intoxicated.

I do not have any credibility as a critic of food and drink, but I can tell you that Mr Bauer's tale of woeful service and of being unable to get a reservation is fiction. And thus I consider the rest of the article to be just as credible. Up your ass Mr Bauer.

Damn, I wasted a chunk of afternoon typing this.

I do not have any credibility as a critic of food and drink, but I can tell you that Mr Bauer's tale of woeful service and of being unable to get a reservation is fiction. And thus I consider the rest of the article to be just as credible. Up your ass Mr Bauer.

This review didn't surprise me at all. In this city Trader Vic's is up against some tough restaurant competition, and Michael Bauer hates most of them.

they should publish kono's markup! i loved it! :drink:

I have to say I agree with almost everything he said, except his "kitsch" and "quirky" comments. He obviously pines for the old Stars, but then so do I. I had 2 or 3 of the greatest meals I've ever had there.

Cyn is right, there's a lot of dining competition in SF, and for the money, there are dozens of restaurants with much better food. I agree it's all too bland and too salty in general. He was right-on about the poor service and variable drink quality. I've never been there when the waitstaff was observant or attendant - I always have to flag someone down to get anything.

I'm no restaurant snob, but if you want truely stellar food and service, spend the same (or less) money at Boulevard or Chez Panisse or Firefly. This doesn't mean I don't enjoy the experience of visiting Vic's. It's just fine for a drink in a cool tiki-ish atmosphere. I much prefer the "vibe" at the E-ville location, though. The darker, less-cavernous rooms work much better to transport the patron to another time and place, without the stuffiness of the Civic Center crowd. Plus you get the harbor/bay view.

Anyone who uses a phrase such as "a chilled ganache with an intense bitter edge" around me stands a chance of getting socked in the kisser. j/k
quote]

Note to self: Do not bring up chilled ganache in front of Kono!

Kono - Your review rebuttal was awesome! I think the bitter edge belongs to Mr. Ultra Foodie Bauer!
I've always had such attentive service at TV (although it was at Emeryville) that I wish they'd leave me alone a bit. Maybe I look like someone who would try to do that whipping off the tablecloth trick? They're on my table like a duck on a Junebug. I've only found the crispy duck too salty, but then again, it has to be one step down from a salt lick before I think it's too much.

Tiki-bot, I don't know why your experience was so different than mine but last weekend the stars (pun intended) were in alignment and everything was A-OK. The reviewer did outright lie in my opinion. Two examples: it was absolutely no sweat getting a reservation and they did not treat me poorly being that I am not recognizable. The manager talked to me at length, I was actually kind of wanting him go away at one point.

Maybe ZebraTiki's on to something. Maybe I look like trouble so they pay attention to me. Nah.

I will add this though: We bought some items (oil lamp, t-shirt, a couple of bar mugs) so we had this big bag of goodies sitting on the table. We asked the waiter if we could have a menu. He said "sure" so we stuck two menus in the bag. He was cool. Mr Manager comes over and starts talking to us (yet again) and reaches over and pulls the menus halfway out of the bag like he caught us or something. I'm like yeah dude, as much as I spent you better not even think about sweating those menus. So I said "Yeah they gave us a couple of menus at the Chicago TVs and now we have two from here." He let it go. That was as close to uncool as things ever got. So yeah, maybe they did think I was trouble! :lol:

On 2005-01-17 17:23, Kono wrote:
The reviewer did outright lie in my opinion. Two examples: it was absolutely no sweat getting a reservation and they did not treat me poorly being that I am not recognizable. The manager talked to me at length, I was actually kind of wanting him go away at one point.

Just because it was a problem for one person to get dinner reservations doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be difficult for the rest of us. Your experience may differ.

FYI, when he reviews a restaurant, he visits on several different occasions with different people, and he makes reservations in different names. Michael Bauer is likely not his real name and his picture is never published in the Chronicle. Many restaurant critics do this to preserve their anonymity.

If you liked or didn't like what he wrote in this review, you can reach him at [email protected].

I, too, liked your rebuttal, Kono. We obviously have different perceptions of what constitutes acceptable food and service, and that's fine. :wink: I never said they were rude. I'm sure there is a difference in the level of attentive service accorded regulars. But we always got what we wanted and felt like their attitudes were generally good, if not attentive enough for the swankiness of the place. They never time the courses well, and don't come around frequently enough for more water or drinks.

At the E-ville location, I feel like we are somehow inconviencing the waitstaff when we order appetizers. I mean, they have an appetizer bar menu and every time we order something they are flustered and confused, like we're not supposed to order food from them. Perhaps it's just a language barrier.

Also, I think when the reviewer referred to the spacing of the center tables, it wasn't so much for accessibility as it was "personal comfort zone". It's fine when tables are that close in a cafe, but not in a so-called "fine" restaurant. They were a little jammed in there for my taste, but maybe they took some out since I was last there.

I see Vic's as a "once in a while" place. The drinks can be great, but the prices prevent us from going there for more than the occasional TC gathering or special occasion. They certainly are not on my "go to" list for places to find good food. There are just so many outstanding places just minutes away that are twice as good at half the price.

Maybe I am a restaurant snob after all.

On 2005-01-17 17:55, cynfulcynner wrote:
Just because it was a problem for one person to get dinner reservations doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be difficult for the rest of us. Your experience may differ.

FYI, when he reviews a restaurant, he visits on several different occasions with different people, and he makes reservations in different names. Michael Bauer is likely not his real name and his picture is never published in the Chronicle. Many restaurant critics do this to preserve their anonymity.

That's why I don't buy his take. It's apparent from his review that he ate at TV several times yet his opening argument is that it is nearly impossible to get a table or reservation. Internal logic flaw. Yet I just stumbled a la Candide into a table and good service? Sorry, I just have a hard time buying that.

On 2005-01-17 17:55, cynfulcynner wrote:
If you liked or didn't like what he wrote in this review, you can reach him at [email protected].

What good would that do? I doubt he'd give a shit what I think. If you know him then I'm sorry about the bit with him swimming throught SF bay with me throwing bloody meat at him but I've already stated why I think his review is useless. I'm just here to say that my experience was completely different than his alleged experience and I think that he took great liberties with the truth in writing his review. That's all. :)