trader vics in beverly hills

my first time in this place and it's the big mans b.d.!.i got there early with a non tiki crazed pal who knew the joint.as i was working on my 2nd half price mai tai ,folks were starting to pour in with funny beards and loud shirts (you guys!)and then things started to roll.being as i didn't know a soul , i just enjoyed the upper crusty ,watered down vibe of the place and wished i were sitting in sams or bahooka!.

I do believe that we all had a great time. Twowheelin Tiki! I am glad that you could make it there - I didn't get to meet you, though. Maybe tomorrow night at the Lava Lounge. We imbibed happily and were even treated to the musical stylings of Iuka Grogg and King Kukulele. I even got to meet Dr. Z's mom!

Pardon my kvetch here, but I have to vent. Although we may love Trader Vic's, some of us have had issues with them for some reason or other before and here's one:

If you recall, in one of the threads there was a post that quoted an email from the assistant to Sven Koch and Hans Richter in the head office. He stated that Emeryville was planning on offering Mai Tais for a dollar and that he was going to notify all 22 TVs about the Traders birthday, in case they might want to have a drink special or something to commemorate.

I then approached the GM of the BH TV and asked him if he got the "memo". He said yes. I asked him if he was going to offer the Mai Tais for 100 cents. He said yes. I handed him printouts of both Tiki Central threads, so he could read the same thing I did and there would be no misunderstanding. I even sent an email to confirm (again mentioning the 100-cent mai tais).

When I arrived at the restaurant, I discovered that they were not a dollar, but instead half-price. When I asked the manager about this, he was surprised that I thought they would be a dollar. Huh?

He called Emeryville and spoke to Sven Koch and was told that they weren't doing the dollar Mai Tais either! The special was ten dollars for a Mai Tai and appetizer together. He said he could do that, too. He even gave us 4 appetizers on the house. They were like, 19.00 apiece normally. That was really cool of him to do.

I don't want to sound ungrateful. The Mai Tai/appetizer deal he offered is a great deal. A REALLY GREAT deal. If he had offered that up front, I would have been thrilled. It was very generous. I just hated that everyone came there thinking that is was only going to cost a dollar for a Mai Tai.

Happy Birthday Trader Vic. It was nice to experience a real Mai Tai. There are so many imposters out there.

[ Edited by: floratina on 2002-12-11 12:01 ]

We had a great time, but missed Merv's Hall of Fame/Shame. I stayed back to guard the drinks. I didn't get to meet Twowheeleer either.Welcome and see all to folks at the Lava joint.Thanks for all your efforts Tina.

our first time at one of your events.
loved it.
mai tai's were a deal, even at 5 bucks,
and the group was the best.
thank you

A gooood time was had by all. Thanks Floratina for negotiating our PuPu Platter treats. They were inhaled with passion. We threw the scraps to LapuRock & LuckyDesigns.
Nice talking Tiki to: PiPhiRho,Jonnievelour,WeirdUncleTiki,DrZ & Zgirl,LuckyDesigns & LapuRock.
WeirdUncle brought his Ukulele & entertained us all with "Tiny Bubbles". King Kuhule played "The Hawaiian War Chant" and recited the lyrics as a master without skipping a beat. WOW.
Nice to meet Sabu, Miss Mauna Loa, the Z family and others I missed.
All other new TCers next time stagger on and over and say hello you ARE with friends that have a common passion.
Aloha. Vic & Bonnie

I've got some great pics from the BH TV night. I'll post them in a couple of days. I had so much fun. I just can't figure out TV's lack of customer service. The bartender was less than enthusiastic and the whole dollar mai tai retardedness... Lapu and I had a great rest of the night too in Hollywood. See you all Saturday.

ok , about those drink specials....i knew they would welch do to reputation, and i even chuckled when i heard the half off version....but when the bill came, it was full price!!, i had to remind that cute little hostess that my rodent of a waiter forgot the special.she fixed it in record time,thus making me a happy little cheapskate!(and proud of it).i would love to hear a report from the other t.v. customers in non b.h. as to the decor of there home town t.v.'s. did they all water down?

Whoah,

I'm still drunk.........6 Mai Tai's, they were yummy. Doctor Z, nice rappin' with you. Everyone else that showed up------->sweet it was fun........OUT.

Sounds like you guys had fun. Wish I could have been there too (was in Emeryville for the No Cal gig). BTW - Mai Tai's in Emeryville weren't a dollar either - $5.00. Still, a great time was had by all. The management handed out racing number banners to all of us from a marathon that Trader Vic's sponsored. They said "Trader Vic's Mai Tai Team" on them. Maybe someone can post pics of the group wearing them? I, once again, forgot my camera....

Here are the pics that I promised from our Beverly Hills TV debotchery;

The outside of the Beverly Hills Trader Vics

(l to r): Dr. Z, Zgirl, Johnny Velour, Vic, and Bonbon

Johnny Veloure

Lapu Rocker and the elusive polynesian, alabaster, ibex moai. Easily the most sought after and rarest tiki collectable.

Carved pole and dining area

Display case holding some of the original mugs and sauces.

The King and Florintina

The interrior of Vics and Z on a mad dash

Mai Tais with Dr. Z, me, and Sabu

End of the night with Dr. Z, Paul, Sabu, Tina, and Lapu. Sorry I didn't get pics of Chiki or the Weird Uncle, or anyone else that I missed. I was too busy drinking most of the time to be taking pictures.

Spike

[ Edited by: Luckydesigns on 2002-12-12 22:48 ]

OHMYGOD! In that fourth picture... is LapuRocker actually caressing the neck of the EXTREMELY RARE LONG-NECKED-HORNED-ALBINO-ALABASTER MOAI OF FIJI?!?!

I know! I couldn't believe it either.

MAN! How come I'm never lucky like Lapu Rocker?!

Sabu

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy on 2002-12-12 23:46 ]

sabu,i have seen your picture!, now theres no way of getting out of that zombie!

Here are my pix from TV's

The Mysterious Miss Mauna Loa, Johnnie Velour and WierdUncleTiki in the foreground, and in the booth in the background, Sabu, Jo (Dr. Z's mom) and John (Z's bro).

Dr. Z and Z Girl caught on camera. Bonnie and Vic of Bonbonvic are on the right.

WeirdUnc, The Mysterious Miss ML and Velour

King Kukulele performs. Spike and PiPhiRo look on, clearly impressed.

[ Edited by: floratina on 2002-12-15 18:10 ]