Trader Vic's to open in Florida!

Got an email back from them regarding products. Too bad. Time to place an order I guess...wonder if they fixed thier website yet..probably not heh

We are open! we don't plan on selling drink products

Mytah

I have not been over yet, hope to go this week since I will be off. The lady who answered at the Palms told me there is an indoor restaurant with a large, separate bar area in addition to the dining area, and that there is also an outdoor Mai Tai Bar which sells drinks and smaller food items. If and when I get over there I will take pics to share. Hopefully they have gotten the tikis in by now.

OK, I went to the Trader Vic's in Destin over the weekend. First, let me say that the food was good, the service was wonderful, and the drinks were excellent. They are definitely trying to uphold the standard of TV. That being said, someone had mentioned earlier "this is not your father's Trader Vic's." That definitely seems to be the case. There were a good many tikis spread around, but overall the atmosphere was much more light and airy than the other TV's I have been to. They have an outrigger canoe on the ceiling, a carved hostess stand, tribal fabric on one wall, carved fish on the wall, and several floats and fish traps hanging from the ceiling. The outdoor Mai Tai bar is really great, if you ignore the big screen televisions broadcasting sports programs. There are more tikis outside than inside, and the bartenders are among the friendliest I have come across. The bar sets under a patio next to a lagoon where they plan to have concerts including some pretty big names. Unfortunately, I seem to have no skills as a photographer, so none of my indoor pics turned out, but I will attach a few from the Mai Tai bar. It was a nice night, especially at the Mai Tai bar, but I would not make a special trip just for the restaurant again. The one in Atlanta has much more of a tiki atmosphere to me. Of course, if Destin starts doing mug nights like the one in Atlanta, I might make an exception! :)

One really cool aspect of the night was that Trader Vic's grandaughter, Eve, was still there helping to get things established. Talking to her was quite interesting! Apparently, the owners of this restaurant wanted the restaurant to blend in more with The Palms decor, which explains the lack of tiki. She also said the current trend is for each TV to reflect the locale, which does make sense. She also told us there is a Mai Tai bar scheduled to open next in CA, then there are 5 TV restaurants slated to open in Hawaii. For those in Dallas, she was also very complimentary of the new TV there. That owner tried very hard to be true to the original TV there, including having the carpet and wallpaper duplicated and obtaining decor from the original restaurant.

If you head to Destin, be aware there are 2 road side carvers on Highway 98 that sell tikis. One is Tiki Charlie. His stuff was very nice and priced lower than the second spot (starting around $65), but his were not as detailed. The other location is probably less than a mile away, on the same side of the highway, and called Beaver Pond Artist. Their prices were a bit higher, but the guy working there was willing to negotiate. We picked up two tikis for $125 each. Mine is a 44" Moai that I will attach a pic of. Their website is http://www.MyCargoShip.com.

Thanks for the photos SouthBamaTiki. While I'm disappointed with the results, I'm not at all surprised. The decor in the pictures fits in very well with the surroundings, which as you mentioned, was their intention. Unfortunately, most of us here will not find it particularly interesting. The tikis shown even seem to be lacking in character and spirit.

Honestly, I was really shocked to hear that a Vic's was opening in Destin in the first place. But, if the food and drinks are as good as you say, then it definitely beats 99% of the other places in the area and would be worth a visit while in the area.

Hers are some pics taken over the weekend.
They lied when they replied to my email asking if they were going to carry product :lol:

[ Edited by: Mytah 2007-04-23 08:40 ]

We might have to make a trip out there soon and test the Mai Tai's. It may not be full on tradiitonal TV, but it's better than nothing.

Nothing Says tiki more than sports on a flatscreen, NOT!!!!

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Going to Florida in July, from California. Too bad it's so far away from the Mai Kai, we're going to disney and south. But I'm glad it's there, as long as they keep opening them instead of closing them!

We go to the one in Emeryville sometimes, it's great, and just over an hour drive...

According to Eve, Trader Vic's grandaughter, the Emeryville TV is a true museum. Many of the artifacts from Hinky Dink's were transferred to that restaurant. Pretty cool!

*On 2007-04-22 15:05, GatorRob wrote:*While I'm disappointed with the results, I'm not at all surprised. The decor in the pictures fits in very well with the surroundings, which as you mentioned, was their intention. Unfortunately, most of us here will not find it particularly interesting.

Right. And isn't the purpose of these kinds of places to get away both mentally and physically from ones' normal surroundings?

I expect Trader Vic's to transport me away to some other place and time. Not to just "fit in" with the surrounding neighborhood or regional decor (unless you're in Hawaii, I suppose), with a few tiki flourishes thrown in for "theme."

In that...the pictures sure don't have me wanting to go out of my way to visit this one.

On 2007-04-23 23:55, PremEx wrote:
Right. And isn't the purpose of these kinds of places to get away both mentally and physically from ones' normal surroundings?

I expect Trader Vic's to transport me away to some other place and time. Not to just "fit in" with the surrounding neighborhood or regional decor (unless you're in Hawaii, I suppose), with a few tiki flourishes thrown in for "theme."

I understand what your saying, but keep in mind Destin is a vacation town with some of the finest beaches anywhere.
It's not a TV in downtown Metropolis. I'm surprised one was opened there, seeing the other closest to me is the ATL, I'm glad they did. I understand the ATL one is more of the typical "museum" type, but I'll take what I can get...beggars cant be choosers :lol:

What is this? It is modern looking. Almost looks like those Philipines carvings, but it much better. Almost looks like a Benzart.

Many of the TV Mai Tai bars are being located on beaches in resort towns, so, blending in more is appropriate. As you say, this is not downtown Atlanta. It is a different concept.

When you see one of these on the beach in Hawaii, it'll be much the same.

Well, I got the chance to visit the new Trader Vic's in the Destin corner of the Redneck Riviera (it's okay, I can say that, I grew up there). I had high hopes that even though the place didn't look like the Atlanta or Dallas Vic's, it would be able to match them in quality of drinks, food and service. Boy were my hopes dashed in a hurry.

First off though, the place looks nice for a slick, contemporary take on a Polynesian restaurant. The indoor bar is attractive, with monkey pod tables scattered around. The dining room is cozy, featuring half circle booths, tables, tapa-ish wall hangings and a brick oven. The outdoor bar is servicable, if rather bland. And scattered around the inside and out are a host of Balinese pseudo-tikis.

Then I met the manager, who is full of enthusiasm about his new place. He talked about how he's met Sven Kirsten, how he was at the Dallas Vic's when it was being renovated, etc. I thought "Hey, this guy knows his stuff. Maybe there's hope."

We ordered a round: Tiki Puka Puka, Mai-Tai, Zombie, Vic's Grog. The Puka Puka was just okay, but a pale imitation of what I've tasted in Atlanta. The Mai-Tai was servicable. The Zombie and Vic's Grog were putrid. Someone forgot to tell them that the Zombie is supposed to be a strong drink. It had the color and taste of Kool Aid.

Next came the appetizers, 5 or 6 of them. Several were ice cold. The little butanes under the serving plates weren't lit. We told the waitress, who said "Oh, okay. I guess I'll go get a lighter." Uh, yeah. Duh.

The manager came over to me and wanted an "honest opinion" from me. I reluctantly gave it to him. He said liability in Florida keeps him from putting too much alcohol in the drinks (Huh?). Then he mentioned the Doctor Funk's Son and that it's too strong to be on the menu, but they will make them on request. So I requested it. I think he was trying to impress me because he went behind the bar and made it himself. I was all ready for something special. I take a few sips and my companions ask me how it is. "Terrible."

To top it all off, every time the door to the patio opened, we were bombarded with the sounds of a live band playing Southern Rock. And this band was playing LOUD. How many people would pay $40 for a steak in an upscale-looking restaurant while having their ears assaulted with Sweet Home Alabama at 90 decibels?! From the sparse number of diners we saw on that Saturday night, not many. I jokingly said the band sounds like it would be more at home down the street at the Hog's Breath bar. Later on, our waitress commented to us on how she liked the band and that they hired them away from the Hog's Breath bar. I'm not joking.

We all agreed we'd never go back unless they miraculously fix all the problems. I'm not holding my breath.

On 2007-02-19 14:30, TikiLaLe wrote:
Mr. Gator Rob
I do hope you have a good drink at TV.. Let's not hope for some blond surfer pouring pre-mix drinks ....
Florida it's not the humidity it's the stupidity !!!!!

When I hung at the Trader Vics @ the Plaza Hotel in the 80's ....The bartender was in his 50's he was a 'professional bartender' the drinks where perfect ... the bill was outrageous ... but it was the 80's i was young and lived in NYC.

Florida is a joke but the weather is beautiful .... and the booze is cheap !!!!

On 2007-07-25 15:54, GatorRob wrote:

Then I met the manager, who is full of enthusiasm about his new place. He talked about how he's met Sven Kirsten, how he was at the Dallas Vic's when it was being renovated, etc. I thought "Hey, this guy knows his stuff. Maybe there's hope."

Did he say which other Vic's he worked at before, or where we met? I only remember meeting a few TV managers in my travels...Chicago...Berlin...Atlanta....Hamburg...where else?...who is he?....hmmm
It breaks my heart to hear such a review, but I commend you on telling him your honest opinion, if WE don't do it, who will? We might get written off as Tiki snobs, but we should stick to our standards.

Gatorbob,
Too funny. Head over to Hog's Breath and ask Steve Gordon, the bartender, to make you a Mai Tai. I bet it comes out better :D

Sven - Well, I hope I didn't sound too snobbish. He was pressing me for an "honest" opinion though, so I obliged. Sad thing is, he knows something about the history of Trader Vic's, so you'd think he'd know how to get it right, but something is clearly getting lost in the translation. But to answer your question, his name is Russel Hedrick according to the Vic's website and I recall that sounds right. He's from Scottsdale, AZ so I think he worked in some capacity at the new Vic's there. I'll PM you a photo.

GatorRob, I hate to hear that you had a crappy expereince in Destin. My wife and I met my folks down there a few weeks ago and while I agree with you on the Decor and the Band, our food and Mai Tai's were great, our service was impeccable, and we got to free $20 gift certificates to boot. It's not the ATL Trader Vics in atmoshpere, our food and drinks were on par with it. The caveat to this is we did have the oyster appetizer that was pretty rough, and my menehune juice from the outside bar was prety blah. Overall though are experience was great, enough so that we sent My wife's sister and her family over there last weekend and they thought it was great as well.

frostiki, several members of my family had been there on a couple of different occasions and their opinion was generally negative. But I talked them into going again anyway, and I wish I hadn't. Found this review. Mostly it's positive talking about the food (we didn't have any entrees so I can't comment on them). It says nothing really about the quality of the drinks, not that I'd trust most reviewers on drink quality. But at the bottom of the review she says "Service was poor. Our server was unfamiliar with both the drink and food menus, conveyed incorrect information, and improperly identified items that came to the table." This was our experience. When I ordered a Tiki Puka Puka, the waitress said "A what? Where is it on the menu?" She heard me. She just didn't know what it was. The problem with the area is there just isn't a stable pool of professional wait staff. Most servers are 20-somethings who will be there one month, gone the next. Look at the staff at the Mai-Kai or Atlanta Vic's. Many have been there for years.

I'm glad your experience was good though. Wish I could say the same.

Wow. I was so excited about T.V. being in Destin (my home away from home). Still, we may try it out when we go back down, but when there are so many great places to eat and spend your money, I doubt that Vic's will fit into our busy eating schedule.
Thanks for the reviews.

sucks to hear about the service, etc.

I have to say, I'm a tiki snob, but I don't exactly hate that decor- its kinda modernish and minimal, which I like about as much as the thatch-overload style when done well.

However, the southern rock thing was a trip-killer for me.. I won't be doing the long haul up there from Melbourne Beach anytime soon after that nugget of info.

Sucks- they should know what theyre doing- think of all the money dropped into that place.

I stumbled upon the website for a radiostation (Coast 93.3 in Destin, Florida) that has 50% off gift certificates available for the Destin Trader Vic ($50 certificate for $25, plus a 3.50 processing fee). Here is the link: http://wncv.cumulus-deals.com/index.php?index_type=promo-detail&pid=29981

They have 15 certificates available. There are good and bad aspects of it. First, you can use the certificates to purchase alcohol (unlike many of these type of radio station half-off restaurant gift certificates) and you can buy 2 of them. However, the bad part is that you cannot use any unused portion of the certfificate on subsequent visit (which may not be a bad thing if you are definiately going to be eating/drinking at least $50 worth of food and drinks. If you are going buy one of these certificates, just make sure that you plan on that, and don't expect to go there and buy a couple drinks on several occassions.