official trader vics chicago thread

Come and get yer mai tai's kids!!!

as of noon on sunday, i call down there just to verify and they said, yes, today is their first day open....the cocktail lounge opens at 4 p.m. today and the dinner lounge at 5 p.m.....

.....getting this place open was a huge task.....but it's not over.....now we need to see what the interior looks like...and the music selection....and finally, will there be any days of the week when it will be best to go there and enjoy the place without a bunch of interference from hipsters, club goers, fratboys, yuppie types and whoever else we find disagreeable to crap up the atmosphere and our vibe with it...... i know it's unavoidable and we are doomed to share traders with these squares, but i'm sure there will be evenings there when we can enjoy our drinks in peace without disturbance....i'm sure we'll find out all the answers and more in the next few weeks....

anyone with pics of the place, post them here as well.....and watch YELP.com for reviews in the upcoming weeks too.....

glad it's here!! now let's go get a look at it!!......

" In a perfect world...Elvis would still be alive ....and all the elvis impersonators would be dead!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-12-14 10:35 ]

[ Edited by: tipsy mcstagger 2009-03-28 11:01 ]

Turns out we probably won't make it to the opening today. Take plenty of photos (if they let you) and give us a full report.

.....also....you all should know that parking is available in the newberry plaza building.....just go there and grab a ticket when you park and you get a special rate with validation from trader vics.....otherwise parking down there is a real bitch and with the city of chicago raising the price of parking meters and parking lots in general, cheap parking is hard to find....call vics for more info on rates.....i think the most they charge for staying more than 3 hrs there is $11 bucks.....so figure that into your budget if you are driving down there.

I've contacted TVChicago about bringing 20 people from my company there in January for dinner and drinks... hope to get that put together and perhaps get there on the 22nd of this month with family. It'll be great if the atmosphere isn't too urban.

...I gotta say, this place is great!!.......the decor was right on....tiki lamps on every table and trader s/p shakers....lot's of tikis and big ones too, including a 14 footer that has yet to placed outside. The bartender, lou, was top notch- very open with drink suggestions and out of all the drinks we sampled there was not a clunker in the bunch. try the honi honi...you would never think that jack daniels would taste so good in a tropical drink!! (and i hate jack daniels-long story i won't get into). The manager was real cool .....i believe he said he used to manage trader vics atlanta....he was real receptive to doing a special tiki night there once a month like at the old traders once things get rollin.....the crowd was sparce, which we liked and due to the fact that they wanted a soft opening, with a big grand opening sometime in january...they haven't really made a big announcement that they are open now.....the music was right on...lounge, exotica and a sprinkle of obligatory holiday classics which set the tone of the season.....we'll definately be going back as we have yet to try any of the food.....

only downside.....no cheese bings on the appetizer list.....but we'll fix that eventually - LOL

highly recommended....so glad to see trader vics back.......check it out when you get a chance or next time you're in town....

Sunday, December 15th

4:05 PM

Christmas came early this year. :)

Wahoo!

The place is Fantabulous! Although it's still a work in progress, the place is really coming together, plus it's nice to see some of the old decor from the Palmer House made it as well. We didn't take any pics, but let's just say you won't be dissapointed. Every cocktail we sampled was top notch, the appetizers superb, and the staff was very friendly. The manager was very cool and told us the same thing he told Tipsy, that they'd really be interested in doing a monthly Tiki night.
Great seeing Lake, Don and Pete from the Bikini Beachcombers (Don was the first one in the door when they opened)!
We'll be back!!!!!
D&C

Wahoo!

..i should also add that there is a nice photo homage to the old traders in the palmer house framed on the wall as you walk in....and check out the vintage pics way back in the dining room of victor bergeron himself and the older trader vics / hinky dinks.....

Glad to hear the good news! What the hell is James T. doing in Havana then? :D

On 2008-12-15 11:59, bigbrotiki wrote:
What the hell is James T. doing in Havana then? :D

...let's see

....rum...cigars...underage prostitutes....trader vics...great architecture....vintage cars

all valid reasons to be in havana....LOL

Congrats,
enjoy.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

These next few were taken with a longer shutter speed to show details... the lighting is a bit lower in person

The bamboo grids will soon feature both wrought iron and the original green tiles that were a staple in tiki bars of old.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2008-12-15 17:22 ]

Wahoo!

wow! Looks great.

Nice article about TVChicago in today's Chicago Tribune:

Aloha, Trader Vic's

Bring on the mai tais: Tiki goes low-key at new location for this venerable icon
By Phil Vettel | Tribune critic
December 18, 2008

You could scarcely dream up a better time to open a cocktail-focused restaurant in Chicago than now. The cocktail culture is supernova-hot; restaurants and clubs are frantically inventing distinctive signature drinks, and bartenders are now known as "mixologists."

When better, then, to reintroduce Trader Vic's, the concept that practically invented the notion of signature cocktails?

Not only did Trader Vic's make the mai tai a household word (while sending hordes of home-entertainment types to liquor stores in search of Jamaican rum and orgeat syrup), but it also made our parents and grandparents familiar with the Zombie, Scorpion Bowl, and Suffering Bastard.

Three years ago, Trader Vic's closed after 48 years in the Palmer House Hilton. Monday was its grand reopening at 1030 N. State St. (312-642-6500; tradervicschicago.com), the former home of Arnie's, but it actually opened quietly to the public the previous weekend, and I just as quietly slipped in for a visit.

Fans will be happy, I predict. This Trader Vic's is a thinking man's tiki bar, an oasis of civility among its more boisterous Gold Coast neighbors. The dining room and bar are done in tiki decor, but it's a restrained, limited-tchotchkes look. Chairs are upholstered in a soft bamboo-leaf pattern; white linen graces the tables. The most eye-catching item is the giant Chinese wood-burning oven, which fills the dining room with an appetite-stimulating aroma.

I remember Trader Vic's as a good place for a drink but an indifferent place to eat. I may have to revise that opinion after the excellent Hawaiian pork chop I consumed, not to mention a first-rate tea-smoked duck.

The appetizer list includes the usual retro pupu nibbles, including a crab rangoon wherein one can actually discern crab flavor; meaty Chinese barbecued ribs and sliced pork; and crispy (if overbreaded) prawns. Order the Cosmo Tidbits for Two and you get a few of each.

Of course, I tried the mai tai, and Vic Bergeron's original is still my favorite version. I also indulged in a Suffering Bastard, and I didn't suffer one bit.

...don't forget that the same tribune today also has a piece on hala kahiki as well as tiki terrace....small articles, but focused on the areas tiki bars...which is always a good thing.

I don't get it! Why does TV Vegas suck so bad? Is TV now a franchise, only without the corporate guidelines?

I was at Trader Vic's (Polenisio) in Havana the same day that my brothers in Chicago finally got to try a mai tai in the Viagra triangle.

Looks like I am Vic's-bound Friday night.

And yeah, for those who were asking (above) Pallava, the GM, is the former GM of Atlanta. Nice guy, and really receptive to our crowd.

Good deal!

On 2008-12-18 15:13, Big Kahuna wrote:
I don't get it! Why does TV Vegas suck so bad? Is TV now a franchise, only without the corporate guidelines?

Yes.

Wow. Very reminiscent of the Dallas Vic's. That's a good thing.

I had a blast at TVinC on Wednesday night, food was good, drinks were good, fun was had by all. I'm pretty sure I'll be back tonight, mostly just for the drinks...

SSDD

He was constantly reminded of how startlingly different a place the world was when viewed from a point only three feet to the left.

[ Edited by: headcase 2008-12-19 11:57 ]

Phil Vettel has written about Tiki-related subjects for the Trib on several occasions in the past.

He's a nice older guy, an old-school gentleman.

Good to have a kindred spirit on the inside at the Trib.

Had drinks and dinner at Trader Vic's Chicago last night-- What a great addition to the world of tiki! First, there's more tikis in there than you can count. Second, the over-all ambiance is nothing short of magical. Third, the drinks and food are just plain wonderful. finally, the service is professional, warm and friendly. I can't wait to go back, I'm hooked!

Vern (ikitnrev) and I are headed there Friday, if anyone else wants to meet up.
Time TBA...

James, Vern: How was it? I'm somewhat surprised at the lack of reviews and pictures from Chicago TCers of this place. I'm hoping that "no news is good news" is not the reason for the lack of posts on it. The new Luau has pages and pages of posts. Give us the scoop!

The place looks very good.
Better than Vegas, of course, but also an improvement over SF, Florida, and Seattle.
Low ceilings, and several small dining rooms accessed via a wide bar area.
Lots of Tikis!
The only window looks out into an atrium full of big plants.
There are two big TVs in th bar area, but other than that, I am pleased with the decor.
It is not Tokyo, Atlanta, or Munich, but it is the best-looking of the recent USA Vic's (the Dallas resurrection excluded).

I had a nice dinner with Vern and my pal Rebecca.
We were all pleased with our meals.
Cosmo Tidbits, Bong-Bongo soup, and three different fish entrees between us.
No different from the other Vic's everywhere else of course - but definitely tasty.

The waitresses are cute, in solid black chingsam dresses with red trim.
Classy and sexy too.

Between the three of us, we must have put away more than a dozen drinks.
NONE were fully up to muster.
The consistent mediocrity of all of the drinks was shocking.
There were five bartenders behind the gigantic bar, plus the bar manager, and not a one of them knew how to make a mai tai "the old way".
I had to teach them.

Th cocktails were the only disappointment, but that said, I am confident that with some more practice, training, and quality control, they'll get that sorted out. Might be nice to get a few of the bar guys from the old Chicago Vic's back in there.

Pallava called me yesterday to help him organize a grand opening party.
Looks like it is going to happen in about three weeks.
Live music, swag giveaways, and probably a few comped drinks here and there.
Look for an announcement as soon as he gives me the date.

• James T.

http://www.tydirium.net
Big Stone Head / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple
Drink with us at: http://www.cocktailsnob.com

[ Edited by: tikibars 2009-01-18 10:23 ]

On 2009-01-17 15:15, tikibars wrote:

There were five bartenders behind the gigantic bar, plus the bar anager, and not a one of them kne how to make a mai tai "the old way".
I had to teach them

judging from typos all over your post i'd say the drinks were just fine!!!

Well... on my first visit I thought the drinks were fine... But I'll have another chance this week when I'm there with all my general managers for a two day conference.

Tikibar, help me out on the original Mai Tai recipe... the one on the drink menu is not it? What do I need to ask for to get the original?

I'll do my best to attend a grand opening party, I've met Pallava and he's a wonderful guy. I'll bring my ukulele unless someone stops me.

.

[ Edited by: tipsy mcstagger 2009-01-18 08:15 ]

On 2009-01-17 18:50, Bongo Bungalow wrote:
Tikibar, help me out on the original Mai Tai recipe... the one on the drink menu is not it? What do I need to ask for to get the original

A proper mai tai is:

2 oz rum (some will do 1 oz. each of two different rums, but I personally like to use 2 oz. of one great one).

Juice of 1 lime (limes vary in size and juiciness of course, but I like to use a hair less than 1 oz.).

1/2 oz. Orgeat (early recipes called for 1/4 oz. each of Orgeat and simple syrup, but today's Orgeats are sweeter than in the past, so I find that more Orgeat and skipping the sugar is better).

1/2 oz. Orange curacao.

Shake with crushed ice and the lime rind, and pour it all into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a mint sprig (not optional).

...now MOST of the Trader Vic's out there are using their house-brand mai tai mix most of the time, adding the rum and a squeeze of fresh lime to the mix. They have to make a LOT of mai tais, and this speeds up the process... but let's face it, this is not what Vic Bergeron intended. FYI, this is how Chef Shangri-La makes them too.

If you ask for it "the old way" or sometimes "San Francisco style", they'll make it more or less as I described above. Sometimes they use lemon juice instead of lime, basically because lemons are more efficient than limes.

Mmmm... well that is disappointing that they're using a mix. The recipe as you describe it is, of course how I make them at home, and pretty close to the way they're made in my restaurants. I'm a believer in no mixes and think any quality bar would be doing the same. Of course, the current TV drink menu calls the Mai Tai listed their original and frankly, it tasted pretty good.

So I suppose other drinks on their menu are now made from a mix and not original ingredients?

.. ..I think i speak for many when i say that the drinks at the chicago traders are excellent.....basically it boils down to this....we beggars here in chicago can't be choosers, and by that i mean that there are few tiki themed places for us to enjoy in the chicagoland area.....that said, your choices are:

A) go to the traders and enjoy it for what it is.

B) stay home and drink your authentic drinks by yourself.

if you think the drinks aren't up to snuff, then good for you!! ....it's your right to be unhappy....i have had much worse in terms of tropical drinks in this town and the traders are pretty damn good......

let me know when you guys open up your own bar with authentically made tiki drinks and we'll all stop by to support you.....

..but till then.....

..on a side note, the televisions at the traders don't really seem to be an issue, at least with me......reason being, the old traders had 3 t.v.'s in the bar as well so it really doesn't cause a disconnect for me at the new traders. I spent many 2 mai tai lunches in the palmer house traders watching the news on those t'v's....

You're quite right Tipsy, I had a really fine time at TV Chicago just before the holidays and I know I'll have a great time there this week.

The atmosphere is very tiki, the service excellent, everyone was friendly, the food very interesting and the drink list extensive. I'll be drinking through enough of the menu to find my one favorite at this Trader Vic's.

I need to pick myself up a few bottles of Lemon Hart while I'm in town... I'll have to find a decent liquor store on the north side...

keep me posted on the lemon hart...it's very hard to find here...ever since sam's liquors came under new management, they have cut alot of their rum selections among other things..they are rapidly becoming the "home depot" of booze......used to be a time when you could find alot of oddball stuff and all kinds of rum there....but no more.....

if you find lemon hart in this town, let us know where to go...

thanks!!

Thanks for the review James. Sounds great, like the best new Trader Vic's to date as far as decor, atmosphere, and service. Too bad about the drinks. Tipsy, I don't think it's too much to ask for Trader Vic's to make great tropical drinks. They have their reputation at stake. I am confident that things will improve, especially if word gets out here that they need to work on that. Trader Vic's listens to the tiki folks! And with all the recent media coverage of new cocktail bars and their emphasis on quality and taste, I'm sure Trader Vic's cares about feedback they may get in the press.

On 2009-01-19 11:40, thejab wrote:
Thanks for the review James. Sounds great, like the best new Trader Vic's to date as far as decor, atmosphere, and service. Too bad about the drinks. Tipsy, I don't think it's too much to ask for Trader Vic's to make great tropical drinks. They have their reputation at stake. I am confident that things will improve, especially if word gets out here that they need to work on that. Trader Vic's listens to the tiki folks! And with all the recent media coverage of new cocktail bars and their emphasis on quality and taste, I'm sure Trader Vic's cares about feedback they may get in the press.

I don't doubt that trader vics cares about the quality of their drinks..which is why i think the drinks are so great. so, to answer your question, no, i do not think it's too much to ask that they make good drinks..they already do!!!!

..i do think, however, it is alittle too much to ask them to subscribe to certain rigid standards that some folks here like to impose...let's face it...trader vics does not live or die because of tikiphiles opinions about it or their patronage to it...their target market of customers would not know a real mai tai if it came walking in the place on fire!....so whatever the traders is sellin- they are gonna buy it.

don't forget jab, there was a time when all of us didn't know a good mai tai from a bad one....even you. As we immersed ourselve in tiki culture we were able to refine our tastes over time....these days most of us tiki folk know the difference between a quality drink and one that is half baked....that said, we can't demand the same level of quality that comes out of our home bars be imposed on commercial bars...they need to be quick and they need to make money...they just can't afford the time and training it takes to do that....what they do works, for 99% of the people that drink there....i'm sorry you are dissapointed about it...

..and as far as the drinks improving once word gets out that tiki folk think they suck??...i wouldn't be suprised if trader vics told you to take your improved drinks and jam it!!

" In a perfect world...Elvis would still be alive ....and all the elvis impersonators would be dead!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2009-01-19 14:24 ]

Tipsy, I don't think the comments I've read so far have been out of line. People have opinions and they should air them. And what better place to air them but here? Most of the Vic's I've been to tend to take a shortcut when mixing their drinks, and I understand that most people won't know the difference, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't politely ask them if they can hand mix a drink to its original recipe, like a Mai-Tai, with individual ingredients and not mixes. No bartender worth his salt would be put off by the request unless it was asked at a particularly busy time.

I've come to the realization that in many of the new Vic's, the bartenders just aren't trained on how to properly make quality drinks by hand (including their own Mai-Tai). They use mixes and take shortcuts. I understand volume and profits and sustaining a business, but if Vic's wants to live up to its legacy, they should have no difficulty in meeting the expectations of someone who is, shall we say, a little more particular about how their drinks are prepared.

EDIT- darn spelling...

[ Edited by: GatorRob 2009-01-19 15:40 ]

On 2009-01-19 15:37, GatorRob wrote:
Tipsy, I don't think the comments I've read so far have been out of line. People have opinions and they should air them. And what better place to air them but here? Most of the Vic's I've been to tend to take a shortcut when mixing their drinks, and I understand that most people won't know the difference, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't politely ask them if they can hand mix a drink to its original recipe, like a Mai-Tai, with individual ingredients and not mixes. No bartender worth his salt would be put off by the request unless it was asked at a particularly busy time.

I've come to the realization that in many of the new Vic's, the bartenders just aren't trained on how to properly make quality drinks by hand (including their own Mai-Tai). They use mixes and take shortcuts. I understand volume and profits and sustaining a business, but if Vic's wants to live up to its legacy, they should have no difficulty in meeting the expectations of someone who is, shall we say, a little more particular about how their drinks are prepared.

EDIT- darn spelling...

[ Edited by: GatorRob 2009-01-19 15:40 ]

what about my opinion?? can't i air that here too?? after all, it's my damn thread!! LOL

..and if trader vics was so concerned about their reputation and legacy, how do you explain the las vegas trader vics abortion??

....look.....basically, what i was trying to get at in way too many words was simply that folks should go and try out the drinks for themselves and not listen to either me or tikibars or anyone's opinion.....go see for yourself and judge for yourself...i'm not trying to be critical about an individual wanting the bartender to make a drink a certain way...by all means, you paid for the drink, you should be happy with it....and if you feel that there isn't enough booze, then bring a flask of rum with ya and top it off when no one is looking!! :)......there tends to be a air of elitism surrounding the tiki scene in more aspects than just how to mix a proper cocktail that i find increasingly difficult to stomach and when it rears it's head i tend to get cranky!!..... :)

sorry for the jab, jab!

No need to apologize Tipsy, you have the right to your opinion too.

I admit that 5 years ago 99% of patrons wouldn't care about drink quality, but things have changed. It's not just tiki purists that are being picky anymore. There have been numerous articles in magazines and newspapers and online about the difference between original tropical drinks and poorly made tropical drinks (and usually Trader Vic's is mentioned as an originator). The general public is more educated on cocktails than before.

"how do you explain the las vegas trader vics abortion?"

A franchisee who had bad ideas about what a Trader Vic's should be like.

On 2009-01-19 16:53, thejab wrote:
No need to apologize Tipsy, you have the right to your opinion too.

I admit that 5 years ago 99% of patrons wouldn't care about drink quality, but things have changed. It's not just tiki purists that are being picky anymore. There have been numerous articles in magazines and newspapers and online about the difference between original tropical drinks and poorly made tropical drinks (and usually Trader Vic's is mentioned as an originator). The general public is more educated on cocktails than before.

"how do you explain the las vegas trader vics abortion?"

A franchisee who had bad ideas about what a Trader Vic's should be like.

..fair enough..

.....but get yourself over to vics and try those drinks!!...tiki bars may have been there on a bad night or got a substandard bartender...whatever the case, i want a full report from you on this thread with an honest assessment of your reaction to the drinks....:)

On 2009-01-19 16:41, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
....there tends to be a air of elitism surrounding the tiki scene in more aspects than just how to mix a proper cocktail that i find increasingly difficult to stomach and when it rears it's head i tend to get cranky!!..... :)

I sat with James at the OLD Beverly Hills Trader Vic's and sampled several of their concoctions, and the verdict was thumbs up on all of them. The books me and Jeff Berry wrote inspired a revival of the art and taste of the Tiki lounge BECAUSE they set high standards. These standards are not a dogma, but an ideal. But if we give up standing up for that ideal, where does it end? And where the hell are we supposed to do that but here, our little esoteric haven called Tiki Central.

I find it "increasingly difficult to stomach" that, when I and others stand up for "true" Tiki taste here (which is demonstrated in these books, and is the cause for much of its revival), it is characterized as "elitism". It's not, it's just what we were into all along.

On 2009-01-19 17:15, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2009-01-19 16:41, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
....there tends to be a air of elitism surrounding the tiki scene in more aspects than just how to mix a proper cocktail that i find increasingly difficult to stomach and when it rears it's head i tend to get cranky!!..... :)

I sat with James at the OLD Beverly Hills Trader Vic's and sampled several of their concoctions, and the verdict was thumbs up on all of them. The books me and Jeff Berry wrote inspired a revival of the art and taste of the Tiki lounge BECAUSE they set high standards. These standards are not a dogma, but an ideal. But if we give up standing up for that ideal, where does it end? And where the hell are we supposed to do that but here, our little esoteric haven called Tiki Central.

I find it "increasingly difficult to stomach" that, when I and others stand up for "true" Tiki taste here (which is demonstrated in these books, and is the cause for much of its revival), it is characterized as "elitism". It's not, it's just what we were into all along.

are you nuts??.... I happen to love your books and beach bum berry's books and do not consider them elitist by any stretch of the imagination but informative tomes that yield a wealth of information....in fact, if it had been berry writing a review of trader vics chicago cocktails i would have had far more respectful in my commentary.....I have no problem with high standards in tiki ....only when they are foistered upon me by those i feel do not have the level of expertise warranted to make such evaluations.....

Ahaaa!

On 2009-01-19 17:56, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
....only when they are foistered upon me by those i feel do not have the level of expertise warranted to make such evaluations.....

Quite true and very well put!

Uh oh, the "Chicago Schism" is rearing its ugly head!

awright...

......let's not turn this into a sideshow.....

I started this thread to announce that trader vics is open in chicago.......now that we are all aware of it, let's enjoy it. We waited 2 years for this.....good drinks or not....you all decide for yourselves.....feel free to post whatever opinions you may have about the drinks, food, decor or what have you....i'm not gonna harp on it anymore.

....that's all i'm gonna say on this subject.....