Monthly and Weekly Bay Area Tiki Get-Togethers! Suggestions Welcome!

Aloha all! Please read to the bottom; I've got two questions for y'all and I'd love to hear what you think!

Well, last year we were all getting together every month for a while there. And it was good. I'm proposing we do it again! Now that we're losing Martiki Mondays at SF Vic's, it would be especially cool to keep the social ball rolling!

The basic concept is easy; but I'd love input from you all regarding the details. We'll go with the majority, obviously, and I'm happy to volunteer my time to pull things together.

What I'm essentially proposing is this:

TWO routines:

A BIG get-together ONCE A MONTH at a REVOLVING location, complete with negotiated drink/food specials and so forth. I'll undertake to organize the specials and put up a post, etc. This will let us keep sampling ALL the great tiki locales the Bay Area has to offer!!!

AND ALSO a regular informal WEEKLY get-together at ONE stable location. Depending on how many folks show up, it could be intimate or a real party--just like Martiki Mondays at Vic's has been. I'm proposing the Conga for starters, as it's established, has excellent food and drinks, and is on a major BART line, three blocks from the Rockridge station. It's nice for folks to be able to have a couple of drinks with as little driving as possible!!!

The smaller weekly social should pretty much fly on its own once a routine gets going. Like Martiki Mondays, we can just have a regular thread for it, and each week people can check in if they're gonna make it...etc. A solid day and location will help establish a Happy Tiki Habit!!

I'd DEFINITELY like to pick a solid date for the monthly get-together too, and a relevant post will go up in Events each month, a week or so in advance.

So I'm asking y'all:

1. WHAT DAY OF THE MONTH SHOULD THE MONTHLY GET-TOGETHER BE?

For example, second Wednesday, first Friday, etc. So that the largest amount of folks can make it, I'd nominate a weekend night, despite potential crowding, etc. We can always start the event early, save seats, make Actual Reservations... :lol:

I would also say it should be nearer the beginning of the month than the end, 'cause folks have more money then, and there's less interfering holidays too, as Humu pointed out.

But tell me your vote, please! And if anybody can think of a good NAME, well, speak up! :wink:

2. WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK FOR THE REGULAR WEEKLY TIKI SOCIAL?

It was Monday for SF Trader Vic's basically just 'cause Martiki worked that night. But now, any night will do, though we probably ought to eliminate weekend nights for something this informal. We don't want hordes of competition...

Again, though, just vote your preference!

I'd love to see this all really come together...in fact, I'll drink to that!

tikivixen

[ Edited by: tikivixen 2006-01-13 15:49 ]

Conga can be pretty crazy on weekends. I am going to miss Mondays at Vics and I was going to propose keeping it up because Lars is a pretty darned good bartender-but he ain't Martiki! (Hope Lars doesn't scold me for saying that!) :)

Humu started the Monday event--H, do you want to keep it up, or move it to another night that Lars usually works or do it every other week or???

I'm with smiley. I think we should should continue to meet on Mondays at Vic's. Or, perhaps we could meet at Trader Vic's Emeryville one week and SF Vic's the next (on a rotation) so it would be more fair to the East Bay folks. I have rekindled the flame of love in my heart for Trader Vic's since Martiki started there and I would like to continue the affair. There are other good bartenders there: Lars and Sonya at SF (martiki - what nights does Sonya work?), and the Spanish guy at Emeryville whose name escapes me.

Nevertheless, I think the monthly rotating event is a good idea. My vote would be for a weekday night because there are fewer conflicting events (like bands to see), and during the 3rd. or 4th. week of the month, as I usually have more money after mid-month because I pay rent on the first.

And my location suggestion for the first monthly gathering: the Tonga Room!

[ Edited by: thejab 2006-01-13 16:30 ]

Re: weekly -- Martin was our initial draw to Trader Vic's but the whole restaurant, especially Lars, has been good to us; I know Martin would like for us to continue going on Mondays, and we've been planning on doing so.

Re: monthly -- yes! Whatever you cook up sounds fab to me. My only request would be that it be as consistent as possible, so we can count on it in our schedule, and it sounds like you're on the same page with that.

p.s. for the jab -- Sonya is leaving TV SF soon, if she hasn't already. I think the bartender you're thinking of in Emeryville is Roberto.

Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki

[ Edited by: Humuhumu 2006-01-13 16:38 ]

On 2006-01-13 15:48, tikivixen wrote:
I've got two questions for y'all and I'd love to hear what you think!

OMG - a couple of days with me and you're using "y'all"!!! aaarrrgghh

amiotiki

Sonya works at Pesce now- upper Polk near Green. Upscale seafood restaurant. Killer cocktails- the other bartender there is Marco, a fello USBG member and world class mixologist. He has a new drink there called The Cunningham that's melt-your-brain good.

You should check out Roberto at Emeryvile- he's excellent.

And I know Lars would love to keep seeing people- he'll take good care of y'all. Don't worry about finding out which nights Lars works- he's on seven days a week now. No joke. (Vic's needs to do some hiring)

Amio dear, you've just made me worse. Formica started it, I think, bless her!

'Cause actually, "y'all" fills a most troublesome gap in the English language! :wink:

I'm glad folks like the idea of a monthly whingding!!! Tonga Room, oh yes!

I also really love the Jab's rotating Vic's idea, because frankly, what seems to come up a lot is how many folks just can't make it into SF every week, but could do the East Bay. A little back-and-forth sure does seem fair. Not to mention logical, because Emeryville does indeed also have great bartenders, and we've all had tremendous times there.

Plus, perhaps this is trite...but I like the burger buns better in Emeryville. So sue me!

More feedback, all?

p.s. Smiley, I wouldn't go near the Conga on the weekends (much as I love the place), and please do note, that suggestion was NOWHERE in my post. Perish the thought!!! I may be weird, but I'm not completely mad. Er, pretty much.

p.p.s. And...oh, man, always say VERY nice things about the people handling your food and drink! Especially if they are toiling seven nights a week! :lol:

(Poor Lars! I did that for a while, once. When I was a LOT younger...)

I am so there...

midnite

ps Holding some events, perhaps on a rotation with SF sites, in the East Bay is a good idea for folks who don't live in SF. Monday at SF's Vic's seems a tradition that should be maintained. I know I've loved my Monday night times there. I'd do the monthly thing on a rotating basis. When all else fails follow the guiding wisdom of Smiley and Jab.

On 2006-01-14 01:32, tikivixen wrote:

p.s. Smiley, I wouldn't go near the Conga on the weekends (much as I love the place), and please do note, that suggestion was NOWHERE in my post. Perish the thought!!! I may be weird, but I'm not completely mad. Er, pretty much.

"1. WHAT DAY OF THE MONTH SHOULD THE MONTHLY GET-TOGETHER BE?

For example, second Wednesday, first Friday, etc. So that the largest amount of folks can make it, I'd nominate a weekend night, despite potential crowding, etc. We can always start the event early, save seats, make Actual Reservations... "

TV, you are right, I didn't notice that the weekend recommendation was for the monthly event and The Conga mention was for the WEEKELY event. OOPS! :)

...what seems to come up a lot is how many folks just can't make it into SF every week, but could do the East Bay. A little back-and-forth sure does seem fair.

SF and the East Bay are so 2005! It's a new year, and the peninsula is WHERE IT'S AT in 2006!

Well, maybe not - unfortunately where I'm at is usually not where it's at.

-Randy

I know a place where we should have get-togethers....

:wink: Martiki!!!

And you know, since AquaRJ and Naomi have a kidlet now and mayn't be as mobile as they once were, perhaps we could all schedule something (at a time he and Naomi can make it!) at the Palo Alto Vic's...we do have to check out that new bar area sometime, right?!? Right!!

Thanks for the nod, tikivixen! I heard the peninsula is the place to be in 2006. Unfortunately I was the one talking when I heard it. But there's more - word on the street is that a certain pair of bay area TC tikirati live practically just blocks from TVics Palo Alto.

I also heard that Trader Vics is planning another new location in Belmont (just now when I said it).

-Randy

Not to mention, I just posted this in the Mondays-at-Trader Vic's SF-thread concerning our weekly get-togethers...Smiley and Jab had brought up visiting Emeryville this time around, so here's some info on that front--

"I called Emeryville and spoke to Roberto--he is SUCH a nice guy! He's there
for sure Wednesday through Saturday, and I believe Sunday's possible also.

I thought Wednesday would probably be the best (i.e., quietest) night of the week for us to descend on him--?? He assured me he's happy to make anything, including older drinks, specials from London Vic's--just lay your requests on him!

Anybody up for next Wednesday at Vic's Emeryville then? I personally can't make this Wednesday as I have to go on a family trip unpleasantly early Thursday morning, and I suppose tomorrow's also rather short notice for most folks anyway...

Meow?"