Trader Vic's, Dallas, TX (restaurant)

Name:Trader Vic's
Type:restaurant
Street:5330 Mockingbird Lane
City:Dallas
State:TX
Zip:75206
country:USA
Phone:214-823-0600
Status: closed
Description:

Originally open from 1967-1989 as part of the Dallas Hilton, the restaurant has reopened in 2007 as part of the Hotel Palomar. Most of the classic décor remained and was restored to it’s original splendor.

But, inevitably, mismanagement and an overall lack of vision contributed to dwindling customers, and on January 11, 2010, after being forced to close due to some burst pipes, the owner decided to keep it closed. Currently there are plans to convert it to retail space.

[ Edited by: Kenike 2010-03-28 14:36 ]

Trader Vic’s has finally made its long-awaited return to Dallas!

After 18 years of being entombed in its original location, Trade Vic’s has reemerged mostly intact. Anything that was still usable was kept and restored…right down to the carpeting.

The original restaurant existed from 1967–1989 as part of the Dallas Hilton. Although closed, the restaurant with all of its décor remained and was occasionally rented out for private parties. In 2004, the dilapidated remains of the Hilton was purchased by two Dallas firms, and so began an $80 million redevelopment of the property. The old Hilton was remodeled and expanded and became the Hotel Palomar.

Palomar co-owners Kip Sowden and Jeff Berry (not that one) then formed Realty America Hospitality Group to be run by Rusty Fenton. The company then bought the franchise rights for Trader Vic’s and the road to reopening was underway.

One last look at the original Trader Vic’s building just as construction began in 2005. Additions to the Palomar would soon obstruct this view completely.

The entrance as it appears today.

First, every inch of the entire restaurant was photographed and then it’s contents removed and restored. Anything that could still be used was used as long as it was up to code. The carpeting in the main dining room was a total loss so the pattern was reproduced and replaced. Some of the original lighting was falling apart and unusable, but several of the well weathered lamps were returned to their original locations.

More pics of the interior:

Formikahini enjoying her very first mai tai at the Dallas Trader Vic’s:

Here is the private dining room that seats 10. On the walls are lots and lots of TV memorabilia, including a dining award the restaurant received in 1989 (the year they closed).

The big tiki out front is from a company called Asia America who imported it from New Guinea.

Chicagoans will recognize this chandelier as once belonging to the Chicago Trader Vic’s location that recently closed.

The “official” opening date is March 1st. In the meantime, Formikahini, myself and my wife Eva were fortunate enough to attend a “mock service” before the official opening date.

The Moai

The moai that once guarded over the old Trader Vics remained out front for many, many years until one day it just disappeared. Where it went and what happened to it remained a mystery for a few years until this article appeared in the January 2005 issue of D Magazine:

***Joe Hunt was the man who took the tiki. As a kid, his father used to take him to Trader Vic’s. So the local financial consultant offered to buy it from the hotel for $2,400. But then things got weird. The hotel—which was owned by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s organization and which was part of his plan to establish peace on earth through transcendental meditation—backed out of the deal. Hunt sued. The Maharishi’s people never showed up in court. And a judge awarded the tiki to Hunt, who carted it off to a friend’s warehouse in Ennis.

But then the hotel sued Hunt, and Hunt was forced to return the tiki to the hotel’s heavies in May 2003. But the statue never made it to its rightful post, and its whereabouts remained a mystery to all but a few of the Maharishi’s operatives.***

After the purchase of the hotel in 2004, the original plan was to restore the moai and auction it off with the proceeds going to Special Olympics. Formikahini and I inquired about the status of the moai while talking to Rusty Fenton the night of the mock service. He told us what they would really like to do is return it to the front of Trader Vic’s once the restoration is complete. He then added, “Would you like to see it?”

We were then led out of Trader Vic’s and to the “secret location” where the moai is currently being worked on. Its condition for the most part is not great, and its future still uncertain, but THERE IT WAS...a giant 3000lb piece of tiki history laying anesthetized and awaiting surgery.

While we were there I spotted the old and now broken Trader Vic’s sign. The other side apparently is not broken but I didn’t try to move it to get a picture.

HUGE MAHALOZ to Rusty Fenton, Rock Gennaro, Sven Koch, Eve Bergeron, our waiter Shawn and to all the staff at Trader Vic’s for their hospitality and willingness to let us explore just about anywhere we wanted. It was an honor to be one of the first to dine at the new/old Trader Vic’s and it was an evening we won’t soon forget!

[ Edited by: Kenike 2010-01-18 01:52 ]

After several disappointing date changes, the many postponings of the preview/practice run party night were worth it! This is summary of the highlights for Kenike, his lovely wife Eva, and me.

The Décor:
As Kenike’s photographs attest, the sealing of the doors since its closing saved this location from the ravages of senseless gutting suffered by so many tiki treasures. Instead, it seems pristine (not that I ever saw the original). There is nothing cheesy or non-fitting. Even the newly added entrance hallway seems original. Huge bamboo rafters & support poles and endless tapa cloth cover everything. There are also several nice old photos of Mr. Bergeron himself, as well as artists’ sketches of the original Suffering Bastard - and soon, a photograph of Kenike and me (as we were the only appropriately attired guests at this pre-opening party!!). The cocktail waitresses’ dresses were also very sharp: Chinese-inspired, and kind of sexy with being sleazy. Hats off to the musical choices, too. We heard only soft, island tunes. No Buffet.

The Drinks:
Starting with perfect Mai Tai’s (not too sweet, delicious murky-brown color), we worked our way through the traditional libations and one brand-new one: The Dallas Star. Although it is sweeter than I’d prefer, I shall nonetheless be getting one every time I go back; you get to keep the glass, which is only available in Dallas :wink: . Resembling the tapa cloth printed Mai Tai glass, this one is taller, slimmer and has a couple of stars in the tapa design, as well as the recipe printed in the design.

The Food:
Delicious. We started with fried calamari and jalapeno cheese poppers (very creamy-cheesy). Next came salads, Ahi Tuna Poke (which was fall-apart tender) and the perennial favorite: creamy spinach and oyster based Bongo Bongo soup. The last had Kenike moaning with pleasure. (“Orgasmic!” he wrote on the comment card.) Our entrees were melt-in-your-mouth sea bass, very tasty duck and chicken curry. Very pleasant surprises for me were the diverse mixture of greens and the Javanese dressing on the TV’s salad, plus the peanut butter, uh – dip? – for the flatbread. “-Er, peanut butter?” Eva feared Skippy and had to be coaxed into trying it; she was very glad she did. Think Thai, not Jif. Very addictive. Like we hadn’t eaten enough already. Oh, dessert. Because somehow we thought we could still stuff one more bite in our mouths a la Mr. Creosote, we ordered one order of fried banana fritters with vanilla bean ice cream. Although not as knee-weakening as the Bananas Foster at Northern Virginia’s now-departed Honolulu (sniff), the fritters were very good. I’d prefer more ice cream and less “cream” accompanying the bananas, but I’m not complaining.

The service:
Opening night jitters for the staff translated into bend-over-backwards service. Some had minimal experience, while others were well seasoned. But all were obviously excited to be a part of this historic event. I won’t expect such pampered catering on subsequent visits, but I’m happy with the tone set. Trader Vic’s Dallas wants to please. The bulk of the staff does not yet know the drink menu thoroughly, nor what drinks come in what mugs (something we tiki geeks all want to know), but I believe this will happen . After all, it takes time to drink the whole menu a few times through – enough to memorize all of them :wink:

Disco Trader Vic’s?:
The restaurant shares walls with the also-newly-refurbished Palomar Hotel. This means that when a fire alarm gets pulled in the hotel, it sounds in Trader Vic’s. Which it did. Which it has every night since they’ve been in there, according to the nervous but very eager-to-please staff. We did not have to evacuate at the alarm, but the strobe stayed on for a while. QUITE a while. It was a slow strobe, so the disco effects were minimal. Eva suggested lowering disco balls in front of each strobe to maximize them. I think they should echo the same giant clamshell light effect that’s on the walls; put smaller clamshells over the strobes. It will make them softer, while still emitting a pulsing light. Gently throbbing clams.

Special surprises:
Manager Rusty Fenton and Sven Koch, VP of US and German TV’s, took the two of us on a tour of the entire restaurant. I do mean, entire. As in, we went inside the tandoori ovens room (and came out deliciously smoky smelling). And through the kitchen (where saw the first ever female head TV’s chef). And after dessert, the biggest, BIGGEST treat of all. As in 15 or 20 feet tall big: we were led to the Top Secret location of the original giant Moai statue, still in a state of evolving repair. Since it will be displayed when finished, I suggest embedding a global positioning satellite chip to preclude any more mystery disappearances. It was extremely gratifying to see that the management finds it important to not only have an outstanding 4-Star restaurant, but also to maintain the traditions that make people like us go out of our way to patronize (and emulate in our homes!) places such as Trader Vic’s.

Looking forward to Destin, now.

Did we mention that several more Trader Vic’s are in the works? :wink:

Here’s a few extra pics from our visit on the 24th:

The tandoori ovens

A peek inside the kitchen

Trader Vics Passion Punch, a Fogutter and a Zombie

Banana Fritters for dessert & a Black Stripe (in the skull mug).

---

[ Edited by: Kenike 2010-11-22 15:51 ]

I am soooooooooo jealous! :wink:

Thanks to both of you for the great report and pictures. Such good news! And good to hear in the other thread that their phones have been ringing off the hook requesting reservations. :)

Anxious to see the rest of your pictures soon!

Oh man! I'm hyped and so is my wahine!

Great job on the report and pics! Man, being a sign maker, I would love to restore that sign. Or even have it for my own home bar :wink:

We need to figure out when we want to do this and set a date with them so they know we are coming. I wonder if we'll have more people show to over fill the private room?

---

Texas Tikiphiles Unite!

[ Edited by: Unkle John 2007-03-02 00:21 ]

Great report and photos! So glad to see something restored for a change rather than demolished or "updated". The place really looks spectacular. Here's hoping Destin looks as good.

On a side note, is that Gilligan's Island playing on the tube behind the bar? Too funny...

Hahaha!
Yes, GatorRob, Good eye! Gilligan's Island played continually behind the bar, but no sound. And only the black and white era. It was the only "modernization" (ha!) in the joint and I found it slightly distracting only because I wanted to watch it. :)

Hey the rugby team from Philly (my new club) is playing down there against Dallas Harlequins (my old club) on 5 May in a Super League match. I am planning on tagging along as an "old boy" and will be going to Trader Vic's at least on the Friday evening if not both Friday and Saturday. Maybe I can meet up with some of the local Ohana on my visit.

Hey y'all - Just wanted to say that even though I've been a Floridian since 1978, the Dallas Trader Vic's is of particular interest to me because all of my family is from Texas (Mom was born in Midland, Dad's parents were from Odessa, Dad went to Tech and A&M, my sister went to Southwest Texas State University). I also spent a couple of years of my youth in Del Rio and 3 years in San Antonio. And during the Staubach years, I was a HUGE Cowboys fan. Too Tall Jones, Golden Richards... ah, those were the years....

Sorry, no tiki to this post. Just waxing nostalgic. :)

In all the excitement of the opening, I for one totally forgot about how the opportunity to attend the mock service came about in the first place. BIG THANKS to Otto von Stroheim for putting us in contact with the folks at Trader Vics. Certainly without his commitment to all things tiki and keeping us informed with the Tiki News emails this would have been a missed opportunity. We were certainly honored to be part of it.

Thanks again Otto!!

Thank you so much, Kenike & Formikahini, for your very detailed report on the Dallas Trader Vic's! I'm so very, very happy to see how beautiful it is -- based on these pictures, I would say that this is now the most beautiful of the stateside Trader Vic's (possibly beating out Atlanta). I have got to see it in person. Congratulations to all the tikiphiles in Texas -- your patient wait for tiki has been rewarded, in a big way!

Very good news, indeed. Great reports from everyone, am happy to read the positive feedback. Excellent snappies as well. Kudos!

That's what a Vic's is supposed to look like, if anyone were to ask me. I recognize the guy I chatted with at SF Vic's, he was there for training earlier this year. The dining area looks great, reminds me of London, and good ole Chicago. I dig the quilted green vinyl(?) used in the bar front and the dining area. Plus the typically Vic's use of tapa cloth. Wow, well done. Superb, I must say.

Hmm, this looks interesting. That cocktail is a different color, that's for sure. Must try, must try. I wished I traveled, would certainly like to visit. Oh wait. Well, I usually breeze through Houston a few times a year, but Dallas is doable. I mean, Texas is not that big, Dallas couldn't be too far away. Not like Alameda or anything.

So happy to see the powers that be did such a fine job with this Vic's. It has the look I most often associate with a Trader Vic's. Some of these fine pics look like they could be old postcard shots from long gone Vic's.

Cheers to the "new" Vic's!
Lonestar midnite

I recognize the guy I chatted with at SF Vic's, he was there for training earlier this year.

That’s Roberto! I chatted with him for a few minutes last night. He mentioned several Tiki Central folks by name and sends his regards.

The missing pictures in the first post at the top of the page have been filled in (the entrance, the chandelier, etc).

Here’s a few more pics from my most recent visit:

Just inside the entry way

Another from the lounge area across from the bar

These windows used to face outside at the old TV. Additions to the Palomar are now in front of it.

My first Trader Vic’s Grog…don’t let the empty bar stools fool you. I was there early. By 6:30 the place was PACKED.

A payphone? Here’s what the plaque on the wall says:

ELVIS WAS IN THE BUILDING
The King used this phone while in town for his LET ME TAKE YOU HOME tour on June 6th, 1975

Actually, the firealarm strobes are for TV, not the palomar. We've been over here suffering all the fire strobes for the last couple weeks during TV's fire safty inspections. We passed ours months ago. I'm still ticking from weeks of strobing lights and alarms sounding for hours on end!

Gez, I can't believe thats the same place!! It's amazing.
When the palomar opened, the kitchen was just this giant scary cave, and TV? ugh. Scarier!
I didn't recognize the place after they did their magic!

There are a few more pictures of the Dallas Trader Vics at this website - including one of the architect standing out front

http://www.pegasusnews.com/photos/galleries/2007/feb/28/tradervics/

The last time I was in Dallas was in 1989 - the year Trader Vics there closed. It may be time to come and visit again.

Vern

I thought that was Roberto from Spain in the picture. He was my favorite bartender at Emeryville in the last couple of years. I hope he comes back. He really knows cocktails and how to mix them. Tell him I said Hi!

midnite: You didn't mention that in the photo Gilligan's Island was being shown on the TV in the bar! I never saw that in a Trader Vic's. They must have stole that idea from the Conga Lounge :wink:

But seriously, this is brilliant! I can't believe the level of restoration detail they went to. Bravo Trader Vic's! Gives me lots of hope for the new Chicago Vic's.

Questions for the local ohana:

Is the Palomar really worth the $199(+ tax)/ night?

Is the hilltop still around down there? What other hotels are close to Vic's?

Our flights are booked so we will definitely be in Big-D on 4 & 5 May to check out the new TV's. Who's up for happy hour?

Are there any other worthy tiki establishments in the area?

Here's a link to a GREAT old photo of the old entrance. Note what's standing guard on the left:

http://www.palomardallas.com/news-1.html

And here's a pseudo-review of the place. Be sure and hit the links highlighted (simmering, campy, movement) for a giggle.

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/feb/28/tiki-time-dallas-re-opening-trader-vics/

And no, that ain't so facsimile in front now, as the article falsely states.

Here's what our friend looked like in 1999 when I was on a road trip in the area.

It appears that he was moved from his original location near the entrance (as seen in Formikahini's link to the old photo).

I'm so glad they found him and plan to use him at the new Vic's!

What a gorgous place!

On 2007-03-06 11:57, rugbymatt wrote:
Questions for the local ohana:

Is the Palomar really worth the $199(+ tax)/ night?

Is the hilltop still around down there? What other hotels are close to Vic's?

Our flights are booked so we will definitely be in Big-D on 4 & 5 May to check out the new TV's. Who's up for happy hour?

Are there any other worthy tiki establishments in the area?

The Palomar is pricey and from what I've heard it's really, really nice. Worth $199? Depends on who you ask. There are plenty of other hotels in the area. There are lots of hotels up and down 75 and TV is on Mockingbird and Central Expwy (75) so there are plenty of choices within a reasonable driving distance. Unless you plan on getting totally hammered, then the Palomar is well worth it. Best thing to do is Google "hotel""dallas" and "central expressway" and you'll get a big list. Then use Google Maps to see how close they are to Mockingbird. Check out the Radisson...they're fairly close.

As far as other tiki establishments, there's maybe two other places you'll even see a tiki...the Monkey Bar & Coconuts. Both will be HUGE letdowns after visiting Trader Vic's. Personally I wouldn't bother.

I should be able to join you on either of those nights...send me a PM when we're a week or two out and we can make arrangements.

Mahalo Kenike!

I know things have changed a ton from when I used live in the M Streets. I remember when the big Krogers opened at the Dr. P plant. I remember several hotels but just can't connect the names any more, the Radison looked good and there was one other one right in that area as well. After looking at the price of rentals we might just cab it in from DFW and stay at the Palomar. Vic's is right there and we're a short walk from the Quins pitch at Glencoe for Saturday's match.

Anyway, I'll PM you as the date gets closer. This will serve as a dry run for Hukilau.

Wow, fantastic photos, can't wait to get there! maybe next year...

This is so exciting! I'll be in Dallas at the end of March; I will definitely have to check out this gorgeous new Traver Vic's! Can't wait to try the Dallas Star too!

Suzanne

Texas Tikiphile gathering at Trader Vic's on Cinco de Mayo!

A few new pics. I took these earlier this week before they were open so the lighting wasn't what it usually is.

---

[ Edited by: Kenike 2010-11-22 15:52 ]

The Dallas News has a good article (Tuesday, April 3rd) on the new Dallas Trader Vic's -- they even give a mention to Tiki Central in the article! Also present on-line are two video segments - the first shows a bit of the actual inside decor, the second shows you how to make the Dallas Blue Star drink.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/dining/stories/DN-nf_trader_0404liv.ART.State.Edition1.1687ee.html

(from the above article)
But not all of the restaurant's fans are old-timers. Dennis Haberkern, a 41-year-old McKinney resident, is too young to have enjoyed the Dallas Trader Vic's scene the first time around, much less the heyday of tiki style.

Still, he's a self-proclaimed "Poly-pop" aficionado, and part of the Tiki Central network – an online community of tiki culture devotees (www.tikicentral.com). "I've been holding a vigil for two years," Mr. Haberkern says, referring to the restaurant's renovation. Since Trader Vic's reopening, he has visited six times.

"You won't find a restaurant like this anywhere in Texas," says Mr. Haberkern, who managed to be the first customer at the Scottsdale Trader Vic's when it opened. "Nothing even comes close."

Vern

I was thrilled they gave Tiki Central a plug. I really tried to emphasize it's importance to the woman who wrote the article.

I was less than thrilled with what they decided to use in the video. I was asked to be prepared to talk about why TV is important to the tiki community. I gave a really nice speech about how Trader Vic's is one of only a handful of places left where you can experience a unique slice of American pop culture the way it was 40 or 50 years ago...etc. The camera guy was so impressed with it that he made me repeat the whole thing so he got a good recording of it...then edited it out! The comments he kept in were things I said almost off the cuff...like the Tom Selleck comment. Lesson learned: don't open your mouth if you don't want them to use it. I should have just gave answers to questions I wished he'd asked (like politicians do).

I read about the Dallas opening in the newspaper last week and immediately designated Saturday night as THE NIGHT. I couldn't wait to go and I wasn't disappointed!

I wanted to dress tropically but it was freezing out, so, I was the most colorful lady in the room among all the tan, brown and black clad women. I hope patrons get more into it in the warmer weather!

We arrived at 9:30pm without a reservation and were told there would be about a 15 minute wait. The bar was crowded and we had to wait a r e a l l y long five minutes at least to order. The crowd was well dressed, and in their 30s-50s+.

First order of business, the Dallas Star, because I HAD to have the glass, but was expecting something yucky. I was wrong and it was very good and I will order it again and again. I ordered my husband a Mai Tai since his experience with alcohol has been painfully limited to wine and margaritas. He liked the Mai Tai, but it is not my favorite.

Thankfully, the 15 minute wait part was not true. It was more like an hour. I asked the adorable young Phil, one of the four or so friendly bartenders, to prepare a Menehune because I wanted one of those little naked menehunes for my collection, but he talked me out of it because it is similar to the Mai Tai.

So, I needed the Tiki Puka Puka. He warned me twice that it was very strong, but I was never one to be afraid of a little more alcohol. It was served with a gorgeous floating gardenia, which I am still enjoying two days later. It was strong for give or take two sips, after that, I really didn't notice. I had a very big smile for no particular reason, and made friends with some young ladies sitting next to us who had already developed a reputation for imbibation at the bar. I would have liked to sing along to the Gilligan Island song at the beginning of a new episode because you see the text on the screen, but no one else seemed to notice.

Our waiter was Shawn and he took good care of us, making suggestions for my Weight Watchers needs - which I promptly disregarded. Everything we ate was excellent: the Ahi Tuna Poke with taro chips, halibut with sweet potatoes, the fillet with rice, asparagus and carrots, and for dessert, the coffee creme brulee. SO GOOD!

Some of the music was OK, but it could have been better. I also would have liked more relics and memorabilia, but that is OK too, the place was head to toe tiki and the food and drinks were divine experiences.

I took a few photos and will post them soon. I will be counting the days until May 5 for my next Tiki (puka puka) fix!

Rumbuddy, I'm jealous that you got to taste the coffee creme brulee! They had run out of it on the test-run night that I was there. Our little group was quite disappointed.

....which probably explains why they had some for you, who didn't get to dessert 'til 11:30-ish maybe? Ha! Thanks to us that night, they now KNOW to keep a helluva lot on hand; I bet it is delicious!! Remind me to reserve some for myself at the beginning of our meal on May 5th!!

Looking forward to meeting you then,
F

On 2007-04-05 09:02, ikitnrev wrote:
...http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/taste/dining/stories/DN-nf_trader_0404liv.ART.State.Edition1.1687ee.html
...

amazing:

"...Sealed like a tomb for nearly 20 years after its closing in 1987, the lounge has been restored to its old Polynesian-pop glory..."

On 2007-04-09 15:13, icebaer69 quoted the Dallas News:
"...Sealed like a tomb for nearly 20 years after its closing in 1987, the lounge has been restored to its old Polynesian-pop glory..."

Correct me if I am wrong, but was this place not part of some Yogi/cult organization, and operated by them for some time? If I am right, it is typical that that part of its history is omitted, because it does not fit in with today's clean yuppie view of things (err, sorry...what would be the contemporary term for "yuppie"?).

But to me, it is such a telling symptom of the time: That is what the CHILDREN of the Trader Vic generation did in the 70s and 80s, they abandoned their parents' ways and found their own form of paradise, some in exotic cult religions! That generation gap is why these places closed, so it is a supreme irony that one of them was taken over by such a cult (but left unchanged!), just as it is a sign of the times that the Yogi has left the building now, and the Trader reigns again.

This is not a value judgement, I am an archeologist and simply like to observe and marvel at the follies of mankind.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-13 12:56 ]

Mahareshi Yogi's people did indeed own the hotel property for a while.

It is unclear whether their religion sanctioned use of the bar.

On 2007-04-13 12:53, bigbrotiki wrote:

On 2007-04-09 15:13, icebaer69 quoted the Dallas News:
"...Sealed like a tomb for nearly 20 years after its closing in 1987, the lounge has been restored to its old Polynesian-pop glory..."

Correct me if I am wrong, but was this place not part of some Yogi/cult organization, and operated by them for some time? If I am right, it is typical that that part of its history is omitted, because it does not fit in with today's clean yuppie view of things (err, sorry...what would be the contemporary term for "yuppie"?).

But to me, it is such a telling symptom of the time: That is what the CHILDREN of the Trader Vic generation did in the 70s and 80s, they abandoned their parents' ways and found their own form of paradise, some in exotic cult religions! That generation gap is why these places closed, so it is a supreme irony that one of them was taken over by such a cult (but left unchanged!), just as it is a sign of the times that the Yogi has left the building now, and the Trader reigns again.

This is not a value judgement, I am an archeologist and simply like to observe and marvel at the follies of mankind.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-13 12:56 ]

Irony indeed!

Here's some info from the Dallas Morning News:

**The colorful, up-and-down history of this property is almost legendary. Built in 1967, the Hilton was one of the best-located hotels in the city. It offered the very popular Trader Vic’s restaurant and Harper’s Corner bar. But as it aged, the hotel slid into decline, first as a Hilton, then during an ignominious period when Hilton withdrew its franchise and a plastic letter “p” was taped over the “n,” transforming it into the “Hiltop.”

In mid-1999, the owner, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, renamed the hotel the Santa Fe, but problems persisted at the property. **

Not clear on when the Maharishi officially made the purchase, but I can just picture an old man in a white robe climbing up there with a giant P and some tape...

Was TV's not closed the whole time the Maharishi owned the hotel? I thought that was about when it was sealed up, but I may be way off.

Here's a couple more food and drink pics at the Dallas Trader Vic's:
Me with my first Dallas Star in the collectible glass

Ahi Tuna Poke with Taro Chips, shown with my Tiki Puka Puka with Gardenia

The very delicious fillet

The highly recommended halibut with sweet potatoes

and another pic of the Chinese oven.

I am looking forward to doing it all again on May 5. And yes, the coffee creme brulee was really, really good. It was all good. Several times I have wished I lived even closer, I would be cruisin' by for a little cocktail getaway whenever I felt like it! One more note, the joint is dark, very dark. We couldn't read the menu by the candle on the table, so Shawn The Good Waiter brought out a book light to help us see the menu.

On 2007-04-16 12:29, Rumbuddy wrote:
One more note, the joint is dark, very dark.

Perfect! That's exactly the way it should be. If you have not yet been to the Mai-Kai in Ft Lauderdale, it is also wonderfully dark. Tiki people are such cave dwellers...

yet another positive review of the Dallas Trader Vics - this is one of the better written reviews I have seen yet, with many phrases that made me smile ....best of all is the opening paragraph.

---

Where exactly does the line blur between camp and class? When does time-capsule kitsch segue into appreciable artfulness? How has a retro groovy concept suddenly achieved status as cutting-edge cool? And why, oh why, can't the taste buds detect the obscene amounts of alcohol in those fruity cocktails profuse with rum?

and I like this phrase too ....

---

The new owners crack open the long-sealed crypt of the once-party-hardy Trader Vic's, and what do they find? Polynesian Pompeii.

The reviewer does not care for the Dallas Star drink, but is positive about most everything else. I wish I lived closer to Dallas - I would love to visit.

The full review can be found here .....
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-tradervics_0427gui.ART.State.Edition1.43e9c91.html

Vern

***We grab seats next to a tiki geek, who points out details that survive from the restaurant's first go-round.

"Look," he says, "at the small tears in those light shades? They're originals. And so is the lacquered Chinese newspaper that lines the canopy over the bar. And these tiki columns were made by Oceanic Arts, one of the biggest producers of tiki art in the world ..."***

The tiki geek they refer to was me...I had no idea that guy was a reviewer. I heard him mention he'd been to the Atlanta TV and struck up a conversation

I loved the article - I emailed him about our get together, maybe he would like to join us for drinks and who knows, maybe there is one more article to be written out there for Trader Vic's, the story of a place bringing tikiphiles together from all over Texas!

Good idea..I had a long conversation with Tina Danze about Tiki Central (she wrote the article a few weeks ago) and told her about our little party.

Going by tonight to finalize our plans for the 5th!

On 2007-04-27 09:37, Rumbuddy wrote:...the story of a place bringing tikiphiles together from all over Texas!

Hey...I'm comin in all the way from California. :wink:

Nice pics. Thank you

Wow!

I just finished a tour of the Trader Vic's Dallas while the place was still empty and they were getting ready for dinner.

Fantastic.

The pictures in this thread are great, but they can't do it justice. It's just incredible. One of the great Trader Vic's out there.

Funny...as I came out of the "private room" I overheard someone talking to the hostess. He was an old customer of this Trader Vic's decades ago before they sealed it up. He was absolutely amazed at the place. He was saying how he just assumed it had been gutted long ago. He was just floored at what he was seeing. He just couldn't believe it. He went on and on about it.

I wonder how many others have had that same experience here?

What fun. Can't wait for drinks and dinner in a couple of hours.

[ Edited by: PremEx 2007-05-05 14:07 ]

So are there any comparable places in the Houston area? I would love to find a cool tiki bar to frequent without driving for four or five hours. The only place I can think of is a little open air thatched roof tiki hut in Galveston on the seawall called Captain Jacks htat sits in front of the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. But that's really not the same thing at all.

On 2007-05-24 14:55, Theotherchad wrote:
So are there any comparable places in the Houston area? I would love to find a cool tiki bar to frequent without driving for four or five hours. The only place I can think of is a little open air thatched roof tiki hut in Galveston on the seawall called Captain Jacks htat sits in front of the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. But that's really not the same thing at all.

I don't believe there's anything you could call "comparable" but I do know Trader Vic's is on the hunt for a suitable location in Houston. Maybe some of the local Houstonians on TC can direct you to the next best thing.....?

Thanks, I appreciate the quick reply. It seems that all of the tropical themed places I know of are more Caribbean than Polynesian. We've got a nice Tommy Bahama's with a beautiful bar in the Woodlands just north of Houston, but it's not in any way tiki themed. Excellent three rum pina coladas, though!