Yes, you can revisit the past. Trader Vic's was an icon of my early years in San Francisco....an un-attainable goal, a dream. For a time it was located in an alley off Union Square, and you had to line up behind limousines, possibly to be admitted. It was exotica, a whiff of Hawaii and Tahiti. That storied restaurant closed, and my dreams shifted to other things.
Tonight I went back to Trader Vic's, now in Emeryville...much closer to its origin, which was in Oakland. It's a very cool place, still. We had No Tai Mai Tai (a nod to Wayne, the designated driver) and a Bahia. Both drinks were excellent, the Bahia a mixture of rum, coconut milk, and pineapple. The glass the Bahia was served in was beautiful - for a moment I considered liberating it, but then the "good me" prevailed.
I was surprised. It was a great bar, and I will bring friends here. It is a bit kitchy and I wondered why all the men had on Hawaiian shirts, but hey - why not?!! Two interesting (amazing!) facts: The Mai Tai (which means the very best in Tahitian) was invented at Trader Vic's in Oakland, and the legendary SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen once wrote "the best restaurant in San Francisco is in Oakland...Trader Vic's". There you go.
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