Eldergays, tell me about Trader Vic’s

Ultimately, I prefer Trader Joe.

My mother told me her story. In 1958 my granddad moved my family to Los Angeles because he worked in the space industry. He took my mom, uncle and grandma to Trader Vic’s for dinner one night. There was a stir, and when my mom turned around, the rat pack walked in—Frank, Dean, Janet Leigh and some others. They were ushered into a back room. She said it was the most glamorous thing she ever saw. That’s all I’ve got.

Great story, R2.

While we're at it, what was up with Toots Shor's? It's almost as bad a name as DL fave Ruth's Chris.

It was like a Benihana, but with celebrities sprinkled about.

Why is this discussion in past tense? Trader Vic's still exists. Everywhere.

The most potent drinks I've ever had. I thought triple vision was a cartoon joke about drunks. Nope. I could not focus my eyes after an evening there.

During a miserably wet March in 1983, Queen Elizabeth abandoned her yacht, Britannia, due to rough seas and high winds along the California coast and was flown to San Francisco where she dined for the first time in her life in a public restaurant, Trader Vic's. It was billed as a "Thank You" dinner for those who had organized her West Coast tour and Nancy Reagan, then First Lady, was among her guests.

She did not have a Mai Tai but rather a gin martini and the main course was Indonesian lamb roast, listed on the menu for $18.75 per person. Despite the driving rain, everyone who was someone in SF tried to get a reservation and quite a few people who were not dining inside were protesting outside.

What r7 said. Damn...They were good.. Not sickly candy flavored, yet really strong and got one along. I miss them. Pouring a MARY! out.

The Eldergays never disappoint.

It was the favorite restaurant of the Nixon family when he was POTUS.

R4, Toots Shor is the first contestant on this 1962 WML?

Took my high school prom date there in 1974 in KC and got SERVED alcohol! (a MaiTai). The old waiter must have liked me as I hit puberty late.

Trader Vic's was in San Francisco from 1951 to 1994, the second restaurant opened after the original "Hinky-Dink's" was founded in Oakland 1934 (before moving to Emeryville in 1974). I was born in 1950 and grew up adjacent to its (edge of) Nob Hill glamour. The Mai Tais were great.

I didn't know it was a chain, never been to the Emeryville restaurant, am surprised to learn how many there are now.

I went to a wedding reception in the SF location in the mid 70s. The Polynesian decor gave the place a special flare. It was a downtown landmark for many years, part of SF history.

Suzzane Pleshette gave me a hummer under the table.

The Tonga Room at the Fairmont always had better atmospherics - a tropical downpour indoors in the "lagoon," the hotel's old pool - every thirty minutes and a Tiki band on an "island" in the center.

Likewise strong drinks.

The Tonga Room is still there? I'm going for Happy Hour next time I'm in SF for sure!

I went to grade school in the '60s (in the East Bay) with a kid who was Victor Bergeron's (Trader Vic) grandson. That's all I got, except that the kid was gayer than I was. Even as a pre-teen.

Can't afford it. I'm an Aldi's kinda guy.

I was at the Tonga room Wednesday night for my mom’s birthday. We went for happy hour and stayed for dinner. Well worth a visit, it doesn’t feel like a musty old relic at all. The crowd was diverse and the happy hour is very popular. We got there at 4:45 (it starts at 5) and the line was going all the way back by the hotel gym. Pretty good value for SF and the drinks are indeed strong!

Does the Benihana's franchise still exist?

Here's Julie Nixon trying to convince her father to have a family dinner at Trader Vic's that evening.

[quote] During a miserably wet March in 1983, Queen Elizabeth abandoned her yacht, Britannia, due to rough seas and high winds along the California coast and was flown to San Francisco where she dined for the first time in her life in a public restaurant, Trader Vic's. It was billed as a "Thank You" dinner for those who had organized her West Coast tour and Nancy Reagan, then First Lady, was among her guests.

I just read about this. It was the first time the queen had been to a restaurant in seventeen years! She did it mostly as a favor to Michael Deaver, the White House Chief of Staff with whom she got along extremely well (at the time, everyone thought he was gay, although he was married to a woman). He had suggested it since he knew she hated being on a boat in bad weather, and though going to restaurants was "not her thing," she agreed to be gracious to him. She did enjoy herself quite a bit, though, and called Princess Margaret to tell her all about it (she was very excited she had done it since it was so atypical for her). Apparently her ladies-in-waiting (various duchesses, marchionesses, countesses) also really enjoyed themselves, and tried the mai tais.

R13 - what was the drinking age in CA in '74? I was served in NYC nightclubs after my prom in '81 since it was legal back then - though I often got "proofed" since at 18 I really looked about 14.

Drinking age has been 21 in California for my entire life (and I'm 66.)