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storm clouds loom for trader vics chicago |
Tipsy McStagger
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 21, 2004
Posts: 3388
From: HELL
|  Posted: 2005-10-02 12:58 pm Permalink
went to the traders on friday night to get my mai tai fix...cornered some of the staff to find out the fate of trader vics...from what i gather, they will be fine up till the first of the year and thats when the other shoe drops and no more trader vics...I guess all the decor will be shuffled off to their other stores as well...so based on that, you have until the end of the year to party down at the traders..in fact, if you go, it's best to drink like it will be the last time they will be open cause soon it just might be!!
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midnite
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 1230
From: 37? 47' N, 122? 26' W
| Posted: 2005-10-02 3:35 pm Permalink
Adios Chi-town Vic's.
As other Vic's locales are opening or in the planning stages... phooey! Chicago did remain open this past decade as so many other Vic's closed. It was one of my favorites, and with it goes a big reason for us to visit Chicago. Been there every year for the last four or five. Everytime we went the dining room was rather desolate. Oh well, there's always the chance to watch bad baseball at Wrigley.
Perhaps I can swing out one last time before the end of the year. Chicago Vic's, all the well-known negatives considered, was a great one.
Crap!
midnite
ps I still like Crab Rangoon, no matter what!
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-10-02 4:35 pm Permalink
Horrors!
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Lake Surfer
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 21, 2002
Posts: 3308
From: Milwaukee, WI
| Posted: 2005-10-02 7:25 pm Permalink
Oh well.
It will be missed... but without AJ and the friendly staff we are used to it seems an empty shell with wonderful decor.
Thanks to AJ and JT it almost went out with a bang... we had some very good times last year and the beginning of this one...
Hold on to the good memories.
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2005-10-02 8:14 pm Permalink
There is certainly no way in hell that I would ever get involved with planning any sort of closing party, and I would strongly warn any other members of our ohana against even considering getting involved with those shifty bastards at the Palmer House.
But that said: maybe we should pick a date in December and have an off the record, unofficial gathering at TVs - no bands or hula or vendors or anything, just a few dozen of us invading the place for one last shindig.
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theARTFINK
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jun 02, 2002
Posts: 40
From: behind the green door
| Posted: 2005-10-02 10:00 pm Permalink
that blows!
I go there everytime i'm in chicago, at least i got to go one last time while I was in ohio and chicago for the hrhh.
I'll miss the cool framed picture of the 59 cadillac in front of bev. hills traders that is in the lobby. DRATS!!!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2005-10-03 11:38 am Permalink
What a loss for Chicago downtown...now it's all white collar pub wasteland down there. I will just head straight to River Grove when there next time.
Especially painful because this is the second oldest T.V. location left, from 1957. Well, the bar area had been renovated, but the Beverly Hills Traders (1955) is even less of what it once was.
Among my fondest memories of the Chicago Vic's, one is from when I was on my research trip for the BoT, in the late 90s:
S.F. headquarters had called ahead and announced me as a VIP- Me and Jeff Berry were not only compted on dinner and cocktails, but after dessert I pointed at the original Coffee Grog mug I had used and said "..and I'd like to take this one home". The waiter looked slightly taken aback, went over to the manager (both old timers), whisper whisper,...and came back with a box and paper to wrap it in! Sort of a Tiki dream-come-true (especially back when T.V. was generally giving you the haughty treatment).
This did/does NOT happen at every Tiki location I documented...i mean it SHOULD, jeez! 
The second favorite was that Thursday evening at Exotica 200(3?), when I got there with Naomi and the whole gang was there, we owned that whole section, it felt like home away from home. Sigh. Sniff.
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2005-10-03 11:51 ]
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Urban Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 18, 2004
Posts: 527
From: The Tropical Isle of Manhattan
| Posted: 2005-10-03 11:59 am Permalink
Very sad news, indded. I lived in Chicago for a year and spent many a happy evening at the TV. I organized some large gatherings with the people I worked with and they got to be very popular with my coworkers and we would often get 20 or more people attending.
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3056
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2005-10-03 12:59 pm Permalink
I was there Friday night as well. Took a thousand pictures to document the place as best I could. Had a good talk with Exec. Chef Paul, who will be heading out to Emeryville next month.
Anyone needing their AJ fix can head to SF to say hi to the man before he's off to Scottsdale in 06.
Shame about the Palmer House management- the loss of TV Chicago will be huge.
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Primo Kimo
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 08, 2003
Posts: 323
From: Vermont
| Posted: 2005-10-03 3:53 pm Permalink
Yup this is bad. SVEN... that Thursday night, my 34th birthday, as I sat between you and Duke and thumbed through "Tiki Quest" (before it came out) was the exact moment I became a glued and screwed tiki fanatic. I thought I'd been everywhere man, but I had never been to Chicago's TV and that night at that place will remain a treasured experience of my life. I may have to return to give it a final pakalolo smudging;)
It's all happening so fast.
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2005-10-03 4:13 pm Permalink
a big RAZZ!!! 
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TikiGoon
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 82
From: The Exotic Isle of Mar "Maryland"
| Posted: 2005-10-10 9:35 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-10-02 20:14, tikibars wrote:
But that said: maybe we should pick a date in December and have an off the record, unofficial gathering at TVs - no bands or hula or vendors or anything, just a few dozen of us invading the place for one last shindig.
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Yea, I have to make one more trip to Chi-town TVs before it closes. Sure would be nice to do it with a bunch of other TC members. How does December 10th sound?
OK, just checked airfare to Chicago from D.C. on Flyi.com , Maybe a system glitch, but flights from Monday December 5 to Thursday December 8 are FREE! Returning Monday December 12 to Thursday December 15 are FREE! I booked my flight for $20 in taxes! Good Karma? System Glitch? A sign from the Tiki Gods? I dunno, but if it doesn't get canceled, I am going!
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exotica59
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 17, 2004
Posts: 475 | Posted: 2005-10-11 11:39 am Permalink
Dec. 10 sounds ok to us. Just let us know what to show up on and we'll be there. Got to get one last TV fix. This makes me so sad...
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Basement Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 14, 2002
Posts: 3587
From: Jawja Province, Isle of North America
| Posted: 2005-10-11 12:04 pm Permalink
I think I'd like to go...I need to see that one. I was moving during the Kahiki party and have been eyeing which necktie to hang myself with ever since...
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2005-10-11 12:06 pm Permalink
Tiki Goon's flight has sealed the deal.
All in favor of a December 10 invasion say "aye!".
"AYE!"
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