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Well THAT would kinda suck !: Vic's Beverly Hills a goner? |
Unga Bunga
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 06, 2003
Posts: 5808
From: CaliTikifornia
|  Posted: 2006-03-31 7:59 pm Permalink
We should do a Trader Vic's Cross Country Bar Crawl.
I'll buy a ticket!
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 3067
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2006-03-31 8:21 pm Permalink
 Ben the bartender has been there since 1974. It's my hangout.....
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 474
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-04-03 01:13 am Permalink
Well! I just got back from Trader Vic's. I finally saw it! But I honestly don't remember too much after the sitting down part. I ordered some drinks, and for some curious reason the rest of the evening is sort of blank. Hmmmmmm.
Details are coming back now. Decor was gorgeous, nice quiet ambience, extremely relaxing place to dine. My friend and I noticed that the two waiters who served us seemed to have been working at the place for decades, and they were a nice aspect of the experience. Yes, we could feel the years in the place. If they do, um, get rid of it soon, I will be sad about it.
I have read some less-than-flattering reviews of the food, but what I ordered was fairly amazing.
I had two Mai-Tais, by the way. When drinking, I very seldom have ordered more than one mixed drink, never been too serious about drinking; but the Mai-Tai was delicious, and two of them eventually had me considerably flattened!
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 2006-04-03 14:23 ]
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BettyBleu
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 20, 2003
Posts: 225
From: Island Oasis Backyard (So Cal)
| Posted: 2006-04-03 5:30 pm Permalink
Was at Vic's on Saturday afternoon/evening and I noticed that they were giving away pieces already...not to me, but there were some good claims out already. Lots of menus under arms. Someone was making plans to take the big canoe!! So sad.
[ This Message was edited by: BettyBleu 2006-04-03 17:30 ]
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bigtikidude
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 8815
From: Anaheim,Ca.
| Posted: 2006-04-03 5:42 pm Permalink
Damn, whats the deal, if you wanna ransac( sp?) the place, you can just grap a souviner, and walk out with it??
so when are we gonna have a TC night before it's gone?
It's been awhile since I've been there.
Jeff(bigtikidude)
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tikijackalope
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 23, 2003
Posts: 820
From: KS/MO
| Posted: 2006-04-03 9:05 pm Permalink
Pictures...pictures...pictures! For the sake of history, someone please be a tiki documentation hero and get some interior shots before more of the place walks away, piece by piece. All I got was this:
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2990
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2006-04-04 07:19 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-04-03 21:05, tikijackalope wrote:
Pictures...pictures...pictures! For the sake of history, someone please be a tiki documentation hero and get some interior shots before more of the place walks away, piece by piece.
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_________________
Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 474
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-04-04 3:16 pm Permalink
This shutting-down wrapping-up process seems to be happening even more quickly than I was thinking it would. Sounds like even if I get a chance to go back there in a few days, it'll be a different place, missing many pieces.
Oh, my.
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Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 754
From: L.A. baby!
| Posted: 2006-04-04 4:02 pm Permalink
Is that true?! Are they really moving it out piece by piece and tearing down the current structure?
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tiki beat by marcus thorn
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 01, 2005
Posts: 719
From: A Little Island called Australia
| Posted: 2006-04-04 4:07 pm Permalink
We are heading state side next week for Viva - and wanted to check out the Trader Vics in Beverly the following week - will it still be worth checking out?
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Tiki Beat by Marcus
www.tikibeat.com.au
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 474
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-04-04 4:28 pm Permalink
Well, it seems to me that if they are giving away their menus, and making arrangements for people to cart away the various decorative objects, then the closing of the doors may come quite soon--within days, perhaps? That's what I think will probably happen...first the restaurant will cease to operate, and become cold and quiet for a week or two, while arrangements are made to bring in a crew to raze it.
If the restaurant were planning to continue operating even a short while longer than that, I don't imagine they'd be letting stuff walk out the door.
I got two little plastic drink spears with the little menehune guy. I didn't think to ask for a menu, wonder if I can get one still. If anyone is in the area and has a chance to get out there, it looks to me like now might be the time.
I could be being totally wrong and overcautious here!, but, I have found in the past that restaurants that I really like I usually become aware of shortly before they close. It has happened too many times before. I find a place, it's really amazing, and then I drive down to share the place with a friend, only to find the doors have been closed. So if I sound a little anxious, it's only because I am trying to err on the side of caution here.
[ This Message was edited by: procinema29 2006-04-04 17:02 ]
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3171
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2006-04-04 4:32 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-04-04 16:07, tiki beat by marcus thorn wrote:
We are heading state side next week for Viva - and wanted to check out the Trader Vics in Beverly the following week - will it still be worth checking out?
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I don't think it will be gutted by then.
Check out these links for Vegas and LA travel info;
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=16026&forum=16 vegas
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=16476&forum=16&22 Los Angeles
ALSO, PM me if you want to do the Vegas Neon boneyard your on Viva Saturday 4/15 at 1pm.
Now, back to the actual topic....
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 474
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-04-04 4:41 pm Permalink
I am sure this makes many people very sad. It definitely makes me sad. It really is a beautiful place inside.
_________________
"Joyous Songs and Wondrous Miracles."
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Michigan Rummy
Member
Joined: Oct 18, 2005
Posts: 4
From: Detroit
| Posted: 2006-04-05 08:03 am Permalink
Based on this article in the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hilton1apr01,1,5626877.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true
...It appears that Benny Alagem has indeed presented his nefarious plans, but has yet to obtain approval from the Beverly Hills planning commission (including a deviation from current height restrictions).
I'm no expert on the planning and building code process for 90210, but my expectation is that there is going to be a liberal amount of time-consuming bureaucracy involved.
The article also states that, if approved, it would be three years before building begins.
Granted, they are probably wouldn't need any approvals to start shutting down and dismantling the Trader Vics... but it seems a little odd since it appears that it will be a while before they can replace it with another revenue-generating property.
It's obvious that Trader Vics at the Beverly Hilton is doomed, but it seems strange/unlikely that that they would be immediately moving to shut it down.
...maybe I'm just being optimistic since I won't be able to get over there until May 18th...
-Michigan Rummy
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Digitiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 22, 2004
Posts: 754
From: L.A. baby!
| Posted: 2006-04-05 08:32 am Permalink
Any word on whether or not they are going to reopen in LA? It seems that TV's is undergoing a resurgence - opening new locations and all. It would be a shame to leave a city like LA without a Vic's.
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