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Trader Vics in Dallas, TX Now Open!! |
Unkle John
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 1216
From: Middle-of-the-Ocean, TX
|  Posted: 2007-02-19 11:05 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-02-19 09:49, BrickHorn wrote:
The tiki gods are demanding just a few more days of construction and a little more paperwork before the old-new Trader Vic's opens at the Hotel Palomar on Mockingbird.
Damn you, Laura Miller!
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LOL agreed! Dang, she's still mayor?!
What's funny is that Lubbock has a mayor Miller (who is not as bad as she is) and a african-american gentleman named Pryce as county commissioner as well. If you don't know about Dallas' Pryce, ask a Dallasite.
Very odd.
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Texas Tikiphiles Unite!
[ This Message was edited by: Unkle John 2007-02-19 23:07 ]
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BrickHorn
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
Posts: 178
From: Texas
| Posted: 2007-02-21 07:52 am Permalink
According to the website, TV's is reopening Feb. 28, 2007.
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BrickHorn
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
Posts: 178
From: Texas
| Posted: 2007-02-25 4:50 pm Permalink
My head is still swimming - partly due to the mai tai and partly due to the fact that my wife and I just took a tour of the Trader Vic's! We're in Dallas this weekend, and decided to swing by the Trader's to see if anyone would be around to let us peek in and have a quick look. To our (pleasant) surprise, the entire staff was there training and prepping for the second mock service tonight. We sweet talked our way into two mai tais and a grand tour. What a nice surprise on an otherwise boring Sunday afternoon!
The space is beautiful. The old A-frame is gone (to make room for retail space), but its absence doesn't detract from the interior experience at all, which is best described as tiki escapism, luxury-style. Because the place was basically sealed up for 20+ years, the new owners were able to salvage most of the decor, including the original Marquesan-style tiki columns and the original bar (the only change is that it was been given a protective coating). Some of the decorations (the masks above some of the booths, for example) were brought in from another closed-down TV's. The owners have named the bar "Hinky Dinks" in honor of the original Vic Bergeron restaurant. I thought that was a nice touch.
Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera with me (stupid, stupid!). I do have a picture on my cell phone of our two mai tais and a coaster, but don't know how to transfer the pic from my phone. The mai tais were exceptional and the service was superb (of course, everyone is in training and is overly enthusiastic now - hopefully it lasts!). The entire staff was very gracious and patient. I absolutely can't wait to go for a full evening in a couple of weeks.
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PremEx
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 271
From: Houston, Texas
| Posted: 2007-02-25 5:01 pm Permalink
Quote:
| I just took a [i]tour of the Trader Vic's! |
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You lucky stiff! 
Glad to hear it turned out so nice. Hope to see lots of pictures soon, as TC'ers start streaming in. Hope they do gangbuster business, too.
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2007-02-25 5:31 pm Permalink
We were there last night....Formikahini came all the way from Houston and joined my wife and I for drinks and dinner. Got lots of pics, lots of info...all coming soon.
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BlackFish
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 12, 2007
Posts: 54
From: Emerald Coast
| Posted: 2007-02-25 8:55 pm Permalink
[ This Message was edited by: BlackFish 2009-09-08 04:16 ]
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TikiKai
Member
Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 1
From: Dallas, TX
| Posted: 2007-02-26 8:25 pm Permalink
Aloha !!!
I drive by every day on my way to work. Plan on going Tuesday night. I had been to the TV's before it closed years ago. I had a real cry when the Giant Tiki out front was taken away, but all will be well again! I can't wait to see how much or how little it has changed.
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Unkle John
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 1216
From: Middle-of-the-Ocean, TX
| Posted: 2007-02-26 10:49 pm Permalink
Blackfish, Thanks for the salute I hope to see you at the meet-up!
Tikikai welcome to the board!
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tikiarch
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 01, 2007
Posts: 13 | Posted: 2007-03-01 2:51 pm Permalink
Tonight is the official opening. I was the architect/designer on the project and have been there through the whole 2 year rebirth process. almost full time the last week and a half for the final push. the word of mouth has gotten out and the phones were ringing off the hook yesterday when i was there. lots of pent up tiki demand in town.
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Unkle John
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 1216
From: Middle-of-the-Ocean, TX
| Posted: 2007-03-01 6:18 pm Permalink
Tikiarch, Thank you for your hard work. From the pictures I seen your job looks like it was well done and fun (I might add). Hope to see you there.
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2007-03-01 8:11 pm Permalink
Welcome Tikiarch! Look forward to hearing some of your insight on the rebirth of Trader Vics in Dallas.
You can now go to Locating Tiki and read the full report from Formikahini and myself on our experience at the Dallas TV.
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tikiarch
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 01, 2007
Posts: 13 | Posted: 2007-03-02 08:34 am Permalink
thanks for the welcome and very accurate "full report"
great photos too. i did my best restoring the lamp shades (a few still need a bit of work)
it was my personal mission to gaurd these during the construction process but we did loose a few.
we did not remove Neau panels, haggi twig panels, bamboo etc. unless absolutley necessary.
I found a clean piece of the original carpet in the old office under a cabinet so that i could get the colors right on the new custom made goods.
some of the carved masks and both chandeliers (entry and hostess area) came from Chicago as well as the giant clam shells. the originals were gone when i got involved in March 05 but i could tell by the hole pattern in the walls that they were there. Luckily Trader Vics corporate had these from the closed Chicago location.
The new mosaic tile in the Chinese Oven room is the same as in Scottsdale.
the light coves behind the banquettes and booths were reworked with zenon lamps spaced more frequently that the original bulbs creating a more even glow. the new plastic cove covers are a discontinued 70's textured amber that was discovered in the back room of a plastic distributor.
the actual bar was expanded to an L-shape giving more bartender stations and backbar display. the thick resin coated wood bar top was saved, resurfaced and expanded with a piece left over from a trader vics that closed in Japan.
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2007-03-02 09:24 am Permalink
Wow...GREAT info. Thanks for all your hard work on restoring the restaurant to its former glory!
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Kenike
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 24, 2003
Posts: 1201
From: McKinney, TX
| Posted: 2007-03-13 08:05 am Permalink
Texas Tikiphile gathering at Trader Vic's on Cinco de Mayo!
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Unkle John
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 22, 2003
Posts: 1216
From: Middle-of-the-Ocean, TX
| Posted: 2007-03-18 11:14 am Permalink
bump
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