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Trader Vic's to open in Florida! |
GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
|  Posted: 2007-02-01 11:26 am Permalink
Trader Vic's has announced that it will open a full service restaurant and bar in Destin, Florida in March 2007! They seem to be announcing this very close to opening day because I know I've looked at the list of restaurants on tradervics.com recently and it wasn't there. But it is now! It will open at the Palms of Destin Resort, which is located just across the street from the beach. If it means anything to anyone, Juan Palerm is to be the executive chef. I'm doubly excited about this because it's located about 10 minutes from my parents house! Guess I know where I'm going to be spending a lot of my time (and money) when I go visit.
Here is the web site for the Palms Resort. I couldn't find any mention of Vic's on the site, but this site does mention it.
Here is the building where Trader Vic's will be:
Doesn't look very Polynesian to me, but that seems to follow their latest trend of scaling back on the tiki decor. Hopefully, it'll be tikified on the inside. I'd be disappointed if it wasn't, but any Vic's is better than no Vic's at all. Just get the drinks right, that's all I ask.
Welcome back Trader Vic's to Florida! It's been a long time baby...
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BrickHorn
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
Posts: 178
From: Texas
| Posted: 2007-02-01 1:10 pm Permalink
That's awesome! However, given the progress of the soon-to-be-opening Trader Vic's in Dallas, I would estimate that the Destin Trader's will open in May, 2009.
[ This Message was edited by: BrickHorn 2007-02-01 13:11 ]
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TikiLaLe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 09, 2006
Posts: 891
From: Largo, Floriduh
| Posted: 2007-02-01 1:34 pm Permalink
On that Website ...Trader vics is spelled Traitor Vic's..
Florida, it's not the humidity it's the stupidity !!!!
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ikitnrev
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Jul 27, 2002
Posts: 1304
From: D.C. / Virginia
| Posted: 2007-02-01 2:04 pm Permalink
For those of you unfamiliar with the location of Destin, Florida, it is located on the Florida panhandle, between Panama City and Pensacola.
Destin is 618 miles from Fort Lauderdale and the the Mai Kai .... about the same distance from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon. In comparison, the distance from Destin to New Orleans is only 250 miles.
Vern
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-02-01 2:37 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-02-01 13:34, TikiLaLe wrote:
On that Website ...Trader vics is spelled Traitor Vic's..
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Ha! Good catch. Well, in their defense, that's not the official Palms Resort website. As long as they can spell M-A-I T-A-I, we're good.
BrickHorn - I was already planning to be in the Destin area March 17-18, so I'll drop by and see if they're open or try to get a good idea of when they will be. I'll post pictures when I have them.
ikitnrev - Destin is also about a 7 hr drive from Orlando. Just in case you were wonderin'...
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Mytah
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Jan 17, 2007
Posts: 13
From: Pensacola, FL.
| Posted: 2007-02-02 07:44 am Permalink
Wow! Being in Pensacola, this is AWESOME news.
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BrickHorn
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 03, 2005
Posts: 178
From: Texas
| Posted: 2007-02-02 07:49 am Permalink
Quote:
| BrickHorn - I was already planning to be in the Destin area March 17-18, so I'll drop by and see if they're open or try to get a good idea of when they will be. I'll post pictures when I have them. |
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Keep us updated. Every time I'm in Dallas, I stop by the Trader Vic's perpetual construction site. Unfortunately, the carpenters there don't know how to make a decent Mai Tai.
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-02-09 2:11 pm Permalink
Here's another mention of the Destin Trader Vic's from the local newspaper:
Quote:
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The 14.3-acre property will include a spa and Trader Vic's, a restaurant famous for Polynesian cuisine and pioneering the mai tai. The restaurant, which has locations around the world, is set to open in mid-March.
"This is going to be the huge thing for Destin," Teresa Gunter, general manager of Abec Resorts, said of the restaurant.
Outside, there's the largest freeform pool in Northwest Florida, with waterfalls and islands, she said.
One of the unique features of the 12,000-square-foot pool is zeroentry access -- a shallow, sloping entrance without steps or ladders.
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I'm certainly glad the general manager is so excited about the Trader Vic's part of her new resort. And note they say opening in "mid-March". They certainly sound confident about that. I'll be there March 17. So... fingers crossed.
And, holy moly, a 12,000 sq ft pool?!
Here's the complete article.
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-02-09 3:31 pm Permalink
Here is a satellite view of the site:
And a link to a satellite map.
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Humuhumu
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2007-02-10 02:17 am Permalink
If they're actively trying to hire a sous chef, that seems like a good sign that it'll be opening in the nearish future.
BTW, of the 625 locations that are currently in Critiki, I have 555 of them plotted on the Critiki Map, including this one (the only ones that are missing are ones where I don't have an address, or the address I have has proven impossible to map). Aside from taking the hunting work out of it for you, it also can give an interesting perspective on what tiki places are (or were) nearby. I find the hunting part to be pretty fun, though.
Critiki Map
Trader Vic's, Destin on Critiki Map
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-02-14 11:57 am Permalink
From the Abec Resorts Blog:
Quote:
| The new, upscale condo resort is coming along nicely with planned opening to the public scheduled for March 1, 2007. The Polynesian Spa, Trader Vic’s Restaurant, and modern Conference/Banquet facilities are a definite plus. WOW, the interior 2 acre oasis is looking great with its 11,000 sq. ft. Lagoon Pool that has 5 waterfalls and 3 islands, a kids pool and interactive splash fountain, and of course poolside wait service to bring your favorite beverage. |
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Can't want to have a couple of Tiki Puka Pukas and then jump in that interactive splash fountain...
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Murph
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Jul 11, 2006
Posts: 715
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2007-02-14 3:07 pm Permalink
Cool a Trader Vic's in my old home town!
Might have to get back over there hit Trader Vic's and finish the night off at the Hog's Breath!
[ This Message was edited by: Murph 2007-02-14 15:13 ]
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1770
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2007-02-14 3:19 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-02-14 15:07, Murph wrote:
Might have to get back over there hit Trader Vic's and finish the night off at the Hog's Breath!
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Oh geez. I haven't been to Hog's Breath since, oh let's see... Well, let's just say that Reagan was president.
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Murph
Grand Member (6 years)
Joined: Jul 11, 2006
Posts: 715
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2007-02-14 11:14 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-02-14 15:19, GatorRob wrote:
Quote:
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On 2007-02-14 15:07, Murph wrote:
Might have to get back over there hit Trader Vic's and finish the night off at the Hog's Breath!
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Oh geez. I haven't been to Hog's Breath since, oh let's see... Well, let's just say that Reagan was president.
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Ahhh... Back when it was on Okaloosa Island.
Some of the best times, I can't remember, were at the old Hog's Breath.
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Murph
WaikikiWomb
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frostiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 14, 2006
Posts: 434
From: Mobile, AL
| Posted: 2007-02-15 07:00 am Permalink
I'm so happy that there will be a Traders Vic's about 2 hours away, and in a great art town to boot. No more having to go to Atlanta for Trader Vic's (not that we mind going to Atlanta for the trader vic's).
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