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Trader Vic's Portland -- The Wait is Over. |
TraderVic'sPDX
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 29 |  Posted: 2011-07-26 11:24 am Permalink
Next week is the official grand opening of Trader Vic's Portland. We're still putting on the finishing touches, but we're nearly there. Last night we opened our doors to the media and members of the tiki Royal Family like Sven Kirsten, Humahuma and the organizers of Tiki Kon. More accurately, we opened the hole in the plywood where the doors soon will be.
A lot happened at the event. First, we launched our signature drink: Nelson's Blood. Second, we showed a prototype of the Trader Vic's mug, which Munktiki is designing for us (and, yes, there will be limited run collector editions). We also declared August as Portland's unofficial tiki month. Several cocktail bars in town will be offering special drinks to mark the occasion all through August. What's more, they agreed to share the recipes so you all can enjoy them at home.
You can read about Nelson's Blood, see the mug and view the recipes on the Trader Vic's Portland blog.
http://www.tradervicspdx.com/blog/
You can also see photos on the Trader Vic's Portland Flickr page. Please feel free to add your images there as well.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/tradervicspdx/
We're ridiculously excited that we'll have the opportunity to meet many of you in the coming days and weeks. Make sure you let your servers know when Tiki Central is in the house. Wake the kids, phone the neighbors, Trader Vic's Portland is back!
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TikiG
Grand Member (2 years) 
Joined: Jun 17, 2008
Posts: 1519
From: Palmdale, California
| Posted: 2011-07-26 11:27 am Permalink
Awesome!
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Lucky Jackson
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 06, 2011
Posts: 33
From: Beaverton,OR
| Posted: 2011-07-26 11:48 am Permalink
Thursday is the soft opening, correct?
Who wants to meet up for an Original 1944 Mai Tai or two? I'm thinking early will be better, but I'm free all day... I believe they open at 3:00.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 6488
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2011-07-26 2:13 pm Permalink
Congratulations and best wishes!
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TraderVic'sPDX
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 29 | Posted: 2011-07-26 2:15 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-07-26 11:48, Lucky Jackson wrote:
Thursday is the soft opening, correct?
Who wants to meet up for an Original 1944 Mai Tai or two? I'm thinking early will be better, but I'm free all day... I believe they open at 3:00.
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Doors (which will be installed by Thursday) open at 3:00.
[ This Message was edited by: TraderVic'sPDX 2011-07-26 14:16 ]
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Tiki Kupcake
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 362
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2011-07-26 2:27 pm Permalink
Im sorry I missed last night. Looking forward to our many other nights planned there in August.
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Vintage Roadside
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 21, 2009
Posts: 68
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2011-07-26 5:31 pm Permalink
Had an amazing time last night! The cocktails, food, service and atmosphere are incredible!
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Rum Balls
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Oct 04, 2004
Posts: 829
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2011-07-27 08:24 am Permalink
Can't wait...salivating after checking out the blog and pics!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10599
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-07-27 09:47 am Permalink
Those Facebook photos are wonderful people portraits, Dean! They don't look flashed at all. I am more of an art and architecture photographer, so my photos below will complement yours nicely.
I felt very fortunate to be invited to the in-official opening of this Tiki Temple. And it is very gratifying for me to be able to proclaim it as such! This place has struck the ideal balance between traditional and modern, it seems to me. While it is open to the street on two sides, with lots of light coming in thru tall windows (modern), it's space inside is layered and complex enough (lik a classic Tiki bar) to not be stark and boring. And the floor-to-ceiling textures provide that escapist urban island experience that makes Tiki style what it is.
One great concept of Trader Vic's Portland is that it has its bar in the center:
Hostess stand with bar in background
The bar is open from three sides, and the restaurant radiates out from it in circles...
Happy Tiki revelers
My favorite seating would be these two booths, slightly elevated, with a view thru to the kitchen behind them:
And what a yummy view to that is! The concept of many Tiki Tapas (appetizers) is just what a menu needs in this economy:
The perfect food to complement your cocktails!
Here is happy bar manager Josh introducing the "Nelson's Blood" cocktail (mentioned in the blog above), wearing the brand new Shag designed Trader Vic's Aloha shirt!:
And here are the bar Menehunes busy at work:
There are many beautiful sections to the place, like this row of seating, alongside the back of the bar:
I especially like this Tiki:
...the guardian of the bathroom hallway:
The canoe above hails from the Vancouver Vic's, I believe:
Even the backside of the bar is enticing looking:
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-07-27 11:28 ]
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WestADad
Grand Member (2 years)
Joined: Mar 31, 2009
Posts: 734
From: Tornado Alley
| Posted: 2011-07-27 10:14 am Permalink
Wow, beautiful pictures!
Thank you so much.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10599
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2011-07-27 1:27 pm Permalink
Glad to provide. And here we have the Portland Trader Vic's logo mug, based on one of the giant Tikis that will stand guard outside, designed by no other than the talented folks from Munk Tiki:
Left and right of it are two other classic creations by them. Munktiki is now based in Portland, and we got to visit them:
With Thatch and the Alibi already in place, Portland is turning into a real Tiki Town!
Of course Trader Vic's has its own family of mugs:
...which are all lined up for everyone to see above the bar:
One more important element to complete the island escape illusion was provided by another local talent:
D.J. Drew Groove spun some excellent Lounge and Exotica. Never thought I'd hear the esoteric musings of Eden Ahbez at a Trader Vic's!
On the wall behind him we can see some interesting blow ups of vintage cocktail illustrations which I had never glimpsed before in any Trader Vic's menus:
Love this "Tortuga" illustration. I must have channeled it when I shot one of my recent 10 Y BOT-mug photos. 
But the Zombie one is especially curious, as it mirrors the theme of the famous Zombie Village menu cover!:
Which one came first, the chicken or the egg?
And here's another sneak at the new Trader Vic Shag shirt, illustrated with scenes from the classic menu cover - plus some Suffering Bastard bottles (as seen above):
Last not least, check out this authentic Papua New Guinea dance mask (which is now hanging in another corner):
I also love the mid-century modern vaulting of the ceiling in the background. What a great environment!
I was unable to photograph the exterior entrance, simply because it was not built yet. Someone else has to do that this week. I am looking forward to seeing the big Tikis gracing the storefront, beckoning the rain-weary Portlander to escape to this exotic port of call!
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Tiki Kupcake
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 362
From: Portland, OR
| Posted: 2011-07-27 3:17 pm Permalink
Great pictures! Excited to go there tomorrow night.
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TraderVic'sPDX
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 29 | Posted: 2011-07-27 3:46 pm Permalink
It was a true honor simply to have you and your lovely wife in attendance at the Tiki Temple Trial run. This report and your photos are icing on the cake. Thanks much.
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tiki1963
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 12, 2003
Posts: 197
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2011-07-27 4:16 pm Permalink
sven...
your pics reveal some really nice decor there! it looks as if there's even some vintage tiki roaming about the place. (how'd they slip through my fingers???)
it's nice to see this.
i enjoy the LA LIVE TV's but felt that it lacks somewhat in the total tiki-immersion one would expect from TV's. whether new or refurbished, i think tiki joints should always feel settled/aged a bit.
from the pics, it appears Portland is more like what you'd expect from a Vic's.
also love the concept of the "Nelson's Blood" cocktail. do you know if they got that huge oil portrait of Lord Nelson that was at the TV's warehouse sale?
i wish it the best and hope lots of drunks stumble across its gangway!
[ This Message was edited by: tiki1963 2011-07-27 16:29 ]
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2011-07-27 4:37 pm Permalink
Sven,
Excellent report and pics. This one looks to be a must see. The mug and shirt are bound to be instant classics.
As for those framed drink illustrations, did they actually come from an old Trader Vic's menu or restaurant? Never seen anything like that before.
DC
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