Trader Vic's Menu

Trader Vic's Restaurant Review:

Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr., founded the restaurants that bear his nickname, Trader Vic. Menu and beverage influences derive from lands as remote as Polynesia and as near as the Caribbean. Bergeron claimed to have invented the Mai Tai, for instance, and it's among the bar's many fruit-based mixed drinks --- mojitos, Pimm's Cups and such --- that aim to capture exotic tastes. The décor suggests a movie set, with thatched roofs, bamboo decorative elements and a faux-tropical environment. Most patrons are hotel guests in town for some commercial or sports event. Nothing much ever changes on this menu, so some dishes are old standbys, such as crab Rangoon (cream cheese and crab in a deep-fried won-ton wrapper). But we suggest instead going for the morels in a creamy beef and red wine reduction, like a bisque with large whole morels abundantly provided. The signature rack of lamb is cooked in the huge wood-burning oven that's part of the décor, and served with Singapore-style curried noodles. Desserts hit exotic themes as well, and most are made in house. As to libations, Trader Vic's is indeed cocktail country. The mostly American/Californian wine list offers a few wines from other countries, including selections from New Zealand, Australia and South America, but all are fairly ordinary. Fun and kitsch are the main reasons for coming.