Shanghai, China – Opened on New Year’s Eve

Dallas – February, 2007 (it’s been pushed back many times, but February 11 is the most recent date)

Las Vegas – in June, 2007

Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Bar in Dubai – April, 2007

Chicago – late 2007 (This has been pushed back quite a bit — their initial estimate was that it would be open by now. There have been rumblings of union troubles (I don’t know of which sort) causing some delays.)

Doha, Qatar – late 2007

Amman, Jordan – late 2007

Beijing, China – late 2007

Earlier Trader Vic’s opening reports on Humu Kon Tiki:

• Dallas Trader Vic’s Reopening Confirmed
• Trader Vic’s Update — Lightning Round!
• Trader Vic’s Update: Chicago, Bellevue, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and Dallas
• Details on the New Trader Vic’s Las Vegas, Scottsdale
• Trader Vic’s Adding Locations

As I reported back in April, DvA Gallery is celebrating their 2nd anniversary with their Gala-Tiki event. Over 30 artists have contributed — of particular interest is a series of tiki mugs hand-painted by artists, including Flounder, Dave Krys, Derek Yaniger, The Pizz, Squid, Mitch O’Connell, Tiki Tony, and the above beaut by Mr. G. There will be hula dancers on hand (with leis!), the Cocktail Preachers are performing, and it’s all free to the public. Additionally, Flounder is making prints of his painting from this show available at a shockingly affordable $30. The Gala starts this Saturday at 4pm and goes to 11pm. DvA Gallery is at 2568 N. Lincoln Ave. Happy Anniversary, DvA Gallery!

• One-Of-A-Kind Tiki Mugs By Your Favorite Artists [Tiki Central]
• 2nd Annual Gala-Tiki at DvA Gallery! [Tiki Central]
• New FLOUNDER Tiki print [Tiki Central]
• Chicago: DvA Gallery’s 2nd Anniversary Party [Humu Kon Tiki]

Chicago art space DvA Gallery will be celebrating their second anniversary on June 17 with their Gala-Tiki Anniversary event. The Cocktail Preachers will be performing; other details have not yet been announced, but last year’s shindig was jam-packed with artists, books and music. The party starts at 4pm and goes until 11pm. DvA Gallery is at 2568 N. Lincoln Ave.

• DvA Gallery Shows [DvA Gallery]

In the meantime, Trader Vic’s will live on at the three Harry Caray’s locations, in a way. The environment of course is anything but tiki, but the Trader Vic’s organization has worked with Harry Caray’s to teach them how to make a great Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, so that the city of Chicago will not have to go without until the restaurant opens. There is even a televised “passing of the tiki torch” ceremony planned for tomorrow, Tuesday February 7 at Harry Caray’s Chicago location (33 West Kinzie Street), starting at 12:30 in the afternoon. Trader Vic’s CEO Hans Richter will be there to symbolically pass on the Trader Vic’s torch and Mai Tai recipe to Harry Caray’s widow, Dutchie Caray. WCKG radio personality (and Trader Vic’s regular) Steve Dahl will emcee the event, which also includes Samoan fire dancers and Tahitian and Hawaiian hula dancing. For tomorrow only, Harry Caray’s will have tikis brought in for decor, the servers will be wearing aloha shirts and orchid leis, and some of Trader Vic’s most famous food items will be served, including BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Trio of Tartare (Scallops Opihi, Tuna Poke and Salmon Lomi Lomi) and New York Steak Teriyaki with Steamed White Rice and Sautéed Baby Bok Choy. I tell you, I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t get Salmon Lomi Lomi. I’ve become seriously addicted to the stuff.

After tomorrow, the tikis and the tidbits will be gone, but the Mai Tai will remain — until the Trader Vic’s reopens, you will be able to get a Mai Tai at any of the three Harry Caray’s locations: Chicago, Rosemont or Midway Airport. If it’s at all possible to swing it, try to get to tomorrow’s afternoon celebration, and proudly wear your aloha shirt for it. Let the world know you miss Trader Vic’s!

• New Chicago Trader Vic’s TV announcement – Feb. 7 [Tiki Central]

1. Bellevue, WA- Opening date is set for March 3rd!

2. Scottsdale, AZ- Opening date is set for May 21st!

(as you can imagine, those dates are subject to change without notice)

3. Las Vegas, NV- Still no opening date set, or management team in place. Should open by the end of 2006.

4. Chicago, IL- The Harry Caray people are scouting locations now, and they hope to open in 2006 if possible. Could move to 2007, but it’s definitely coming back sooner rather than later.

5. Amman, Jordan- to open in 2006

6. Shanghai, China- to open in 2006. The Chinese franchisers have the rights to open five locations in China, and are already thinking about their next place.

That all looks ahead of what my best-guess schedule would have been. Looks good!

• Trader Vic’s Update [Tiki Central]
• Trader Vic’s Update: Chicago, Bellevue, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and Dallas [Humu Kon Tiki]

If you’re still pondering the right place to be for New Year’s Eve 2006, you’re running out of time! You can probably still get into these great events happening around the country:

San Diego NYE Tiki Weekend: Last year’s tiki event at the Caliente Tropics was hugely successful, but the hotel has gone seriously downhill in terms of tiki-friendliness this past year. Thanks to the organizational efforts of Monkeyman, this year’s big Tiki Central New Year’s event is happening in San Diego. A home bar tour is planned for daytime Saturday, and the main event is taking place with a Polynesian spectacular at the Bali Hai restaurant. Things will also be afoot on Sunday, with possibilities including brunch, bowling and trips to downtown San Diego. It’s sure to be a special evening. The number of tickets available for the Bali Hai is dwindling, if you’re interested, read the thread on Tiki Central for details on how to make reservations.

San Francisco Trader Vic’s: A special dinner event is planned for NYE, with a floor show by Spirit of Polynesia dance troupe, and a full multi-course prix fixe meal. This is where Hanford & I will be spending our NYE. For reservations, call Trader Vic’s at (415) 775-6300.

Forbidden World of Don Tiki in Waikiki: A special performance by Don Tiki in Hawaii, at the Pacific Beach Hotel Grand Ballroom. Tickets to the show are $80 and include two drinks; in addition a bar & buffet are available. Visit the Pacific Beach Hotel website (link below) for details.

Dave’s Birthday at the Purple Orchid in El Segundo: I haven’t seen an official announcement, but New Year’s Eve is the birthday of Dave, owner of the Purple Orchid in El Segundo (near Los Angeles). In years past, there’s been a great band booked, and birthday cake & appetizers for all. Contact the Purple Orchid for details at (310) 322-5829.

Mai Kai in Ft. Lauderdale: A group is getting together to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Mai Kai — if I lived in southern Florida, this would be a no-brainer. To make reservations, contact the Mai Kai at (954) 563-3272, if you’d like to be included in the Tiki Central group, read the thread on TC for details.

Chicago area, Trader Vic’s: New Year’s Eve is the last night that the Chicago Trader Vic’s will be open. It has the potential to be rather depressing, and not for the faint of heart, but it also might be special to be there for the final night.

Chicago area, Chef Shangri-La: Performances by the Windy City Islanders, a roast pig buffet for $18, full regular menu available, drink specials, and no cover — an unsually affordable tiki NYE event, and the bar and drinks at Chef Shangri-La are above par. Call (708) 442-7080 for reservations.

Chicago area, Tiki Terrace: This new bar & restaurant is having a New Year’s Eve event with a performance by the Cocktail Preachers, and a raffle featuring a tiki by Lake Surfer. Contact Tiki Terrace for details at (630) 788-0395.

If your part of the country isn’t listed here, don’t fret — simply look for a bar near you in Critiki, and give them a call. Many places will have something planned for the evening.

• new years eve 2005- so cal**WOW- 35 RSVPs at the Bali Hai for TC** [Tiki Central]
• Bali Hai Restaurant, San Diego [Critiki]
• New Years Eve 2005 – No. Cal. SF Trader Vic’s – NEW INFO! Read on… [Tiki Central]
• Trader Vic’s, San Francisco [Critiki]
• Celebrate New Year’s with Don Tiki! [Tiki Central]
• Pacific Beach Hotel
• Purple Orchid Exotic Tiki Lounge, El Segundo [Critiki]
• New Years Eve at the Mai Kai! [Tiki Central]
• Mai Kai, Ft. Lauderdale [Critiki]
• Trader Vic’s, Chicago [Critiki]
• “Chicago– New Years Eve at Chef Shangri-La” [Tiki Central]
• Chef Shangri-La, North Riverside [Critiki]
• Tiki Terrace New Years [Tiki Central]
• The Tiki Terrace, Prospect Heights [Critiki]

There’s been a lot of news on the Trader Vic’s front, time for a roundup:

Trader Vic’s Chicago: As previously reported, the Chicago Trader Vic’s location will be closing for good on New Year’s Eve. The sad and frustrating tale of its demise has been widely reported, but here’s the short version: the new owners of the Palmer Hilton are crappy. This Trader Vic’s location is one of the oldest — it would have celebrated 50 years in 2007 — and the Trader Vic’s organization is disappointed. Reports state that the interior is being preserved as much as possible, and saved for a future installation in Chicago. The Trader Vic’s organization appears to have fast-tracked getting another Trader Vic’s restaurant in Chicago, and the Harry Caray’s restaurant group has announced their intention to run the new restaurant. Hard to say if this is an actual signed deal, or what the time frames are, but it sounds intriguing. Meanwhile, the latest reports on visits to the Chicago Trader Vic’s paint a bleak picture — shoddy, typo-ridden menus, non-existent service, and abysmal drinks. Farewell, Chicago Trader Vic’s, I hope to meet you again under better circumstances.

Trader Vic’s Bellevue: Now for better news. The new Trader Vic’s restaurant in Bellevue (outside Seattle) appears to be progressing nicely. I happened to be at the San Francisco Trader Vic’s when designers were reviewing samples; if what I saw was any indication, expect to see some very nice bamboo. The Trader Vic’s Bellevue website says March 2005 is the opening date, I’ve heard April 1, but of course these dates tend to be squishy. The new Bellevue Vic’s is located in the Liberty Square complex across from Bellevue Square mall, and is located adjacent to a Westin hotel. The restaurant has a main dining area and two private dining rooms, and takes up nearly 8,000 sq. ft. of space.

Trader Vic’s Scottsdale: Scottsdale is also gearing up for a springtime return of Trader Vic’s. A great vintage hotel, Valley Ho, has been undergoing renovations. The new Valley Ho will include a freestanding Trader Vic’s restaurant, with both indoor and outdoor seating available. Due to open in May 2006 but with Belleuve opening in March/April, I wouldn’t be surprised if this got pushed back a bit.

Trader Vic’s Las Vegas: The ink is barely dry on this one, but Vegas moves quickly… I’m excited to hear how this one comes along. This new Trader Vic’s will be part of the remodel of what is currently the Aladdin Hotel’s Desert Passage mall. With the Aladdin becoming a Planet Hollywood casino, the theme for the mall will be changing. The Trader Vic’s space is reportedly quite large, and will have a front entrance directly on the strip, across from the Bellagio. With the work just getting started, it’s too soon to pinpoint an opening date, but think late 2006/early 2007. Along those same lines, don’t get too attached to it once it opens… Vegas is a place where time has no meaning, and a restaurant open three years is considered dated.

Trader Vic’s Dallas: Earlier this year there were some rumblings about Trader Vic’s coming back to Dallas. Actually, it was more than rumblings, an investor announced the plans and it was reported on in the press, but it turns out it may have been premature. There are no real plans to open a location in Dallas that I’m aware of, but clearly we’re living in a time when such a thing isn’t out of the question. Don’t loseWeight Exercise hope, but don’t hold your breath, either.

All told, things are looking up!

• Details on the New Trader Vic’s Las Vegas, Scottsdale [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Chicago Trader Vic’s Closing [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Trader Vic’s, Bellevue [Critiki]
• Trader Vic’s, Scottsdale [Critiki]

• Tiki Terrace grand opening – week of November 8 [Tiki Central]
• The Tiki Terrace, Prospect Heights [Critiki]

On the brighter side, Chicago tiki is otherwise on the rise: earlier this year saw the opening of Canoe Club, an upscale tropical restaurant (think Ray’s) in Orland Park, and in the coming weeks an exciting new restaurant called the Tiki Terrace will be opening in Prospect Heights. Tiki Terrace in particular looks promising — it has multiple tikified dining rooms, and will have regular Polynesian floor shows.

• Trader Vic’s Chicago Closing? [Humu Kon Tiki]
• storm clouds loom for trader vics chicago [Tiki Central]
• Trader Vic’s, Chicago [Critiki]
• Canoe Club [Critiki]
• The Tiki Terrace [Critiki]

• tabu tiki night – now it can be told! [Tiki Central]