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The Arcadia News
features restaurant reviews each month. Trader Vic’s 6850 E. Main Street, 480-421-7799 Hours: 5-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs, 5-11 p.m. Fri & Sat I knew Trader Vic’s would be back. A Scottsdale hotspot and first date destination for 28 years until it closed in 1990, tiki enthusiasts such as myself are ecstatic to see the retro Polynesian restaurant return to the Valley scene. The good news is that the location east of 68th Street and just south of Indian School Road has its own parking lot, a rarity for downtown Scottsdale. The interior of the new building is a mix of large tiki columns, Polynesian canoes and modernistic brick walls surrounded by too many windows. We were invited to wait in the bar area while our table was being prepared, but I opted to stay in the dark lobby area. “It’s too bright in the bar,” I explained to our enthusiastic Asian host. My first love of all things Polynesian began as a kid in the ‘60s, when my family would visit the various Hawaiian-themed restaurants that dotted the Southern California landscape back then, and part of the whole appeal was how dark and mysterious their interiors were. I would suggest Trader Vic’s make a trip to Pier One for some bamboo blinds to fight the Phoenix glare. At our table, the dinner plates were properly decorated with South Pacific tribal masks; salt and pepper shakers were in the obligatory shape of island natives and a lit candle was situated in an adorable carved tiki holder. The drink menu, its cover decorated with mid-century style Hawaiian bathing beauties, listed a bounty of alcoholic libations. Trader Vic’s invented the Mai Tai ($9); and in the day, was known for its giant shared drinks like the Scorpion ($22). I’m not usually a drinker, but it is Trader Vic’s and a tropical drink was just the recipe for hot summer temperatures. “I wanted to get a Pina Colada,” I said to our friendly waiter, “but I don’t see it on the menu.” It was the only Polynesian drink I was unfortunately quite familiar with from a lost summer in 1977. “Our version is called the ‘Bahia’; it’s good,” the waiter assured me. My $9 drink arrived in a slim fluted glass topped with a maraschino cherry and chunk of pineapple, which made a refreshing first start. I was surprised that Trader Vic’s version of the Pina Colada was served on the rocks rather than blended, and doubly disappointed that that sweet coconut/pineapple flavor I remembered was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, the food that followed was fantastic. We started with the Tidbits for Two ($18), a variety of finger foods that included a pair of meaty spareribs, some slices of BBQ pork, three tasty panko-encrusted prawns and the best tasting real crab stuffed Rangoons I’ve ever had. Served with two sauces in a butterfly-shaped dish, one wing held the usual mustard sauce; the other a boring cocktail sauce while I would rather have had a sweet sour choice. For my entrée, the Prawns San Francisco ($27) consisted of six succulent broiled beauties perched around a circular mound of oriental rice topped with sautéed spinach mixed with Asian noodles— a nice, light summer meal with an amazing array of flavors. My companion’s Grilled Mixed Seafood ($28) came with plump scallops, seared salmon, and a hunk of halibut arranged around a tangle of sautéed spinach, all swimming in a butter sauce that complimented each fish selection. The dessert menu boasts both sweets and after dinner drinks. We decided to split the Polynesian Snowball. A frozen ball of rich almond-flavored ice cream rolled in shaved coconut served in a pool of chocolate sauce was refreshing and delicious. A perfect way to end a desert summer evening that will almost make you feel as if you’re in the islands instead. Welcome back, Trader Vic’s. 6000 E. Camelback Road, 480-423-2530 |
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