Had an impromptu trip to Berkeley and we stopped in at Trader Vic’s Emeryville for a late lunch on Sunday. We were seated in the lounge and had a great time with our favorite appetizers Crab Rangoon and Cheese Bings. I had the Trader Vic’s Salad with chicken for lunch.
Went a little beyond the norm by having the E’Ville Awa cocktail, a very fine Trader Vic’s-style cocktail with pineapple, rums, gin, and brandy. I went with the no-booze Coral Reef for desert, a sweet blended drink with strawberries, pineapple, and coconut cream. Yummy, and sure to give you a brain freeze.
Meanwhile Mrs. Mai Tai tried the Golden Grog, which is a grog-riff using Rhum Agricole, pineapple juice, and honey. Quite nice, and the agricole definitely helps this lean in a different direction than many of the Vic’s cocktails. She also tried the Mango Mai Tai, having tried the Guava last time. That’s made with light rum and while it tastes tropical it doesn’t really have a lot of “Mai Tai” taste to me. Which might be a plus or a minus, depending on who you are.
Always lovely to look at the scenery inside and to soak in the history of this Vic’s location that opened 50 years ago this year.
