Tag: Oakland

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Trader Vic’s at Oakland Airport Coming in 2026

The Trader Vic’s Outpost location at San Jose Mineta International Airport has been a big hit since it opened in 2021, so much so that they even expanded the seating last year. Now the same concessionaire is working with Trader Vic’s Hospitality Group to bring the concept to the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport in 2026.

A recent article on SF Gate details some of the plans, noting that the Oakland Airport has done major transformations of its food options over the past couple years. Nearly all those projects have launched or are completing soon, with the Trader Vic’s being the last milestone. A spokesman mentioned that Trader Vic’s provides onboarding and training programs to ensure consistency, something we’ve been really pleased with at San Jose.

Trader Vic’s Outpost is one of a series of location concepts that the brand is running or rolling out, designed for airports and hotel lobbies. Notably, the operating hours at San Jose start as early as 6:00 am, so there’s plenty of opportunity to experience the venue before a flight. The use of large tikis, fish floats, and jade tiles at the San Jose location is an indication of the level of decor that is clean and modern, but still a significant investment that goes well beyond a plain design.

From the Trader Vic’s website:

“Trader Vic’s Outpost is the airport, and small lobby, version of the original brand that still offers table service but with a smaller menu offerings and may have a QR ordering system in place as well.

The food menu is adjusted to the location and may offer grab and go options as well. Easier, crowd-pleasing offerings are incorporated to the menu which gives it a sense of casualness.

The cocktail menu has about 25 drinks on it and is a mix of classic and new tiki drinks highlighting our signature glassware and mugs. Draft beer is also available.

The ambiance incorporates as many décor elements of the original TV as possible and may be replicated in some instances to stay within the brand. Televisions are allowed in these spaces if the location has a need for them. A gift shop, or retail element, should also be considered based on the location.”

 

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The Kon-Tiki Auction at Little Hill Lounge

Our beloved favorite tiki bar The Kon-Tiki closed in Oakland last December, but for one night only we got to relive the memories with a special night at El Cerrito’s Little Hill Lounge. Several former Kon-Tiki bartenders were making classic drinks such as the Kon-Tiki Grog, Virgin’s Sacrifice, and Uma Uma. Food including an amazing burger was from Chisme, the new venture from former Kon-Tiki chef Manuel Bonilla and friends soon to take over the Kon-Tiki space in Oakland. So good – just like I remember from the Kon-Tiki days.

Owned by the same ownership group, Little Hill is a dive bar on San Pablo Ave. with plenty of retro touches and a nice back room that’s typically used for live music. On this evening the back room was used to auction masks, lamps, floats, and other items that previously hung at the Kon-Tiki. Joe Kent served as the auctioneer and did an amazing job, assisted by fellow “Oakhana” member Jeff Hall. The frenzy was palpable as dozens gathered to take home something from Kon-Tiki, some mentioning that the Kon-Tiki served as an inspiration for their home tiki bar. I went home with a Woody Miller wall carving, a small Oceanic Arts tiki, and giant float.

The Mai Tai was a variant called “Now that’s a Fucking Mai Tai” and was made with the Worthy Park 5 yr Single Barrel procured by Kon-Tiki. This very rum-forward Mai Tai hit all the right spots for me and I think that the Kon-Tiki Grog and Kon-Tiki Zombie were a great as I’ve ever had them. And it was so nice for Mrs. Mai Tai to have an Uma Uma again as well.

Reliving the Kon-Tiki with Friends

There were so many people at this event, with some great retro music from DJ Ship Rex and Woody Miller. Doc Parks also played DJ and went a bit off the rails with some mainstream 80s top 40 but people seemed to be having a great time. While we’re really not getting Kon-Tiki back again, Little Hill Lounge is not that far away and does cocktails just as well as they do beer and shots, so check them out.

Guest Bartender Carlos
DJ Ship Rex
Woody and Doc Hyping the Crowd
Joe Kent
I got a Woody
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Pau Hana Studio is Rethinking the Tiki Mug Production Class

Pau Hana Studio hosts a variety of craft-related classes in the Oakland Hills, including lamp building, jewelry, sewing, and black velvet painting, but we had our eyes on the Build-a-Bob tiki mug class. Pau Hana is the brainchild of artist Woody Miller and wife/business manager Laura Miller.

Glazed but not fired


Woody describes the inspiration for the popular Build-a-Bob tiki mug class, held in a single session. “I get asked all the time how do you make a mug? You can’t do it in an hour, since there are multiple levels. So, we came up with an idea where people can see each part of it – but abbreviated. Some people don’t want to take a six-week class with sculpting and making molds.” We’re right there with this level of scope personally, and we loved Woody’s mug design.

Attendees learn the process of making a tiki mug in one session, including slip casting techniques. Laura describes the process, elaborating on the efficiency of the experience. “We took the idea of a cooking show where they put a cake in the oven and then take out the finished cake, so you’re going to come in and open a mold that we poured yesterday. You open the mold and touch it up with tools and sponges, then put that on the shelf. And then we skip over the drying and firing process, you just grab one that’s already fired and glaze that however you want it, and pick the mug up at a later date.”

We thoroughly enjoyed this session, though Mrs. Mai Tai did better than I did with the end-result. It was an enjoyable vibe on that Sunday afternoon hanging out in the studio and working with the clay and fired mug. The process of touching up the mold isn’t easy, but we all got through it. I was happy with my teal Bob mug and the session is highly recommended.

This series has been extremely popular with some classes selling out, but now is your chance since Pau Hana released their winter class list today including two Build-a-Bob workshops.

Woody filling molds with slip
Bob in mold
Bob out of mold
Finishing the mold
Fired mugs
Glazing the mug
Mugs ready for the kiln
My Bob at home
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The Last Mai Tai: Kon-Tiki’s Mai Tai was Unbeaten

Twenty six hundred and one days ago a man walked into a bar in Oakland and ordered an off menu Mai Tai at a tiki bar during their soft open.

the first Mai Tai

Since then I’ve had probably hundreds of Mai Tai there. Thanks to a stellar rum collection, high quality ingredients, and a professional crew they’ve nearly aways very good, sometimes stellar or mind-blowing. It was the first bar to serve the Ultimate Mai Tai and it is the venue where I’ve had the best Mai Tai of my life.

It was the Kon-Tiki Oakland.

The Kon-Tiki closed last night but I had to have one final Mai Tai. The circumstances were terrible but the Mai Tai was nearly perfect, a rum forward concoction with sweet and savory notes.

Despite being a supposedly simple drink to make, there are plenty of bars (even good bars) that can’t make a Mai Tai that’s balanced or tasty or without weird flavors. But the Kon-Tiki never let me down and the Mai Tai was unbeaten.

Thank you to every bartender who’s ever shaken one up. Thank you to the Kon-Tiki for ever existing.

The Kon-Tiki Oakland
First Mai Tai: Nov. 8, 2017
Last Mai Tai: Dec. 21, 2024

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Last Visit to Kon-Tiki

I got word that yesterday was going to be the last night for the Kon-Tiki and made it up to Oakland to snag a table with the family at opening.

Kon-Tiki Closing Night Checklist

_ Complete the DIY cocktail checklist by having the Pantera Rosa (lovely fruity tequila cocktail) and the Ma Kua for two (a bold sharable drink)
_ Order a last Uma Uma for Mrs. Mai Tai, her favorite
_ Eat the legendary Kon-Tiki Burger for the last time, the best thing in the building that has 200 rums
_ Order a Mai Tai
_ One last toast with Christ
_ Order Kon-Tiki merch (a t-shirt)
_ Say thank you to the crew
_ Leave an extra generous tip
_ Enjoy Yacht Rock in a tiki bar
_ Say aloha to the Oakhana
_ Enjoy eclectic tunes from the DJ
_ Leave with my Expedition plaque
_ Take group photo with the family
_ One last photo of the neon sign
_ Fail at trying not to cry
_ Regret not visiting more often

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Final Ohana Night at The Kon-Tiki

The Kon-Tiki is closing after service on Sunday but the place is going out with a bang as patrons from far and wide and coming for one final cheeseburger or cocktail. Wednesday was the last Ohana night, the day of the week when local tikiphiles have come to hang out on what is generally a slower night than the weekends. But this Wednesday was anything but slow, with a persistent full room and a wait out the door.

The Kon-Tiki staff were in full force, with all three service wells going at the same time to pump our drinks in a timely manner. There were several wait staff, several kitchen runners, and nice to see Jeanie Grant back in the house serving as the maître d’. We want to specifically call out Chris Parker and Kriss Cucuy for exceptional service for me personally this evening.

I’m working to complete another homemade “Kon-Tiki cocktail checklist” and knocked out a few cocktails and am ready to close it out on Sunday with Mrs. Mai Tai’s help. It’d been forever since I had the Zombie and found it to be pretty great – both potent and fruity, with a touch of spice. The Virgin’s Sacrifice was far too spicy for my mild tongue so I passed it over to Jeff as a bonus. Lastly, I had the Leviathan for Two (but just for me this evening) which I’d never had before and immediately liked. The cocktail has rum, bourbon, tangerine, and spices and was nice and rich and balanced. I’m going to miss the consistently high quality of cocktails here.

If you’re trying to get to Kon-Tiki in the next couple days, prepare for waits and treat the staff with kindness. It was so fantastic last night to see the crew working so efficiently on such a busy night – all to the sound of Yacht Rock that the Kon-Tiki used to play religiously and was a welcome return for me.

The Leviathan came in a nice Moai Mug that had a little tear-like drip that was all the more poignant as I left Ohana night for the last time.