We’re flying to Vegas for the weekend and stopped by Trader Vic’s San Jose Airport for dinner. The Mai Tais tonight were totally on point, and the best so far in all my visits to this airport location of Trader Vic’s. Everything came together in perfect balance and an early leader for Mai Tai of the year.
The view tonight wasn’t bad either. Look at the sunset! We enjoy watching the air ships from within the tiki bar.
I had the Teriyaki Salmon bowl and it too was really great. Lots of things to love including edamame, carrots, rice and more. Service was super helpful and prompt too. It bums me out when we have to fly out of SFO or OAK instead of SJC.
Victor Bergeron was born on this day in 1902. Life was tough as a child, including stints in the hospital, losing a leg to TB, and surviving the 1906 SF earthquake. But by the mid-1930s, “Trader Vic” Bergeron was making a name for himself as a restaurateur and mixologist.
I had a great lunch at Trader Vic’s Emeryville to celebrate Vic’s birthday, including one of his most famous creations: Crab Rangoon. I absolutely love these, especially with the dipping sauces. I also had the Trader Vic Salad in an attempt to pretend I was eating healthy.
Vic’s has a pretty reasonable rum selections and wanted to try something a little different to celebrate Vic’s birthday. I noticed a bottle of the Hamilton St Lucia Pot Still rum, aged for 9 years. This is a really amazing rum that’s no longer being issued, but my Mai Tai with this rum was only $15.50! Such a flavorful rum and so great in Trader Vic’s masterpiece cocktail.
Vic’s was looking great with a little holiday decor, plus some holiday tunes playing inside the restaurant. The bartenders Troy and Saul treated me right and it was very relaxing to take a break inside from the rain. The restaurant was hosting a baby shower in the back rooms, so it’s nice to see people still seeking out the venue for special occasions. Absolutely love this Trader Vic’s location.
Had a great time on Sunday for the Holiday Bazaar and Brunch at Trader Vic’s Emeryville. So many great vendors, and we bought from several. There were two rooms of vendors and it seemed like business was booming. The mug release for the Tiki Diablo mug seemed to be pretty successful, though we didn’t partake.
For brunch I tried the monthly special cocktail, Saul’s Own Punch. An original cocktail from Vic’s longtime bartender, featuring Red Wine, Citrus, Honey, Passionfruit, and Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum. Longtime readers know I’m not big into wine but this was just the right amount for a rum-soaked Sangria. The Kulua Pork Hash was pretty amazing, too.
Service was pretty good at Vic’s, especially considering it was a packed house. We were seated by DJ Otto who provided a varied mix of retro and retro-inspired tunes. And we got to sit by the window on a picturesque afternoon in Emeryville. Good times at Trader Vic’s.
It’s always a pleasure talk with Tiki with Ray off or on camera. This conversation was on camera for Ray’s YouTube show, and he asked me the provocative question – can the Mai Tai evolve again?
The Mai Tai evolved around a decade after it arrived in Hawai’i, so it seems like a possibility that it could evolve again? Ray put out some theories and I reacted with some opinions. Be sure to check out the video on YouTube.
Not entirely a coincidence that we chose this restaurant on the waterfront of Sparks Marina Park Lake, since this was located very close to our hotel. But I was all too happy to take Mrs. Mai Tais suggestion for Sparks Water Bar for dinner on Saturday.
The lake is obviously man-made, and there are some nice beach styled houses near the marina, including some with some impressive backyard tikis. The two-story restaurant was busy on Saturday, so it seems like the place to be. Food is a mix of this and that American fare, along with the extensive Gar Woods cocktail menu.
1944 Old Way Mai Tai
So, a “Trader Vic’s Mai Tai” (the one made with Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Concentrate) and a “1944 Old Way Mai Tai” were there for a little comparison testing. Unlike our visit to sister property America’s Bar in Truckee, the mint was in great shape for the garnish. The 1944 comes with the Menehune spear, and did taste a bit better – just a little more rich. Both were well-done and authentic.
Mrs. Mai Tai tried one of Gar Woods’ “Woody” cocktails, a blended Daiquiri style drink which she plussed with some Prickly Pear puree and a float of Myers’s and Captain Morgan rums. I thought it was pretty good for this style of drink and certainly the pear flavor did come through. She didn’t love the Pomegranate Martini though, but I thought it was a pretty good Cosmo riff.
Can’t say enough good things about the food here. My Teriyaki Salmon Salad was delightful, with the teriyaki glaze perfectly grilled to a crisp. There were lots of things in the salad besides lettuce, and I really enjoyed this. The Scallops that Mrs. Mai Tai had were pricey but she said were excellent.
Local TikisTrader Vic’s Mai TaiTeriyaki Salmon Salad
To celebrate, I took a run at doing a Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai. In the past I’ve used the Captain Morgan Jack-O-Blast Rum as an accent rum in a standard 1944 Mai Tai. That rum isn’t being produced anymore, so I decided to try this a different way by making a pumpkin spice simple syrup.
Pumpkin Spice Mai Tai 1 oz Lime Juice ½ oz Orgeat ½ oz Pumpkin Spice Syrup ½ oz Orange Curacao 2 oz Aged/Gold Rum Shake with ice and garnish with a burnt cinnamon stick and a couple cherries.
The rum here should be flavorful but not overpowering. I used Appleton Reserve 8 but your favorite moderately aged or “gold” rum will do fine.
Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup ¾ cup Sugar ¾ cup Water ⅓ cup Canned Pumpkin Puree 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
Heat water until just before boiling, take off heat and stir in the sugar. Once dissolved, add the pumpkin puree and spice, stirring for several minutes until the liquid has a consistent orange color. Add a little light rum and then bottle and refrigerate.
With this recipe the syrup does not hit you over the head with the pumpkin spice flavor, so you can add more spice if it suits you. I think it’s better when you just get a hint of the pumpkin flavor in the cocktail.
This original cocktail was developed by Tonga Tim Harnett of Tiki Underground bar in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It was featured last week on Spike’s Breezeway Cocktail Hour on YouTube, named in honor of Spike’s girlfriend Larissa – otherwise known as the Murderqueen. Check out the video on YouTube, and then check out the amazing surf/horror single “Theme from The Murderqueen” that Spike put out a couple years ago on Hi-Tide Recordings.
The Murderqueen Cocktail by Tim Harnett 1½ oz Pink Grapefruit Juice ½ oz Solerno Blood Orange Cordial ¼ oz Orgeat ¼ oz Passion Fruit syrup ½ oz Raspberry syrup 1 oz Plantation OFTD Overproof Rum 1 oz Rum Bar Overproof Rum 4 heavy dashes Peychauds Bitters Shake with ice and garnish with three dark cherries
I subbed Liber for the Blood Orange Cordial, and Chambord liqueur for the raspberry syrup. I used Latitude 29 Orgeat and Small Hand Foods Passion Fruit Syrup.
Despite the grapefruit juice and heavy rums, this cocktail is actually pretty easy to drink. It has a real nice set of flavors and seems timely for Halloween season.
