Trader Vic's -- Chicago

Well it is open. This thread has some talk about what was going on with the opening.

Definitely a cool space, this was my first time in a Vic's (I moved to Chicago two months before the orginal closed), and I liked it. The decor was "authentic" looking without being completely over the top, food and drinks where good to great and the staff was very friendly and seemed happy to be there. There are definitely a lot of restaurants I would rather try at this price point (I dropped 270 including tax and tip, compared to 240 at OTOM the night before), but I know I'll be back tomorrow night for drinks (and maybe apps)

My wife, my brother in-law and I had the following...

Drinks
Mai Tai
Trader Vic's Sling
Peach Tree Punch
Navy Grog
Eastern Sour
Samoan Fog Cutter
Black Stripe


Apps
Beef Cho-Cho -- Seared steak with soy sake sauce finished on your own flaming hibachi
Kau Kau Tataki -- Hamachi, Tuna, salmon and beef all with their own fragrant flavors
“No Chopstick” Egg Roll -- Filled with chicken, Char siu Pork, bean sprouts and snow peas

Mains
Filet of Beef -- Hawaiian spiced fries, BBQ roasted vegetables
9 Spice Half Chicken -- Yukon gold potato hash, Meyer lemon vinaigrette
BBQ Scallops -- Tamarind glazed, Polynesian rice cake, Thai Cucumber salad

I'm not going to go into detail, I'm no good at that, but everyone enjoyed the food, company, and atmosphere. If anyone has any specific questions feel free.

Trader Vic's -- Chicago
1030 N State St.
Chicago, IL 60610

SSDD

PS -- In retrospect my comparison to OTOM's prices might be a bit off, We had one more app, two more drinks, and a dessert at TV's and there was alot more food on the plate. Take it for what it is worth.

As good as it might be I simply cannot justify those prices. Heck, we had 14 courses for 180 bucks a couple days ago at Lao Sze Chuan:

Octarine wrote:As good as it might be I simply cannot justify those prices. Heck, we had 14 courses for 180 bucks a couple days ago at Lao Sze Chuan:

Yeah, but at LSC was 30% of your bill in drinks? Not likely.

Is it more expensive, yes, but it isn't in a strip mall in China Town either. Don't get me wrong, I really like LSC, but that is a pretty bad comparison on nearly any level.

SSDD

My favorite thing about that receipt (and the meal) is the $2 extra of pork, which is recorded as 2X05 (two times number five). I wish I could 2X05 it at every restaurant.

I lament the original Chicago Trader Vic's. I had a few key first dates there and always thought the food was quite good (and it was the only place to trust a Mai Tai this side of Poipu). Thanks for this report; look forward to checking it out soon. After seeing the menu, my main concern is that they've expense account-ified it with the central meats and shareable sides, as if it's a chain steakhouse or a Fogo. Hopefully the inane, loud crowds won't follow, and it will be more of the old hushed conversation date-ish vibe.