I have a section on this website called Great Los Angeles Restaurants That Ain't There No More.* An amazing number of folks have failed to grasp the concept that this is all about restaurants that I went to and about which I have fond or at least interesting memories. They write to me as if I have committed some grievous factual error by omitting some eatery that they went to in 1958 and which I never heard of. Wrong. The section is about places I've eaten. Me. Not you. Me. You want a page on the web about your favorite restaurants? Hey, no one's stopping you.
When I get the time, I will be adding to mine the somewhat-famous outlet of Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills, which closed forever either today or yesterday. It's part of the Beverly Hilton which is part of a big hotel/shopping center which is part of a forthcoming development of super-luxury condos. The Hilton's staying but undergoing massive renovations that involve the ousting of the notorious Polynesian bar-restaurant.
Trader Vic's was one of those establishments I really wanted to enjoy but rarely could. It felt like a great place to hang out, eat and/or drink something slightly exotic and take in an atmosphere of what we wish Hollywood nightlife was like but too often is not. But the times I wound up there — usually because someone I needed to eat with wanted to dine within — I found the service to be smothering and the food to be largely inedible and way overpriced. I've had expensive meals where I could understand the pricetag and others where I felt I'd just paid $24.95 for the exact same thing the Sizzler sells for eight bucks. Put enough Teriyaki Sauce on that Malibu Chicken, have it served by an overly obsequious waiter…and you have a Trader Vic's entree.
My last evening on the premises would have been in October of '05 when we had a bachelor party in one of the private rooms for my pal, Paul Dini. We had a great time in spite of the cuisine. We had exotic beverages. (I chug-a-lugged a 7-Up with a flowered swizzle stick in it.) We had festive decorations. We had several lovely young ladies who'd been hired to artfully disrobe to music. Mostly, we had friends around and you can enjoy being anywhere if you have that. I was wise enough to leave that as my final visit to Trader Vic's so I have fond memories of the place. I'm sure a lot of people do and are mourning its demise.
[*Update, years later: That section of my weblog has been converted to a separate blog: Old L.A. Restaurants]