Trader Vic's - at the LA Live Complex - Los Angeles

14 June 2009

My wife and mother-in-law surprised me and took me out to Trader Vic's for an early birthday dinner. I had the pork chop and a few crab rangoon from their sampler platter. The food was great! I was totally stuffed, but at the end of the meal they brought me out a birthday bowl of coconut ice cream with chocolate and toasted coconut shavings on top. I shared it with Joe and it was the only thing that kept him sitting still for more than five seconds. High praise indeed! The rest of the time I spent chasing Joe around the restaurant to keep him out of the bar while the band was playing and to catch him so he wouldn't press his face against the super hot plate glass in front of the wood-fired ovens! He's a tornado, but we escaped with only one casualty left behind. Unfortunately, Joe got a hold of one of the tiki salt dispensers and broke the head off. Our waiter was understanding though and was much more interested in discussing drinks with me. I only had two while I was there...the Mai Tai and the Navy Grog, but both were fantastic. Ilene had a Menehune Juice. I tried it and it was okay, but a little too light for my taste. Joe liked it the best, though, because he got to play with the little plastic Menehune that came with it. That Menehune was his only souvenir from the restaurant, although he tried to steal a set of shark teeth out of the lobby. I guess he figured that if someone was going to leave it on the floor, it must be free. Anyway, to summarize: a BIG THUMBS UP! We will definitely be back again.