Trader Vic's-a 60's experience

I love going to Trader Vic's, it represents for me a plunge into the days when hand-crafted art was collected as odd and intriguing keepsakes. This place has wonderful things in every corner.

Trader Vic's, Emeryville

Trader Vic's is a tiki-filled outpost of south seas decor and island-style cuisine on the San Francisco Bay.  The establishment began in 1934 as "Hinky Dink's" on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland but was transformed into a tropical hotspot after the owner's trip to Cuba.  When we sketched there last week, Judith's drink had an umbrella in it--and Ken's sported a parrot!

Our neighbors in the bar were sipping from the same huge drink through three individual straws.

Part of the great collection of masks in the back rooms.

More Trader Vic's

Trader Vic's in Emeryville is beautifully sited on a little cove on San Francisco Bay.  Inside, it's all tropical all the time with tiki gods and tribal masks galore.  Very friendly staff and an umbrella in every drink.

Masks and totem poles in the back room.

Flotsam and jetsam hanging from the ceiling of the bar.

Trader Vic's

We sketched at the Emeryville Trader Vic's last week. Everyone was very welcoming to our sketch group. We had drinks and snacks in the bar with a view of the bay and the sunset, then sketched the wall of masks in another part of the restaurant. Trader Vic Bergeron was born in San Francisco and opened his first bar in Oakland, not far from this location. He invented the Mai Tai in Oakland in 1944. There are now Trader Vic's in countries around the world.