Easter Brunch, Tiki Style

It's always Tiki Time at Trader Vic's.  And they serve up a fabulous buffet brunch.  I'm speaking, of course, of the original Trader Vic's in Emeryville, CA where the Mai Tai was invented.  We love to go to Trader Vic's, and we have been going there for Easter for years.

We always start with drinks.  "I'll have 2 Mai Tais, the old way.  Please."

My daughter enjoyed the Strawberry Banana Slushy. 

And our friend enjoyed the Tropitini off the Easter Cocktail Menu.

 On to the food.  This year's menu--

The shell chandelier in the party room.  The chandelier is actually stunning.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

The carving station.

Pastries

Chocolate dipped strawberries

We had a lovely table in the bar area next to a window.  I think I prefer the bar area-- it is a bit more relaxing and you can hear the music better.  We enjoyed the view of the Marina and stayed all afternoon.  Last year, they gave everyone leis, and I missed them this year.  They were just the cheap plastic ones, but they were fun and part of the atmosphere since everyone was wearing one.  But what I really missed was the seafood bar.  Last year, they had smoked salmon with capers and cream cheese, sushi, shrimp cocktail and Ahi Poke with taro chips.  Why eliminate that?!  It was my favorite.  I ended up feeling too full this year with the elimination of the lighter fare options.  And how can you have a Tiki buffet with a seafood bar?!  To top it off, the price increased this year by $9 for adults.  I did enjoy myself this year, but I left feeling a bit saddened by the degradation of the experience.

Keep your eyes on the Trader Vic's site for their upcoming events.  They usually offer  buffet brunches for Mother's Day and Father's Day.  And they are starting to have live music on some Wednesdays and Saturdays.

 

 

Aloha!