Description
Don't expect over-the-top vintage kitsch at this Polynesian-inspired eatery, located at the recently re-swankified Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale. Trader Vic's is going for both old school and new school, with giant carved wooden tikis and rustic palm frond lampshades spread throughout a sleeker space than you might expect. The vintage drink menu remains mostly unchanged, though, with fruity, alcoholic concoctions like the Mai Tai (the signature drink, supposedly invented by Victor "Trader Vic" Bergeron himself) and the Potted Parrot. The Cosmo Tidbits features a good variety of retro (read: fatty) appetizers, but Trader Vic's also comes up with some cool, summery salads. And among more than 30 entrees on the menu, the best are cooked in the restaurant's wood-fired oven, which gives the dishes a subtle smokiness. Trader Vic's really does a fine job with its meat.
