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Trader Vic's, Emeryville
The roots of the current retro tiki revival can trace its path through the original Trader Vic's. It all began in 1936 when restauranteur Victor Jules Bergeron transformed his Chinese restaurant, Hinky Dink's into the Polynesian food and tropical cocktail-serving, Trader Vic's. Decorated with fish nets, canoe paddles, and tikis, the restaurant caught the attention of the Bay Area and soon became its most popular hot spot. In 1944, Trader Vic's made mixology history by inventing the Mai Tai rum cocktail, a drink that wouldn't reach the Hawaiian Islands until six years later.

As the second World War ended and with servicemen familiar with Polynesian culture and food returning from the Pacific, Bergeron opened a second location in San Francisco. This location would be a famous celebrity watering hole for years. Eventually Trader Vic's would open 25 Polynesian-style restaurants around the world from Dallas to Dubai. The Emeryville location still remains a great place to order a Mai Tai cocktail on the 'Captain's Deck' and enjoy a pu-pu platter while watching the sun set over the Bay.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What does 'Mai Tai' mean?
ANSWER

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