Trader Vic's, the chic, tiki-fied eatery of Polynesian fare at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale will be saying "Aloha" (in the goodbye sense) on July 30.
After the hotel's rehab in December of 2005, Trader Vic's was brought back to life from its previous home on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Craftsman Court in Old Town Scottsdale. Five years later, it's closing its doors and making way for a new concept.
What will the new concept be? Will Trader Vic's Executive Chef Justin Pfeilsticker stay on board? And what's this we hear about a farewell gift of free wine?
A source told me the new concept will not be a chain like Trader Vic's, but will be the Hotel Valley Ho's own independent concept, one that will be more casual and open for more than just dinner. Food and beverage director Charles Wiley, a James Beard-recognized and locally renowned chef, will head up the new restaurant, and while it's unclear whether Pfeilsticker will stay on as executive chef, he will "stay on at the hotel in some capacity."
Cafe Zuzu at the Hotel Valley Ho will remain unchanged.
While no date has been set for the Valley Ho's new restaurant, Trader Vic's is celebrating its last days by rewarding guests who visit before July 30 a free bottle of hand-selected wine when two or more dinner entrées are purchased.
The restaurant hours of operation, until closure, will remain Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to midnight. Happy hour will continue Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to p.m. and again from 9 to 11 p.m.
