If you are a little jittery about flying for the first time as pandemic restrictions ease, we have news that may calm those nerves:
The Original Mai Tai cocktail is coming to SJC.
Three years after Mineta San Jose and HMS Host announced that they would be bringing Trader Vic’s to the international airport, the Polynesian-themed food and cocktail plan is finally coming to fruition.
The Emeryville-based restaurant, legendary inventor of the mai tai, should be feeding and fueling fliers before Memorial Day. There will be a full-service restaurant in Terminal B plus a smaller Trader Vic’s Outpost for grab-and-go customers.
Look for a Ham and Egg Hawaiian Press and Island Coconut Parfait for breakfast and, for lunch and dinner, Vic’s Tuna Poke, Macadamia Chicken Salad, Honolulu Grilled Cheese with pineapple-chile compote, Maharaja Mansour with roasted vegetables and curry mayonnaise, and Baked Crab and Artichoke Dip
Not surprisingly, the sit-down restaurant’s lineup of cocktails is longer than the food menu. Joining the Original Mai Tai and several fruity iterations will be the Zombie, Scorpion, Koana Puffer, Potted Parrot, Navy Grog, London Sour, three spiked “coffee grogs” and more.
It was the bar/restaurant’s founder, “Trader Vic” Bergeron, who created the now-iconic drink. According to the bar’s website, “That day in Oakland, The Trader pulled down a bottle of 17-year-old Jamaican rum, added a squeeze of lime, a dash of rock candy syrup, a splash of orange Curacao, some French orgeat and poured the concoction over cracked ice.
“He handed it to a friend visiting from Tahiti who immediately exclaimed, ‘It’s Mai Tai Roa Ae!’ (Tahitian for “Out of this world — The Best”), and the first Mai Tai was born.”
At the airport locations, Trader Vic’s will also serve non-alcoholic fruit concoctions and coffee from the locally based Chromatic Coffee.
To staff up as SJC passenger volume increases, HMS Host, the airport’s concession partner, will hold hiring fairs, including one on Tuesday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2521 Seaboard Ave., San Jose.
Details: www.flysanjose.com
