Paris is wonderful, NYC has its own charm, I’ve never had a bad time in Amsterdam, Minneapolis is gorgeous in the summer, but hands down, Honolulu, Hawai`i is my favorite city in the world. I’ve just returned from an all too short weekend trip and per spec, it was wonderful.
I’m a firm believer in scheduling travel around meals, so our arrival in HNL was scheduled just in time for a quick trip Diamond Head on the H1 to Kaimuki for a spot of lunch at Chrissie Castillo’s ono Café Kaila. Open for breakfast and lunch (breakfast served all day) Tuesday through Sunday, the place is almost always packed. Fresh, fresh, fresh local organic ingredients, skillfully and carefully prepared and served and great service are keys to Chrissie’s success. I opted for the warm spinach salad with artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, mushrooms and bacon topping a fresh bed of greens and baby spinach. Laurel went with the Local Scramble with ham and home fries. Super fluffy eggs, it’s hard to go wrong at CK. It’s one of those places where you get serious “Restaurant Prairie Dog Syndrome.” That’s where every time a server walks past with a plate of food you crane your neck and say “oooh! I should have had that.”
About 99.6315% of the hotels on Oahu are in Waikiki, but I usually opt to stay downtown, more specifically China Town, at the Aston Executive Center. Reasons being are (a) it’s convenient to lots of fun stuff; (b) the hotel staff is ichiban; and (c)it’s a boat load less tourist crazy than the Kalakaua/Kuhio scene. At the Exec Center, get an upper-level room on the makai (ocean) side and you’ll have a fantastic view of busy Honolulu harbor, the airport and the d Waianae mountains. Aston does a good job maintaining CMS data so the reservation call is always a snap. Once they have my name it’s pretty much just a matter of verifying that I haven’t moved since we last visited and that my preferences are all the same.
Lodging secured, next up on the schedule was a quick walk down Hotel Street to Indigo Restaurant for a little Aloha Friday happy hour. I think Indigo’s address is technically on Nuuanu Ave., but the quickest entrance to my favorite bar in the place is via the Bethel side, next to the Aloha Theater. Happy hour features $4.00 martinis and a really ono pupu buffet. Well gin is Bombay; vodka is Skyy (nobody goes to Honolulu because it’s too expensive?) I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to things served in a martini glass, but if you’re a bit more malleable, give the lychee- or apple-tini a try. In all, I think they advertise like 14 in all to choose from.
Hotel Street and China Town have changed a lot in recent years and mostly for the better. It’s been a long-term project that’s included closing of Hotel Street to auto traffic, the Fort Street Mall, etc. In recent years, an art market/community has emerged and this past Friday included one of the First Friday art walks. Currently, the gallery count numbers around 20 and it’s growing. I’m big fan of supporting your local artist.
With the art theme in mind and Pau martinis, it was time for a stop at Hank’s on Nuuanu. Proprietor Hank Taufaasau originally opened the place to showcase his artwork and today the bar serves as a kind of bridge spanning the days when Hotel Street was dotted with Navy shore patrol and the areas current adjacency to one of the Pacific’s primary hubs of commerce. No one is a stranger in Hank’s. It’s a place built for conversation. Many nights you’ll find tunes, too. I do, however, miss the good ol’ Victoria Stringer days. Later in the evening, a trip upstairs from Hank’s to the Dragon Lounge is recommend—very tiny, very wonderful jazz club.
The night is young, I am not; time to move on to the Tapa Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for a little Olomana. About 20+ years ago, Olomana with Jerry Santos began a Friday/Saturday gig in the Paradise lounge at the HHV that was slated to go for about a month. 18-some years later, the gig was still going. The Paradise lounge became a gathering place for local entertainers and it was always a treat to see who might stop by to sit in with Jerry, Ryan, Willy, Wally and Haunani. In 2007, the Hilton Hotel chain, including the HHV got gobbled up by Blackstone Group: one of those heartless, soul-devoid gang of money-grubbing asshole investment cos. Shortly thereafter, some ivy-laden genius decided that it was time for a change and Olomana was gone. It wasn’t long until they returned to the HHV, but this time to the bar in the Tapa tower. Pau hana time is earlier. Gone is the intimacy of the Paradise Lounge (not to mention the damn columns)–the Tapa bar is located between a swimming pool and the main driveway and has 3-story ceilings. However, Olomana still pack’s ‘em in. Even with hefty trade winds and a bit of rain, the crowd was impressive. It wasn’t much past 11:30 pm, but for Maui geezers it was well past our bedtime and to head back to the Exec and little time to enjoy the harbor views.
[more to follow...]
Café O’lei
I get lots of requests for recommendations on the best spots to dine in Kihei and on Maui, but for several reasons, I find restaurant suggestions tough. It’s hard to find a consensus on what makes a good spot to dine and everyone has their biases. Personally, I avoid chain restaurants at all costs and having spent a good chunk of my life in business travel mode, I find I stay away from major hotel food offerings.