When a non-nightclub establishment enters the nightlife scene it can be a risky proposition. Especially these days, due to the economy and overall promotional clutter, what was once a surefire way for promoters to bring the party people in has become a much more hit-and-miss proposition.
“How often do you guys get to hear steel guitar in Chinatown,” asks Buck Giles from the makeshift stage at thirtyninehotel on a Wednesday evening. Umm.
One way to give directions to Cabanas: Head down Kuhio Avenue until you get to the Food Pantry, take a left, take another left and park in the (expensive) private lot, then walk ‘ewa across the street and enter the lobby of the ‘Ohana Waikiki West hotel. Take the elevator to the mezzanine/swimming pool level, and walk up to the bar.
Hush / During its first six months of operation, Hush Boutique Nightclub and Lounge has made quite an impression on clubgoers in search of a nightlife experience they can call their own. If there is such a thing as upscale casual, Hush is the place.
Once upon a time, the Ocean Club ruled Saturday nights in Honolulu. New owners ran the place into the ground and, before you knew it, the Restaurant Row hot spot closed down leaving loyalists scrambling for alternatives.
Hype it up and they will come. The question is: When the hype is dead and gone, will they keep coming?
The Hideaway / The Hideaway may not have been the first bar I went to when I first returned to the Islands after being on the mainland for two decades, but it was close. My roommates, knowing I was low on funds and still struggling for cash despite working four jobs, introduced me to their power hour, where domestic beers and wells were a dollar for an hour.
MTV and I have never really had a good relationship, though in truth, we’ve barely had contact with each other. That’s by design.
Kanpai Bar / If you’re looking for evidence of tough economic times, Ward Centre as of late seems to be the epicenter. Talk abounds of the loss of the three anchor restaurants in a six-month period, but there have been others (wherefore art thou, Black Angus?
Despite the proliferation of Will Ferrell in sports comedies, the one genre that shall probably remain unsullied is bowling, and that’s thanks to the Coen brothers 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Bowling as a sport is ripe for parody, and indeed has been used, usually resulting in gutterballs (Kingpin and Mystery Men come into frame).
Lotus at Diamond Head / Jazz night at the Lotus at Diamond Head hotel runs from 6:30–9:30pm, but don’t think of it as a pau hana happy hour beer bust—you’re not going to get tequila poppers and Pabst Blue Ribbon here. That’s perfect, because honestly, sometimes you need to get away from that crowd.
Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar and Grill / Friends. Family.
The Pro Bowl / The NFL Pro Bowl is probably the biggest non-event in the sporting world. Every year, the most overpaid and overpraised football athletes take a paid vacation in Hawaii, doing interviews with fawning reporters, and playing a little football with the clear understanding that no one gets hurt.
Haleiwa Joe’s Seafood Grill / “I got a date,” said the fellow at the bar, who had been working up some liquid courage for at least a few hours. “Where should I take her?” I made my usual suggestions, with the admission that I’m probably not the best person to ask for romantic spots, as my sense of foreplay is shots of Jäger with a Pabst chaser.
This wasn’t set up to be a two part-series. Hell, it probably wasn’t worth one article.
Let’s deviate from the standard bar review, although, like all good stories, this one starts at a bar. Like a lot of people in Honolulu, I have a second job.
Wahoo's Fish Taco / [ED Note: Animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) recently began a campaign to reclassify fish as “sea kittens,” under the assumption that nobody would want to eat a kitten of the sea. As we here at Honolulu Weekly are fans of progressive thinking, as well as the absurd, we shall adopt their stance for this column only.
Cha Cha Cha Salsaria / New Years’ Eve resolutions are boring. Not because there’s anything wrong with trying to better oneself, but from the fact that most resolutions usually revolve around giving something up, and for that, I say we have Lent.
Cheeseburger Beachwalk / When Holokai Grill shuttered without warning back in May, it wasn’t a complete surprise. Located off the beaten path of the newly developed Waikiki Beach Walk, it was hard to spot on the second floor terrace among all the flashing lights and flaming tiki torches.
2008 Honolulu Marathon / Editor’s note: We should have gotten this piece into the last issue. When the opportunity arises to tell a good story in a timely manner, you’d like to make good on it.
J Bistro & Wine / It’s often true that the best places are found off the beaten path. Sure, you can find hot spots that are filled to capacity, but it’s often more because of location than atmosphere.
Bourbon, Beef & Blunts / For decades, the image of the backroom filled with cigar smoke has had connotations with polticians and their dirty deals. Last Wednesday, however, the politics were pushed aside for a special event sponsored by the Hawai’i Bar Owners Association (HiBOA).
Bonsai / The nightclub/restaurant combo has always been a bit confounding. Like, for myself, I’ve never had the compulsion to tell my date, “Yeah, this place has great food, and if we hang out, it will transform into a happening nightspot with a killer DJ.” I heard that.
Pearl Ultra Lounge / Though we here at Honolulu Weekly haven’t sponsored many bar events, we’ve always been pretty easy to find. There are a few places you’re bound to find at least a few of us–Hideaway, Mercury Bar, Indigo, thirtyninehotel, Irish Rose Saloon–all places that can have big crowds and big business, but still retain a neighborhood bar atmosphere.
The Gits / Back in 1993, while booking shows in San Jose, Calif., I became friends with Mia Zapata. I was an enormous fan of her band, The Gits, and wanted them to play in my area.
After retiring from public service in 2002, Ben Cayetano seemed to be taking it easy on the political scene–until 2005, that is, when then-Mayor Mufi Hannemann revived the long-lapsed idea of a Honolulu heavy rail project. Needless to say, Cayetano did not concur.
Last Thursday, the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection had a busy session hearing several controversial bills relating to geothermal energy. Chairman Denny Coffman introduced HB2689, which seeks to exempt slim-hole, or exploratory, geothermal test wells from any sort of environmental review as is currently required under Chapter 343 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
On Feb. 1, the Hawaii State House Agriculture Committee heard testimony on HB2703, dubbed the Food Self-Sufficiency Bill.
Mega-developer Castle & Cooke has re-filed an application with the Land Use Commission (LUC) seeking to convert approximately 768 acres of Ag land–currently in cultivation–into a “master-planned community” entitled Koa Ridge. If successful, the project will consist of two parcels–Koa Ridge Makai and Castle & Cooke Waiawa.
Office of Hawaiian Affairs holds a second round of community meetings to discuss the latest updates on the Kakaako land settlement. Stevenson Middle School, 1202 Prospect St., Wed., 2/8, 6:30pm; Waimanalo Community Center, 41-253 Ilauhole St., Thu., 2/9, 6:30pm City Council committees on Zoning and Planningand Transportation will take public testimony on agenda items.
[Feb. 1: “Kinda Kona”] The trade secret argument would fall to the wayside if it would read “10 percent Kona Coffee 90 percent Foreign Coffee,” or something to that effect.
If they are choosing the cheapest coffee from anywhere, then the “trade secret” is that they are adding crap and not a sp
[Feb. 1: “Rail Boss Wanted”] $300,000?
[Jan. 4: “Boss GMO] Dean Okimoto is a sell out and a criminal.
Monsanto is a major component of the NWO drive to reduce the world’s population in a global genocide program that includes the poisoning of the water, air and food. This criminal activity must be stopped.
Lets be real here, Dean Okimoto is not interested in anything other then keeping the status quo of industrial Ag. He is merely a puppet, playing it safe, a small game of following the money and corrupt political trail.
[Jan. 25: “Weaving the Future on Molokai”] Good luck to all those who possess the ability to balance long-term vision with short term opportunity.
[Dec. 21: “Underground Railroad”] This is, indeed, a “lunatic project,” as pointed out by a professor at the University of Hawaii.
This is such a bad idea for the overall architecture of Oahu. I visit here because my family is here and part of the charm is taking the bus or driving.
I cannot imagine how anyone can think this is a smart idea. I’ve lived in places with rail, but this Honolulu Rail Transit is stupid, plain stupid.
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