May 2007 archive
Well, of course it was. I've blogged about the refined pleasures of the Lewers Lounge on several occasions and in more than one blog. I'm glad to see the folks at Esquire agree with me. Of course, there are a…
I've always loved going to Poipu / Koloa on Kauai. There are a lot of condos and a smattering of big hotels and it felt a bit crowded but the place managed to retain its small town charm. The…
You can now fly non-stop from Anchorage to Honolulu on a scheduled, regular route. This used to be the domain only of charter flights run on Hawaiian Air jets. Now Alaska Airlines, one of the smartest companies in the sky,…
So I've periodically blogged about the ongoing fare war between upstart interisland carrier go! and incumbents Aloha and Hawaiian. The war just got a it more bloodier this week as go! dropped the one-way price of an interisland ticket running…
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The latest in my Kayak Buzz observations. And sorry for crappy visuals. I need to get tables set up but haven't had time. Note that rt tix from NYC area airports to Honolulu appear to be headed for the $600…
For most of the past two decades, the historic and lovely Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel may have been the most underwhelming hotel in Hawaii. A lovely wooden, turn-of-the-century Victorian structure in virginal white, the Moana is one of two remaining…
The first review of Cassis, the downmarket Chef Mavro bistro in downtown Honolulu, paints an uneven picture, My friend Lesa Griffith did the review and I trust her judgement, which, in a nutshell, says: the foods really good but…
It was no surprise when the Kahala Resort announced a major renovation. The rooms, while stylish, were getting tired. Parquet floors in the tropics may not have been the best idea. The Trip Advisor masses were calling the Kahala a…
Day 2: You’re in Hawaii so get wet and take it all in. Score a kayak cruise in Kealakekua Bay, a marine preserve at the base of the green hills of Kona's coffee country, where pods of spinner dolphins are…
(Here's the first in a series of family itineraries that I'm going to run, starting with Big Island. Enjoy and let me know if anything's wrong.) So you've finally arrived. The Big Island is impressive from any viewpoint and your…
King Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian Islands with an iron fist, failed not once but twice in his attempts to capture Kauai. That rebellious spirit lives on: By Hawaii standards, Kauai is still more than a bit untamed…
I've long been a fan of Maui-based writer Paul Wood, whose quirky musings have graced a number of publications. Here's a really nice article he wrote about the remnant forests on Maui for the most recent edition of Spirit of…
In 1901, after numerous pleas from his wife, Mary, Big Island rancher W. H. "Willie" Shipman purchased this graceful, secluded Victorian high above Hilo Bay for the grand sum of $13,000. Hospitality has ruled ever since. During a 1907 tour…
Cheryl Tsutsumi, who has covered the islands for years, writes a piece in this Sunday's Star-Bulletin about tours of the Kazamura Lava Tube, the longest lava tube…
Crazy Japanese billionaire Gensiro Kawamoto is pushing ahead with his plans to turn one of Hawaii's super luxe nabes (home to Hollywood supermogul David Geffen, among others) into his own personal housing project for people of Native Hawaiian descent. So…
Here's the latest. The Star-Bulletin gives the Alan Wong's alumni at Stage Restaurant three stars but its hardly a convincing review. At blog Tasty Island, reviews of locally made Portuguese sausages. Yum, Pomai. Grand Cafe Bakery in Chinatown (Honolulu) has…
The Honolulu Advertiers entertainment columnist Wayne Harada tells us that multiple "Lost" cast members have dined at Cassis, Chef Mavro's new downtown eatery helmed by his protege Ben Takahashi. Among those spotted was the popular with the worse-half Evangeline Lilly.…
You can quaff cold glasses of this riff on a traditional Mai Tai at the "Mai Tai" Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki, which has, arguably, one of the better Mai Tais on Earth. INGREDIENTS: * 1 oz.…
This wonderful little beach park is often overlooked by tourists but that's their loss.Lydgate is a county park so there are bathroom facilities, showers, parking and lifeguards (one of the few beaches on Kauai that does). There are two wading…
I love the Kayak Buzz, a nifty feature that automatically ships via email you a range of prices broken down by month for any city you want to track. I've started tracking flights from top mainland cities with links to…
Want to stay in Wailea? Prepare to pay. The big, luxe hotels charge $400 per night and up. There are a number of condo options in Wailea, though. The Wailea Ekahi Village is one of the better ones (this offer…
Better grab those tables fast. Wade Uekoa, who has helmed a number of these prix fixe tasting extravaganzas, is back at the toque. Menu highlights include Seared Furikake Crusted Ahi with Ma’o Farms Ruby Streak Greens, Fresh Myoga, Soy Mustard…
Driving around Oahu and seeing the fruit-laden trees, I am hopeful that we are going to have a bumper mango crop this year. Our own little Ma'apulehu tree in the front yard has doubled his fruit count (from one to…
But they mean it in a nice way. Ian Lind pointed out this Chicago Tribune piece covering the rainy (well, not as much as you think), sleepy burg on the eastern side of the Big Island. The article compares…
Maui Time Weekly (which is a really fun publication) reports that the Hotel Hana Maui, a venerable queen of the Hawaii hotel scene and the only high-end resort in the isolated, lush Hana district, is refusing to let people…
Volcano is an amazing place place. A quiet town on the slopes of Kilauea Volcano and a soaring place of thousands of acres of lava fields and remnant forest, it's lovely, quiet, and eerily spiritual. Sandwiched between a smoking volcano…
This property in the Wailua / Kapaa District is a beachfront bargain that was recently renovated. The region sometimes has sun problems -- as in, not enough of it -- but Kapaa is comparatively hopping these days with plenty of…
The first time I visited Hawaii (before I moved here) I ate about a can of macadamia nuts per day. It made me feel sick but I couldn't help it. As an East Coaster I had never had any nuts…
According to this story in Hawaii Business Magazine, SoCal developer Mike "Big Mike" Harrah is bringing the first boutique Harley Davidson themed hotel to the islands. Harray is also a stunt pilot who has flown choppers in a number of…
The Honolulu Advertiser takes a walk through of the newly redone 39Hotel, one of the coolest clubs in Honolulu and a key player in the hopping downtown / Chinatown bar scene. A gallery by day, 39Hotel morphs into an airy…
Both Aloha Air, which has gone in and out of bankruptcy, and upstarts go! announced in the past few days financial results. Both cited interisland travel in Hawaii as a reason for increased red ink. This bodes poorly for…
Here's the weekly crop of food reviews and news items. Honolulu Weekly says "Molto bene!" to Donato Loperfido's latest, Pasta et Basta located in the Restaurant Row foodie death zone. The Star-Bulletin also loves Pasta Basta (inevitably shortened) as well…
The Shipwreck Bar at the old school nouveau castaway Kona Village Hotel is one of those iconic resort boites so rare in Hawaii. It actually has history and yes, it really was made from a wrecked ship. The barkeep, Sid…
Chef Mavro caters to the foodie crowd, the crazy folks who throw down serious coin for upscale chow. Ian Lind prefers dirt cheap Thai food. Which makes his review particularly interesting, as he's enticed to eat at Cassis, Mavro's new…
About time and very cool. So many neat stories about what life is like out here, personalities, color, etc. Filmmaker Edgy Lee is heading the project. Emme's "Island Moments" have been nice but really could use an update and hopefully…
Offered by packager Pleasant Hawaiian, this one includes r/t airfare from Newark, daily breakfast and 6 nights stay at one of Hawaii's most iconic resorts. The Hyatt in Poipu is airy, sprawling, and has an amazing pool. Total runs $3600…
I often don't agree with what Gail Jennings at Hawaii Diner has to say but I love reading her stuff anyway. Here she gives us a sneak peak at the new Roy's at Waikiki Beach Walk. This is a "Mock"…
Via Travelocity, $784 for r/t air and four-night stay at a top-notch Waikiki hotel with ocean view room in every room. Dinner for 2 at Hakone, an excellent Japanese restaurant in the hotel. Rooms alone usually run for over $200..…
A California visitor snorkeling in the shallow waters off a popular Kihei beach was attacked by a shark yesterday, according to Honolulu Star-Bulletin.. She's fine, having suffered lacerations to her foot and calf. In fact, Hat tip to the folks…
So we know that Barack is a literary man. He's written two memoirs before hitting 50 years of age. He was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review (he got his law degree there). So the man clearly…
I've long been a fan of the New York Times' travel section. It's both literate and fun. Their coverage of Hawaii has been excellent. The most recent offering, which came out on May 4, covered Kokee State Park on Kauai.…
He didn't use those words exactly but Oahu's top radio drive-time host (Larry Price, who is part of the Perry & Price Duo on KSSK) essentially told the President of the Hawaii State Senate Gary Hooser that he didn't trust…
The view from the lobby at the Princeville Resort is perhaps one of the most iconic in Hawaii, with the broad crescent of Hanalei Bay unfurling and waterfall-flecked Mount Waialeale in the distance. The rooms, on the other hand, have,…
Nobu Matsuhisa is in Honolulu, whipping his crew into shape for a May 28 opening of his latest outpost at the Waikiki Parc Hotel. Local media is all lathered up about the event -- which kind of cements my suspicion…
Here's an article about the indictment for manslaughter of a former Hawaii high school football star in the unprovoked beating death of a visitor who had been accepted to the University of Hawaii's Law School. Granted, this beating happened in…
Word broke yesterday that United Arilines had purchased a minority stake of Aloha Airlines, one of two major home-grown carriers. Aloha and Hawaiian dominate the interisland air travel market, although upstart entrant (and Mesa Airlines subsidiary) go! has forced nasty…
Well, that was a pretty short breather. After several months of stagnant or slightly falling prices, in April Oahu real estate resumed a somewhat torrid pace with prices for condos and single family homes rising 10% and 8%, respectively, as…
Being a man with an uncontrollable sweet tooth, I am a sucker for butterscotch / caramel flavorings in my post-dinner noshables. I also love pies, particularly rich and sinful pies. Which leads me to the Mac Pie, a Big Island…
I've been blogging a lot about how soft travel to Hawaii makes this an insanely great time to visit. Well, witness this room/air deal from Pleasant Hawaiian Holiday, a massive wholesalers and packager. The deal is $435 for rt/airfare from…
I've blogged before about weakening occupancy levels in the Hawaiian Islands and how that would likely mean better deals on rooms. Yesterday Hilton Hotels posted quarterly earnings that were below expectations due, in large part, to weakness in its Hawaii…
I'll start off the foodie roundup with a mention of Wailua Wheat, a lilikoi-citrus scented wheat bear put out by Kona Brewing Company. This is the company's second limited-release custom brew, following on the heels of its stellar chocolate and…
