VIDEO: ‘Beachbum’ Berry talks Don the Beachcomber

Video by Jason Genegabus / jason@staradvertiser.com

By Jason Genegabus
jason@staradvertiser.com

Cocktail expert Jeff “Beachbum” Berry was on the Big Island last weekend to participate in the Second Annual Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival at the Big Island’s Royal Kona Resort. Along with judging the “World’s Best Mai Tai” contest, he was also asked to speak to guests about the life and drinks of the legendary Don the Beachcomber.

The Berry-hosted seminar also featured three tastings of Don the Beachcomber cocktails; in the video above, he talks about Don’s influence and the drinks he selected for the seminar.

PICS: ‘Cocktail Development’ with Alan Wong

Photos by Jason Genegabus / jason@staradvertiser.com

Chef Alan Wong, right, poses with Better Brands’ Joey Gottesman during “Cocktail Development” at the Pineapple Room last month.

By Jason Genegabus
jason@staradvertiser.com

It pretty much goes without saying that in social situations, food and drinks often go hand in hand.

A good cocktail shouldn’t just look and taste good. If made correctly, it should also serve as the proper amount of lubrication necessary for people to truly enjoy themselves.

The same goes with food, due to its ability to start conversations and bring tables of strangers closer together. Throw in an award-winning chef and a couple of local liquor specialists, and you’re looking at a pretty fun time.

That’s what Alan Wong had in mind when he invited a select group to the Pineapple Room on July 28 to participate in his inaugural “Cocktail Development” workshop hosted by the restaurant with assistance from liquor distributor Better Brands. Read more

Inside HILife: Barfly

A toast to Cheers

Jamm Aquino / jaquino@starbulletin.com Cheers Sports Bar & Grill 1380 S. King St. Open 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily 979-3411

By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com

You’ll probably never see George Wendt, John Ratzenberger or Kelsey Grammer knocking a few back at Cheers Sports Bar & Grill, but chances are the bar at the corner of South King and Keeaumoku streets already has its own version of popular TV characters Norm Peterson, Cliff Clavin and Dr. Frasier Crane.

The Cheers name definitely fits the vibe here, with its mix of local residents who appear slightly older than customers at other watering holes in the area. If you don’t want to deal with the 20-somethings at Tsunami’s, can’t afford the higher food prices at Champions and need a little more wholesome fun than what’s offered at Club 939, then Cheers is for you.

Formerly known as King St. Cafe, the space now known as Cheers has been refurbished slightly in recent months. There’s lots of room for tables and couches here, with another half-dozen bar stools or so at the bar proper on the Diamond Head side of the room. If you visit alone, this is where you’ll want to sit; if you come with friends, however, the booths are where you want to be.

A variety of couches and love seats provide ample space to kick back and relax, with additional tables available to accommodate larger groups. My seating pick would be the pair of leather couches on the Ewa end of Cheers — bring a few friends and you’ll have your own private corner with a dedicated flat-screen television for everyone to watch.

Click here to read the rest of this month’s review.

Inside HILife: Barfly

OnStage Drinks & Grinds marks 6 years

FL Morris / fmorris@starbulletin.com

ONSTAGE DRINKS & GRINDS SIXTH ANNIVERSARY with the Dave Young Band and Friends of Adam » Where: OnStage Drinks & Grinds, 802 Kapahulu Ave. » When: 7 p.m. Jan. 30 » Cost: Free » Info: 738-0004 or www.hsblinks.com/1ra

By Jason Genegabus
jason@starbulletin.com

By staying true to the mantra “Good Music, Good People, Good Times,” Kapahulu’s OnStage Drinks & Grinds has been able to deal with two major challenges that could have easily closed down the bar.

“I would say the top two that faced not only us, but the entire bar industry, was first, the smoking ban, and then the downturn in the economy,” said co-owner Dave Young earlier this week. “But when we got involved, our whole goal was a long-term thing.

“I didn’t really see anything out there that I really wanted to do besides running this kind of business.”

Despite a brief drop in business when Honolulu’s indoor-smoking ban was passed in 2006, Young said the reaction from regular customers has been nothing but favorable ever since. And even though some customers are spending less in the bar these days, an established presence by neighborhood college students has helped keep business relatively steady.

“In Kapahulu your residents are a combination of families who have been in the neighborhood for a long time,” Young said. “And then you also have a combination of students because we’re so close to the universities.

“So, we get a nice mix of the neighborhood folks and the college kids. It’s kind of like a ‘Cheers’ atmosphere, where everybody knows your name. It’s a real friendly bar.”

Pick up a copy of HILife in Friday’s Honolulu Star-Bulletin to read the rest of this story.

Inside HILife: Barfly

Trumping with cocktails

Craig T. Kojima / 2009

Whether you enjoy a perfectly shaken and strained martini, a nice glass of wine or even just a bottle of beer with a bucket of ice, it never hurts to have a couple of classy establishments in your back pocket to provide drinking options in a pinch.

This advice especially holds true during the holidays. Got family in town this weekend for Christmas? Need to impress your date on New Year’s Eve? Looking for a nice pau hana spot for you and your co-workers before the end of the year?

They might not be your typical go-to bars, but everyone needs a few picks when first impressions are vital and drink specials aren’t a concern. The new Wai‘olu Lounge at the Trump International Hotel at Waikiki Beach Walk fits nicely into this category.

YES, WE’RE TALKING about a lobby bar — the type of space that’s usually an afterthought for both hotel management and the guests who stay there.

The Trump Waikiki, however, takes a slightly different approach. First, the hotel lobby isn’t located on the ground floor of the property at the corner of Saratoga and Kalia roads. Guests must instead ride a dedicated elevator to the building’s sixth floor; Wai‘olu is located just past a small area that serves as the hotel’s front desk.

Next, we’re talking about a Trump-branded property, so expectations are a bit higher when it comes to the decor. Wai‘olu is impressive in its simplicity, with a corridor-like space that offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Furnishings utilize a lot of wood, accented by splashes of color found in fresh flowers and plants on display.

More than a dozen seats line the bar, but the best drinking experience has to be in one of four small enclaves that are open to the elements. Couches make things comfortable for couples, and nearly every chair affords sweeping views of neighboring Fort DeRussy and the Hale Koa Hotel.

The lounge’s sixth-floor location is also well-removed from street-level vehicular and pedestrian traffic, which makes kicking back with a cocktail even more relaxing when there isn’t any of the hustle and bustle you might expect when in Waikiki. Wai‘olu also provides spectacular sunset views from a vantage point never before seen in the neighborhood.

Click here to read the rest of this story.

Inside HILife: Barfly

Changes improve ‘old faithful’ hangout

FL Morris / fmorris@starbulletin.com

Karaoke Hut 909 Kapahulu Ave. 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily 734-7771

Sometimes the best bars to patronize are the ones that never change.

Whether it’s been five days, five months or even five years, it can be comforting to walk into an establishment and be welcomed by the same faces in the same environment that you remember from your first visit.

That’s what it’s been like for me at Karaoke Hut, a dive bar of sorts that doubles as a karaoke hall for those who like to hear themselves sing. Customers can rent out private rooms in a variety of sizes (the rates are best in the afternoons and early evenings), but I’ve been a fan of the lounge here since moving home in 1999.

Despite an unusually high amount of employee turnover in recent years, this bar has been a mainstay for me during much of the last 10 years. Karaoke Hut has always been the watering hole that I consider my “local” — the one bar that I could count on for a cheap drink and a comfortable bar stool, no matter what time of day or day of the week I visited.

Much of what I wrote about this place during my first review in May 2004 remains the same today.

Think you need to actually have some vocal talent in order to sing in front of a room of strangers? Then skip the lounge at Karaoke Hut, since the vibe here is more about having a good time and letting off some steam at the expense of other peoples’ eardrums.

But if you’re looking for a Cheers-like atmosphere that caters to everyone from college students and construction workers to strippers and service industry types on their days off, this bar is definitely worth a visit.

Click here to read the rest of this month’s column.

Inside HILife: Barfly

Serious partiers

FL Morris / fmorris@starbulletin.com

TSUNAMI 1272 S. King St. Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily Info: 596-0700 or tsunamihawaii.com

Lots of party promoters talk about owning their own venue, but few will ever turn those dreams into reality.

There’s a reason for that. Some promoters are more about the fame and fortune than stacking chips and building a business that will last. Others have more fun living the party lifestyle rather than planning for the future and focusing on the bottom line.

That’s not the case at Tsunami, a new lounge concept that opened earlier this month on South King Street between Piikoi and Keeaumoku. The five-person hui of investors behind the establishment can trace its roots back to the local bar and club scenes, where they still promote weekly parties on Friday and Saturday nights. They also lease out space at Bar Seven (the former Venus Nightclub).

With the new bar, Tsunami’s owners aim to bridge the gap between the college-style, liquor-soaked parties some of them are known for and a more sophisticated, classy vibe suitable for young professionals who are now pushing 30 and aren’t into the shenanigans that might have been fun a few years ago.

“We didn’t want it to be too flashy,” said co-owner Bryan “Yosh” Yoshida. “(We wanted) a place where you feel comfortable socializing and drinking.”

Click here to read the rest of this story.

Inside HILife: Barfly

Wine for Da Braddahs

Craig Kojima / ckojima@starbulletin.com

LAUNCH PARTY Look Me in the Eye Where: Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapiolani Blvd. When: 9 p.m. tonight Cost: $10 Info: 352-2242 or www.lanaiswine.com

Click here to read the rest of this story.

Inside HILife: ‘Barfly’ searches for the best jazz in town

Local musicians are often among the hardest hit when the effects of our failing economy trickle down to the bar and nightclub level.

Sure, bartenders and cocktail servers lose tips and wages when shifts get cut and customers begin to pull back on going out for drinks. But when a venue decides to get rid of live entertainment, its not just one person who loses the hours; often, there are backup musicians, sound engineers, door staff and security who also are affected by the loss of a gig.

Thats why both bar owners and musicians need your support more than ever. This week, Barfly takes a look at some of the best locations from downtown Honolulu to Diamond Head for spending your hard-earned money while enjoying some of the best jazz stylings our city has to offer.

Click this link to read the complete story.

Barfly: Kailua Town Pub and Grill

Jamm Aquino / 2009

Kailua Town Pub and Grill 26 Hoolai St. 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday 230-8444

BY JASON GENEGABUS / jason@staradvertiser.com

In my eight years covering Oahu’s bar and club scene, I’ve never felt like I absolutely needed to hang out in Kailua.

I grew up in Enchanted Lakes and have knocked a few back in watering holes like The Shack Kailua, Creekside, Bob’s Sports Bar and even Porky’s. I’ve watched live music at Boardriders and sat at the bar inside Pali Lanes.

Still, when friends from the Windward side asked for my professional opinion, more often than not I suggested finding a designated driver and making a trip into town. That’s changed now that I’ve spent some time inside Kailua Town Pub and Grill.

I SAY INSIDE because from the exterior, Kailua Town Pub and Grill looks like more of the same gentrification that has turned the neighborhood of my youth into some sort of bastardized Southern California suburb.

Just a few storefronts away from a longtime Blockbuster Video location and sharing a parking lot with a dry cleaner , sporting goods shop and bottle-it-yourself winery, the bar’s gold-on-black appearance is an almost over-the-top homage to its Irish theme. You almost expect to see a national chain’s signage hanging over the door, but this place is thankfully owned and operated by a longtime Kailua resident.

Debbie Van Emmerick opened the bar in December after closing Tropics Kailua a few months earlier, opting for a drastic remodeling of the new space to transform it into separate bar and dining areas.

Some might compare the layout to Murphy’s Bar and Grill, but Kailua Town takes it a step further by placing a door between the two sides. This allows the grill to maintain a much more reasonable noise level at night and on the weekends when the pub is more crowded. Wooden booths and tables also provide more seating for larger groups.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of room to operate inside the pub, which also features an exposed ceiling to make it feel even more spacious.

Nearly 20 bar stools surround the square-shaped bar here, with another dozen or so along one wall. Various World War II-themed photos accompany a framed copy of the Star-Bulletin’s cover from Dec. 7, 1941, above the seats. Van Emmerick even managed to wedge a shuffleboard table into the room, with a couple of dining and bar tables near the door.

Another nice touch is a vintage-looking telephone booth, which sadly doesn’t include a working pay phone inside. But it’s still functional for those with cell phones, since the door is unlocked and you can jump inside to take or make a call.

A single dart machine and a digital jukebox are the remaining forms of entertainment here, with a number of flat-screen televisions positioned throughout the room. I’m a big fan of the four screens hanging over the bar itself, which make it extremely easy to relax with one of the bar’s 30 different draft beers and watch a game.

BASED ON ITS interior appearance and beer list alone, Kailua Town Pub and Grill is already worth a visit for Oahu residents who want to try something new.

But what will turn customers into regulars is the extensive lunch and dinner menu and reasonable prices on both food and drinks. Even if you don’t visit during happy hour, it’s definitely possible to enjoy a nice meal with a couple of beers for less than $20.

The Irish theme obviously carries over to the food, which is dominated by fried items and a variety of seafood. Order the Fisherman’s Platter ($10.95) for a heaping serving of calamari, shrimp and fish sticks atop a mound of french fries. The English Fish and Chips ($8.50) is another worthy pick, with sizable hunks of fish battered with Samuel Adams beer and deep fried.

Other pub classics, like the Ruben Sandwich ($8.50) and Hot Pastrami Sandwich ($8.50) accompany a New York Steak Dinner ($14.95) and Bacon Cheddar Chicken Sandwich ($7.95) on the menu. Buffalo Chicken Wings ($7.50), Nachos ($5.95), Potato Skins ($5.95) and other holdovers from Tropics Kailua’s pupu menu remain as well for those craving an affordable bite to eat.

If you only order one thing, however, make it Kailua Town Pub and Grill’s Gourmet Pub Burger ($5.95) or a freshly baked pizza ($6.95).

Even though I ordered my burger in the midst of a busy Saturday night crowd, the kitchen delivered it perfectly cooked (medium rare, no less!) with a toasted bun and cheddar cheese oozing out the sides. At just 50 cents per extra topping, I opted to add some bacon as well—and was glad I did!

The pizzas here aren’t personal pan-sized, either. Anchovies, Italian sausage, Linguisa sausage, mushrooms, olives, pepperoni, ham, chicken and jalepenos are all available as toppings for an additional $.50 here as well, making a three-topping feast for two people much more affordable than what you could get at Pizza Hut or Papa John’s.

AFTER MULTIPLE VISITS over the last few weeks, I’m not entirely sure this bar ranks among Oahu’s elite just yet.

Despite low prices and a refined appearance that was desperately needed in the neighborhood, it’s the attitude of employees that could deter some customers from a return visit. Service here was hit or miss, depending on both the time of day and day of the week.

Cocktail servers are employed on the weekends in the pub, which makes it a little easier to get a drink when the bar stools are packed with a mix of military and local 20-somethings, who want the feel of Chinatown without having to traverse the Koolau Mountains. But it was still a waiting game at the bar, despite three bartenders working hard—and me knowing one of them personally!

It’s a bit more calm during the afternoon, when food and beer specials are offered between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., and the majority of customers are old men and construction workers. It’s obvious a regular crowd is already well-entrenched here, which means newcomers get served only after everyone else has had a chance to order another drink.

Pau hana is probably the most fun time to visit, when it’s not as crowded (or rowdy) as the weekends, and the mix of people in the pub is the most diverse. Customers range from 21 years old to retirement age, and it seems like they come and go often enough to keep a few bar stools open for those just joining the party.

If Van Emmerick’s history at Tropics Kailua is any indication, expect Kailua Town Pub and Grill to be at its current location for quite a while. Its welcoming atmosphere and ono kine grinds have raised the bar on the Windward side and should only become more attractive to nocturnal types as the years go by.