Last night folks lined up for eco-friendly dishes created by some of Hawaii’s top chefs at an event promoting sustainable eating.“An Evening of Sustainable Cuisine,” held at the Halekulani, featured “green” dishes prepared by chefs Roy Yamaguchi (Roy’s Restaurant), Vikram…
Who would have thought a meat lasagna and ragu bolognese would have been our last meals? It almost was, had that 8.9-magnitude earthquake off Honshu, Japan generated a destructive tsunami that hit our Islands. (Luckily, it wasn’t too bad. Surges…
Despite my crazy schedule and severe lack of sleep, I’m pretty happy.I can surf before work, walk to Foodland for groceries, take my dogs to a nearby off-leash dog park and indulge in just about any food craving I can…
I didn’t want to blog about. I really didn’t.But Charlie Sheen — who was fired yesterday from CBS’ wildly popular “Two and a Half Men” — is making it hard for me to ignore him.First he made the rounds on TV morning…
Remember that Burger King promise, “Have it your way”?Well, turns out restaurants and diners around the country are opting for exactly the opposite, taking control of their menus and dining experiences and telling the customer to just shut up and…
Last month I was craving meatloaf and a nice glass of wine.That could only mean one thing: I was going to Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai.But I’ll be honest: except for the meatloaf, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed on my…
When my editor, Diane Seo, told me that I would be interviewing a puppet on today’s Cat Chat, I was a bit concerned.Not about conversing with a puppet. But that the puppet would upstage me.And sure enough, the puppet — named…
Question: I know you’re not married, but I figured maybe your readers could help. I am engaged to a guy who has a very large family. I have a big family, too. We also have a lot of friends, coworkers…
Even though I was sick last night and forced to lie on the couch, I could barely keep my eyes open during the 83rd annual Academy Awards.I wish I could blame the meds.This year’s Oscars were, well, boring. There were…
By about the fifth mile, I knew exactly what I wanted. An icy margarita. In a pitcher. So the plan was, after we survived the eight-mile Great Aloha Run on Monday, we were heading to Jose’s Mexican Cafe & Cantina…
Nearly 100 people are dead in New Zealand after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake. Violence is rampant in Libya. Mayor Peter Carlisle is delivering his first State of the City address today. And yesterday a smiling Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law…
Who said bigger isn’t always better?Obviously that person didn’t go to last month’s Eat The Street food truck and street food rally in a small parking lot at Kapiolani Boulevard. Because bigger could only be better.And lucky for us, it…
Anyone catch last night’s “Hawaii Five-0” — and stay awake until the end?OK, maybe I’m being a bit too harsh.But you can’t deny that last night’s episode was, well, a little slower than usual. Sure, the opening scene was exciting with…
It’s that restaurant I’ve always wanted to try — but never got around to it.Until tonight.We were going to check out J2, JJ’s Bistro’s new restaurant in Kaimuki, but the wait was too long and, frankly, we weren’t into the…
This week’s 53rd annual Grammy Awards raised some eyebrows — and discussion — at coffee shops, in classrooms and in Twitter streams all over Hawaii.And not because Lady Gaga arrived to the music awards show in an egg.But because Hawaii-born Tia…
When the boutique-style Waikiki EDITION opened about five months ago, people buzzed about celebrity sightings, Morimoto Restaurant and the $10,000-a-night penthouse that’s completely over the top.And the travel world was eager to see this new partnership between hotelier Ian Schrager…
Every Monday night, millions of people tune into CBS to watch “Hawaii Five-0,” a slick new rendition of the classic cop show based in the Islands.And at the same time, thousands of fans log onto Twitter, posting running commentary about…
I’ve never been the romantic type.You won’t catch me swooning over moonlit serenades or cooing over rose petals strewn all over the living room floor. (I mean, who’s going to clean that up?)A room filled with lit candles makes me…
If you think there’s no place to eat on Oahu’s West Side, 1) you haven’t been there lately and 2) you certainly haven’t been to Azul at the Ihilani. This award-winning signature restaurant on the property of JW Marriott’s luxurious…
I’ve never been a flower kind of girl.I much prefer gifts that are practical and useful. Give me a crock pot or a flat iron before a stuffed animal and bouquet of overpriced roses.See, I don’t think the commercialized image…
I don’t drink coffee — and on Monday I found out why.I’ve had bad coffee.Some tasted bitter, others charred. Turns out I have probably never had a decent cup of coffee in my entire life — hence, my distaste for it.I…
Like most of you — especially as Monday rears its ugly head — I needed to get away.But, like most of you, I’m not drowning in cash.So I decided to get away — at least from my home, office and…
I had high expectations for this year’s Super Bowl XLV commercials.Mostly because I had no real stake in this year’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers the Green Bay Packers. I really didn’t care who won — the Packers did, taking home…
I had been having a rough few weeks.I had been working the equivalent of two full-time jobs, which entails everything from writing 2,000-word stories to grading papers. That, combined with everything else I do, had been taking a toll of…
Anyone who works in downtown knows: parking sucks.If you’re lucky, you can find an early-bird parking rate for about as much as you’re making per hour. But if you can’t, you’ll be stuck feeding meters or, as in my case,…
I’m not a wine snob — trust me, I’ll drink anything — but I do love my bubblies.Champagne, sparkling wine, moscato d’asti — if it’s got bubbles, I’ll drink it.So I asked Shannon Ball from Wine The Experience — one of Nonstop’s…
Every January I look forward to the New York Times’ list of must-see places that year.The newspaper picked 41 locales for 2011, ranging from little coastline town of Sopot in Poland to the historic town of Pingyao in China. Even…
The other day NBC’s “Today” asked the question: “Who would you choose: your sweetheart or your pet?”And even me, a die-hard pet owner, was surprised by the results of the online poll.An whopping 84.5 percent of respondents — and there were…
There’s something about that drive through the Likelike tunnel over to Kaneohe that makes me hungry. Maybe it’s the stunning views of the Koolau Mountains and Kaneohe Bay from the highway. Maybe it’s that feeling of leaving Honolulu’s crowded urban…
Question: I’m pretty sure you do not have kids, but I thought maybe your readers could help me. My teenager daughter is dreading going to college. She was not the best student in high school (like me) and does not…
Oh, admit it.You’ve forgotten to RSVP to a wedding. You’ve written a check to the bride and groom because you forgot to go to the bank on Friday. And you’ve worn black to the hotel reception.(OK, I did.)But are these…
There’s a new movie that looks at the age-old rom-com question: Can friends have sex without it getting complicated?In “No Strings Attached,” Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman play longtime friends who become FWBs — friends with benefits — because they…
Oh, I’m sure this has happened to you.You’re annoyed with the feral cats in your neighborhood that keep overturning your trash bins or pooping on your geraniums. Or you can’t stand the constant croaking of the invasive coqui frogs outside…
Imagine growing up without being allowed ride your bikes around the neighborhood, cheer on your high school football team, go on sleepovers or — heaven forbid — get a B in chemistry.Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.But according to Amy Chua…
Quick! Check your gift list!Got someone on there who loves wine?Or, at very least, pretend he does?Then check out the coolest gadgets for wine aficionados as suggested by Shannon Ball of Wine The Experience. From contraptions that keep your champagnes…
Question: I know I should not be complaining or even asking this at this time in today’s job market, but I got two job offers from good companies and I cannot decide between the two. The first job is at…
For the past five weeks, I’ve been working downtown for HAWAI’I Magazine.It was a nice break from my full-time job at Kapi’olani Community College, where most of us who work there eat at the cafeteria (run by our award-winning culinary…
A new movie released tomorrow raised an interesting question: if you caught your best friend’s spouse cheating, what would you do?That’s the premise behind “The Dilemma,” starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. They play best friends and partners in an…
What are you going to do with all that leftover mochi in your ‘fridge from New Year’s?There’s only so much ozoni you can make.Well, you’re in luck!Our resident foodie Mari Taketa — who’s probably not eating mochi right now in Seoul…
Question: Dear Dr. Dish, I want to get my girlfriend an engagement ring. But after I have seen all of her friends parade around 1.5-plus carat rings, I can’t afford it. She says it doesn’t matter, but it does, doesn’t…
