Here we are in the middle of July, probably the most oppressively hot time of year in Hawaii. Shave ice is popular year-round, but the business booms during the dog days of summer.There are shave ice spots all over Oahu, so no matter when the heatwave hits you, you can pull over and get an icy treat. I guess the…
Amid a summer full of superheroes, wizards, pirates, and rock ’em, sock ’em robots, it would be very easy to overlook a small-scale romantic comedy with no CGI monsters or super villains. It’s already happened to the A-list-led “Larry Crowne,” starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, which tanked at the box office. But hopefully, audiences will not miss out on…
Live the surfer’s life in Rell Sunn’s old neighborhood
Last night, the KoAloha Ukulele team invited more than 200 family and friends to join them in watching the premiere of a documentary short film by Gary San Angel called, appropriately, “The KoAloha Ukulele Story.” The film focuses on Alvin “Papa” Okami, the patriarch of the business, and his journey from entertainer to inventor, and the various people around the…
Face it — it’s not a hard gig covering Hawaiian Airlines’ inaugural flight to Osaka, when the upshot is I get unleashed in a city known as the kitchen of Japan. My 96 hours begins here: in the throbbing, pulsing belly of the Big O. First night in the Big O ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 14 Tuesday…
Custom estate on the mountaintop
Are you in the Circle?Apparently, I am. But I’m not in the loop.Circles are the latest social media hub — the place where you want to be. It’s replacing followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook.And yet, Google+, the company’s newest social-networking effort, looks a lot like the latter social networking site.You organize people into Circles and you can choose what…
Travel back in time in this updated Makiki Hts. home
Did you know that not all ukuleles are created equal, nor do musicians want every ukulele to sound the same?I learned this and more when I visited my friend Alan Okami (@Koalohauke) at his family’s shop in Kalihi. This humble little factory—now in its 16th year—is known for its instruments that have distinct shapes and designs, as you can see from…
Mango fiends were out in force on Saturday, converging on Waikiki for the annual Mangoes at the Moana fest. Recipe contest (free tastings!), best mango contest (more free tastings!), mango seminars and wellness products: The king of summer fruits in Hawaii basked in the glory of an all-day celebration at the Moana Surfrider Hotel. While this year’s mango fest was…
$36 million beachfront estate can be yours
Poets put on some of the best performances of the summer at July’s “No Rules” First Thursday poetry slam at Fresh Cafe.Headlining the night was featured poet and North Carolina native, Carlos Robson, a National Poetry Slam champion. A writer, singer, storyteller and performance poet, Robson has performed all over North America, from the National Poetry Slam’s Final to Broadway.Also…
News? You get it in 140 characters or less on twitter. Friends? You barely have time to “like” them on facebook. Forget newspapers and letters, the only written messages you can deal with, good or Carrie Bradshaw-bad, fit on post-its. So the idea of skimming more than the back cover of the newest bestseller just isn’t your speed. Lucky for…
Nonstop Honolulu has partnered with HI*Sessions, a project by Dave Kusumoto and Jon Yamasato, whose goal is to provide intimate, quality live music performances for music lovers from Honolulu to Hong Kong. Utilizing Kusumoto’s video production experience and Yamasato’s rolodex of Hawaii’s top talent, HI*Sessions was born. In the planning and production of the series, Raf Bacani (video), Vance Morimoto…
Change can be a good thing. And that’s definitely the case at the award-winning restaurant Chef Mavro, which recently unveiled both a new chef de cuisine and a new summer menu. Back in May, chef/owner George Mavrothalassitis (@chefmavro) hired Paul Feng — who has worked at Wolfgang Puck’s famed San Francisco restaurant Postrio and at the now-closed Tabla in New…
On my recent trip to Maui, I had the opportunity to attend a Slow Food workday at Noho’ana Farm. The Slow Food group worked the lo’i, or taro/kalo field, learning everything about how it’s planted, harvested, and used to eat. It was the perfect place to learn, since it’s run by Hoku’ao Pellegrino, a young man who teaches kids from…
The secret Chinese Dinner Society got together for its monthly meeting, this time to induct new members into the fold. One of our newest members is Nonstop’s very own Tracy Chan, and she mentioned that she wanted to eat really good, traditional winter melon soup. So off we went to Moon Garden, which is known for this banquet treat. Chinee…
Celebrities, designers, retailers, dignitaries and media gathered at Washington Place today to rally support as Gov. Neil Abercrombie asked the public to support Hawaii’s fashion industry and bring back “Aloha Fridays.”By promoting alohawear as iconic fashion, the group said the world is reminded of the positive images and memories of Hawaii, thus promoting the state. The governor said Aloha Fridays…
Summer’s not summer in Hawaii without the sounds of drums and flutes and the scents of beef sticks and andagi wafting across neighborhoods. But what, now? Blueberry andagi? Waffle dogs? Okinawan gumbo?That’s right, bon dance food has evolved way beyond saimin and shave ice. While almost every temple sells S&S in a cup and the other old standards you grew…
In this video, Honolulu Magazine’s Christine Hitt visits two hidden bars in Waikiki, Wang Chung’s and Genius Lounge.
If creating the huge, beautifully detailed mural that now graces Honolulu Community College was a collaborative effort between legendary Oakland-by-way-of-Kaimuki graffiti artist Estria and local artists from 808 Urban, so was gathering footage and covering the making of the biggest mural in Hawaii. In all, you’ll find photos from four people at different points in the mural’s progress in this…
It may look like Wine The Experience in Kilohana Square is closed — but it’s not.The boutique venue in Kaimuki where people can bottle — and experience — their own wine is scaling back operations.Shannon Ball, owner and Cat Chat veteran, explains how the business is changing — and, of course, what kinds of wines I should be drinking this summer.(This is…
In this episode that aired on June 26, John Heckathorn seeks out the Blue Tomato with renowned chef Alan Wong.
Every day this week through July 1, a different Tesoro station will be lowering its gas prices from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. During that time, law enforcement personnel will be volunteering to wash your windows and help you pump your gas. More importantly, while you’re there, you can make a donation to Special Olympics to send their athletes to…
