Hawaii
By Dave Donnelly
Wednesday, September 11, 1996
Ellman's Maui Mex
Oahu-bound
CALL it "cuisinespeak." Mark Ellman, who put Lahaina's Avalon on the culinary map and is one of the original 12 Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs, is bringing his talents to Oahu for the first time. Don't expect a Honolulu Avalon, however - he's opening a pair of Maui Tacos, one in the Dole Cannery and one in Waikiki. He has four such taquerias on the Valley Isle and another new one is planned for Hilo. They're calling Maui Tacos "quick-service yet restaurant-quality." No matter how you manipulate the English language, that mouthful comes out to "fast food." But Ellman boasts a celebrity following for his Maui Mex fare, with people like Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone and Alice Cooper lining up to do some taco-bending, possibly because a partner of Ellman's is former Hollywood promoter Shep Gordon, who now calls Maui home ...
BACK in the fall of 1991, chardonnay and pinot noir grapes were harvested by the Jordan Winery in the Sonoma area, where they were pressed and - "presto" - became champagne, or to be correct legally, sparkling wine. Called "J" for Judy Jordan, daughter of the winemakers and now head of the sparkling wine division, the '91 vintage finally has been released. The Jordan literature says, "Its beauty is unassertively natural, bold yet simple, like that of a rose." And not just a rose - also "melon, pears, figs, fresh lychee, vanilla, butterscotch, apple, flowers, fresh bread, toasty." One obvious taste wasn't included: Grapes! I'll have to take their word for how tasty it is, and try to imagine that combination of taste sensations ...
AND speaking of wine, Alan Suzuki has joined Chambers & Chambers as sales manager. He was regional manager for Robert Mondavi Wines in Hawaii for the past 10 years, and started out as sommelier at the Kahala Hilton Hotel ... That property is now known officially as the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and Mari Frey is bringing back tableside fashion shows with models showing off designer outfits from Palm Boulevard on the second Thursday of each month. Like tomorrow, for example ...
Casting call
IF you were to get a call telling you that you were going to be portrayed in a motion picture, who would you want to play the role. KGMB's Russ Francis was informed that due to his friendship with late long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, a Francis character will appear in "Pre," a film on the runner's life. Francis wasn't given a say in the casting, but approved of the fact that actor Nicholas Oleson has been cast as him, calling the selection "brilliant." I might have opted for Max Baer Jr. in the role. And in the part of me? How about Paul Newman with a beard? Hey, I can dream, can't I? Hawaii's gift to Sports Illustrated, Kenny Moore, is writing the "Pre" script; exec producer is Robert Towne ...
THE obituary of the late Al Zarilla failed to mention one claim to fame of the baseball legend, reports Bob Corboy. As a member of the Boston Red Sox in the early '50s, Zarilla once hit two triples in one inning! That same inning was a watershed, because Gene Stephens had three hits and Sammy White Jr., who retired to Princeville, scored three runs, a record I've said will never be broken ...
THE Star-Bulletin story on "Where Chunky's Used to Be" brought back memories to me of when the former owner of the drive-in mentioned that her family also owned Hale Nanea. That eatery was located under where the H-1 freeway turns off onto Kapiolani now. It was the hangout for members of every theater group in town in the late '50s and early '60s. Many rehearsals ended up at Hale Nanea and no restaurant ever supplanted it in that respect once it was gone ...
Dinner and a show?
WHO needs a restaurant anymore if you're going to Manoa Valley Theatre? Beginning with tonight's opening of the Who's rock opera "Tommy," a buffet from Beau Soleil complete with wine, beer, light dinner fare and desserts, is available on the theater lanai beginning 90 minutes before curtain time ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. His columns run Monday through Friday. Contact Dave by e-mail at donnelly@kestrok.com.
Hawaii by Dave Donnelly is a daily feature of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
© 1996 All rights reserved.
http://starbulletin.com