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What the Heck?
John Heckathorn
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COURTESY LUCY PEMONI / DIAMONDHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY
Max Curran, 3 1/2, tries to keep Duane "Dog" Chapman from "arresting" his father, Bobby Curran, for a March of Dimes fundraiser. CLICK FOR LARGE
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Toddler defends dad from Dog
Maxed Out: On Tuesday, Dog the Bounty Hunter flew in from a meeting on his extradition case, just in time to "arrest" some folks -- for a March Of Dimes "Jail & Bail" Fundraiser in Bishop Square.
In a nearby coffee shop, waiting to be arrested, was ESPN 1420's Bobby Curran, with wife Jo McGarry and their 3 1/2-year-old son, Max.
Max is a fan of Dog on TV. But the minute he saw him coming for his father with handcuffs, he burst into tears.
"We'd explained to him what was going to happen," says Curran. "But he had a little trouble with the difference between play and reality."
Little Max leapt up in front of his father and warned Dog, "You leave my daddy alone."
Max was finally comforted, and the arrest proceeded smoothly.
Trial by Xerox: KHPR production director Jason Taglianetti volunteered to help at the Nov. 11 "Prairie Home Companion" broadcast.
He arrived at the Blaisdell at 7 a.m. to discover that Garrison Keillor had decided, it being Veterans Day, that the entire audience should sing "Eternal Father, Strong To Save," known as the Navy Hymn.
For the audience to sing along, it needed the words. Someone handed Taglianetti the lyrics and told him to make 2,500 copies.
Off he went to Kinko's. The closest was closed, the next told him he couldn't have them till Tuesday. At the third, the manager set up Taglianetti with two machines and had him make the copies himself.
The Navy Hymn has many alternative verses. When Taglianetti returned, bearing 2,500 copies, the show staff said, Oops, wrong version.
"You know the expression 'My heart sank'?" Taglianetti said. "Mine hit the ground and bounced a few times." He had less than two hours to show time, and the lyrics had to be inserted in every single program.
Frantic, Taglianetti returned to Kinko's, a different one this time. The manager said it couldn't be done. He said, "Just give me two machines." Done in an hour and back to the show with half an hour to spare. Volunteers stuffed the lyrics into the programs, and the entire audience sang, in unison, "Oh, hear us when we cry to TheeFor those in peril on the sea!"
No Free Cigar: How to get men to a jewelry store? Tiffany's John Geppert knows. Last weekend, Geppert threw a party at his Waikiki store that was boy heaven -- beautiful models, a sake sampling, plus Kobe beef burgers, bratwurst, French fries and beer. Outside in a tent, Chip Goldeen, director of worldwide sales for Ashton, handed out handfuls of premium cigars.
Men smoked, ladies shopped. On Oahu for the weekend, Chris Kanazawa, chief executive officer of Parker Ranch, brought wife Mae, who picked out some nice earrings and a bracelet. "You know," said Chris, puffing on his Ashton VSG corona, "This may be the most expensive free cigar I've ever smoked."
Go Hungry: Last weekend at their Hawaii Loa home, Greg and Fran Gomes threw Alan Wong a 50th birthday party. Not the kind of party you'd want to eat before you went.
D.K. Kodama was handrolling sushi. Roy's chef Ronnie Nasuti grilled up baby back ribs. Conrad Nonaka whipped up shrimp tempura. Waiters circulated handing out everything from soy-braised short ribs to Kaka'ako Kitchen meatloaf sandwiches.
Next to the wine bar -- for which George Szigeti of Better Brands had provided 200 Eisch wine glasses etched for the occasion -- was a seafood table. An entire table covered with Kona lobster tails, crab legs, oysters, shrimp and so forth, all on ice. KITV's Pamela Young walked in, took one look, and said, "I'd love to just jump into the middle of that and roll around."
Just as I thought I might explode if I took another bite, Wong's executive chef Lance Kosaka said, "Dinner's served." It was a whole buffet with prime rib and rack of lamb. After seven desserts, just in case anyone was still hungry, Side Street Inn served oxtail soup.
"The oxtail soup was the best part," Wong told me afterward. "What do you mean you didn't have any?"
Suit Yourself: Perhaps Alan Wong's best birthday present came the next night when he took home "Restaurant of the Year" honors at Hono-lulu Magazine's Hale 'Aina Awards.
Presiding over the gala awards was Honolulu Magazine Editor A. Kam Napier, resplendent in a black Prada suit. The event organizers tried to get Napier in a tux. To put them off, he suggested instead they get Prada to loan him a suit. "I never thought they'd do it," he said. "The only bad part is I have to give it back."
Why The Caged Bird Sings: A Hale Aina award last Sunday capped a big weekend for chef Fred DeAngelo of Ola and wife Cheryl. The DeAngelos flew back from Napa Friday night, where Fred won a Sante award for innovative cuisine. Saturday, they found out during ultrasound that they were having a baby girl. You might guess who Cheryl's favorite author is: She's naming the baby Maya DeAngelo.
Going Big: Betty Pang's Green Door Café also won a Hale Aina award, for "Little Restaurant You Love." In case you've given up trying to get one of the four tables at Green Door, take heart. Pang will guest chef at Roy's Hawaii Kai on Nov. 28, doing a six-course dinner matched with wine.
End of an Era: On Wednesday, the day before the new no-smoking law went into effect, I ended up late at Bar 35 with a friend who still smokes.
As we were leaving, bartender George Seabolt wiped out the bar ashtray and handed it to us. "You might as well keep it as a souvenir," he said. "Tomorrow we won't need any."