3 nightspots reopen
HONOLULU recently added three more establishments to the night-life landscape, all reopening in locations previously occupied by similar businesses.
After a false start last month, Red Lion Waikiki opened up two weeks ago in the former Deep Blue at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. Expect a kick-back atmosphere and cheap drink specials similar to what made the bar successful at its former Waikiki location and Puck's Alley offshoot.
Also in Waikiki, the Irish Rose Saloon is back in business after getting displaced by the Waikiki Beach Walk project on Lewers Street. Owner Bill Comerford reopened last month in time to accommodate the annual St. Patrick's Day revelry; time will tell if the bar's new location at 478 Ena Road will see more success than Pink Cadillac did.
And in Kakaako, Bliss has flipped back to the Velvet Lounge. You might remember that name, since that's what the nightspot was called before it was Bliss, and the neon sign with the word "Velvet" was never removed from the building ...
WHAT A performance by Maui's Kendall Grove last weekend.
The "Ultimate Fighter 3" winner submitted Alan Belcher Saturday during "UFC 69: Shootout" at 4:22 in the second round, getting the chance to show off his own variation of the trademark "gravedigger" celebration made famous by his trainer, Tito Ortiz.
Grove appears to be blossoming into a true MMA star; he's also sporting a mean tattoo of King Kamehameha the Great on his back these days ...
IF YOU haven't stopped by thirtyninehotel since it closed for renovations, now is the time to go.
For a while, hanging out at the Chinatown gallery and performance space (don't dumb it down by calling it a nightclub) felt more like a house party than anything else. Now, with construction on the bar area and deejay booth completed, the folding tables that once housed all the alcohol are gone.
I'm also a big fan of the raised decks that were added outside on the rooftop, and the umbrellas on the tables to help provide shade during the day. The decks provide a better people-watching perspective when it's busy, and the umbrellas will make things more comfortable for an afternoon crowd, something thirtyninehotel's Gelereh Khoie is looking forward to.
Besides hosting "cornfieldsarecreepy" during April, Khoie also hopes to introduce kabobs made from a recipe her family brought to the U.S. from Iran. They might just become the next big pau hana pupu in the neighborhood ...
CONGRATS AND aloha to Zanzabar Nightclub's Parson Iosua, who celebrated his retirement on Friday. He partied with Lisa D. and Jay Tee during "Good Life Fridays" but remains tight-lipped about his future ... Don't forget about the Mos Def concerts on Thursday and Friday at Pipeline Cafe. Pre-sale tickets are still on sale for $40, with VIP tickets going for $70 (and available only in advance). Call 589-1999 ...