Hawaii
Fabio ducks
feathered foesFORTUNATELY for one Valley Isle visitor, there are few nene around these days. That's the native Hawaiian goose, and the visitor in question, one shaven-chest model who calls himself simply Fabio, has been spotted on Maui of late. He's apparently chosen Maui as a place to soothe his figurative feathers after being hit in the nose by a goose while on a roller coaster ride at a mainland amusement park. Fabio dined at Nick's Fishmarket in the Kea Lani Hotel in Wailea the other night, where fortunately goose was not on the menu ... SPEAKING of Nick's, restaurateur Aaron Placourakis is already blessed with a beauty queen wife, Tina, and son, Jesse, both of whom recently won gold medals for karate. Now his daughter Lexi is bringing a smile to his face. At the recent Hunter & Jumper Show at the Circle Z Ranch, sponsored by the Hawaii Horse Show Association, Lexi and her horse, Oscar Nominee, took six first-place ribbons and one second to win the all-around championship over 100 other equestrians. To make the win all the more remarkable, Lexi is only 10 and this was her first accredited show ...
Auntie-Depressant
WHEN Ed Wary of Auntie Pasto's took over the space in Kapahulu where the Internet Cafe had been operating, he thought he was buying a restaurant site in which to put another Auntie Pasto's. Welcome to the wonderful world of doing business in Hawaii. Thus far he's been deluged with demands for a litany of permits such as additional parking stalls, conditional use, etc. and he's had to hire consultants to try to get by all the red tape. He's reluctant to say much for fear of putting someone's knickers in a twist, but admits at this point it's about fifty-fifty that he'll be able to circumvent the roadblocks and get the eatery opened. If this bargain-priced restaurant is strangled by red tape, it'll be a shame ...NOT everyone is suffering in Restaurant Row. Alan Beall proudly points out the Row Bar served its one millionth beer last week ... David Hasselhoff is already getting himself immersed in Hawaiiana in preparation for "Baywatch" filming. He was dining at Don Ho's Island Grill last week with his wife and head writer ... Ho, meanwhile, is a frequent customer at Chef Chai Chaowasaree's Chai's Island Bistro, which like Don Ho's, is in Aloha Tower Market Place ... Billy Dare, a name from the past, is back in town and looking for a singing gig. Long a fixture at his club on Lewers, Dare for 10 years now has been performing on cruise ships in Greece ...
QUITE a demotion for Margery Bronster. In a single day she's busted from Attorney General to attorney, private ... Piano teacher Ernie Chang had a huge 60th birthday party at Legend Seafood Restaurant in the Cultural Plaza in Chinatown Sunday night. But to a nonmember of the Lions Club, it still sounds funny to hear him addressed as (what sounds like) "Lyin' Ernie" ...
Prediction for stardom
IN his Cincinnati Post column, Nick Clooney wrote a rave revue of the Honolulu Symphony's pops conductor Matt Catingub conducting Nick's sister, Rosemary Clooney, with the Honolulu Symphony. He also gave a nice plug to Bruce Hamada Jr., who played bass for the concert before hustling off to his regular gig at Lewer's Lounge in the Halekulani. After the concert, Catingub dragged the Clooneys to the Lounge and before long was on stage, sitting in with Hamada while the Clooneys marveled at his versatility ...
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: donnelly@kestrok.com.
