Hawaii
TIMING is everything. Food and Wine magazine asked their New Orleans stringer, Malia Boyd, if she could do a piece on ethnic desserts from Hawaii. Well, maybe she suggested it. In any case, she arranged for the hottest pastry chef in San Francisco, Heather Ho of Boulevard Restaurant, to fly to Honolulu with her and together they worked their magic in various kitchens (Kahala Mandarin, Halekulani, upscale Food & Wine type venues) for an upcoming article. Both Malia and Heather have roots in Hawaii, since they were best pals at Punahou. Malia's father is Dick Boyd, former owner/operator of the great downtown bar, Boyd's, in the old Alexander Young Hotel. He's now retired and living in Hawi on the Big Isle. Heather's dad is Stuart Ho of Capital Investment Co., and she's the grand-daughter of late businessman Chinn Ho and his widow, Betty ... Sweet reunion of
Punahou palsNOW to the timing aspect of the tale. Malia arranged for their visit here to coincide with the 30th birthday Friday of Channel 2 reporter Malia Mattoch, part of their Punahou triumvirate. My lasting memory of Malia Boyd dates back to when she was 12 and tail-gating with her dad and a group of his pals at a UH football game at Aloha Stadium. Clever even in those days, she made some wise-acre remark to which I chided her, "You know, Malia, you got a big mouth." She didn't miss a beat, retorting, "Then I guess my mouth and your stomach have something in common." I don't mind a perfect squelch, but it is a huge ego-buster when it comes from a 12-year old ...
Over 52 years in the making
BACK in the 1940s, Peter Dillingham was one of the most popular and highest paid steel guitar playersin the islands, having honed his skills since he was 13 playing with the likes of Elmer Lee, Jake Keli'ikoa and Gabby Pahinui. In 1947 he recorded a dozen songs on 78 rpm records -- ask your parents -- gave a few away for Christmas to family members and stored the rest in boxes. When packing to move to the Big Isle, he discovered the old box of pristine shellac records. Now 78 years old, fittingly enough, Dillingham showed the recordings to Keith Haugen, who promptly put them on a CD along with an anthology of more recent Dillingham recordings, and the result is a two-CD set called "Limited Edition, Volumes I & II." Harry Soria Jr. gave the records their first radio airing Sunday on KINE, the first time in 52 years the public could hear the original dozen tunes ...
NOW that she's Miss Hawaii USA, Michele Kaplan has resigned her job in the residential concierge office at Hualalai. The 23-year old beauty was often the first person prospective home buyers at the Kohala Coast locale would meet, thus creating a great first impression. She'll now be preparing for her participation in the next Miss USA Pageant ...
Second career in showbiz?
YOU don't suppose Gov. Ben Cayetano has his eye on show business after he leaves Washington Place, do you? He sings with wife Vicky at the drop of a hat, was instrumental in getting the Miss Universe Pageant staged in Hawaii, appeared in a "Baywatch Hawaii" episode and on Saturday night was a regular "Stage Door Benji." He and Vicky went to see "Miss Saigon," and after the show got a backstage tour from stage manager Mahlon Kruse, who was born in Tripler Hospital -- always a local angle. Even Joseph Anthony Foronda, who plays the Engineer in the musical, hung around to greet the guv ...
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: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com