TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Ferno -- formerly known as Baci at Restaurant Row, formerly known as Casa Donaldo, Johnny's, Touch the East, etc., etc. -- has closed. Revolving restaurants
It's locked from the inside with a padlocked cable wrapped around the handles of its double glass doors.
William Duval, president of parent company Ravioli Inc., was unavailable for comment. Restaurant Row and adjacent Waterfront Plaza office towers are leased and managed by Colliers Monroe & Friedlander Inc. President Andrew Friedlander would only say, "They are closed."
When it opened under the Baci brand several months ago excitement soon turned to disappointment as the "buzz" about the restaurant made it clear the new venue did not live up to the reputation of sister restaurant Baci Bistro in Kailua. The Aulike Street eatery is often filled to capacity during the dinner hour and is also popular among Windward lunchers. The Restaurant Row location was quickly renamed Ferno.
Another sister restaurant -- Baci Xpress on Merchant Street -- offers pick up and delivery service 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Radio freebies
Everything is time-compressed these days. The 15 minutes of fame we're all supposedly due in has been boiled down to 15 seconds on Wednesday mornings by radio hosts Jeff Kino, Lois Miyashiro and Shawn Ho of "The Q Morning Zoo" on 93.1 KQMQ FM. Kino "wanted to give businesses a chance to say whatever they want," he said.The list of companies and organizations taking advantage of free on-air plugs include Tihati Productions, Nordstrom Rack, Chili's Kapolei, Topdogentertainment.com, Wooden It Be Nice and the nonprofit Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Honolulu. Businesses who want the mention can call the station's request line, 296-9393.
Thursday morning promotional opportunities revert to the old days of radio with the "Q Morning Zoo Garage Sale," the original E-Bay for those with stuff to buy sell or trade.
A sin of omission
The "Holocaust" documentary produced and co-written by Colette Fox mentioned in this space Monday can be seen by Verizon Americast customers at 5 and 9 p.m. Aug. 30 on channel 52.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com