TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Hawaii restaurateur Randy Schoch, with a host of successes including three isle Ruth's Chris Steak Houses, has named a new president of his properties' parent company, Desert Island Restaurants. A new chief
for the chefsJohn Herman's Hawaii connections include other restaurants, formerly serving as the president of the Palomino restaurant group for Restaurants Unlimited.
Herman will manage the parent company as Schoch assumes the new role of CEO to focus on site selections, finance and design of future properties. Desert Island's restaurants also include Roy's (as in celebrity chef/restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi) in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Ariz., and Newport Beach, Calif., as well as Thaifoon restaurants in those states.
Public radio parties
The always wry Michael Titterton, president and general manager of Hawaii Public Radio, quipped yesterday, "Public radio is not all about dead white Europeans," he said, "and as a nearly dead white European, I can't get that (message) out enough."He and other public radio devotees had just wrapped up a whirlwind weekend making that point, celebrating two one-year anniversaries with underwriters and other business partners, members, musicians and well-wishers on two islands.
On Saturday, HPR marked the anniversary of "Blues Night," featuring several Honolulu blues bands. With HPR's respectability, the event has increased the visibility and perhaps the image of the Oahu venues where the blues are played. The roving weekly event set out from Sand Island R&B a year ago, and Saturday afternoon let loose at Anna Bannana's in Moiliili. "You can't do blues in the Holiday Inn, or anywhere there's air conditioning," he said. "It has to be sweaty."
HPR's other anniversary was celebrated Sunday at Hilo's Palace Theater with a screening of the Woody Allen movie "Radio Days." KANO FM (91.1) beamed out the Big Island's first public radio programming a year ago on the same spot.
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