In The Mix
Sam the Man joins in
on the food frayTHE CONCEPT isn't new. Don Ho has done it. So has Henry Kapono. Even Lanai and Augie are giving it a try. Now it's Sam the Man's turn.
No, they're not all losing weight and feeling great on some crazy local celebrity diet. I'm talking about entertainers who have opened up their own restaurants over the past few years.
Sam the Man's BBQ & Ramen quietly made its debut about a week and a half ago in Harbor Center, the shopping complex behind Cutter Ford in Aiea.
With more than 75 breakfast, lunch and dinner items available, it's clear Sam the Man's is not for the faint of stomach.
"When was the last time you ordered chili and rice with gyoza on the side?" asked 102.7 Da Bomb's afternoon jock earlier this week as I got down to business with a mochiko chicken, kalua pig and garlic shrimp mixed plate. "Anybody and everybody can come on down and we'll feed you," Sam continued, while I tried to look more interested in our conversation rather than the food ...
At these prices though, he's right. Anyone and everyone can afford to eat at Sam the Man's and leave wanting to just go home and take a nap.
My meal was $5.75, and I still walked out with what I would call a mini-plate's worth of chicken.
Prices range from $3.99 for the typical plate lunch fare (chicken katsu, beef stew, BBQ chicken) to $5.75 for the salt and pepper pork chops or $6.25 for the fried rice curry loco moco. Talk about a mouthful ...
Grand opening festivities for the restaurant are scheduled for the middle of February. If the Aiea location is successful, expect to see more restaurants opening closer to town in the next year or two. Sam the Man's BBQ & Ramen is located at 98-025 Hekaha St. and is open from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 485-1940.
Rain, rain, go away
LOOKING for a cotton candy fix this weekend? Get some of the pink, sticky treat along with other grindables like malasadas, Portuguese bean soup and Greek gyros on sale at the Punahou Carnival starting tomorrow.Every year, parents and students from Punahou's junior class work together to put on the benefit for financial aid and student activity programs at the school.
After you get done feeding your face, check out the arts and crafts, fresh produce and ceramics for sale. Local artists will also offer items for sale at the carnival's art gallery. And don't forget about the E.K. Fernandez rides and games ...
The carnival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday on the school's baseball field. Call 944-5711 for more information. A final word of caution: Forget about wearing nice shoes to the carnival. If it keeps raining like it has been lately, you'll be slogging through the mud-way, not the midway ...
Let's get it on
SATURDAY night will offer a unique opportunity for both men and women to beat someone up and not be arrested by HPD. An event billed as "The Original Ruff Man Contest" is set to throw down starting at 8 p.m. at Kalani High School. Doors open at 7.I hope some of the nightclub bouncers from around town get the night off on Saturday. Having seen my fair share of scuffles at the club (seen, not participated in -- get it straight), I'm sure some of those bad boys could knock heads in the ring ...
Ruff Man organizers also encourage street fighters, martial artists and bikers to come down and weigh in. Participants will scrap in either the 15-17, 18-34, 35-and-over or women's divisions.
To keep things safe, there will be five weight classes further separating each division. Winners will even get a championship belt to prove that they really were "Da Ruffest in Hawaii" ... Ticket prices range from $15 to $25, depending on how well you want to see the blood and sweat flying around in the ring. Call 778-8768 to order tickets or sign up as a competitor.
Out and about
NEVER mind the fact that Fat Tuesday is more than a week and a half away. Celebrate Mardi Gras early tomorrow night at Kemoo Farms. Jambalaya and gumbo will be on the menu at The Pub, along with drink specials and prize giveaways all night. Eight-0-eight is scheduled to perform live on stage, and there will even be a bikini contest, although I'm not too sure what swimwear has to do with Mardi Gras ...Kemoo Farms is located at 1718 Wilikina Drive, next to Schofield Barracks. Attendees must be 21 and over. Call 621-1835 for info.
>> Five months have passed since local rockers Big Toe performed together onstage. On Saturday night, Wave Waikiki will host the band's return from an extended vacation. The band has picked up a new drummer, and guitarist Johnny Bravo promises in a press release that "we are definitely more explosive -- tighter than we've ever been."
Doors open at 9 p.m. with no cover before 10. After that, it's $5 to get in; 21 and over welcome.
>> Why not let someone else do all the cooking Sunday while you enjoy Super Bowl XXXVI on television? Out in Kailua, The Shack will give Windward residents a chance to tailgate in the parking lot starting at 11 a.m. with cooks firing up teriyaki steak, shrimp skewers, sausages and more on the hibachi. Also, enter to win one of two 27-inch televisions that will be given away after the big game. The Shack is located at 1051 Keolu Drive.
Over at Pipeline Cafe, the Patriots and Rams will do battle on 27 televisions, including two 20-foot screens.
Grab a stadium dog for a buck and a $4 draft pitcher to quench your thirst. And to keep your attention on the game, Pipeline will also offer $2 touchdown shot specials. Doors open at noon.
THAT'S what's "In the Mix" for this week. Get at me if there's something going on in your neighborhood.
In the Mix drops every Thursday in the Star-Bulletin.
Contact Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com.