Hawaii
Top Hale ’Aina award
goes to stylish
Roy’s RestaurantFOR a time there I thought Honolulu Magazine's Hale 'Aina Awards would be named the Alan Wong Awards, so often did the chef's South King Street restaurant win the top award. But this year it went to Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's Restaurant. Wong did win the Industry Leadership Award and by the smile on his face at the Kahala Mandarin awards ceremony, was perhaps the big winner after all. With him was beautiful Alice Inoue, who is a superstar herself among Japanese tourists in Waikiki, who tune in to the news in Japanese on their in-room TVs. She's the one delivering the news. She's now sporting an engagement ring, and may never have to step into a kitchen again, since her hubby-to-be is the redoubtable Chef Wong ...
ANOTHER Industry Leadership Award at the Hale 'Ainas went to Maui entrepreneur Shep Gordon. Shep had just flown in from S.F. where he was with Willie Nelson at the Fillmore, one of the most hallowed of halls in the folk and rock genre. Willie flew off to Salt Lake City for the closing ceremony of the Olympics, while Gordon jetted home. He recalled his first gig at the Fillmore with a very young Alice Cooper. Legendary Fillmore promoter Bill Graham somehow received a message that Gordon had a hot female folk singer named Alice somebody and he put the rocker on first. In the middle of the opening number when it became immediately evident that Alice was neither female or a folk singer, Graham stormed on stage and led him off ignominiously. If he were alive today, Graham would gladly promote Cooper, but it would have to be in a much larger venue. Coop is flying in soon to spend another month at Gordon's digs and get in some golf ...
Bargain basement prices
PERHAPS it's because we're in tourism-savvy Hawaii that it comes to mind, but I have yet to see a report on the price of hotel rooms in Salt Lake City this week vis-a-vis, say, last week ... As I recall, the price of a room at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis following the Final Four basketball tournament there 10 years ago was about half what it was while the games were on ...AS the final UH basketball game was being played at the Stan Sheriff Arena, restaurant owner Don Murphy, a huge UH sports supporter, seemed almost relieved. "I've nearly become a basketball widower," he said. Wife Marion went nuts toward the end of the home season, packing Hawaiian salt and ti leaves off to the games, and keeping a creative scrapbook she came up with to give to the team ... Speaking of the Warriors, crowds of girls traditionally waited until the team showered and when they came out to leave the arena, screamed like they were rock stars. Getting the loudest cheers seemed to be Carl English and Phil Martin. Now they're off for two more WAC games, and with any luck, an appearance in the NCAA championship series ...
Briscoe kid
WHEN David Briscoe of the Associated Press flew into Hilo for the Tahiti Fete, he was shocked to find every rental car rented out, mostly due to the Fete. But a little thing like no wheels wasn't about to slow down Briscoe -- he got to every event he needed to cover by renting a big flatbed truck from Harper's. Explain that one to the boss ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com