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TheBuzz

BY ERIKA ENGLE

Seis de Mayo sees new,
but familiar, face
at Aloha Tower

Rodeo Cantina reopened for pre-Cinco de Mayo festivities Friday with a little help from Jaron's Kailua Restaurant.

Jaron's "is going to cater," said Robert Durick, licensing supervisor at the Honolulu Liquor Commission. "It's been through the mill and was processed properly and approved," he said, adding Rodeo Cantina "does not have any kind of license on its own."

Jaron's owner Jim Mansell said Rodeo Cantina is the dba for SilverMansell LLC, the new company he has established with Barry Silverman, one of two original owners of the waterfront watering hole and eatery. Jaron's remains under Mansell's sole ownership.

The refurbished original location in Aloha Tower Marketplace was to have a "soft opening" for "whoever comes by," Mansell said, with the grand opening planned for Saturday. The partners secured the 6,000 square foot observation deck for use that night. Under normal circumstances the interior can hold about 125 people, he said. They didn't expect a huge crowd on a Sunday Cinco de Mayo.

After his split from restaurateur and former partner Ed Wary, Silverman sold the first Rodeo Cantina to a company that changed its name to Baja Betty's. It later closed.

Silverman said he's designed dozens of restaurants, "but I've never had more people ask me about a single restaurant than Rodeo Cantina."

In another partnership deal, Mansell said he and long-time Jaron's bartender Kelly Jo are to be married, though they've not yet set a date. In another life, the petite barkeep was a merchant marine.

A booming lunch hour

It's not every lunch hour that one experiences what the Ocean Club sounds like at night but that was the case Friday. Hip-hop was happening herein (okay therein but that blows the alliteration).

"We had a high school function," said Dan Punch, Ocean Club assistant manager, who said the club is available for fund-raising events and other private functions.

The party for "about 150 to 200 seniors" from Mililani High School went from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with entertainment by DJ Kutmaster Spaz.

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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