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Barfly Jason Genegabus |
Cinco de Mayo
has mucho options
PARTY ON!
Check out the Cinco de Mayo festivities at these restaurants
Cisco's Cantina: 131 Hekili St., 262-7337
Compadres Bar and Grill: Ward Centre, 591-8307
Jose's Mexican Cafe and Cantina: 1134 Koko Head Ave.
and Restaurant Row, 732-1833 or 528-3859
AN UNSCIENTIFIC poll of alcohol-drinking Honolulu residents that the Barfly conducted late last month showed there are two main types of people who celebrate Cinco de Mayo.The first type are traditional folks; they'll party on May 5th and only on that one day. The others are a bit more hardcore, turning the Mexican holiday into a long weekend no matter where the fifth actually falls.
Whether you're planning to get down with some nachos and a few margaritas this weekend or with cervezas and tequila shots on Monday, the Barfly has a few suggestions to help keep things festive. But first, a bit of history.
To borrow a line from Joe Moore, "Did you know ..." that Cinco de Mayo doesn't celebrate Mexico's Independence Day, as some tend to believe? (Mexican Independence Day actually falls on Sept. 16.) May 5th is remembered for the "Batalla de Puebla," or "Battle of Puebla" where the Mexican Army momentarily stopped an invasion by the French in 1862.
BUT HEY, who really needs a history lesson just to go out and have a good time? At Compadres Bar and Grill, the "Biggest Cinco de Mayo Party in the Pacific" is already underway; no need to wait for the right day here. The Ward Centre establishment got started last night with a reunion party for all their former employees and continues at 9 p.m. tonight with a "Manager's Party" featuring live entertainment by Kalae Loa.
Things kick into overdrive at Compadres on Monday when the place is declared a "Cinco de Mayo Party Zone" from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Along with the typical bar offerings, you've got an opportunity here to step up and brave "Rick's Tequila Fountain of Pain." The pain comes from all the retching you'll do at the end of the night after too many shots.
JOSE'S MEXICAN CAFE and Cantina is also worth checking out for Cinco de Mayo, especially if you're looking for some ono Mexican grinds. Family run for close to three decades by the Martinez family, Jose's has two locations, a restaurant in Kaimuki and a bar in Restaurant Row. If your idea of celebrating the holiday is a plate of Carne con Queso ($7.25) or fajitas with beans and Spanish rice ($12.95) with a cold Corona, head to Kaimuki.
Jose's Restaurant Row location, tucked away between two office towers near the Meritage restaurant, is a better choice if you want to sit at a bar and pound some shots. Menu offerings are about the same at both locations, and each one will have special Cinco de Mayo drink specials and prize giveaways on Monday.
Can't wait until then to get your drink on? Check out Restaurant Row from 7 to 11 p.m. tomorrow night for "Tres de Mayo," featuring live entertainment by Dita Holifield, D'Tour South and eightOeight. Food stations will be open as well, offering items from Jose's and Philip Paolo's, and drink booths will have Jose Cuervo and Corona on special all night.
WINDWARD RESIDENTS also have a place to go and party for Cinco de Mayo. Cisco's Cantina has been a fixture on Hekili Street for close to twenty years, and is still run on a day-to-day basis by partners Greg Blotsky and Martha Harding. Blotsky predicts a steady crowd at Cisco's all weekend long since they "plan on having a party Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday."
Don't forget that this is Kailua, however. Blotsky doesn't expect to stay open much later than 10 p.m. tonight or tomorrow, and 9 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. As I observed during a stop in Kailua earlier this year, most people are home and sleeping by 11 p.m. on this side of the island. But, according to Blotsky, "if the public is in the mood and things are going on ... we can stay open as late as 2 o'clock."
If you go, be sure to try one of Cisco's "Mega" margaritas. These 45-ounce monsters are a signature item here, and were introduced to the islands 15 years ago when Blotsky and Harding added it to the menu. "I'm not positive (that Cisco's was the first)," said Blotsky, "but other restaurant people have thanked us" for the bringing the concept to Hawaii.
NO MATTER WHERE you decide to commemorate the Battle of Puebla this year, practice safe Cinco de Mayo and always keep this saying in mind: "One tequila, two tequila, three tequila ... FLOOR!"' Bottoms up!
Barfly appears every Friday in Star-Bulletin Weekend.
E-mail Jason Genegabus at jason@starbulletin.com with suggestions of neighborhood bars to visit.