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Dining around the islands
La Mer's $150 meal wins Ultimate Dinner contest
It's not that easy to sell diners on a $150 meal option, but the staff at La Mer successfully pushed 1,099 of their Ultimate Dinners last year, winning a national competition to raise funds for culinary scholarships.It didn't hurt that the dinner included a half-pour of Louis XIII de Rémy Martin (a full, 1.5-ounce pour of this prestigious cognac sells in your better bars for $150 by itself).
And there was also the do-good factor: The Ultimate Dinner Program supports the James Beard Foundation scholarship fund for budding chefs.
Chef Yves Garnier, right, celebrates La Mer's win in the kitchen with Halekulani general manager Fred Honda and Len Pickell, president of the James Beard Foundation on Monday night. Judd Fruita, left, owner of Pappas Brothers Steakhouse in Dallas, was the perpetual winner of the Ultimate Dinner competition until this year. His restaurant was instead made the inaugural member of the program's Hall of Fame.
La Mer, in the Halekulani hotel, sold one-fifth of the total dinners sold by 74 participating restaurants. The program as a whole raised $20,000 for the James Beard Foundation. It was a huge leap for La Mer over its 2002 total, when the restaurant sold 599 dinners to come in second.
All good deeds being deserving of reward, four of the La Mer staff -- two from the kitchen and two from the service contingent -- will be sent to New York City to attend the James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony and Reception in May, take in a Broadway show and see a New York Yankees game.
Catch ahi fever
The Hanohano Room at the Sheraton Waikiki is showcasing yellowfin tuna in an "Ahi Fever" special menu through next Sunday.Chef Brooke Tadena's specialties include appetizers of Ahi and Grilled Vegetable "Pave," Ahi Tartar with Osetra Caviar, New Wave Sashimi and entrees of ahi sautéed (with gobo and eggplant), grilled (with pancetta potato and watercress ragout) and peppered (with foie gras). Wine-pairing suggestions are included with each menu item, with wines available by the glass.
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