Rainy day? Sunburnt and desperately seeking A/C? No matter the reason, even if you're not an art afficionado, make time to visit the Honolulu Academy of Arts, especially before Jan. 6, 2010, the last day of the Katsushika Hokusai exhibit. (It's also free that day, so no excuses!) 

For the first time in a decade, the Honolulu Academy of Arts is featuring Hokusai’s entire “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” series, one of the museum’s masterpieces, and a gift from the late novelist James Michener. The Academy recently announced it will extend the exhibit to Jan. 6 (YAY!). The beautifully serene exhibition has to be one of my favorite series presented by the Academy in recent years. You can spend hours gazing at each print, getting lost in each intricate detail, and somehow imagining you're in Japan. The Academy is one of Oahu's great hidden treasures, and time spent there is always lovely and enriching. If you're looking to explore Oahu's diverse arts and culture scene, visit the Honolulu Academy of Arts. 

The exhibit features many of Hokusai’s most famous prints, including The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.

You can even try your hand at printmaking, as my pal Al proudly demonstrates here. 

The Honolulu Academy of Arts counts more than 50,000 pieces in its permanent collection and houses one of the finest collections of Asian art outside of Asia. It also features masterpieces from Europe, Africa, Oceania, The Americas, and of course, Hawaii. Outdoor dining at the Pavilion Cafe (where I recently enjoyed a terrific portobello mushroom sandwich and locally-grown green salad) and a stop at the gift shop are must-dos while at the Academy, Hawaii's only comprehensive fine arts museum. 

Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI 96814. (808) 532-8700 or www.honoluluacademy.org

--RAP

"What's a good casual restauant where locals eat?"

"Know of any great dive bars outside of Waikiki?"

"Where's a great place to just grab a beer?" 

When these questions arise, I have one answer: Side Street Inn! The dive/sports/karaoke bar/lounge/grill always hits the spot. Every time I take visitors here, everyone leaves happy* and ridiculously full. (*unless you're on a raw foods or organic diet. Haha.) 

Each Side Street dish is large and prepared family style, so it's best to come in a group so you can sample more of Chef Colin Nishida's goodness. One person per dish is usually a good ratio. So if you come with a group of 4, order 4 dishes, group of 5, order 5 dishes, and so on. After you get how much to order out of the way, your next challenge is what to order - the menu explodes with dozens of yummy choices.  

As a frequent Side Street patron, I'm here to offer you a guide to the tried and true dishes that always please. (I'm writing this from memory alone. No copy of the menu near.) If you're a fan of local-style comfort food with rich flavors and textures, you'll be a fan of Side Street Inn.  

Feast on this: Farmer's Salad, Pork Chops, Fried Rice, Sizzling Rib-Eye, Poke, and some drinks. 

Here are some of my favorites: 

Meats: 

Fried Pork Chops - Side Street's best known dish. Hey, if the pork chops are good enough to be in SAVEUR Magazine, they're definitely good enough for me. I always crack up at the ketchup served as a dipping sauce. So unexpectedly good!  

Misoyaki Chicken - Easy to overlook on the menu, because, c'mon who orders chicken at a restaurant? But order this and you'll enjoy simplicity of the recipe. 

Spicy Chicken - Tastes as if popcorn chicken were enlarged and lightly drizzled with sweet and spicy sauce. The taste and texture equals greasy perfection. 

Sizzling Rib Eye - When I hear the snap, crackle and pop of this steak as it's cooked up with chopped mushrooms, onions and butter, my heart pitter patters with excitement.  

Fish:

Poke - Classic Hawaii dish served up right. 

Ahi Belly - So fresh and delicious, you'd never suspect you were eating this in a dive bar. 

Carbs: 

Fried Rice - Insanely huge mound of sticky fried rice with portuguese sausage, bacon, carrots, peas, green onions. Compliments anything else you order on the menu. 

French Fries - No good reason, but I always like to order a basket of fries here. Probably because they also go well with anything on the menu. 

Vegetarian: 

Farmer's Salad - Nalo Greens (from Dean Okimoto's farm in Waimanalo) lightly tossed in house dressing and mixed with ripe tomatoes, avocado, onion, shrimp, capers, and something fried on top. The perfect salad to sneak into an otherwise meat and carbo filled dinner.

Garlic Mushrooms - Tender mushrooms bathed in garlic and butter. I could eat these by the dozen. 

Dessert: 

Fried Butter Cake - I ordered this for the first time with a food writer from San Francisco. The pound cake is fried in butter, so has a soft texture with an ever so slight crunch, then is drizzled in chocolate sauce, and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. We were giddy all night afterward. I often dream of this cake but regretfully sometimes don't have room to order it after filling up on all of the above. 

Girls' night out at Side Street. No counting calories allowed.  

Side Street also has weekly drink specials and a fully stocked bar, so is definitely a pau hana hotspot. It was once a truly hidden dive, but has increasingly become more popular and not without good reason. 

Guests of the restaurant read like a who's who of Honolulu. Chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, and Hiroshi Fukui are frequently spotted at Side Street, as is Honolulu's giant mayor, Mufi Hannemann. Famous mainland fans include Anthony Bourdain and Ming Tsai. You really never know who's going to be sitting next to you drinking a beer and singing karaoke! 

Don't be scared of the dimly lit exterior or high fat and calorie count. Many locals will tell you, a trip to Side Street Inn should be on any visitor's to do list. So kick up your heels, let your guard down, and enjoy one great night at this foodie institution. 

Side Street Inn, 1225 Hopaka St. (From Kapiolani Blvd., turn south on Pensacola, then turn left on Hopaka St.), Honolulu, HI 96814, (808) 591-0253.  

--RAP  

Drinking wine on a school night? I'm all for it, so I rode the glass elevator 30 stories above Waikiki to Sheraton's Twist at Hanohano. At one time, I was a regular at The Hanohano Room (Twist's predecessor), but haven't been to the spot in some time so was excited to rediscover it. I marveled at the best view of Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach just long enough to avoid the bartender catching me with my jaw open in awe. The view simply does not get old, but I wanted to play it cool. 'Cause that's what wine drinkers do. 

Flights at Twist was my final destination, where I was given a boarding pass for five different combinations of three glasses of wine. Go Green (sustainable and organic wines) sounded intriguing, as did Thunder from Down Under (big, bold, and full-bodied), and International Flight to Europe, but I decided to go the "girly" route and try the ABC Whites (anything but chardonnay). I was feeling nice and relaxed after that flight!

Oh, that inspiring view. I've just fallen in love with my ABC Whites. 

 Hey, who took an ahi lollipop? Hello, you're supposed to wait until AFTER the photo opp! 

Bromance alert! Brian and Scott toast to good friendship. Any bets on which of these two ate the first ahi lollipop?

I love the concept of chilling out with friends and drinking wine, andFlights at Twist is a great way to explore new wine regions withoutcommitting to an entire bottle. Each wine flight ranges from $11-$17and is discounted 25% off during happy hour. Gourmet pupu complements the wines quite nicely. I recommendtrying Flights at Twist for an upscale but mellow evening--and a killerview of Waikiki to boot.

Flights at Twist is served daily from 4:30 p.m.-11 p.m., with 25% off for happy hour from 4:30-6:30.

Twist at Hanohano
Sheraton Waikiki, 30th Floor
2255 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 931-4600
www.sheraton-waikiki.com

--RAP

When Ala Moana Center first opened on Aug. 13, 1959, it consisted of 80 stores and was the largest shopping mall in the world. Over the last 50 years, it has increased in size by almost 2 1/2 times and now houses 290 merchants, including 70 restaurants. The mall has served as a leader in Hawaii fashion and a favorite place for residents and visitors to shop, dine, and be entertained.

It's hard to imagine that at one time, nary a soul thought the land that Ala Moana Center now occupies would someday be of any value. In 1912, Walter F. Dillingham purchased the 50-acre site, deemed unusable swampland, for a mere $25,000. Today, Ala Moana Center is one of the top grossing malls in the U.S. and welcomes 42 million shopping visits per year. At least 1 million of those visits are guaranteed to be from yours truly. I always seem to find myself at Ala Moana, whether it be to catch up with girlfriends at Panya Bistro, shoe shop at Nordstrom, pick up groceries at Foodland, or imbibe in happy hour at Pearl or Mai Tai Bar. 

The center celebrated its birthday with a bang. Hundreds of people lined up to see the center's 11 original retailers (Sears, Shirokiya, Crack Seed Center, Dairy Queen, Foodland, Longs Drugs, Reyn's, Territorial Savings Bank, The Slipper House, US Post Office, and Watumull's) honored by the current GM and mayor's office, as well as witness taiko drumming, Chinese lion dancing, hula dancing, and music by The Brothers Cazimero. In Willy Wonka-like fashion, the mall handed out 1,959 chocolate bars, five of which contained a golden ticket redeemable for a $250 gift card. 

Chinese lion dancers and a few thousand customers helped Ala Moana Center celebrate its 50th birthday on Aug. 13, 2009.


The Brothers Cazimero serenades Hauoli La Hauau ("Happy Birthday" in Hawaiian) to Ala Moana Center customers, dignitaries, and owners from the 11 stores that have been at the center since 1959. One of the mall's original developers, Donald Graham, was in attendance at 95 years old. When I met him, he simply stated, "I built this place," and could still sketch the mall's blueprint by memory.

As part of the birthday, the mall will host "Fifty Years of Fashion in Hawaii," a free exhibit showcasing Hawaii fashions over the last five decades, with the help of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Costume Collection and Hawaii Fashion Incubator. 

From muumuu to Miu Miu, everything from aloha attire, swimwear, and eveningwear is on display from Aug. 13-31, 2009. Old advertisements and photos complete the eye-catching exhibit.

In addition to the fashion exhibit, Ala Moana Center will offer a slew of 50th anniversary themed products, gift with purchases, and special sales. Centerstage will host performances from 50+ acts that have performed over the decades. Even the post office is getting in on the action with an Ala Moana Center cancellation stamp. Consult Ala Moana's 50th anniversary homepage for the full rundown.

Happy birthday Ala Moana, and thanks for all of the memories! 

--RAP