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

I can never decide what comes first: thirst or hunger? At Bar 35, the sleek yet comfortable bar and lounge in Chinatown, I may never find the answer. This bar has mastered serving life's greatest pleasures: beer, pizza and french fries (and to my delight in a clean and stylish venue). Bar 35 is the place in Chinatown where you can meet Honolulu business people after work, college students looking to relax, and hipster kids stopping by between their club crawling. On First Fridays, look for the long line on Hotel Street to mark this local favorite hangout. Here are some highlights:  

New Euro fries, $6, are crispy, salty and delicious (think McDonald's 2.0) and come with a selection of dipping sauces like miso mayo, kimchee mayo and BBQ. Usually shared among a group of two or more friends. 

This just in! Wolfgang's Steakhouse has introduced a new happy hour concept, dubbed Cocktails on Kalakaua. Special pricing on drinks include $5-7 pupus, including their sirloin burger sliders, and beers, house wine, and martinis in the $4-7 range. Cocktails on Kalakaua takes place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. daily.

I think it's smart of the restaurant to head in this direction, as nowadays, happy hours are becoming more and more popular. When I travel to different cities, I always ask locals for the best happy hour places, so I can sample small bites, get a feel for a restaurant and meet interesting people without breaking my piggy bank. 

If you're craving sizzling steaks dry-aged to perfection and just hot enough to make your mouth water, Wolfang's Steakhouse in the Royal Hawaiian Center is one of the best around. It's a great place to indulge your carnivore cravings or celebrate a special occasion, and a nice night out with friends is satisfying in its own right. Now that Wolfgang's has added Cocktails on Kalakaua, people just have one more reason to smile.

With THE Wolfgang Zwiener at the Wolfgang's Steakhouse grand opening party earlier this year.

For more information, visit www.wolfgangssteakhouse.com or call 808-922-3600.

--RAP

Another Friday the 13th? Instead of getting all weird about it, why not just go out and have some well-deserved fun?

 

This week only, DJ Eskae and the Nocturnal Sound Krew are moving the popular Soul Clap party from the intimate thiryninehotel in Chinatown to a larger, club-goer friendlier space at Pearl Ultralounge at Ala Moana Center.  

 

 

When I spoke to DJ Eskae, his philosophy for music and deejaying is simply to bring folks together and make people dance to music they never knew they liked. The plan must be working, since Eskae is now one of the most popular DJs in town, spinning everywhere from Pearl to V Lounge to private parties, and always making booties shake!  

 

If you'd like to recreate your own Soul Clap, you can go ahead and try. DJ Eskae kindly gave us an exclusive look into his Top 10 playlist, which breaks down like this:

 

• Johnny Blaze - Peanut Butter Jelly Time
  
• Salt n Pepa - Push It
  
• Cajmere  - Shake N Pop
  
• Stevie Wonder - Do I Do
  
• Notorious BIG - Hypnotize
  
• Nightcrawlers - Push on the Feeling
  
• George Kranz - Din Da Da
  
• New Order - Blue Monday
  
• Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue
  
• NDeep - Last Night a DJ Saved My Life  
  

 

It's never as much fun by yourself, so stop by Soul Clap at Candy Bar on Friday, March 13. 

If you miss it, Soul Clap returns to its regular schedule at thirtyninehotel on the last Fridays of the month.  

 

Visit www.djeskae.com for more info.  

 

--RAP 

Woohoo, we have a new president! The island of Oahu was so excited for Barack Obama, the ultimate "local boy done good," that you'd be hard pressed not to find people partying and celebrating change all around town. 

I attended the Aloha Obama party hosted by Henk Rogers and The Waterfront at Aloha Tower--a free celebration with live music, drinks, food by Chai Chaowasaree, and a reel replaying CNN's inaugural highlights on a huge screen. I could only imagine how my Hawaii colleagues--and the rest of those lucky yet cold attendees--were faring in Washington D.C. while we "froze" that evening in the 60-something degree weather. (We're totally spoiled!)