Hawaiianology

“You can score at the point after” The Point After was located in the Hawaiian Regent, 2552 Kalakaua Avenue. It was the nightlife hub of Waikiki and opened at 9:00 pm and closed at 4:00 am every day with the last call at 3:30 am. It was known for its live music, crowds, good dance floor action, but the life of it was the experience and that Live music was the key. Such a popular place with the lines on the weekends and the cover charge would add up so people would save up to go dancing. There was a Point Pet VIP card to get past the cover charge, the 2 hour lines, and it would avoid the whole thing and go and have fun. It didn’t matter too much though, because they were packing people in and were way over the maximum allowed number. It was so popular it was like the Studio 54 of Hawaii with Stevie Wonder jamming and other people going under the radar. The way people would dress was in Angel Flight pants that clung to all their parts, nice long sleeved collared shirts, Members Only jack...

The Hawaiian Regent Hotel (1971-2000) was among the largest hotels in Waikiki at the time, occupying five acres and featuring over 1,300 rooms spread across two towers: the original L-shaped Kealohilani Tower and the 33-story Paoakalani Tower, added in 1979. The hotel's design incorporated spacious lanais, giving each tower a distinctive character and contributing to the architectural texture of the area.   Architects: Before the Hawaiian Regent Hotel was built, the site was part of old Waikiki’s patchwork of small guesthouses, beach cottages, and low-rise apartment buildings. In the decades before Hawaii’s statehood, this part of Waikiki was known for its quiet, residential feel — a mix of local homes and modest vacation rentals, rather than the high-rise hotels we associate with the area today. In the late 1960s, there was the Hawaii’s Tourism Golden Era with Jet travel that brought more visitors to the islands, developers began clearing older properties to make way for mode...

Fisherman’s Wharf “on the wharf at Kewalo Basin” was not only an icon, it felt like seeing an old friend. Honolulu had really iconic places like Fisherman’s wharf, the ward warehouse, the farmers market, the original international marketplace, the giant pineapple. It was one of the most iconic of Spencecliff owned businesses. The waitresses' bartenders and cocktail waitresses were such good fun people to be with a pleasant place to hang out at. Inside there were split tables with the wall between tables about 3 inches tall. The place was popular and was another Spencecliff restaurant where people were having escargot with full service, shells, pliers, but with the Aloha spirit alive in there customers would share. There was one lad who saw a lady who kept on eyeing out his table and he noticed that she was actually staring at the snails, she was just on the next table over and kept staring, so he offered her a snail, and the waitress remembers that she never saw someone leave so qu...

"The Gem in the Slums to the Top of the Boulevard” Columbia Inn (1941-2007) was located at 116 N Beretania St and Kamanuwai Lane with not to far off was Follies Theatre and Tin Can Alley (Kamanuwai Lane). Columbia Inn was started by the Kaneshiro Brothers of the Kaneshiro Ohana (Okinawan Descent) “Fred Toshi Kaneshiro” (1921-1981) and his older brother “Frank Gentaro Kaneshiro “ who were pretty into coffee where they would get the name “Columbia” from the words on the coffee bags as they believed good coffee, good people, make a good restaurant. The family got much of their social experience as members of “Oroku Azajin Club Hawaii” (Okinawa Ryukyu Islands Village groups and club) where they made the batter and cooked much of the Hawaii Andagi for Festivals. It was a based on American food, Local Breakfast, Local Lunch, and Local Dinner and had limited hours and worked closely with the Uyehara Family, particularly Kamado Uyehara (Frankie’s Cafe) who was his partner who handled much...

Kenny Kaneshiro "Home of the Suzy Q... thinly sliced ribeye that was so soft from the flat top. onions with teri sauce on it with the american cheese. It was said to cause addiction where people would have to have their fix of that sandwich. Fries and a malt. Dats it!" Teri Beef Sandwich that is known today is from thin-sliced chuck, chuck steak, skirt steak (liquid-marinade), mayonnaise, caramelized onion, cheese, but the original was called the "Suzy Q" where it was technically a "Cheesy Barbecue Teri Ribeye Sandwich". Imagine putting a slice of American Cheese on Teri Beef in a bun is what the old timers say, because it was delicious, but those who didn't grow up with it don't know just how good it tasted the Jolly Roger way. It was one of the several flagship products of the company as people really enjoyed it as a Hawaii sort of sandwich. Before the shrimp burger, kalua pork burger, and the loco moco burger the world often used it as a symbol ...

Michel Martin (1907-2008) was the original Chef and Owner  was born April 3, 1907, and grew up in Nice, France. He was exposed to many fine foods as a child and that would give him respect for the food and the people behind it, but on the other hand he had also experienced the deprivations of World War I. It would be the beginning of understanding foraging and looking for berries and chestnuts. Bread salad was wartime food and it would really need a good dressing to call it dinner. He would move to the United States and make his way to San Francisco where he would catch a boat to Hawaii where he would end up working at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. That is until World War II began, he went to work for the Army to feed the troops. Michel had lived right, Mauna of Leilehua High School, on Uluwehi street.  Chez Michel Cafe (Wahiawa), in 1942 he opened up a small place that started as a burger joint on Wilikina drive. He would share cooked dishes with the nearby business owners like W...

Canlis Restaurant (1954-2004) “Most beautiful restaurant in the world” Canlis was located at 2100 Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki, Oahu. It was a High-class restaurant that was up there with the big boys: Michels Colony Surf, Yacht Harbor (Spencecliff), Rex & Eric’s, Nick’s Fish Market, and Mateos Italian. Opened by Peter Canlis in 1954-1987 Origins Famed restaurateur Peter Canlis’ first Waikiki restaurant was The Broiler Restaurant Waikiki (1947) on the mauka (inland) side of Kalakaua Avenue between Kaiulani and Uluniu Avenues. Was a small little place that said “The Broiler” and things were greasy and tasty and not too bad on the wallet. It was closed during construction of the 1955 Waikiki Biltmore which took over the block.  Hawaii had a Foster Freeze and it was at the location that Peter had in mind when building Canlis Restaurant. The Fosters lived on Anela Drive on the slopes of Diamond Head until they would end up selling to Spence Weaver who bought the house and turned it int...