Grown-up places to hang
August 4th, 2008 by CatIt’s a common complaint from my single friends:
There’s no place for people our age to meet other people our age.
We’re not in college — best meeting place for adults, hands down — anymore. We’re over clubs. And that idea we can meet people in line at the grocery store? Yeah, who’s done that?
So here’s some good news for my single friends: Harbor Court Bistro, which occupies the third floor restaurant and bar area of Harbor Court in downtown, is opening today.
I got a sneak peek at the new spot — a venture of Elizabeth Hata Watanabe, owner of The O Lounge — on Friday. And I was thrilled — OK, relieved — that this new spot has the same cool vibe as Palomino, which had a 10-year run in the same space from 1997 to 2007.
Inside the bar area on Friday. It was packed!
And I missed Palomino. (Cassis Restaurant and Wine Bar, which operated there for 10 months, was too expensive and, well, French.) It was comfortable, not pretentious, with good pupus and cocktails. And that’s how Harbor Court Bistro felt, at least on Friday.
The best part was much of the wait staff and bartenders from Palomino — which I thought was a very adult place to meet people — came back.
Two bartenders from Palomino who came back.
Not sure if the bistro will host live music, but the band was a hit on Friday. People actually got up and danced.
Friday’s event was star-studded, at least by Honolulu standards. Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa was there — and occasionally dancing. TV anchors including Diane Ako, Malika Dudley and Jill Kuramoto really upped the cute factor. And several lawmakers — who probably wouldn’t want to be named here — were also in attendance, sans alcoholic drinks.
The restaurant wasn’t serving its full menu — which Watanabe calls “eclectic international” — but here’s what we did have:
The restaurant offers five different pizzas: Hawaiian, Greek, Four Cheese, Chicken Alfredo and Classic Meat Combo. We sampled the latter ($11), which came with pepperoni, Italian sausage and sterling silver beef. Great with beer!
One of its signature pupus is the seasoned soybeans with furikake and mochi crunch. According to the menu, this is only served on the bar side.
We enjoyed the sauteed button mushrooms ($8), which came steaming hot and topped with garlic pepper butter and Parmesan cheese.
We tried the chicken quesadilla with peppers, goat cheese and a fruit salsa. I thought the flavors went well together, but it was a bit dry.
Another pupu favorite: steak fries with a really unusual banana ketchup. Yep, banana. It’s weird at first, but it starts to grow on you.
So if you’re looking for adult conversations without the distractions of go-go girls dancing on bar tables, check out the Harbor Court Bistro. At least you’ll feel like a grown-up among other grown-ups!
Tags: bars, clubs, dating, downtown, Harbor Court Bistro, hawaii, relationship, single, toth
August 4th, 2008 at 4:40 am
First!
Hi Cat!! FUUD!!! The pizza looks yummy. Seems like a place to check out.
I, too, used to like Palamino but not the last establishment.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:52 am
I hope those steak fries are as good as they look.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:58 am
PS: Are there still Go-Go girls?
August 4th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Wow….a new hang-out, AND fuud pix. Cat, you’re on a roll!
August 4th, 2008 at 6:38 am
CAT,
Aaaiiiyyyaaahhh! FUUD Pixs! Tenks! Being OFP, I guess this will not be my kind of place. I will stay with the 5:30 am crowd at Micky D’s. Curious to see what people have done with Edamamae lately. Sure is a far cry from Grandma boiling it in salt water!?
August 4th, 2008 at 6:47 am
Thanks for the suggestion, Cat. Just what I was looking for.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Fuud pixs again, yea….the mushrooms looks ono…
August 4th, 2008 at 7:48 am
whoa….Cat Fuud pix back to back! w00t!
sounds interesting. now i got another place to hit up. thanx
btw…is that a little kid in the 1st pic?
August 4th, 2008 at 8:57 am
No way?! A Monday food blog? Is the world coming to an end? HAhahahaha :LOL: I like the change up Cat, keep the rest of the HA bloggers on their toes. Das why you one of the founding originals.
I saw that article of Mrs. Hata reopening the spot at Palaminos. The food looked awsome and your pics justifies it. I must say though, the people there look a little bit older than the out-of-college crowd. Cary Tagawawa? I have one of those looks where I look like I should still be in college yet been out for over a decade. I don’t know if I’d fit in there. I guess it’s still Side Street for me.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:09 am
***”btw…is that a little kid in the 1st pic? “***
lol, reminds me of the line in “Sweet Home Alabama”
-”You have a baby……in a bar”
August 4th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Palomino is gone!? what rock, under what rock have I been living on?! =)
Looks like a cool place to hit for TGIF indeed!
August 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
mochi crunch w/ soy beans?? how’d they taste? never thought to throw that combination together. some think i got married too young (i was a few months shy of my 21st birthday), but THANK GOODNESS i did…lol!! just kiddin’…but that is a good question, where can you meet other professionals our age? occassionally i’ll got out to a night club and it’s a bunch of 18 year olds…wearin’ i dunno what and actin’ all kind of stupid! i sound like my mom…lol!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
food
fun
friends
flirting??? ha!
August 4th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
We were there too! The prime rib was good, but I still like the one at Kincaid’s better. The alfredo pizza was sooooooo ono. Didn’t care for the spinach or pasta salad, but the little bread thingees at the salad place were super tasty.
August 4th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
this places makes me sad. It’s like lawnbowling for people that don’t have alzheimer’s or major arthritis. but i’m sure I’ll be going to one shortly.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I was sad that I wasn’t invited, since this is in my blog area! Oh well, I couldn’t make it anyway since it was First Fashion Friday.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I liked Palomino though never really had any adult conversations there but did meet a lot of cute girls!
August 5th, 2008 at 5:48 am
My cousin works there….I wonder if he can get me in when they have events.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Cat,
That place looks more like Rumours that Oceans. It looks like the people there are closer to studying “Geriatrics 101″ than Psychology 101!
Is it really for “grown ups” out of college?
August 5th, 2008 at 8:39 am
hey, my friend just went here saturday night . . . they had like a club thing, but from the pics and your review - it’s very different from hers! but, i won’t knock it till i try it! i’ve been going to kochi alot lately . . . the food is good there, and so is the atmosphere!
August 5th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
..too expensive and well…French. What did you mean by that cavalier line??
Explain it to me at least. Malheuresment! C’est dommage, ma petite fleure.
Aussi, je ne comprends pas les bebes et les grandparentes.
Au revoir.
Helene
August 5th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
good riddance to Cassis! there’s only room for one Chef Mavro restaurant in this town, methinks. I’m gonna check this place out this weekend…
August 8th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I seriously miss Palimino’s. It was definitely on my short-list of favorites.
Banana ketchup? Sounds like Jufran to me… Very addictive and ketchup seems too tangy and not sweet enough in comparison.
August 10th, 2008 at 5:32 am
The days of hopelessly searching out credible assumptions relating to this affair are finished.
August 21st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I think this place sucks. Its a perfect example of a place not ran by intelligent people. It takes way to long to get food and it never comes out right. I am not from Hawaii but know that this is not how a succesful place is ran. Plus the crowd, nobody I would ever want to hang out with. Not even good for people watching everybody was boring.