kokua festival 2008

just a quick note to let you know that the official ticket on sale for the kokua festival is tomorrow morning. joining jack johnson will be dave matthews and bandmate tim reynolds along with mason jennings and paula fuga! ticket buyers will also have the opportunity to donate $2 to offset their carbon output for the ride to the shell.

local designers setting up shop in the kokua village include keolopiko, lily lotus, marqet and mu'umu'u heaven. and, do stop by the re-use hawaii booth to learn more about the good work they are doing in the islands!

{fyi - clicking your preferred date will take you directly to ticketmaster's website to buy tix}

• on sale: sat, feb 16th - 9a hst
• when: sat, apr 20th & sun, apr 21st
• where: waikiki shell
• tix: $40 ga/$50 reserved/$125 pit

p.s. if you haven't already, pick up a copy of jack johnson's latest cd sleep through the static.

waikiki 2.0

can it be? modern design and eco-friendly in waikiki? yep, it seems aqua hotels recently unveiled hotel renew (formerly known as the ocean tower hotel in its past life) as their boutique entry into the growing green hotel movement. in addition to the in room guest recycling program, each room features a sexy dimmable lighting system (energy conservation, perhaps?), water saving fixtures in the bath, and housekeeping gets the job done with non-toxic cleaning products.

and, be still my beating heart, there appears to be a faux eames aluminum management chair in guest rooms.

amenities include a pillow menu, complimentary wi-fi, lcd televisions, organic snacks to tempt you in the mini bar, and the hotel gets bonus points for being completely non-smoking. geeks will surely want to play around with the in room computer/entertainment system that offers everything from netflix to satellite tv/radio plus a place to dock your ipod.

the hotel is located about a block from the zoo and is a short walk to kuhio beach.

introductory rates start at $149 a night through the end of year, and if you are planning a waikiki holiday be sure to inquire about the stay free package (fyi - work is still being completed in the lobby so be sure to request a room on a higher floor).

click over to tripadvisor for traveler reviews before you go.

marqet: bringing the green to waikiki

 

one of my new favorite shops is smack dab in the heart of waikiki stocked with some of the coolest organic style around. if you are trying to go green, you must stop by marqet which is filled with hard to find eco-chic labels like loomstate, stewart+brown, livity and the islands' own oaks hawaii.

they even have a house brand green collection with tees benefiting the hawaii audubon society, hawaii organic farmers association & jack johnson's kokua foundation. for travelers searching for a different kind of memento to take home, marqet's green tees are a refreshing reinvention of the souvenir that not only does a little good in the islands but also makes a little less impact on the earth with its use of organic cotton fabric and vegetable & plant dyes.

audubon society * organic farmers * kokua foundation

there is limited shopping on their website or just stop by the shop (across the street from the duty free galleria. click here for a map) the next time you are in waikiki for the full marqet experience.   

mac 24/7 diner

modern diner . . . be still my heart!

there's still a wee bit of jet lag to shake off but i rolled out of bed this a.m. to contribute to the island foodie scene with my take on mac 24/7. it's a modern diner which recently opened its doors at the soon to be hilton waikiki prince kuhio hotel and after reading a few reviews before we left i knew my fella and i would have to stop by and check it out.

the design is definitely not what you would expect to find in waikiki . . . chilewich placemats adorn the tables, modernist lighting fixtures add subdued warmth, and plasma televisions hang on the wall behind the bar. the menu is all about [m]odern [a]merican [c]ooking available 24 hours a day. many of the reviews have mentioned pancakes fit for andre the giant and i admit i was tempted, but i couldn't resist the biscuits and gravy once i spotted it on the menu.

biscuits + country gravy

the photo doesn't really do it justice but these were definitely the most artfully arranged biscuits & gravy that i have ever had the pleasure of being served. it looked like an entry in top chef. just the right amount of cheesy gravy goodness topped the biscuits which managed to stay crisp & soft.

my fella opted to try the pulled kalua pork sandwich. it was definitely delish but tasted more bbq-y to me. the most surprising item on the plate was a deep fried dill pickle. the portions of our dishes were just the right size to leave room for dessert which ended up being a warm macadamia nut bread pudding cupcake with vanilla custard sauce.

pulled kalua pork sandwich

all in all, we really enjoyed our meal and would definitely return. the ambiance delights my modernist heart, the wait staff was friendly, and, most important, mac 24/7's fancy diner food hit the spot.

mac 24/7 is three blocks from the zoo and, if you go, take note that the hotel offers free valet parking with validation from the restaurant.

bon appétit!

kokua festival 2007

maybe one year i will be home for the kokua festival but it looks like it is not meant to be in 2007. if your calendar is open at the end of april, celebrate earth day weekend with jack johnson & pearl jam frontman & part-time hawaii resident eddie vedder (fyi - if you have the sundance channel do check out the iconoclasts episode with ev & laird hamilton if you have a chance). all proceeds benefit jack's kokua hawaii foundation which educates island keiki on the importance of being green.

the official on sale date is next week but here's a little info on a few hush hush pre-sales:

• sat, feb 10th - remaining tix from the kokua members pre-sale (which has already ended) go on sale at jack johnson's website.

• thu, feb 15th - myspace members who made friends with the kokua festival await instructions to access their own not so secret sale. how very mission: impossible.

• sat, feb 17th - official ticketmaster sale kicks off at 9am hst and the poor souls who didn't score pre-sale tickets hope for the best.

there is a 4 ticket limit which will hopefully keep the ticket supply in the hands of the fans (and away from the profiteers selling tickets for obscene amounts on ebay & craigslist). more details can be found here.