Bwhere dances are a treasure of Hawaiian summers. It’s not just about dancing to live drums and folk music under warm night skies, but also, if we’re being honest, the food. The irony is that as popular as good dancing has become, many of the islands take place in Buddhist temples that are struggling to stay open. Those that have closed on O’ahu include Kahuku Hongwanji in 2013 and, late last year, Wai’anae Hongwanji. Membership is dwindling, especially in rural temples, and those who remain to host good dances and prepare and sell our favorite dishes are often well into…
Author: kissnearme
Photo: Thomas Obungen TKilohana Square’s fine dining days are over: Ahead of the site’s pending redevelopment, Threadfin Bistro and Slice by HB Baking closed in recent days. Threadfin moves; Slice will be taking a break and moving on to catering and pop-ups for now. Below are more details on each. As for Kilohana Square itself, it sees better and busier days. Built in 1971, it had tree roots tearing through its parking lot and a narrow, slide-like exit that made the tight turn onto busy Kapahulu Avenue a challenge. But the two buildings in the small mall were doing well,…
Mad Pie, Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, Onda Pasta, Purvé Donut Stop – these are some of the local businesses offering discount mystery food boxes on Save a Bite, a new local app that launched on June 4. It’s basically a win-win: Save Big: Small boxes are $6.99 and contain $21 worth of food, medium boxes are $9.99 for $30, large boxes are $12.99 for $45. Support a local business The business reduces waste and makes money Save a Bite donates a portion of its profits to local non-profit organizations “Our mission is to keep good food on the table, help…
We recently visited Ireland and only had one day to explore Dublin. So we wanted to make the most of our time in the city. To make sure we saw as much as possible, we did a lot of research and planned a walking tour that everyone in our group would enjoy. This was no small challenge considering we ranged in age from 11 to 74 and also had a dog by our side! However, we managed to find the perfect balance of sights, history, green spaces, and places to stop for food and refreshments along the way. Everyone had…
Last updated on June 12, 2026 This past Easter holiday, or ‘Semana Santa’ in Spain, we decided to stay close to home and plan a road trip from Barcelona. My mother was visiting from Boston, so we wanted to show her the beauty of the Costa Brava as well. We had heard a lot of good things about Girona, which is about 1.5 hours drive from Barcelona, so we decided to use it as a base. The great thing is that there are many beautiful places within driving distance of Girona. I would definitely recommend it as a home base…
Your guide to which city, county and state services will be available or suspended in observance of Kamehameha Day on Thursday, June 11, 2026. King Kamehameha Day is Thursday, June 11 this year. SEE ALSO: Your Guide to the Perfect Honolulu Weekend: June 11-17, 2026 SERVICES AVAILABLE There will be emergency ambulance service, fire brigade, first aid, medical examiner and police. TheBus will operate during public holidays. visit thebus.org for routes and other information. Skyline will operate during normal hours, from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Visit honolulu.gov/skyline for rider information. parks, botanical gardens, municipal golf courses and the Honolulu…
Photo: Courtesy of Sea Life Park Hawai’i World Oceans Day at Sea Life Park in Hawaii Sunday, June 7, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Beach cleaning, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Park parties Celebrate World Oceans Day with a community beach cleanup at Baby Makapu’u Beach led by 808 Cleanups. Then enter the Sea Life Park for special activities including face painting, a photo booth and hula performances, in addition to the usual marine animal exhibits. Take advantage of the BOGO deal: Get a free keiki ticket (ages 4-12) for every paid adult ticket. Family-friendly, free to attend…
Photo: Courtesy of PBS Hawaii EExperience an unforgettable evening of music and aloha with a special presentation of Nā Mele from Halekulani’s House Without A Key. Located in front of a beautiful sunset in front of the sea, Henry Kapono delights the public with songs from his legendary career. Photo: Courtesy of PBS Hawaii For more than five decades, Kapono has created music that has become the soundtrack to so many lives in Hawaii and beyond. A multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and Grammy-nominated artist, he is a pillar of contemporary Hawaiian music, known for his soulful voice, heartfelt…
Rhodes is one of those places that keeps attracting people. There’s something about the combination of medieval cobblestones, impossibly blue water, and the kind of evenings that stretch until ten that makes it really hard to choose anywhere else in Greece. But here’s what no one tells you before you book: Rhodes is not a single destination. It’s more like two or three, depending on which coast you end up on. Most people choose a hotel based on photos and price, which is fine, until they arrive and realize that the west coast is battered by Meltemi winds half the…
SSeriously, how much can we eat? For all the new poke shops opening up around O’ahu, it’s almost as if the poke trend that went around the world has picked up and spurred a new resurgence back home. Of note here are the number of locally owned poke shops that have been expanding in recent years, in addition to those that have opened since 2023 (see featured story below). We lost Tamashiro Market, of course, as well as Fort Ruger Market and ‘Aiea’s Monarch Poke, which owner Adam Gilbert closed this year to open his new restaurant Fairway Tavern at…