GREAT EATS HAWAII: LA MARIANA SAILING CLUB

LA MARIANA SAILING CLUB
HONOLULU, HAWAII

LA MARIANA SAILING CLUB

50 SAND ISLAND ACCESS ROAD

HONOLULU, HI 96819

808-848-2800

HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM

www.lamarianasailingclub.com

La Mariana Sailing Club stands alone as the last of Hawaii's Tiki Bars. This iconic restaurant has been featured in movies and television series such as Lost, Hawaii Five 0 and Anthony Bourdains'

No Reservations to name only a few. The restaurant sits on a boat harbor off Sand Island Access Road. While the address is shown as Sand Island Access Road you need to make a right turn off Sand Island to a dirt road that runs along the boat docks. La Mariana stands alone outside the industrial area where she has laid perched amongst the boats since the 1950's. This is a true Hawaii gem that transports you back in time. Back to a more simple Hawaii where cool breezes and cooler drinks were the order of the day. Tsunami's, evictions and the sad loss of the owner Annette have not stopped La Mariana from sailing along in Hawaii history. This is a restaurant that "must" survive for the sake of all America and the world. It is the last of the Tiki Bars darn it. At one time there were chains across America copying this type of restaurant. All have vanished save one. I have dined here dozen of times and clearly remember Annette there every day when we were eating lunch. During her later years, she would sit at a table in front of the entrance and greet customers as they arrived. This was her life and legacy. I encourage tourists and locals to visit La Mariana and spend some money. Enjoy a cocktail, lunch or dinner and take in the open air, uneven floors, rickety chairs and Hawaii memorabilia that is unique to La Mariana. The food is good and reasonably priced. Past post links below plus great story by John Heckathorn:
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2010/11/la-mariana-sailing-club.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2008/04/la-mariana-sailing-club.html

LA MARIANA SAILING CLUB

Keeping the Tiki Torch Burning: La Mariana Sailing Club, Sand Island

JOHN HECKATHORN

You forget. La Mariana Sailing Club is still going strong.

It survived the death in 2008 of Annette Nahinu, the woman whose force of will kept it alive, through five decades, two moves, assorted financial crises and tidal waves. The last tidal wave, following Japan's March 2011 earthquake, wreaked havoc with the boats at the docks, but La Mariana still shines.

To find it, you more or less have to know where it is (first right after the first light on Sand Island Access Road). But when you walk in, you're suddenly not on Sand Island anymore. You're not even in the 21st century.

It's still 1955 at La Mariana.

The decor is the last word in Eisenhower-era exotica. Tapa-print tablecloths, shell chandeliers, tikis, canoes, lighted glass fishing floats suspended in nets. Lauhala wall coverings, koa trim carved before koa got scarce.

It’s Trader Vic’s, South Seas, Kon Tiki, Tahitian Lanai—literally. When those nightspots fell to fashion, their furnishings found new life at La Mariana.

This is the place to drink like it's 1955. Have a Mai Tai, a Zombie, a Tropical Itch. The Blue Hawaii, despite its off-putting neon blue coloring, is rich with coconut.

One of the younger members of our party arrived late, thought he might have a beer. You could, we said, if you wish to defy the entire spirit of the place. He ordered a Hawaiian Sunset, which turned out to be vodka-based and surprisingly palatable.

The food? Solid bar food. For $20, you can a large platter of tako and ahi poke and adequate sashimi. Or a massive stack of heavily sauced ribs. We got both and four of us could hardly finish.

The food and drink are fine, but they pale beside the entertainment. Blind piano player Ron Miyashiro once played at the legendary Tahitian Lanai. Like a magnet, he attracts singing talent that's amateur only in the sense that it's unpaid.

"If you're over 50, and too good for karaoke, this is where you end up," said one of party. The songs range from Hawaiian classics to the standards from Great American songbook to doo-wop.

It's almost unnerving the first time someone solos, and from the tables all around the room rise perfectly layered harmonies and soprano glissandos.

Everyone knows the words, everyone hits the notes. A woman who only identified herself as Lei, told us she was 88 and sang with bands during WWII. Her voice is 50 years younger than she is.

La Mariana is so old-fashioned it's cool again.

When was the last time you were in a cocktail lounge when at the end of the evening everyone stood up, held hands and sangHawaii Aloha and Hawaii Pono'i, withAmerica the Beautiful and My Maile Leithrown in for good measure.

Anytime you need a dose of the real Hawaii, rapidly disappearing, La Mariana is keeping the tiki torch burning.

50 Sand Island Access Rd., 848-2800, www.lamarianasailingclub.com.

Posted on Monday, July 11, 2011 in Permalink