Posted on: Friday, April 20, 2007
THE NIGHT STUFF
'Space Odyssey' with all-night eats
By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
Sure, you could get your post-clubbing grind on at Zippy's ... again. But for a few bucks more, try a sleekly modernist-cool take on the all-American diner (with cocktails!) in Waikiki.
MAC 24-7 BAR + RESTAURANT
Where: Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel, 2500 Kuhio Ave.
Hours: All 24 of 'em, daily.
Phone/Web site: 921-5564, http://mac247waikiki.com
Got parking? Valet only. But it's free. Just tip.
The appeal? An upscale, groovy selection of mod twists on comfort food in a kicky modernist setting. Cocktails all day, save for 4 to 6 a.m.
"MAC" meaning: Modern American Cooking, 24/7.
The crowd: 'Round midnight? Only a dozen or so dressy, mostly local twentysomethings fresh from or headed to the clubs. Club kids pack MAC between 2 and 4 a.m. on weekends, post-clubbing.
Interiors: Think a Stanley Kubrick-approved space-station diner set for a "2001: A Space Odyssey" sequel. Scarlet-cushioned booths. A luxuriously lengthy counter/bar with padded metallic stools. Trendy white lighting. Red, lavender and white walls and wood, metal and glass accents. Above-bar 50-inch plasma sports-spouting televisions.
The food: Fountain and breakfast items seemingly designed for late-night/early a.m. noshing. Servings are seriously generous. Selections included four-egg omelets, pecan-praline French toast, loco moco, white cheddar macaroni-and-cheese, fried chicken and waffles. Menu is online.
The Elvis: A stack of three thick pancakes — each as large as an automobile hubcap — topped and sandwiched with bits of crisp bacon and crisscrossed with a syrup of peanut butter swirled with sweetened condensed milk. Delicious as heck, but should come with a side of Plavix. I finished about a sixth of it.
The cocktails: Full bar and selection of wines and champagnes. A menu of six large, tasty and remarkably generous of alcohol — if not terribly inventive — "MAC signature cocktails" for $9 each.
Oddly good together: The Elvis and a Pacific Rim martini (3 ounces of Ocean vodka dirtied with locally made PacifiKool ginger syrup).
The soundtrack: A pleasantly clubby selection of eclectic adult Top 40, house and electronica. The kicker? Minnie Driver covering Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."
Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.
