Oahu has seen a mini influx of mid to upper end gastro-experience establishments ranging from chic food trucks, pop-ups, and farmers market bazaar eats all the way to new brick and mortar restaurants with incredible pallet pleasing gastronomical experiences. The one thing that they all have in common is that they cater, in part, to a growing population of 'quality over quantity' food enthusiasts. These enthusiasts look at the entire experience of the dining process as an important cog in their social identity. It is in these types of establishments you find a melting of locavore, organic, and cruelty free or other socially conscious food product genres. Couple that with high end chef pedigrees (or their capable understudies) and you get a sense of the food scene in Hawaii. If I had about a dozen words to describe the menu, it would be "Master craftsman prepared food, incredible presentation, complex, often revolutionary taste parings. Casual atmosphere."
Within the gastro influx was a mini gastropub wave. Whether by coincidence or design, these gastropubs appeared nearly at the same time as the food influx. I am sure there is some part of this that I am missing, but for the average joe on the street, this is how it appears. The biggest distinction between a restaurant and the gastro pub is the focus. A gastropub is a pub first, that serves awesome food. A restaurant serves awesome food, but often has a great bar. Now, on to the task at hand.
Pint and jigger, the brainchild of Dave Newman (former bar manager of Nobu) and Jonathan Schwalbenitz(a long time bartending legend at Murphy's) sought to tap into this gastro experience market with a food lovers playground of eats pared with 21 varieties of craft brews on tap(as well as a murders row of awesome bottled beers). Coupled with a magnificent selection of high end liquors and skilled spirit slingers behind the bar, the Pint and Jigger component of the name has successfully been realized. A dark, wood heavy traditional alehouse look is augmented with a more modern sensibility meant to remove the rustic feel and give you the sense that "we are different." Telling and showing the pictures alone doesn't quite do it justice. You need to hear it as well. Courtesy of Soundhound, I can bring that vibe right to you. Just click this link and you can listen to the song that was playing as I entered.
The menu does impress. Executive Chef Noah Blair and Chef di Cuisine Dan Albertson do a great job of taking the bar food experience up to a level where cuisine enthusiasts will enjoy the experience. Take note that every menu item has a recommended pairing of a brew, true to its pub first heritage.
Even the classic Burger and fries takes on its own 'P and J flair' (the fries are barbecue flavored, not quite overpowering like a potato chip, but it is there).
Spicy Seafood ceviche
Applewood Smoked Double-cut Bacon served with fresh corn salsa. And yes, that is a Jalapeno. This puppy had some spice to it. Man heart bacon. Nuff said.
The scotch egg (read about it here) was a bit of a different beast. It had no heat like the bacon, but as suggested by my waitress, Tabasco does the trick. And it did indeed. A spritz or two of the tabasco on the perfectly cooked egg made all the difference.
I could go on and on about the pint and jigger menu but I would rather you guys make the trip on your own and check it out. The happy hour is from 430-6 and parking while plentiful can fill up quick. So if you are in town on King street looking for a great departure from the norm in a socially friendly atmosphere, check out pint and jigger.
No comments:
Post a Comment