01/18/2010 Eating, Drinking and Living in Hawaii - Welcome to the best of eating, drinking and living in Hawaii. Here you'll find news of restaurants (their openings and closings), food reviews, recipes and tips, alongside interviews with chefs, winemakers and food obsessed people in the industry. Hawaii is frequently described by people as a melting pot of food cultures, but it's so much more. With the fusion of culinary history we have in these islands, some of the most diverse and delicious food in the world. Enjoy learning more about our favorite restaurants here. Send us an email or a comment to tabletalk@hawaii.rr.com and don't forget to listen weekly to Table Talk on air, Saturday mornings at 10 am on KHVH 830 AM. Enjoy the best of eating, drinking and living in Hawaii. Happy eating! Jo McGarry

09/12/2009 What's New - Sam Choy's most famous line used to be "Never Trust a Skinny Chef." Now, the famous Hawaii and former heavyweight is having to change his tune. after losing more than half his weight during a diet and exercise program that's spanned the past 4 years, Sam is now weighing in at under 220lbs, and sporting a whole new look. You can hear him chat with Jo in our exclusive interview about his weight loss here. "I guess the new t shirts will have to read 'Never trust a skinny chef until now' he jokes at the end of the interview. Oktoberfest is happening at his signature restaurant on Nimitz, check out Chef Aurelio's menu here...A chance to walk through the farmer's market with Ed Kenney of town Restaurant is always fun. Jo caught up with him one sunny summer morning for a bird's eye view of some of his favorite farm stands. You can hear them chat here...Jo caught up with New York chef Floyd Cardoz on a recent trip to the city, here he talks about his innovative Indian food and what makes Tabla specials. Cardoz is a big Hawaii fan, so expect to see him here during some of the winter/spring food fests...local boy Tony Liu has made a big impact in New York, working with some of the city's great chefs, including Daniel Boulud and Mario Batali. At Morandi in the West Village, he's making some killer rustic Italian dishes. Jo went to visit with him to find out what he misses most about home. He'll be here this fall to give a series of cooking classes - more details here...in our recipe section this month, discover an easy recipe for a  Creamy Potato Salad makeover along with some S'more Brownies your kids will love. And in our drinking section, we chat with Cruzan Rum President Gary Nelthrop about his family's 8 generations of distilling, and why elegant rum is set to be the next big thing. In restaurant news we traveled to Maui to find one of the islands most interesting new restaurants, Ko at the Kea Lani. Chef Jake Belmonte chats with Jo about why the restaurant works, and food and beverage director Pete Sylvester explains the two year labor of love that made Ko possible. On the wine front, look for exciting new developments as Fujioka's Wine Times heads into a new era, and check out our recommended wine of the month, the beautiful Melville Pinot Noir. 2007 was an outstanding year for Pinot - get this while supplies in the islands last. And, as always, remember to check out Table Talk with Jo McGarry on air Saturday mornings from 10 am - 11am for the best of Eating, Drinking and Living in Hawaii, or read her weekly columns in MidWeek and the Honolulu Star Bulletin. Happy eating!

07/01/2009 What's New in July - It's the month for new summer menus and two of the most exciting debuted at Chef Mavro and at Elua. At Elua, Chef Donato has some gorgeous new dishes on the menu that reflect both his Italian roots, and the current desire for reasonably priced dishes. Both restaurants are using fresh, local ingredients inspired by classic cuisine from the Mediterranean and beyond. Chef Mavro's tasting menu is a delight. Check it out here. Alan Wong just returned from a trip to the White House, and you can read the exclusive interview in MidWeek Don't miss the Farm Bureau Annual Farm Fair at Bishop Museum this month - July 17th and 18th are the dates. The entire Farmers Market will be moved there for the weekend and dozens of local produce booths will be in place, along with food vendors and livestock. It's been a busy month for celebrity chef interviews - check out Jo's exclusive with Emeril Lagasse in MidWeek. Our wine pick for the month is the unbeatably great value Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin. You'll find it for under $10 if you look around the bigger stores! And if you're looking for an unusually good value cool white - one that looks like a chardonnay and drinks like a sophisticated Viogner, check out Snap Dragon as the surprise of the summer. And don't forget to tune into Tabletalk on KHVH 830 AM on Saturday mornings at 10 for the best in eating, drinking and living in Hawaii. This month we'll be interviewing Wolfgang Puck, Floyd Cardoz, Tony Liu, Wolfgang Zweiner and winemaker Sashi Moorman.

06/01/2009 What's New in June - The economy continues to affect the food scene in Hawaii. A month typically filled with food events and festivals is looking relatively quiet. Or it was, until Emeril Lagasse agreed to come to town to host a two night cooking event at The Kahala. Jo got an exclusive interview with him - and found America's best loved chef to be a gracious, interesting and lively subject. You can hear the full interview here later...and check out Emeril's gorgeous new cookbook Emeril at The Grill. It's his first book in four years, and it's a keeper. Elsewhere in Hawaii we had fun catching up with Ka'u coffee farmer Bull Kailiawa and his wife Jaymie, whose coffee placed 7th in the world. You can hear Bull chat about farming at Cloud Rest on the Big Island here. Makes you want to grab that coffee while you can....New restaurant Buffalo Boys Hoagies opened to rave reviews. You can read more about Buffalo boys Eric and Tomas, who've brought a true sense of diversity to Honolulu with their hoagies and subs. Great wings, served with a fab bleu cheese dressing too. They're on S.King Street where that strange  little Bistro Sun restaurant used to be...Maui Film Festival happens June 18th - 21st. Look for news here on their incredible Festival of Chocolate where chocolate body painted models are on display...Wolfgang's Steak House in Waikiki has been a huge success since opening last November. The restaurant is busy, busy, busy....and our wine pick for this month of grilling is a fabulously jammy, dark and fruity, sensationally good Zinfandel - Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin. You'll find it for under $10 if you look around the bigger stores! Gorgeous with a great big burger.

05/01/2009 May Days... - Talking tequila is always interesting - especially when you consider the history of Jose Cuervo. Kevin Vanegas is a Tequila Ambassador - yes, we know, some people have all the luck, and he stopped off in Honolulu a few weeks ago for a chat with Jo and a visit with top suppliers. Hear him chat about the world's favorite tequila here. And once you've heard the history of tequila here, then check out a couple of essential places to go this month to celebrate one of the world's oldest spirits. Jose's in Kaimuki is one of the perennial May destinations, this year expect lots of partying and some of the best margaritas in town at the family owned Jose's. When Jesus Santoyo decided to open a restaurant in Honolulu, he wanted to use recipes from different regions of Mexico, and set off on a backpacking trek around his homeland to find the best dishes. “When I got to Pueblo, I asked about the best mole, and was told it was made by a family who sold it out of their home,” says Jesus.  After meeting the family’s grandmother and explaining he would like to learn her recipe, he was met with a firm no. But persistence paid off,  and when he offered his labor in the kitchen  in exchange for the treasured mole recipe, he was  soon  invited to live as part of the family. “I learned a recipe that has been around for hundreds of years,” he says,“and I made some good friends.” Hear Jesus chat with Jo  McGarry here. The rest of the recipes have a story too. Probably the best time to hear them is over a tequila at the impressive bar that’s home to  almost  150 tequilas, including the extremely rare 1800, of which there are only 18 bottles produced each year.

04/05/2009 April Showers... - Looking for something lovely to drink this month? Listen in to TableTalk on KHVH 830 Am for the best wine recommendations you'll find. This week we're drinking Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin - a wine that's just bursting with lots of jammy, dark fruit and lots of spicy aromas. It's aged in French American and Hungarian Oak and as the wine opens, look for lovely layers of choclate and vanilla. Yes, it goes great with baked ham, and even better with grilled lamb.Best news? You'll find it in most wine stores for under $10. Jo's reviewing Azure, Wolfgang's Steak House and Kochi Restaurant, so don't miss the podcasts and the radio interviews - not to mention  the great food photos at each restaurant. We've got lots to listen to this month, new recipes that included Deviled Eggs and Cupcakes that will make you look like a pro, as well as the best ever recipe for Griled Leg of Lamb. Listen to Daniel Dae Kim and Dk Kodama talking about the opening of their new restauratnt, THE COUNTER, with Jo. Wolfgang's Steakhouse opened in Waikiki to rave reviews about the quality and service. You can read Jo's review here And in this month's podcast section, listen to Jo chatting with Danny De Vito about his gorgeous LIMONCELLO, hear Wolfgang Puck talk about his love for Maui and his commitment to preserving ocean life, hear young local chef Devin Hashimoto speak about his work at world famous ALEX at The Wynn, and catch up with Jim Beam's great grandson Fred Noe as he chats with Jo about his ongoing distilling work. As always, we've wine recommendations by the plenty, and lots of food and wine info on Saturday mornings on TABLETALK on KHVH 830 AM. For more information on food, wine and local restaurants, check out MidWeek and The Honolulu Star Bulletin. Happy eating!

02/01/2009 February Feasting - Nice to be done with January, don't you think. Chinese New Year in Hawaii is always a great time for feasting, and with the Year of the Ox safely ushered in, let's move on through Valentine's and Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day and see if our beloved restaurants will come out on the other side of summer. Here's hoping. This month we've some recipes to help with your tailgate parties whether they're for superbowl or pro bowl, these easy recipes are fun, and look great. Check out Kraft's ideas for an edible football field and more... I had the opportunity to chat with actor and director Danny Devito last month and he shared the secrets of his delicious Limoncello. You can hear Danny's interview here. I also caught up with  Wolfgang Puck earlier this month as he made a quick visit to Spago. He's delightful and we had a lovely chat about his life in food.  Keith Endo of Vino chatted with me about the art of making new menus. Alan Wong and I went shopping to the farmer's market and he shares his tips on what to buy and how to cook. Oh and look for a segment with Alan Wong, Hank Adinaya and me  on this month's Travel Channel 'No Reservations' with Anthony Bourdain. We  taped a segment on 'food porn' in December and, well, ...don't ask just  check it out in February. And in food news, check out these three neighborhood restaurants where the next generation of young stars are hard at work. Inspired by Colin Nishida of Side Street, there's a whole new movement of local comfort food out there. Our favorites are at Kochi, The Alley and Lily Koi. Lots of interesting food and wine interviews coming up this month - stay tuned to Tabletalk on KHVH 830 AM Saturday mornings at 10 am. And don't forget to check out Jo's columns in MidWeek and Honolulu Star Bulletin. Happy Eating!

10/27/2008 The Food Season - Here we are - the food season is upon us, so stop feeling sorry for yourself with the nasty economy and the hideous economic downturn - and start cooking. This month we have lots of new recipes for the holidays, gorgeous food photos to tempt every appetite and a host of new restaurant information. Make sure to tune into Table Talk live on Saturday mornings from 10 am - 11 am as we return to our live cooking demos with top chefs at the Sub Zero Showroom. Guests are welcome, food tasting is oblilgatory and we look forward to seeing you there! We've lots of drinking news too, including new products to hit the aisles this holiday season and we've interviews with celebrity chefs, winemakers and a very special one with Fred Noe great grandson of Jim Beam. We've even added a fashionista touch to our holiday shopping guide this year - check out Cheryl and brandy DeAngelo's fabulous new boutique,Adoracion,at Manoa Marketplace.There's amazingly affordableand beautiful clothes for the entire family. Food, fashion, fun cocktails...where else would you rather be than wine-ing and dining in Hawaii for the holidays. Happy Eating! Food News Top Stories Chef Mavro makes Gayot's Top 40 Check out Hunger With Kraft Foods and Hawaii Foodbank