I know, I know..a restaurant opens and my life is altered..I know that sounds far fetched, but this is the story:

We moved to Kona in 2005 when the location, which is now the new Sam Choy’s, was occupied by a dumpy Wendy’s. A Wendy’s with a sweeping 250 degree view of the ocean. Everyone called it the only Wendy’s in the country with a million dollar view. It did not fit.

Then it went out of business and sat there…for years. It was a blight every time I drove down Kam III Road to our house. When we heard that Sam Choy, a famous local chef, was going to make it a Hawaiian fusion restaurant and really take advantage of that 800 foot view, I was thrilled. Not just because it’s great to be able to walk to a restaurant with the local star power of Sam Choy, but that someone would finally take full advantage of a space that has such a sweeping view of the ocean, the sun set, and the palm trees. And I can finally have a place to enjoy a cocktail with my friends and watch our famous red Kona sunsets without having to go to downtown Kona.

Did I tell you they have fire pits?

Fire pits looking out over a body of water so you can share some laughs with friends with a fire…I don’t know if it gets better than that for me. They have fire pits at Incline Village in Lake Tahoe and you snuggle there with your friends and watch the boats out on the lake. “Snuggling” near a fire in Kona seems kind of crazy, since it never drops below 70 degrees here, but sitting by a fire in shorts, sipping tropical cocktails is fine by me, too!

Opening Night

As I have been watching the final touches being applied to the restaurant, my excitement level has been rising. I see that there is plenty of outdoor seating. There are air walls so the entire restaurant is totally open to take advantage of the view. I drove by last night and the parking lot was full and people were holding glasses as they mingled on the patio. To me, it’s finally turning into the place that I had hoped for that space. I guess as I have been waiting for the recession to end, and the re-creation of that  space is kind of a like a bellwether for everything else. Maybe getting a drink at a fancy  new restaurant makes me feel that the worst is behind me. Maybe envisioning friends around a fire makes me feel that people can have some fun without always worrying about money. I don’t know, but it symbolizes hope for good times ahead.

Pictures this morning.

My friend Delania says I have been stalking this restaurant. This morning, I sure felt like a stalker! I went in on the first morning they are officially open and they are serving breakfast! ($2 pancakes and $2.50 for coffee!)  I took pictures of the famous cobalt blue bathroom sinks, the boat bar and yes, of course, the fire pits. I knew I would love it and I was not disappointed.

As an event planner, I just love cool spaces. This is going to be a place that I will want to hold events. My first one will be our upcoming Kona TweetUp on September 29th at 6 pm. I look forward to sharing drinks, Hawaiian fusion pupu’s, knowledge, fun and a glorious sunset over Keauhou on that night.

Thanks Sam for believing in Keauhou and that little beautiful spot up on the hill! Good luck in your endeavors!

(Side note: Dinner entrees are around $25. The cool thing is that you can get six different wines for $5 a glass. Sam hit the “enjoy what you can afford” nail on the head.)