Food & Beverage Focus is a short profile on a person in the food & Beverage industry in Hawaii in a question and answer format. Jo McGarry has been writing about food and wine for more than a decade in Hawaii. Former editor of Gusto Magazine she began working as restaurant specialist for the Honolulu Star Bulletin in 2001 and writing a food column for MidWeek the same year. She is the host of a long running lifestyle radio program, Table Talk, that airs Saturday mornings on KHVH 830 AM from 10 – 11AM. She is the author of The Hawaii Tailgate Cookbook and the 'voice' of tailgating on radio. Visit her website: WineAndDineHawaii.com
Below are the last 10 Food & Beverage Focus columns
Keri Endo
Friday - January 25, 2012
Keri Endo
Catering Director, The Willows
Where were you born and raised? Born and raised here in Honolulu, Aiea High School grad.
What made you want to pursue a career in the food industry? You know, I really just fell into it in the beginning.
Read More >>Nicola (Nic) Sayada
Friday - January 18, 2012
Title: Executive Chef, Il Lupino
You’ve had a lifelong, passionate relationship with food. What started it? When I was a little kid we had a hotel in Iran. My mother would take me everywhere and teach me everything. She would bake and cook and show me how to look at vegetables to see if they were fresh ...
Read More >>Louis Silva
Friday - January 11, 2012
Occupation: Chef-owner, Luibueno Mexican Seafood and Fish Market.
When did you start cooking? I was brought into the food culture really young. Going down to Tijuana exposed me to the foods there and my mom taught me how to make everything!
What’s a good dish to try for first-timers? Puerto Vallarta-style sashimi is really popular.
Read More >>John Hightower
Friday - January 04, 2012
Occupation: Executive Sous Chef, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel
Where do you like to eat when you’re not working? For casual food, I think Teddy’s has a great burger. My wife and I like to go to Fook Yuen. On our anniversary we always go to Alan Wong’s. Alan and I became friends when we both worked on the Big Island.
Read More >>Chai Chaowaseree
Friday - December 28, 2011
Occupation: Chef/owner Singha Thai and Chai’s Island Bistro.
When you eat at Chai’s, what do you have? Oh, the staff and I have been eating here for so long that we all want to eat different food (laughs). Sometimes I tell them, oh, just order a pizza, please!
Read More >>
Matt Alleshouse
Friday - December 21, 2011
Occupation: Chef de Cuisine, Bali Steak and Seafood at Hilton Hawaiian Village
Was it family influences that started your passion for cooking? Definitely. It was the big kitchen thing with Mom and Dad from an early age. We’re an Italian family, and my grandma was a huge influence. She passed things down to Dad, and he passed them on to me.
Read More >>Jill Gilboy
Friday - December 14, 2011
Occupation: Sales and Marketing Manager, Hard Rock Café, Honolulu
Do you remember thinking that the bar industry might be fun? Yes, it was always fun! They had a huge banquet hall attached to the bar, and they always held big parties and events.
Read More >>Jeanne Vana
Friday - December 07, 2011
Occupation: Owner, Big Wave Farms
Where were you born and raised? Upstate New York, then we moved to Indiana. My father worked for Eli Lilly, so we ended up traveling a lot; we lived in Australia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Read More >>Michelle Yamaguchi
Friday - November 30, 2011
Profession: Co-owner Umeke Market, Kahala and Downtown.
What started your interest in food and cooking? My grandparents were farmers, and they grew cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes ... and they would truck it down to Cincinnati where they would sell to Campbell Soup.
Read More >>Victoria Sayno
Friday - November 23, 2011
Occupation: Restaurant Manager, Asahi Grill, Ward Avenue
Were you always involved with food and restaurants? Yes, my grandparents owned a restaurant in the Philippines. When I was a little girl, I was always there watching, learning and eventually helping. And they had a catering business, too.
Read More >>
