Memories of the Pacific (2): "The World´s Most Beautiful Restaurant"

A previous post brought another wonderful culinary and architectural memory from the Pacific to my mind: A July 1981 dinner at Canlis´, "The World´s Most Beautiful Restaurant", in Honolulu.

The language of advertisements is often exaggerated, but in this case it came close to the truth; Both the exterior, and particularly the interior of the Honolulu Canlis´ restaurant were architecturally stunning. The restaurant was designed by the legendary Honolulu architect, George J. "Pete" Wimberly, who, when he died in 1996 at the age of 80, had established himself as perhaps the most succesful resort architect in the world. G

George J. "Pete" Wimberly eorge J. "Pete" Wimberly
In an arcticle in the Honolulu Weekly ( Dec. 2000), Curt Sanburn describes Wimberly´s design:
Cur
... "and, of course, Canlis’ Restaurant (1954), which seemed to be everyone’s sentimental favorite of Wimberly’s buildings. With its open-air dining room, bold Polynesian decorations, wall of orchid plants, koi pond, garden setting and legendary kitchen, Canlis’ Restaurant asserted Honolulu’s status as a uniquely stylish crossroads-of-the-world in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Indeed, palm-lined Kaläkaua Avenue itself, with all of its Wimberly-designed buildings, was among the most gracious boulevards of any tropical city in the world".

Also the owner and founder of the restaurant, Peter Canlis was legendary. In the early 80´s he owned three top class Canlis restaurants; the most famous one in Honolulu, one in San Fransisco and one in Seattle.

On July 16, 1981, my dinner at the Canlis´ included the following delicious "Canlis´ Special Salad":

Try it. You will not be disappointed!

PS

The Canlis family still operates the fine restaurant in Seattle, but sadly the Honolulu Canlis´ is gone.

Wimberly´s architecture firm, now called WATG, has over the course of six decades become "the world's leading design consultant for the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries".

Memories of the Pacific

On a dark late November day it´s nice to think of places like this

This time of the year, as we are approaching the darkest days of the year here in Scandinavia, it is maybe not surprising that nostalgic memories connected with places like the one above cross ones mind.

"Some enchanted evening", with Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi

Another inspiration for Pacific memories is the 1958 production of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific". The new blu-ray version of the old classic brings out the full visual and musical beauty of this lavish film. Highly recommended on dark autumn or winter days!

Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi are outstanding in the main roles. (Giorgio Tozzi, who did the actual singing for Brazzi, should also be congratulated).

My own memories of the Pacific go back to the early 80´s, Honolulu and the gorgeous Kahala Hilton, the hotel that "has arguably hosted more presidents, royal families, performers, professional athletes and corporate executives than any other Hawaii resort".

"The Magic of Danny Kaleikini" at the Kahala Hilton (1981), where Danny performed for over 30 years

Although unfortunately not part of any of the above mentioned categories, I still had a chance to enjoy the Kahala (which is not part of Hilton Hotels anymore) for a couple of days. The dinner in the Kahala´s superb restaurant and the show with the legendary ambassador of Hawaiian music, Danny Kaleikini, without doubt made it "some enchanted evening"!