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• Downtown @ the HiSAM - CLOSED

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First Friday Feature - Modern Spanish Tapas. Such favorites as Pimientos al Padron, Tortilla Espanola, and Patates Bravas have garnered a devout following of foodies and families alike

Putting the art in artisanal, this museum cafe is Downtown Honolulu's premier lunch destination and open every First Friday.

Fresh, ingredient-driven cuisine in a clean, modern setting provides a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of Oahu's core business district. Recipient of the 2007 Ilima Award for "Honlulu's Best Casual Restaurant".

HOURS
Lunch: Monday - Saturday, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Tapas: Every First Friday
Available For Private Evening Functions
Closed Sunday

Downtown @ the HiSAM is on the first floor of the Hawai'i State Art Museum at 250 South Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu. The restaurant will be open on First Fridays from 5:30 pm to 8:30 p.m.

Ed Kenney, owner of Town restaurant in Kaimuki, also owns Downtown @ the HiSAM, which serves Western Mediterranean/New American cuisine, a blending of the foods of France, Italy, and Spain. The restaurant will feature breakfast and lunch with deli-style takeout and casual sit-down dining. Breakfast is served Monday to Friday from 7 to 11 a.m. Lunch is served Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.


The spacious interior seats about 100 people at tables and the dining bar. There's also dining al fresco at tables on the outside lanai by the Olympic swimming pool. If you want a night to remember for a special occasion such as a birthday party or an anniversary, the restaurant may be booked for private-function dinners, and there are plans for a full bar to open soon.

"It's kind of funny how this new restaurant came to be," says Kenney. "A few months ago, I visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It was just this incredible museum dining experience. I was thinking that it would be great if we could duplicate this with a similar type of restaurant at a museum here in Hawai'i.

"Then just a few days later after I returned home, I got a call asking me to submit a proposal to establish a new restaurant at the Hawai'i State Art Museum. Eventually, I got the offer, and now we're open, and we're very excited to serve the downtown community and visitors to the museum."

Kenney adds, "Our motto is local first, organic whenever possible, and with aloha always. We first started this philosophy for Café Laniakea, continued it at Town restaurant, and now use it at Downtown @ the HiSAM. We believe that 'you are where you eat.' Downtown is not just a place, it's also a healthy lifestyle. We're using locally grown, better quality produce."


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Photo caption for Downtown 1
"Downtown @ the HiSAM" serves fine cuisine at reasonable prices. It's open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Saturday, with indoor/outdoor dining, plus "Grab and Go," an express lunch take-out counter, and features delicious, healthy food.

Photo caption for Downtown 2
Chef de cuisine Steven Brown, owner Ed Kenney, and general manager Bob Madison ham it up at Downtown @ the HiSAM. Kenney shows a leg of prosciutto, a dry-cured spiced Italian ham, to be sliced up later for a fresh panini sandwiches.

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