Now that's a view

A new restaurant on the old John Dominis site does right by its ocean panorama and its high-end Italian menu

By Nadine Kam

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 19, 2012

~~<p>John Dominis restaurant must have been something to behold when it opened in the late 1970s, with its indoor garden and a stream running through it. But, by the time it closed two years ago, it had seen better days. It was dark, dingy and strange. Situated on the water's edge, it seemed wrong to sit encased in glass, with waves crashing against the walls. I kept waiting for the water to burst through. Its closing was no surprise. The bigger mystery was what would take its place.</p>
<p>Sixteen million dollars later, the new enterprise couldn't be more different. It's a combo wedding chapel aimed at Japanese visitors, with a restaurant, 53 By the Sea, open to all.</p>
~~

John Dominis restaurant must have been something to behold when it opened in the late 1970s, with its indoor garden and a stream running through it. But, by the time it closed two years ago, it had seen better days. It was dark, dingy and strange. Situated on the water's edge, it seemed wrong to sit encased in glass, with waves crashing against the walls. I kept waiting for the water to burst through. Its closing was no surprise. The bigger mystery was what would take its place.

Sixteen million dollars later, the new enterprise couldn't be more different. It's a combo wedding chapel aimed at Japanese visitors, with a restaurant, 53 By the Sea, open to all. Login for more...