Hawaii will be home to the second TR Fire Grill in the U.S., opened by a veteran isle restaurant group in the new Hilton Garden Inn at 2330 Kuhio Ave.
WDI International, which owns Taormina in Waikiki and is a partner in Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (Waikiki and Japan), also is the Tony Roma’s franchisee in Hawaii.
Despite the initials, TR Fire Grill is distancing itself from the more mature restaurant concept known for ribs, and will be about Southern comfort food with a modern twist.
Dishes will include chicken and waffles, fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits, served more elegantly than somebody’s grandmama might.
TR Fire Grill will be part destination restaurant, part neighborhood hang, said Kelly Nguyen, assistant general manager. Many entrees will be grilled over a hickory-wood fire, and its bar will be bourbon-centric but will offer a range of wines and craft beers, as well as signature cocktails made from in-house, oak-aged tequila and scratch-made mixers.
The restaurant will serve a breakfast buffet daily, not just for hotel guests, but the general public as well. Brunch will be served Saturdays and Sundays.
Between lunch and dinner menus will be a “local hour” (happy hour) menu with pupu-style kalua pork, smoked fish and other dishes that executive chef Curt Conant and sous-chef Richard Miller are developing, Nguyen said.
Kamaaina who remember the old Red Lion, Nashville Waikiki and the Waikiki Chili’s know exactly where the restaurant will be.
The kitchen will be downstairs, and the roughly 3,000-square-foot dining area will occupy the former Chili’s space, with dining room and bar seating for 152 guests.
The restaurant is in hiring mode, accepting emailed resumes at info@firegrillhawaii.com. It opens in September. …
“Sun’s Out, Buns Out” might conjure a mental picture of that which protrudes from skimpy bikini bottoms, but that is not the intended image of The Counter’s summer slogan and prize promotion.
That said, “glutes” are important to four-time Mr. Natural Universe Mike “Titan” O’Hearn, and he is partnering with The Counter to offer a fitness-focused, no-bun burger of his own design.
“The Titan” is an organic, free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free bison burger with bacon, avocado and a sunny-side-up egg on a bed of spinach and quinoa with roasted grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers and a sweet Sriracha sauce on the side.
The promotion part of the summer campaign invites Counter customers to share their own burgers-and-greens creations via social media with the hashtag #crEATeNaturally. Doing so equals an entry for a chance to win a 30-minute training session with the Titan (via phone), a $100 gift Counter card and a Titan T-shirt.
The Counter is in Kahala Mall, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Call 739-5100.
Send restaurant news and notes to erika@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4303. Follow her on Twitter @eriKaengle
