The neighborhood butcher is back. Provided your neighborhood is Kakaako.
Butcher & Bird, on the second floor of Salt at Our Kaka‘ako, is set to open Friday, owner Chuck Wakeman said.
The fresh meat case is ready to be stocked with local meats — Pono Pork, Kunoa Cattle Co. beef, Maui venison and Niihau lamb. The cure room is hung with sausages starting their four-week processing time, with prosciutto, Spanish- style lomo and Italian coppa to come. Shelves hold Wakeman’s pickles (including asparagus, beets and mushrooms) and seasoning salts, selling for $5 to $10.
The shop will open with lunch service, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, with a menu of seven sandwiches — among them braised pork shoulder, roast beef, meatloaf and sausage — at $12 to $14. A daily soup and grab-and-go salads will also be served. Dinner of charcuterie platters will follow.
Wakeman trained at an old-school butcher shop in Chicago, coming away fascinated by the craft and also the experience of one-on-one service.
“It’s the instant gratification of breaking something big down to something small,” he said, “and interacting with the customers.”
He invites questions on how best to use his meats.
“If you need some inspiration there’s a lot of cooking experience behind the counter.”
Wakeman moved to Hawaii nine years ago, working as a cook and butcher at Whole Ox, Vintage Cave, Maui’s Mill House, The Pig & the Lady and Whole Foods Market. Butcher & Bird opened in a commercial kitchen in December, making the farmers market rounds.
By the way, the “bird” is Wakeman’s wife and business partner, Jesa Simpkins, director of Volary Aerial Burlesque.
The shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call 762-8095. Find Butcher & Bird at farmers markets at Pearlridge Center on Saturdays and Kailua on Sundays. Visit butcherandbirdhi.com.
— Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser
DASHING TO YOUR DOOR
A new restaurant delivery service has come to town, and Tuesday it opened up shop in Honolulu.
DoorDash, a national company operating in more than 800 cities, is bringing food orders directly to hungry customers in Kalihi-Palama, Kakaako, Ala Moana, McCully, Moiliili, Waikiki, Manoa, Kaimuki and Kahala.
Deliveries run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the service fee is $1.99, no matter how big or small the order. Through July 5, get $5 off an order of $15 or more using the promo code “LULUDASH.”
Turnaround time for deliveries is expected to be under 45 minutes.
To see the restaurants available, enter your address at doordash.com or on the company’s app.
After a few months, the company plans to begin expanding service beyond Honolulu, said Brent Seals, Door Dash’s head of launch.
— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser
WANTED: A TRUE HERO
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s ‘Ilima Awards is introducing a new category — the Unsung Hero, recognizing excellence by a behind-the-scenes restaurant employee.
Nominate a hard-working line cook, an excellent server, a bartender, anyone whose skills deserve recognition.
Send nominations to Crave’s Unsung Hero, Honolulu Star- Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 210, Honolulu, HI 96813 or email crave@staradvertiser.com.
Deadline is June 22.
