Many things are tougher to endure than being kept from eating at a restaurant for a couple of months. One of them is being out of work because your job is at a restaurant.
That’s one reason I knew I’d go out for dinner on the first night it was permitted — unless, of course, I was sick. But throughout this pandemic I’ve felt the healthiest I have in years. Maybe social distancing was just what the doctor ordered.
As a former dishwasher, cook, server, bartender and assistant restaurant manager, I wanted to help make the first night back a good one for some folks who work in the industry. With social distancing in effect, most restaurants can seat only around half of their maximum capacity.
When I received my $1,200 stimulus check from the federal government, I socked some of it away in case of emergency and used some to help others less fortunate. But I also reserved some for what I knew would be a wonderful dinner on what I like to call Reopening Night.
Where to go?
I decided to return to dining out in style, splurging at The Signature Prime Steak & Seafood at the top of the Ala Moana Hotel. I wanted to support my friend and favorite restaurant owner, Peter Kim. It was also to honor a loved one who enjoyed dining out and passed away almost exactly one year ago, before we could go to Signature, which was on our list of places we wanted to experience together.
Peter, who also owns Yummy Korean BBQ, Liliha Bakery and several other food establishments, closed all of them for several weeks starting in late March. Cruise ship passengers who had been allowed to visit Ala Moana Center, where Peter has several outlets, were later found to be positive for the coronavirus, and after that, Peter said, some employees were wary about continuing to work. He put their health and that of customers ahead of all else.
I knew Peter wouldn’t reopen unless it was safe, and that he would make sure every detail of sanitation and distancing was correctly addressed.
In my previous experiences at Signature, dining parties sat more than 6 feet apart, anyway. And our server, Donovan Rowland, and other staffers did a great job of making us feel at ease. Soon, it seemed as though nothing was different than the last time I’d been there, about five years ago. The only reminder was the masks the staff wore, and that we wore when leaving the table for the restroom or to take in a different angle of the spectacular view from the 36th floor.
Those views! We had a corner table, and our 7 p.m. reservations gave us a beautiful sunset and then, just a bit later, the strawberry moon — and strawberry moon gives me a good place to transition to the food.
As usual, it was top-notch. The lone flaw was one stale lime wedge, which was quickly replaced with a fresh one.
We came ready to eat. Our party of six family members and close friends had mushroom, ahi katsu and ahi tartare appetizers. All were perfectly prepared and delicious; the ahi katsu was as good as Donovan built it up to be.
When it came time to order our entrees, Donovan told us about a prix-fixe special — a choice of spinach or Ceasar salad; followed by a filet, rib-eye or salmon; and dessert of gelato or sorbet — all for $49.95 ($29.95 for first responders). When I tried to order something that would have cost more for essentially the same food, Donovan reminded me about the special. That kind of “underselling” is always rewarded come gratuity time.
We added twin live whole Maine lobsters ($89.95), and hit the jackpot, as one was full of eggs. That’s not for everyone, but real lobster lovers know the tail is just one part of this great delicacy.
Our conversation was full of fun and laughter and appreciation — for each other and the food and drink in front of us. Peter stopped by to check on us twice, as he wore out a path between Signature and his newest eatery, Little Joe’s Steakhouse on Nimitz Highway — which had the misfortune of a Friday the 13th grand opening in March, and was forced to shut down just a few days later.
In the big picture, with so much despair in the world today, the pleasure of sitting down for an expensive meal at a restaurant is almost a guilty one. And “affordable” means something different to every person.
Of course, going out to eat — or to do anything — should still be done with care, for ourselves and others. Just because our first wave of the coronavirus was an ankle snapper doesn’t mean a second one won’t be huge, especially if we relax too much.
But at times, relax we must.
