Page 4 - July Hawaii Beverage Guide

TAPPINGTHETRADE By Liane Fu
is a New American restaurant our Hawaii/Brooklyn hapa baby.
We welcome you with an abundant table, uplifted glasses, & open hearts!
Combine the Brooklyn wine vibe of Chuck Bussler and the culinary mastery of Hawaii born and raised Robynne Maii and you have Fête, a Seasonal New American restaurant crowned by Ilima Awards’, Best New Restaurant of 2016. The pair met in Brooklyn where Robynne was pivotal in developing a culinary degree program at C.U.N.Y.’s Kingsborough Community College after working at Gourmet Magazine as a food editor and at Rocco DiSpirito’s Union Paci c in NYC. Chuck was mentored by Hugh Acheson and went on to ex his wine savvy at Savoy, Blue Hill, and Prune.
Together Chuck and Robynne combined their considerable creative juju and gave birth to Fête, their “hapa” baby. It is a place where “Classic techniques meet island avors & ingredients at their best.” This open airy redbrick urban neighborhood eatery has become a key player in the revitalization of Downtown Honolulu. “The atmosphere shares a brasserie feel with a laid-back island sensibility — a homage to all of our favorite things we enjoy eating and drinking. With its casually elegant, hustle-and-
bustle approach, Fête is our hapa baby. One part Hawaii and one part Brooklyn.”
“Our culinary point of view showcases the dishes we crave, using cooking methods from many cultures that all lead to simple, delicious cuisine.”
A nice selection of spirits underlie a full bar with a satisfying cocktail program. Not to be overlooked is their intriguing wine list. Chuck has collected over a hundred wine offerings from solid wine regions and districts from around the world; these offerings are also provocatively eclectic: from Spain, a spritzy Ameztoi Txakolina, and from Italy, a Nero Ossidiana, a black fruited wine grown on an island off Sicily.
His prize acquisitions, shipped into Hawaii exclusively for Fête: the Sicilian Aetneus made from 150 year old pre- phylloxera vines and the Dr. Konstantin Frank dry Riesling from New York which pairs spectacularly with Robynne’s Grilled Pulpo(octopus). This dish is a must have, lusciously
tender with a charred crust, shaved celery, and ngerling potato salad. Perfectly seasoned, it is enhanced with the Asian sensibility for texture.. Twice Fried Chicken with Charleston grits, collard greens, and spicy tomato jam is a perfect example of comfort food done perfectly, but new, moist yet crunchy along side creamy grits with soft spice from the perky tomato jam captivates with a 2006 Lopez Heredia Tondonia Gravonia Rioja from Spain. Then again, you may feel even more adventurous and try Chuck’s alternative wine recommendation with the same dish, a Paolo Bea Arboreus 2011 Italian Orange wine. (Orange wines are white wines made like red wines with extended skin contact.)
Their Orange wines have a menu category all their own. At Fête, it’s all about enriching life with unique and unforgettable food and wine experiences. “Our culinary point of view showcases the dishes we crave, using cooking methods from many cultures that all lead to simple, delicious cuisine.” n
2 HAWAII BEVERAGE GUIDE JULY 2017
HAWAIIBEVGUIDE.COM
Please Send Correspondence To: Liane Fu, Certi ed Sommelier: winestophawaii@gmail.com