Dining Scene
Celebrate Dad's special day with a special meal

By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

Illustration by Martha Hernandez • The Honolulu Advertiser

Like a lot of men of his generation, my dad had a difficult time saying "I love you."æFortunately, though, the quality of his love was amazing; he was quite adept at showing it in many different ways. In return, I'd help my mom prepare his favorite foods: steamed clams, spaghetti with Italian sausage, roasted turkey legs, and fresh pineapple with marshmallow sauce for dessert. Dad, if you were here right now, I'd have all your favorite things laid out just for you.æ

Other nice men I know told me how they're going to celebrate:

Fred Livingston, owner of Crouching Lion Inn, Davey Jones, Trattoria, Matteo's and Sunset Grill, said, "Hmmm, the ultimate meal for Father's Day ... let's see, my favorite restaurant, aside from my own, that is, sits on a cliff outside Monte Carlo. Nikki (the Mrs.) and I love this place. I don't know if it's the food that's so wonderful, or the setting, which is, but it's overlooking the ocean ... I'll think of the name in just a minute." (Speaking away from phone) "Nikki, what's the name of that great place on the cliff outside Monte Carlo? Roque Burne? Yeah, that's it, Roque Burne.

"I'd probably have fish, straight out of the water, and they do some amazing stuff with Portobello mushrooms, and a really good bottle of wine. Now that would tickle my palate. But what will I actually be eating this Sunday? We'll probably go to either Matteo's or Sunset Grill.æWe have favorite dishes at both places."

Fifteen minutes pass, the phone rings, and it's Fred Livingston: "Matthew, I know what a stickler you are for accuracy.æThat restaurant near Monte Carlo, Roque Burne, doesn't really overlook an ocean, it overlooks a sea."

Me: "I knew that. Happy Father's Day, Fred."

Hiroshi Fukui is the chef at L'Uraku restaurant. I found it fascinating that his wife does the cooking at home. So when asked what a great Father's Day meal would be, he responded with, "Well, if we're going out to a restaurant, I love yakiniku. But at home, I'm really a simple guy.æAnything my wife cooks for me, I love. She does a great chicken dish, made with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup ..."

MG: "Do you have children?"

Fukui: "We're working on it."

Aaron Placourakis, honcho at Sarento's, Aaron's, Nick's Fishmarket on Maui, and his latest baby, also on Maui, Sarento's on the Beach, recalls:

"My most memorable Father's Day was when my dad told me how proud he was of me. This was after I opened my first restaurant ...æHis acknowledgement meant so much to me."

MG: "What will you do this Father's Day?"

Placourakis: "I love my kids so much ... we did the boy-girl-boy-girl thing (Aris, 15, Lexi, 13, Jesse Aaron, 11, and Gabriella, 6), and they will probably cook me breakfast.æThen I'll play some tennis, do a little work, and then we're off to Sarento's (on the Beach) for dinner. I'll have a great bottle of Italian chardonnay, and probably a piece of opakapaka that George (Gomes, the chef) does so well."

D.K. Kodama, chef-owner of the Sansei restaurants here and on Maui, knows what he'll be doing on Father's Day. He and his wife Lori will be thinking of the future.æThey are expecting their first child in December. Says Kodama, the soon-to-be-proud papa, "Another sushi chef's on the way."

Whatever you're eating, you can still enjoy yourself. And remember, gents, this Sunday is ours, so if we raise a little hell, they'll just have to deal with it, right? We're men and we rule the roost! All right, so go now and ask your wives if that's OK. Happy Father's Day.

Send comments, questions and suggestions to ChefMatthew@LoveLife.com