THE NIGHT STUFF
Happy-hour specials at pair of Ala Moana eateries

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

At Morton's The Steakhouse, bartender Mike Lee serves happy-hour drinks: from left, apple martini, 25th Anniversary Silver (one of four flavors), a Cosmopolitan and a chocolate martini. Advertiser library photo

From left: Jim Hayes of Manoa, Kevin Kennedy of Kailua, Andy Morris of Kapolei and Shirley Gordon of Lahaina, Maui, chat during happy hour at Longhi's, Ala Moana Center. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Susan Murray of Makiki, right, enjoys a drink during happy hour at Longhi's, Ala Moana Center. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

Morton's The Steakhouse Ala Moana Center Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. weekdays; 5-11 p.m. Saturdays; 5-10 p.m. Sundays Happy hour: 5-7 p.m. weekdays 949-1300 Longhi's Ala Moana Center Hours: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays ; 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Happy hour: 4-7 p.m. daily 947-9899

My editors weren't exactly forcing me to check out happy hours at Longhi's and Morton's The Steakhouse's bars in one evening. But given that the restaurants are stacked one on the other at Ala Moana Center, I figured I'd have a pleasant (and easy) enough time trying.

The main lure of Morton's weekday 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour are the free mini filet-mignon sandwiches served alongside drink specials. There, I've said it.

Morton's cozy, dark-wood accented, moodily lit and (mirroring the rest of the restaurant) windowless lounge may be the very definition of refined intimacy. But it's not just décor that inspires groups of twenty- to fiftysomethings to queue up patiently, waiting for folks to abandon tables and spots in an already standing-room-only bar.

Delivered tableside on fluffy-soft, fresh-baked mini rolls with a dollop of tangy mustard mayo and tender medium- to well-done slices of filet mignon within, the bite-sized sandwiches are a tasty accompaniment to drinks and conversation. Servers toting silver trays loaded with steak sandwiches worked Morton's noisy lounge every 10 or 15 minutes, doing a remarkable job of making sure everybody was sated.

A gathering of 40 to 50 people easily packed Morton's lounge by 5:30 p.m. on a recent Friday. Not surprisingly, the crowd was heavy on regulars, many of them on a first-name basis with the staff.

Another nonbeef-related attraction was the lounge's generously mixed drinks. Happy-hour specials included a selection of $4 gin and vodka martinis served in glasses large enough to keep folks happy through several sandwich deliveries from the kitchen.

And if the gratis sandwiches aren't enough to quell your appetite, Morton's full menu of appetizers, steak entrées and side dishes is also available in the lounge.

Service was attentive when we first arrived but less so as the lounge filled up. While we got all the filet-mignon sandwiches we could ever want from the kitchen staff, it took a while for us to get a lounge server to our side of the room for an appetizer order, and then to close our check.

If seats are available, I'd recommend sitting as near to the bar as possible for best service.

Happy hour at Longhi's

Longhi's didn't offer us free filet-mignon sandwiches at its daily, 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour, but did have a good selection of half-priced appetizers.

First off, the restaurant's open-air setting and panoramic view of the sunset beyond Ala Moana Beach Park was a nice eye-opener after Morton's premature darkness. Seats at Longhi's impressively large U-shaped koa wood bar were all taken at 6 p.m., as were the tables surrounding it. Piped-in Island contemporary music played over the din of conversation from the casually well-dressed, mixed-age crowd.

Longhi's discounted happy-hour drink menu included well pours, a nice selection of beers, and a collection of $3 designer martinis. The appetizer menu featured a handful of discounted items from the restaurant menu, including a grilled portabello mushroom ($5), zucchini fritta ($6) and Pacific manila clams ($8).

We were thrilled to find one of our favorite appetizers, artichoke Longhi, available on the happy-hour menu for just $7. Delivered whole and steamed, the large California globe artichoke arrives with a generous topping of lemon-garlic butter and Parmesan cheese, and enough of both for dipping.

As with Morton's, Longhi's full dinner and appetizer menu was also available to bar patrons. Here, we chose another favorite. Longhi's fresh 'ahi carpaccio appetizer ($15) comes with a tangy tomato-garlic bruschetta, finished with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and capers on a bed of zesty Waimanalo greens. Deep red and flavorful, the 'ahi was a pricey but worthwhile treat.

Longhi's bartenders were friendly and attentive, and seemed to have playful fun serving and conversing with patrons. But I'd really like to see Longhi's take advantage of its spacious environment (something Morton's lounge lacks) by adding regular live entertainment to its happy-hour mix.

It might've kept us — and a few others at the bar — hanging around long past happy hour.

Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.

NIGHTSPOTTING

WALK ON THE DARK SIDE

They say you always remember your first time.

The first time I synched up a CD copy of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" with a videotape copy of "The Wizard Of Oz" was in 1997. You've probably heard the instructions before.

Turn down the sound on the TV, and press play on your DVD player. After the third roar of the MGM lion, press play on your CD player and turn up "Dark Side" real loud. Then watch Pink Floyd's lyrics neatly match up with "Oz's" on-screen action.

Roger Waters utters, "Look around ..." and Dorothy does. "The Great Gig in the Sky" builds its instrumental attack in sync with the brewing windstorm on screen. The "ka-ching" intro to "Money" drops the moment Dorothy opens the door into the Technicolor fantasy world of Munchkin Land.

There's more, of course.

And deep-thinking DJ G-Spot will lead you through it tonight on a special edition of his weekly KTUH 90.3 FM radio show dubbed "Underground Side of the Moon." Starting at 7 p.m., he'll inter-mix three versions of "Dark Side" (the original, a live concert, a reggae cover CD) over the airwaves. Just press play on your home copy of "Oz" when he asks you to, and enjoy.

You can head out for the night afterward.

DAWN OF THE DREAD

SoCal rock/reggae/dancehall band Dreadstarr makes its Hawai'i debut with two shows this weekend. Led by vocalist Darren Neville Simms (son of The Specials and Fun Boy 3 vocalist Neville Staples), the band plays Hard Rock Café tonight at 10 p.m., and Breakers in Hale'iwa Saturday at 10 p.m.