Not a Bookseller: Vintage Books Is Kaimukī’s New Speakeasy and Restaurant

Photo: Sarah Burchard

In the season five premiere of TV’s Mad Men, Don Draper’s second wife throws him a surprise birthday party in their groovy new Manhattan apartment and caps off the festivities with a sexy dance. A restaurant’s opening week is akin to the first episode of a TV series: You come out with a bang, and if you make a great first impression, maybe you’ll have an eight-season run like Mad Men. If not, you run the risk of getting canceled. 

The test run of Kaimukī’s Vintage Books, which officially opened Dec. 13, was that sexy surprise party—complete with martinis, 1960s broad leather sofas and wingback chairs. For three weeks before, I had walked down Wai‘alae Avenue marveling at the bookcase of antique novels in the window of the former 3660 On the Rise, eagerly anticipating a new bookstore. Little did I know a cast of hospitality veterans was tinkering away at a speakeasy and restaurant inside. 

Photo: Sarah Burchard

At first approach, Vintage Books is as it sounds. The entryway is filled with yellowing pages of out-of-print literature about old Hawai‘i. Beyond, a cozy bar seats 15 at four tables and three barstools, the walls lined with works such as Hawai‘i by a Tourist and The Hawaiians: An Island People.

But go through the third door, and you’ll understand my reference to Mad Men. Travis Sasaki, local architect and former co-owner of Bās Books, designed the room to look like a private club. A 110-seat space is painted olive green and accented with wine-colored floral wallpaper. Its two sections feature a dining room on one side and a lounge with a bar that seats six on the other. The midcentury leather sofas in camel brown offer the coziest seats in the house, with furry throw pillows so soft I realize after a minute that I’ve been petting one like a cat. All sections of the restaurant serve the full menu, which is available for lunch and dinner. 

Photo: Sarah Burchard

That menu spans dishes from Mayan Yucatecan (cochinita pibil, $16) to Sichuan (mapo tofu, $12)—a style that general manager Brian Gavin calls “global local.” These are small plates, intended to be shared family-style.

Photo: Sarah Burchard

Chef Stephen Toyofuku is still hitting his stride, but I have faith. Originally from Kāhala, Toyofuku spent eight years cooking in Seattle, first under Rachel Yang at Revel and Joule and then at Homer and The Chicken Supply. When the chance came to lead the kitchen at Vintage Books, he came home to O‘ahu. 

Photo: Sarah Burchard

The first dishes I try at a hosted soft-opening meal, such as the crispy lamb ribs ($16), the suadero or braised brisket taco ($6.50) on house-made ‘ulu tortilla and the Maui Nui venison tartare ($16), are packed with spices and well-seasoned with salt, pepper and acidity. On a return visit on my own, the food is just as punchy, including the Cowboy Beef Salad—arugula and shaved watermelon radish dressed in a spicy jalapeño-citrus vinaigrette with crisp bits of marinated and fried short rib, similar to pipikaula. 

For lunch, Toyofuku offers a few appetizers and salads from the dinner menu and three sandwiches big enough to split with a friend or bring half home, including a creamy curried egg salad sandwich with crunchy prosciutto, a BLTA with house-smoked bacon ($18) and an ‘ahi confit (think tuna salad) sandwich ($20), all served on toasted white bread with house-made BBQ-spiced fries. If you like your fries crunchy, you’ll need to order them extra crisp, as they are warm yet soft both times.

Photo: Sarah Burchard

The cocktail program, led by Jen Ackrill, oozes talent. In 2006, Ackrill helped open Rye, an industry bar and a leader of the craft cocktail movement in San Francisco. She honed her skills there for eight years before moving to O‘ahu to lead beverage programs at Top of Waikīkī/SKY bar and Hau Tree. Her team includes industry pros Joe Silva from Trick Dog in San Francisco and Tommy Reilly from NoMad in Los Angeles.

Ackrill’s menu has got me doing things I don’t usually do. I drink vodka never, but I love The Bell Jar ($16)—the menu’s only nod to literature—a lavender-colored vodka soda made with butterfly-pea-flower-infused Ketel One Botanical Cucumber and Mint, Creme de Violette, lime and agave. It’s like a spa day in a glass. My second go-to is the White Sands Spritz made with Kō Hana Kea agricole, vermouth, banana, orange and black lemon bitters and a spritz of Sicilian lemonade. Like the Bell Jar, it’s light on the booze and sugar and heavy on the refreshing-and-light factor. I appreciate the low-ABV cocktails.

SEE ALSO: New & Coming Restaurants on O‘ahu

Ackrill describes the small bar between the host desk and speakeasy as an R&D bar where bartenders will try out new ideas. Whatever sticks makes the menu. This bar will be stocked with different products than the main bar (think specialty ingredients and small-batch spirits). With only three barstools, guests who snag a seat can enjoy an omakase-style cocktail experience. 

General manager Brian Gavin and beverage consultant Jen Ackrill. Photo: Sarah Burchard

Gavin, the general manager and a restaurant lifer, runs the service side. A server in 1994, he helped open Roy’s on Kaua‘i and later became general manager of Roy’s Maui, worked at Michael Chiarello’s Tra Vigne in Napa Valley and helped open Roy’s San Francisco. Gavin also owned his own San Francisco restaurant, Conduit, for five years before becoming general manager at two-star-Michelin Coi and Absinthe. Gavin’s experience shows in his laidback, never-miss-a-beat style of service. Between his warm demeanor and Ackrill’s sharp wit, a visit to Vintage Books can feel like a friend’s home. “We already have regulars that walk down from Wilhemina Rise for a cocktail every afternoon,” Gavin says. 

So do you need a password to get into the speakeasy? Gavin says that’s not necessary since “we are about friends and guests coming back as much as possible.” 

I’ll drink to that. 

Open daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 3660 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 739-9050, vintagebookshawaii.com, vintagebookshawaii