3 New Food & Drink Spots Coming to Mānoa Marketplace

Photo: Sarah Burchard

It’s finally happening: the long-awaited arrival of new eateries by Dusty Grable and his longtime colleagues. It was Grable who with chef Jesse Cruz opened Lucky Belly, Livestock Tavern and Tchin Tchin Bar on one intersection in Chinatown starting in 2012, paving the way for the slew of restaurants that have turned that district into one of the city’s trendiest dining destinations. Now, newly renovated Mānoa Marketplace will be the home of three food-and-drink establishments by Grable and team, the first of which opened yesterday.

On the ground floor of the shopping center by the post office is Uncle Paul’s Corner Store, a new specialty retail and bottle shop run by sommeliers, bartenders and chefs. Coming in the next two months are Little Plum, a casual family eatery serving local Asian cuisine in the old Bank of Hawai‘i space; and Lady Elaine, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and bar in the space once occupied by Tokoname and Hanaki. You’ll find more details below.

Grable left the Lucky Belly group in 2017 and worked at other eateries before joining other industry veterans to open Wild Orange, a hidden cocktail bar inside Hawaiian Brian’s. In May, they’ll turn the bar over to Hawaiian Brian’s. That will leave Grable’s restaurant group, called Lovers + Fighters, to focus on their new projects.

Dusty Grable, Wes Inoshita, Casey Kusaka. Photo: Sarah Burchard

Its key players are longtime colleagues of Grable: Operations director Wes Inoshita; Mike Nishikawa, Ku‘ulei Akuna and Allie Haines, who will collectively oversee the beverage programs; and sommelier Hayden Butler, the group’s wine director. The chef and culinary director is Casey Kusaka, who worked for Grable at La Vie and Quiora and before that, at Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, Californios and Nisei in San Francisco, and 53 by the Sea with Dave Caldiero, formerly of Town Restaurant. “Casey’s time with Dave Caldiero and Shaymus Alwin [at La Vie and Quiora] was priceless in building relationships with local farms and fishers,” Grable says.

SEE ALSO: 10 New & Coming Eateries on O‘ahu: March 2024

Uncle Paul’s Corner Store

Photo: Melissa Chang

Named after Grable’s dad, Uncle Paul’s will sell wine, spirits and beer once the store’s liquor license is approved. For now, you will find gourmet foods, dining and bar accessories, books, magazines, maps and gifts.

Photo: Sarah Burchard

The shop is planning a monthly subscription-based club for drinkers looking for something unconventional, starting with a curated selection of wine. Eventually, Grable says, groups up to 10 will be able to rent the space for private events catered by Little Plum or Lady Elaine.

Photo: Sarah Burchard

Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 2752 Woodlawn Dr.

Little Plum

Expected to open in mid-May, Little Plum will serve affordable riffs on local favorites such as beef stew, karaage chicken, yakisoba and chicken adobo at lunch and dinner. The restaurant and bar can seat up to 60 customers. Checks will average $30 at lunch and $50 at dinner, Grable estimates. Vintage uniforms and music will spark local nostalgia.

Lady Elaine Restaurant and Wine Bar

Lovers + Fighters describes Lady Elaine as the “lively gathering place Mānoa has been craving.” Kusaka’s menu will draw from Greek, Moroccan, Lebanese and Spanish cuisines and include fresh pastas, lamb and local seafood. A bar will feature craft cocktails and wine. The dining room, bar and outside patio will have about 100 combined seats, and checks for full meals will average $35 at lunch and $70 at dinner, according to Grable. The restaurant is slated for a mid-June opening.

manoamarketplacehawaii.com, @manoamarketplace