Saturday was the occasion of Yelp Hawaii's first birthday – that site with the "power to the people" reviews of restaurants and more. They hosted it at the urban, arty Fresh Cafe, which itself just hit a year in business.



Fresh Cafe was one of those places for which I'd seen monster social media traffic and yet had not managed to hit. Kind of sad when it's just a mile or so from my downtown domicile and just a stone's throw from Ward Centers, where many Honoluluans routinely spend quality time.

I offer my mea culpa.

But Yelp afforded the best possible reason to put an end to all that: A kicking soiree with free (and scrumptious!) food, free cocktails with Kai Lychee Vodka (the ginger cooler was a big hit) and beers, DJs spinning, a photo booth, a balloon sculptor, wine tasting, dessert room, a beauty bar with massages, live art painting and some rocking schwag (I left with a shot glass, a bookmark and an SPF 15 lip balm: and that was a small part of the booty). Props to Yelp Hawaii's Emi Hart for throwing a barn burner; my friend and I were impressed.

Photo, right: My fave of the balloon formations, hands down – I like a good action hero. Watch a tentacled octopus come to life in the video above.

You'll get a sense of the scope of Fresh Cafe from the video, but essentially it's in a warehouse (common in the commercial/industrial area of Kakaako) with a kitchen/dining storefront and a large performance space out back. I need to return when a band is playing (they host live jazz regularly) or for a slam poetry event.

Very happy to see the Soul Patrol truck there (I scarfed a pulled pork sandwich on biscuit and fried chicken leg), along with insanely tasty desserts (cheesecake sandwich anyone?) from downtown mainstays Otto Cake and Tea at 1024. I haven't yet tried the legendarily monster pancakes from MAC 24-7 in Waikiki, but their Mac 'n' Cheese offering here was hearty.

We took in shave ice at Kakaako Kool next door at the end of the party (banana/haupia my flavors). The party was a feast, both for the eyes and the stomach.


The Yelp Hawaii party as seen from the loft at Fresh Cafe.