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Urban renewal

The Living Room transforms Fisherman's Wharf into a nightlife contender

By Jason Genegabus

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 27, 2009

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The Living Room's Vincent Di Pietro isn't Kevin Costner, and Fisherman's Wharf isn't a cornfield in Iowa.

THE LIVING ROOM

Place: 1009 Ala Moana Blvd.

Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 4:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fridays; 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturdays

Call: 524-0150

 
But the nightclub owner borrowed a phrase from the iconic baseball movie "Field of Dreams" when he completed months of renovations last fall. If he built a new space for drinking and dancing, would the club kids come?

Nearly six months later, Di Pietro still isn't sure. And that's distressing, because he's transformed the space that used to be a dilapidated, late-night afterthought into a two-level powerhouse that's one of Honolulu's best-kept secrets.

FOR NEARLY five years, the Living Room has enjoyed its status as one of the few clubs in town with a 4 a.m. liquor license. Other than nearby Pipeline Cafe, Oceans 808 and a handful of clubs in Waikiki, there aren't many places to dance and drink at after two in the morning.

With ample space upstairs and free parking, the Living Room draws a consistent crowd on weekends, serving as the last stop for party people and a place for bar workers to pau hana.

Still, Di Pietro saw more potential for the space. He invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours of sweat equity to transform the first floor restaurant into something completely different.

Walking a fine line between restoration and remodeling, he first got rid of the carpeting -- a move that dramatically improved the overall smell downstairs -- and removed a wall that separated a first floor lounge from the restaurant.

All the original wood paneling and fixtures remain, adding a vintage appeal to go with the building's unimproved exterior. But Di Pietro refinished the concrete foundation and added a new bartop to modernize the room. New tables and chairs complete the look downstairs, along with flat-screen televisions above the bar.

Another nice touch are separate areas for dart machines and pool tables, since some bars see this stuff as an afterthought. The Living Room solves the issue by dedicating enough room for seven dart machines plus pool tables in two separate areas.

The current layout makes sense and provides a flow through the room, while still providing the option to head upstairs for even more fun.

ALONG WITH a new floor plan, the Living Room has a new menu with happy-hour specials you don't want to miss.

From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, the club offers $2 draft beers and $5 pupu specials. Food portions are generous -- the Slidahz Combo gives you three small burgers to enjoy, while the tempura fish tenders, Hunan pork chop and Hurricane edamame can all be shared easily.

In addition to the specials, Living Room executive chef Eli Low offers butter yaki steak ($20), butterfish ($18) and loco moco ($13) plates; ahi poke ($11) and a number of sushi rolls ($10 each) are also on the menu. Discerning drinkers can partake in wines by the glass or more than a half dozen specialty cocktails.

But if your main concern is money, I can't stress enough how great this spot is during happy hour for both the professional crowd and those who consider themselves professional partiers.

And with Di Pietro introducing a revamped entertainment lineup, the late happy hour has the potential to get people in the building early. Former Chinatown heavyweight weekly "Acid Wash Wednesdays" resurfaced at the Living Room this week, with no cover charge and $2 beer specials to go with most of the same resident DJs that made the party a hit at NextDoor.

Thursdays have morphed into a live music showcase/jam session to offer local musicians another venue for networking and collaboration, while promoters Universoul have taken over on Fridays with $1 drinks from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., $2 drinks until midnight and $3 drinks until 1 a.m. And Saturdays at the Living Room remain one of the most underrated parties in town, as Good Life Entertainment's "Swagger" attracts a regular following for resident DJs Compose, JayTee and Zack Morse.

"It's hard to build something new in a shrinking economy, but we're managing to do it," Di Pietro said last week. "If things weren't the way they were economically, things would have blossomed a lot faster."

Thanks to Di Pietro's optimism, it doesn't take much to jump on the Living Room bandwagon and hope this club can weather the current economic storm. It would be a shame to see them sink after all the improvements they've made.

 

The Living Room's Vincent Di Pietro isn't Kevin Costner, and Fisherman's Wharf isn't a cornfield in Iowa.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Patrons gather at the newly renovated bar at the Living Room in Fisherman's Wharf on Ala Moana Boulevard.

THE LIVING ROOM

Place: 1009 Ala Moana Blvd.

Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays; 4:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Fridays; 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Saturdays

Call: 524-0150

 
But the nightclub owner borrowed a phrase from the iconic baseball movie "Field of Dreams" when he completed months of renovations last fall. If he built a new space for drinking and dancing, would the club kids come?

Nearly six months later, Di Pietro still isn't sure. And that's distressing, because he's transformed the space that used to be a dilapidated, late-night afterthought into a two-level powerhouse that's one of Honolulu's best-kept secrets.

FOR NEARLY five years, the Living Room has enjoyed its status as one of the few clubs in town with a 4 a.m. liquor license. Other than nearby Pipeline Cafe, Oceans 808 and a handful of clubs in Waikiki, there aren't many places to dance and drink at after two in the morning.

With ample space upstairs and free parking, the Living Room draws a consistent crowd on weekends, serving as the last stop for party people and a place for bar workers to pau hana.

Still, Di Pietro saw more potential for the space. He invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours of sweat equity to transform the first floor restaurant into something completely different.

Walking a fine line between restoration and remodeling, he first got rid of the carpeting -- a move that dramatically improved the overall smell downstairs -- and removed a wall that separated a first floor lounge from the restaurant.

All the original wood paneling and fixtures remain, adding a vintage appeal to go with the building's unimproved exterior. But Di Pietro refinished the concrete foundation and added a new bartop to modernize the room. New tables and chairs complete the look downstairs, along with flat-screen televisions above the bar.

Another nice touch are separate areas for dart machines and pool tables, since some bars see this stuff as an afterthought. The Living Room solves the issue by dedicating enough room for seven dart machines plus pool tables in two separate areas.

The current layout makes sense and provides a flow through the room, while still providing the option to head upstairs for even more fun.

ALONG WITH a new floor plan, the Living Room has a new menu with happy-hour specials you don't want to miss.

From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, the club offers $2 draft beers and $5 pupu specials. Food portions are generous -- the Slidahz Combo gives you three small burgers to enjoy, while the tempura fish tenders, Hunan pork chop and Hurricane edamame can all be shared easily.

In addition to the specials, Living Room executive chef Eli Low offers butter yaki steak ($20), butterfish ($18) and loco moco ($13) plates; ahi poke ($11) and a number of sushi rolls ($10 each) are also on the menu. Discerning drinkers can partake in wines by the glass or more than a half dozen specialty cocktails.

But if your main concern is money, I can't stress enough how great this spot is during happy hour for both the professional crowd and those who consider themselves professional partiers.

And with Di Pietro introducing a revamped entertainment lineup, the late happy hour has the potential to get people in the building early. Former Chinatown heavyweight weekly "Acid Wash Wednesdays" resurfaced at the Living Room this week, with no cover charge and $2 beer specials to go with most of the same resident DJs that made the party a hit at NextDoor.

Thursdays have morphed into a live music showcase/jam session to offer local musicians another venue for networking and collaboration, while promoters Universoul have taken over on Fridays with $1 drinks from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., $2 drinks until midnight and $3 drinks until 1 a.m. And Saturdays at the Living Room remain one of the most underrated parties in town, as Good Life Entertainment's "Swagger" attracts a regular following for resident DJs Compose, JayTee and Zack Morse.

"It's hard to build something new in a shrinking economy, but we're managing to do it," Di Pietro said last week. "If things weren't the way they were economically, things would have blossomed a lot faster."

Thanks to Di Pietro's optimism, it doesn't take much to jump on the Living Room bandwagon and hope this club can weather the current economic storm. It would be a shame to see them sink after all the improvements they've made.

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