Art House Favorite

The Pavilion Café is back, and we’d like to thank the Academy.

Before my visit last month, I couldn’t remember the last time that I had gone to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. I think that it must have been a couple of years ago when I accompanied a visiting aunt to the Academy Shop who was on a search for a particular lithograph. Like many other locals, I’ve come to take the venerable museum for granted, needing an excuse to drop by. My loss.

My latest excuse is the Pavilion Café, the museum’s new open-air eatery that sits across from the brand new Holt Gallery and Luce Wing. Upon arrival I was struck be the simplicity of the place. The Pavilion Café, with its long lanai of teak outdoor furniture and large sliding doors, seems more like your rich uncle’s patio than a busy restaurant, which it was that day. But once we sat down it was as if a veil of peace and quiet descended on us. Because it is so wide open, noise wasn’t a problem and the place was surprisingly cool considering all the stone and masonry that surrounded us. All the inside chatter and outside heat seems to blow away with the afternoon breezes. This is a terrific place to lounge.

Open for Business: Airy and bright, the Pavilion Cafe is the perfect place to lounge.

And plenty of people probably do just that. The Pavilion Café’s modest menu features a smallish collection of sandwiches and salads, along with soup and pasta of the day. It does have a rather largish wine selection that seems to dwarf the food.

I ordered a Hauula Tomato Sandwich ($8.95). The huge, deep-red local fruit was served on two slices of focaccia bread and topped with feta cheese and some sort of spread made from Greek olives. Instead of the side salad, which came with the dish, I chose a cup of tomato soup. (I really like tomatoes.) The sandwich was savory and surprisingly filling. Although I must admit that I was hoping for something that showcased the tomatoes a little better. The pungent combination of cheese and the olives nearly overpowered them. I would also rethink my decision to substitute the soup for the salad since the combination sent me into sensory overload. I let my tomato lust get the best of me.

My mother and aunt each ordered Roast Turkey Sandwiches ($8.95), which came with the tomato soup, a much better match. They both enjoyed their sandwiches, especially the tropical fruit chutney that came as a side dish. My wife was content with just a cup of soup but when our food started coming, she ordered the Pasta of the Day ($12.95), which featured bite-sized chunks of ahi, along with tomatoes, olives and capers in a white wine sauce. The noodles were plump, the sauce was flavorful without being overpowering and the serving was generous.

For dessert we shared a trio of sweets: a chocolate torte, apple crisp and chocolate pudding. All were quite good, but the torte was the unanimous choice as the best of the bunch. It was at the same time very rich and chocolaty but light and fluffy.

After lunch we took a tour through the new galleries, and still had plenty of time to look at the Academy’s new exhibit on Japanese bamboo art. When we finally left a couple of hours later, I vowed that I would be back soon. No excuses. OK, OK, maybe it would be because of that torte.

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