Street Walker

By Lynn Cook

Wolfgang and Peter Zwiener

The late afternoon lanai crowd is a cross section of the islands. Folks fresh from working in Waikiki, locals rediscovering Waikiki, visitors from around the world and Matt Sproat. Who’s that, you ask? Matt and Kale Hannahs make up the music duo Waipuna. On Sunday evenings they entertain at the all-new and, happily, still the same Mai Tai Bar of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. I stopped in for their 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday gig and heard a couple from Hawaii Kai say that Sunday at the Royal's Mai Tai Bar is like a visit to the neighbor islands, only "no need plane."

The relaxed way to arrive at the beachside bar is to stroll slowly through the coconut grove of the RHC and on through the lobby of the Pink Palace. Pause, then take lots of time at the Mea Makamae shop inside the Royal. The shop holds the cultural treasures of Hawaii.

Another Celebrity Sighting
You know you are in the company of greatness when staff, customers and even passersby stop to stare and step up for a handshake. It was one of the rare times when the great Wolfgang Zwiener was in town to spend a hands-on week at his newest restaurant, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener, level three of the Royal Hawaiian Center. The name seems long until you see the prime steak pedigree that accompanies it. You can be sure no one will confuse it with another Wolfgang - Mozart that is.

Wolfgang's famous porterhouse steak

Would I like to chat with Wolfgang himself? Of course. Now the question was, could I ask gourmet magazine type questions that wouldn’t betray the fact that I love sushi and a good, bad-for-me, loco moco? In about 10 seconds my worries were a distant memory. The owner of one of the world’s most respected restaurants was ready to tell stories. “What is your favorite dish on your menu?" I asked, expecting him to name the famous porterhouse. "Hand chopped filet steak tartar, onions and capers on the side,” was his answer.

I also learned that Wolfgang doesn’t surf but his son and managing partner, Peter, mastered paddle surfing in one stroke. No splash, no falling off on the first try. The running joke with the family was that Peter, who looks like the cover of GQ, didn’t want to get his hair wet. My guess was, he is an athletic type with good balance. Actually, balancing was one of his talents as an investment banker. "I loved the work but had to do one or the other. You can’t ‘dabble’ in the restaurant business. So, I decided to join my dad."

Wolfgang said he always dreamed of oceans when he was a young boy in Germany. He once shipped out with the career of ship’s captain in mind. Hanging out with the older crew, he found his way to a drink. “When my mother found out she pulled me right off the ship!" he says with a twinkle in his eye. He tried the sea a second time as a ship's steward, wanting to learn to be a waiter. He lasted a bit longer, sailed to exotic places like South America and Japan, but the story was the same. "Mom didn't like the company I kept," he laughs. His uncle came for his first visit back to Germany since the war. He owned an elevator company in New York. "He didn’t have a son to take into the business so he asked me if I wanted to come with him to take over the business," Wolfgang says. "I said, sure, why not."

The Royal Hawaiian Center at dusk.

New York, New York
The elevator business wasn’t very exciting but New York was. Young Wolfgang found work as a waiter. He worked 40 years at the legendary Peter Luger in New York. When he decided to retire, his sons told him he would be bored and he should open his own restaurant. A parade of fans and long-time customers followed him to his first restaurant on Park Avenue. Reservations were quickly needed three months out. Those fans - kings, presidents, emperors, movie stars and steak-lovers from around the world - are now happily following him to Hawaii.

Dinner at Wolfgang’s is an investment. Lunch is more of a light, luxurious pampering of your taste buds. Windows open to trade winds and waving palms and Kalakaua Avenue seems far below. The service is beyond elegant. A great tip: share dishes. Another suggestion: for pau hana, sit at the bar, order a great glass of wine or a cold beer, some steak fries and a filet cooked medium rare and cut up for pupu.

In one short interview I learned about hand-selected, perfectly aged prime steak, about pleasing customers and that Hawaii seemed a natural place to serve steak and have a place by the ocean. His movie-star elegant wife, Elena, agreed. After a quick introduction she said she loves Hawaii. Surfing? No. Shopping, yes! Wolfgang smiles when someone mentions a smoking credit card.