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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

At last — this Kāhala neighborhood Greek eatery has reopened for dine-in service.

 has been open for takeout only since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, five years later, the Greek restaurant is re-open for dine-in.

Customers can choose to sit indoors or outdoors in the eatery’s patio. The restaurant, which has been around for the past 30 years, is open daily from 5 to 9 p.m. and is BYOB.

The eatery has a casual, comfortable vibe — simply order from the counter and grab a table (reservations are not accepted). And, for those who remember the eatery’s cash-only days: Olive Tree Café now accepts credit cards.

Popular starters include hummus ($5.99) and baba ganoush ($6.99). The hummus is made with house-blended garbanzos with tahini, garlic and citrus. Creamy, flavorful and absolutely addictive, the hummus is topped with extra-virgin olive oil and served with warm pita.

Baba ganoush ($6.99) looks similar, but features fresh eggplant that’s roasted and smoked, then pureed with garlic and herbs. It’s also topped with extra-virgin olive oil and served with warm pita. We appreciated its rich, smoky flavor.

When it comes to entrees, choose from options like souvlaki ($15.49-$16.49) — which includes proteins like organic chicken, New Zealand lamb and fresh fish — shaorma ($13.99) and falafel ($12.99). All plates come with warm pita and a side salad.

The organic chicken souvlaki ($15.49) is a customer favorite. It features marinated and grilled organic chicken that’s drizzled with house tzatziki (a popular Greek yogurt sauce) and wrapped in a warm pita. The chicken is moist, tender, and drizzled liberally with that creamy, flavorful tzatziki.

Falafel can sometimes have a bad rap for being too dry, but you won’t have to worry about that here. This vegetarian-friendly dish features herb-packed fritters topped with tahini sauce and wrapped in pita. The falafel are crispy on the outside and are loaded with flavor.

Be sure to ask about the eatery’s rotating daily specials. We tried the braised lamb shank ($19.99), which is typically served on Wednesdays.

I tend to be wary of lamb because of its (sometimes) gamey flavor, but this one did not disappoint. This New Zealand grass-fed lamb shank is braised until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender, and smothered with a thick tomato, garlic and wine sauce. It’s served with Misko orzo, a side salad and warm pita bread.

The lamb was so tender that we barely had to cut it. The orzo was covered with the home-style tomato sauce, which made every bite flavorful.

Other rotating daily specials include spanakopita ($15.49), chicken zafron ($16.99), and Scottish salmon souvlaki ($16.49). I’ll definitely be back for the spanakopita ($15.49) — often served on Sundays or Mondays — which is a savory blend of spinach, leeks, herbs and cheeses in a pastry made with flaky layers of phyllo.

Stay tuned — Olive Tree Café will be opening its next-door deli and wine shop in October.

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Olive Tree Cafe food spread 082825

<title>Popular Greek restaurant re-opens for dine-in</title>

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Kāhala-based Olive Tree Café has been open for takeout only. The neighborhood Greek eatery recently opened for dine-in, and will be launching its next-door deli shop in the coming months.

Popular Greek restaurant re-opens for dine-in

Yamachika Tom IMG 1913 Large

Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

When we last discussed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we focused on the provision providing no tax on overtime. This week we focus on no tax on tips.

The provision itself is reasonably straightforward. An individual who receives tips can exclude up to $25,000 of those tips from his or her gross income.

But, of course, there are limitations and qualifications. First, the individual needs to be working where tipping is regular and customary, such as in a restaurant, bar, hotel, or salon. Individuals in specified service trades or businesses, such as lawyers, doctors, financial consultants, and accountants, never qualify, even if a customer is moved to give such an individual a tip.

Next, the limitation phases out once the individual reaches a certain amount of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). The threshold amounts are $300,000 for a married couple filing jointly, and $150,000 otherwise. If the taxpayer’s MAGI exceeds the threshold, then the deduction limit is reduced by $100 for each $1,000 above the income threshold.

As with the no tax on overtime provision, the deduction is taken above the line, which means that the deduction reduces adjusted gross income (AGI thresholds are used to eliminate or reduce other tax benefits), and it can be taken even if the taxpayer does not itemize deductions.

Then, also similar to the no tax on overtime provision, the deduction is temporary. It is effective this year through 2028, which is the year of the next Presidential election.

Employers of tipped employees will have to figure out how much qualified tips each employee earns. That amount will have to be reported on the employee’s Form W-2. But, of course, some customers leave cash tips, some leave credit card tips, some tips are pooled and shared among staff, and some “tips” don’t qualify because they are compulsory (an added 15% for large groups, for example). Compiling all of that data might be challenging.

In addition, there is the possibility that an employee will receive tips and the employer will not know about them. The employee is supposed to report such tips to the employer, but if that doesn’t happen the employee can, in theory, report them on IRS Form 4137 and pay applicable Social Security and Medicare taxes. Tips that are not reported to the government at all won’t qualify for the deduction.

Owners of businesses can receive qualified tips too, for example if a bar owner tends the bar sometimes and receives tips when doing that. But their deduction is limited to the net income from the business.

Interestingly, the push to adopt this provision came not from groups of bartenders, casino dealers, or wait staff, but from the NRA. Not the Second Amendment advocates, but the National Restaurant Association. That association mostly represents restaurant owners rather than hirelings.

Indeed, the staff on the lower end of the totem pole might not see any tax benefit from this provision at all because their income is already so low that given the large standard deduction, which taxpayers get simply by filing a tax return, many of these workers will not have tax liability anyway. An additional deduction will not turn into a check from the Government; once a taxpayer’s liability is zero, more deductions are meaningless.

Rather, “no tax on tips” may motivate employers to lower base wages and apply pressure on lawmakers to increase the “tip credit,” the difference between what tipped workers can be paid legally and the minimum wage, thereby allowing employers to pay tipped workers a base wage that is even less than what they are required to pay now.

Tipping i Stock 1432668174

<title>Community Voices: No tax on tips</title>

A closer look at what "no tax on tips" in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for Hawai‘i's workers and employers.

Community Voices: No tax on tips

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

A derelict property in Wahiawā could finally be razed after hundreds of resident complaints about squatters and safety hazards.

A Honolulu City Council committee voted last week to approve a 

 authorizing the City and County of Honolulu to pursue legal action against the owners of a property on Avocado Street in Wahiawā to compel them to demolish it.

The parcel in question is a roughly 9,300-square-foot lot just off of Kamehameha Highway and adjacent to Lake Wilson. According to Honolulu real property tax data, the lot was purchased in 2013 by current owner Angelo S. John, operating as the entity Angelo’s Auto Body and Detailing LLC.

In 2020, the Honolulu Police Department raided an illegal game room on the property, with the Department of the Attorney General later reporting it had seized $10,118 from that raid.

That same year, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs terminated the LLC. In the years since, the property has fallen into disrepair, becoming a haven for homeless people, drug activity and violence.

On Sunday, a homeless man living on the property was killed by a pack of dogs.

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, who represents Wahiawā, issued a statement Thursday assuring constituents that “immediate and long-term action” will be taken to address the property.

Assuming the council passes the resolution — the full council will discuss it on Sept. 3 — Dela Cruz said in his statement that it will “immediately” remove the derelict buildings from the property. Further down the road, he wrote that the state hopes to acquire the property and build a substation for the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.

“This plan both addresses immediate safety issues and invests in a long-term community benefit,” Dela Cruz said in his statement.

Honolulu Councilman Matt Weyer, who represents Wahiawā announced on Instagram 

 that he has introduced another resolution requesting that the city administration be ready to acquire the land if needed. However, he suggested that the property could be used to expand Honolulu’s Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement homeless relief program.

While the council committee’s discussion of the resolution took place during executive session and was closed to the general public — common practice for any agenda item concerning legal action by the county — dozens of Wahiawā residents submitted letters urging the council to take action to improve the area.

“Frequent scenes of violence and property destruction. Car tires being slashed. Individuals carrying items to harm others. Deaths due to overdose in adjacent areas. Yelling, screaming and intimidation,” wrote Jennifer Koldingnes. “The presence of individuals engaged in illegal activities has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the neighborhood.”

Eric Bartolome, who owns a Muay Thai school on an adjacent property, wrote that the state of 525 Avocado is a clear danger to the children who attend his classes.

“I’ve … asked our keiki to turn away when they had to retrieve two dead bodies who overdosed,” Bartolome wrote. “On another instance, one of my 13-year-old students was propositioned by a woman living in one of the abandoned buildings. I have also had an incident of someone living in that building taking a large knife to the tires of my student’s vehicles.”

State agencies also approved of clearing the property, including the DLNR and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. The latter’s executive administrator, Daintry Bartoldus, wrote to the council committee that the property “has become a source of fear and distress.”

The Council will vote whether to pass the resolution on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD reached out to Dela Cruz and Bartolome for comment."}]

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<title>Derelict Wahiawā property slated for demolition following dog attack</title>

State, county lawmakers urging swift action against decrepit property after homeless man killed by dogs last weekend

Derelict Wahiawā property slated for demolition following dog attack

For all those who have been devout followers of Fatto a Mano, don’t worry: The business isn’t closed, according to owner James Orlando, who just opened new pizza shop 

“This is just the next evolution of Fatto a Mano,” he says. “Fatto a Mano is not dead; it’s just on a hiatus right now. It will be coming back as a storefront, but as of right now, the evolution is Mad Pie, your friendly neighborhood pizza shop.”

Located behind Down to Earth (and in the former space of HICraft Kitchen), Mad Pie offers pizzas by the slice, whole pies, salads and sweets.

Like the pizzas at Fatto a Mano, the pies here are made from naturally leavened sourdough. To Orlando, sourdough is the right way to leaven things because “it adds character, flavor and charisma.”

“I wanted to show the community what sourdough is all about,” he says. “All of our dough is fermented for at least four to five days and a maximum of almost a week. I have a 10-year-old sourdough starter that I feed water and flour to every single day. That’s what leavens the dough; it gives you a healthy crust, it gives you a healthy life, and to me, it’s the right way to leaven all the dough.”

While Fatto a Mano featured seven full-time pies on the menu, Mad Pie’s menu is expanded. It absorbed the seven pizzas from Fatto a Mano, but features several new creations, according to Orlando.

“The additionals are buffalo chicken ranch, our White Iverson and our supreme pizza,” he says. “The white Iverson has a shredded mozzarella base, house pulled mozzarella, an onion jam, housemade ricotta and we’re going to hit it with a sesame seed crust. When it comes out (of the oven), we add some fresh chives and parsley.

“My personal favorite right now is the White Iverson, but I’m a pepperoni kid,” he says.

The menu features several red sauce-based pies, and several white sauce-based ones. The Iverson is designed with cheese lovers in mind — there

’s a slight sweetness from the ricotta, and the sesame seeds give the crust a superb crunch, which contrasts nicely with the creamy mozzarella.

Pizzas are all 18 inches and they’re still made in a Neapolitan-style way, according to Orlando. It takes around 6 minutes for each one to bake.

While a supreme pizza might be considered a staple, Orlando didn’t have it on his menu until customers started asking for it.

“When you go to Costco, everyone wants the supreme pizza,” he says. “This has got our tomato sauce, housemade beef and pork sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, olives, red onions and sweet and spicy peppers.”

The Fungho ($32) has been a crowd favorite at Fatto a Mano. This pie features a mushroom bechamel base with the eatery’s mozzarella blend, which is shredded whole milk mozzarella and a housemade mozzarella, according to Orlando.

“We hand-pull all the mozzarella, let it dry overnight in the fridge, and we cut it by hand,” he says. “We’ve got local mushrooms by Small Kine Farm, and we’ve got housemade garlic herb ricotta. When it comes out of the oven, we’re going to hit it with some nice herbs.”

The Toby ($31), named after Orlando’s dad, is another fun creation. It features a housemade pesto base, whole milk mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese and local cherry tomatoes. When it comes out of the oven, kale and truffle balsamic are added on top.

When it comes naming the pizzas, Orlando tried to think of something that’s “fun, relatable and energetic.” The flavor combos are based on his personal favorites.

“Every time I travel or when I’m home alone, thinking about pizza 24/7, I think to myself, ‘What would go well on pizza?’” he says. “Every time I go out to a restaurant and it’s not pizza and I eat a dish, my brain works like Tony Stark. ‘How do I take this dish apart and reconstruct it on a pizza?’”

Having a storefront has been a longtime dream for Orlando, who has worked in the food industry since he was 14 years old. He grew up in South Dakota and moved to the Big Island in high school, and later, moved to O

He recalls his first job, at 14 years old in South Dakota, was making pizzas at a hotel for room service.

“It was frozen dough; everything came from a bag or a can,” Orlando says. “I loved the art of making it, putting it in the oven, the ticket machine, people’s combinations that they wanted. To me, pizza is written in an obsolete vernacular. It’s just so open and there’s no more structure to pizza. Anything can be labeled a pizza now, and I love that idea.”

When he started working at a bakery in his earlier 20s, Orlando fell in love with “the art and science of flour and water.”

“I worked at Baker Dudes for three or four years of my career, and that’s where I learned a lot of the art of baking and the technique and skill, which I’m very grateful for,” he says.

’s been doing the farmers markets on Oʻahu for more than a decade — three years with the bakery, and seven years with Fatto a Mano. 

When he created Fatto a Mano, Orlando remembers building a business portfolio of his “pizza vision.”

“This was always the dream, the passion and the vision,” he says. “I’ve always wanted a wood fired concept, a slice shop concept and the third evolution would be a pasta restaurant — to have all three to complete my Thanos stones of a restaurateur.”

As for that pasta shop: “It’s probably not coming for another decade,” Orlando says. “I’m most excited for the air conditioning in here. I’ve been a mobile business for so long at the farmers’ markets. I’m excited to be in four walls with a super talented crew.”

If you want to take your pizzas to the next level, Orlando recommends adding some of the eatery’s ranch sauces.

“I’m a white dude from South Dakota, so ranch is in my DNA, it’s in my blood,” he says. “We’re doing a ranch program here; it’s all housemade from scratch.”

Choose from house buttermilk ranch, kimchi ranch or charred jalapeno lime ranch ($2.50 each). Or, you can get a flight of three ranch sauces ($7).

“Our house buttermilk ranch has nine things in it; nothing dried, fresh local herbs,” Orlando says. “The kimchi ranch is perfect for crust. Our charred jalapeno and lime ranch is a different take on a poblano crème. There’s a little spice to it; we leave the seeds on there.”

Mad Pie also offers two salads; choose from Caesar ($14) or an Italian salad ($17). At the eatery’s media event, we tried samples of each. The Caesar comprises MA‘O Romaine, house Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan and sourdough crouton dust. You can add chicken for an additional cost ($3.50).

Meanwhile, the Italian salad includes MA‘O sassy salad, creamy Italian vinaigrette, fresh mozzarella, cannellini beans, red onions, pepperoncinis, soppressata and Kalamata olives.

When customers dine in, they won’t simply be given a number for their order. Instead, Orlando pulls down several vintage trophies from a shelf; he bought them off eBay for this very purpose, he says.

“When you come into Mad Pie and you order for here, we’re going to give you this vintage trophy,” he says. “There’s so many different types with a number on it. This is going to be placed on the table and how we bring your pizza to you. I’ve had this idea since I was in high school and I wanted to open up a pizza shop.”

Be sure to save room for dessert. The biz offers housemade chocolate chip cookies with roasted pistachios ($3.50), along with cannolis ($4 each, two for $7).

“I am Italian and my favorite sweet treats contain pistachios,” Orlando says. “We’re going to do a monthly different type of cookie and a monthly cannoli (flavor).”

The current cannoli filling features chocolate chips. The cannolis are generously stuffed, and the cookies boast slightly crispy edges and a soft, chewy center.

[{"type":"text","text":"When asked how he came up with the restaurant name, Orlando laughs."}]

“Because my life is mad crazy and mad busy; I thought it was a dope name,” he says. “I love the slogan, ‘It’s your friendly neighborhood pizza shop.’ I go to New York once or twice a year, and pizza is so involved in the community in New York City. Everyone has their own community neighborhood slice shop that they go to.”

Mad Pie currently has limited hours; see the business's 

Mad Pie chef James Orlando 2 082525

<title>Mad Pie is Kakaʻako’s new 'friendly neighborhood pizza shop'</title>

Owned by James Orlando from Fatto a Mano, Mad Pie features an extended menu of pizzas — made from naturally leavened sourdough — along with salads, cookies and cannolis.

Mad Pie is Kakaʻako’s new 'friendly neighborhood pizza shop'

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawai’i

 opened Jan. 6 as a “shade or covering of protection” for individuals and families seeking assistance. It was named by Kumu Sam 

Ohu Gon and a traditional Hawaiian blessing ceremony took place in March.

For UnitedHealthcare members and non-members alike, the center aims to refer people to subject matter experts and organizations already assisting with services such as health and wellness, including basic hygiene supplies, mental health and substance abuse support, information on health care benefits and coordination with providers. It also offers resources for those in need of food, enrollment in Medicaid and The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), emergency shelter or housing and employment, among other social services. Read the full brochure 

Malu Kou, which is located at 51 N. Hotel St., Suite A, in Chinatown, operates from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

According to Recovery and Resiliency Manager Adrian Contreras, the center to date has served more than 90 unique individuals and families, or about 200 aggregated visitors, with the help of eight community-based organizations

’s advantageous about this spot is that it’s off of 

’s a very high foot-traffic area, you can walk right in, and there’s a lot of social service providers and organizations around here,” Contreras told Aloha State Daily. “Our full-time staff members are generous with their time and energy, welcoming folks and making them feel comfortable. Because of them, we see a lot of members return."

In addition to him, the team also includes Housing Program Manager Roddy Marengo and Member Advocate Kerrian Bennett.

who holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Hawai

UnitedHealthcare for nearly a decade and previously ran Catholic Charities Hawai

 Family Assessment Center, which helped people move into or maintain affordable permanent housing.

For him, the most rewarding part of this job is working with people and helping people “take a load off,” he said, adding, “It

’s intended to be a place of respite – ‘shade from the kou tree.'”

It’s evolved into more of a shared space to talk story. ... 

We see about two-to-eight members per day,” Contreras said. “We want to get to point where every day something is happening here, where we have a new provider come in to satisfy different needs. Right now, our work is grounded in understanding what the needs are.”

Malu Kou is essentially a pilot program envisioned by local UnitedHealthcare leadership and supported by its funding and staff, he said. “I’m not sure if there are any other UnitedHealthcare brick-and-mortar, one-stop-shops like this elsewhere, but I know there’s interest from local leadership to expand office space and to bring this to different communities.”

Contreras added that the idea for the center came shortly after the health plan and others banded together in response to the 2023 Lahaina fire. During the aftermath of the fires, he was a part of UnitedHealthcare’s local outreach team, which provided medical services to anyone, regardless of insurance coverage. 

That’s where the inspiration to have a color-coded whiteboard at Malu Kou came from, with all the services and names/times for the month, said Contreras, whose hope for the future is to fill it with partner names.

Malu Kou Community Connection Center by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawai’i

Address: 51 N. Hotel St., Suite A, Honolulu

Hours: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Chinatown Malu Kou 6 23 25

<title>Chinatown resource hub ‘a place of respite’ for those in need</title>

Malu Kou Community Connection Center operated by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawai’i is focused on uplifting community by connecting ʻohana to services for health, housing and more. Its name means "shade from the kou tree" and the local team intends to help individuals "take a load off," says Recovery and Resiliency Manager Adrian Contreras.

Chinatown resource hub ‘a place of respite’ for those in need

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

The nonprofit Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts announced the winners of the 

The Album of the Year went to Kala‘e Parish for “Where Iʻm Going.” The Male Vocalist of the Year also went to Parish, while Female Vocalist of the Year went to Christy Leina‘ala Lassiter.

HARA’s 48th annual award ceremony was held at the Sheraton Waikīkī Beach Resort. The awards recognize recordings released between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024.

HARA members “who are now, or have previously been, active in the recording arts and sciences as professionals, such as radio, television, record company employees, arts and entertainment writers, and other members of the media, and, in a new category, individuals who are not professionally affiliated with the recording industry, but who have demonstrated a keen knowledge of and interest in the recorded music of Hawai’i,” 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Here are the award winners:"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"General Categories"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Adjudicated Categories"}]

48th Annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards

<title>Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award Winners Announced - Aloha State Daily</title>

Missed the live stream for the 48th annual Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards? Learn who won Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and more.

And the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award goes to ...

SCOUTING AMERICA 062125 EAGLE SCOUT GRADUATION 2025 002

<title>Noah Kalehuawehe</title>

Noah Kalehuawehe

A personal essay by Makawao Eagle Scout Noah Kalehuawehe, who recently received the 2025 John Henry Felix Leadership Through Service Award.

Noah Kalehuawehe

Latest from Noah Kalehuawehe

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