Lani with her teriyaki chicken/mahi mahi plate lunch

Aloha kakou. My favorite Hawaiian restaurant is Lani’s Luau out east. Here’s their weekly email message from Zane Dowling, co-owner with his Native Hawaiian/Filipina wife Leilani (Lani), the cook of their delicious, authentic plate lunches (with 2 scoops of rice and mac salad).

I hear they are having some financial trouble after 4 years of business, so please kokua (help in Hawaiian) and patronize them, or donate $ to their restaurant. We locals Hawaiians don’t want them to close! Auwe, some pilikia (Alas, some trouble) if that happens.

Hawaiian slack key guitar & songs by Jamie O’Brien this Friday, March 25.

Lani’s Luau
2532 S. Harrison Road (NW corner of Golf Links Rd.)
Tucson, AZ 85748
(520) 886-5828

Sun – Mon Closed

Tue – Thu 10:30 am to 8:00 pm

Fri – Sat 10:30 am to 9:00 pm

LanisLuau@Yahoo.com
www.LanisLuau.Webs.com

This is the twelfth edition of “In The Lei” – an info flow about special plates or events at Lani’s Luau. It is also for info about events like the Aloha Fest or performers as we hear of them. If you hear of anything let me know so I can spread the word.

Please become followers on twitter @LanisLuau or friends on our facebook page. Thanks to those who already have.

Please remember that we offer Military Discount and have our “Hang 10” frequent shopper program. Ask how to get your free plate. Also, we offer a $1.00 kids menu on Tuesdays (normally just $2.99) and Wahine Wednesdays a 10% discount for bringing your “lady”.

Please, please, please let me know specifically before I start taking your order, if you are expecting a discount. I have a tendency to forget. That is even if you have mentioned it already. Feel free to check if I gave it. If I don’t say it aloud as I’m ringing up your order I probably have forgotten already. I have been trying to remember to write it down on the order slip when you say it so I won’t forget.

This week’s special deal: Just mention this e-mail and say “Kokua” (meaning: help). Try it first and if you get it wrong, I will help you). This will get you a 5% discount without restrictions. Maybe you can use it in a sentence.

Specials: This week Lani will be having the Pineapple Pepper Chicken until it lasts for the surfboard special. After that she couldn’t make up her mind. So, get it while it lasts (call if you’re coming specifically for a special to be sure we still have some) and, as usual, a curry will be on special (either beef or chicken).

Jamie O’Brien will be at Lani’s to play slack key on the last Friday of March (that is this Friday the 25th). This is subject to his schedule so call if you are coming specifically to see the performance.

Please kokua. Mahalo nui loa (Thanks very much).

Coming up on Saturday July 10, the third (and hottest due to the July temperatures) 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest on E. Congress Street.

Last month an acrobatic/break dancing troupe of young men calling themselves Les Avenge performed across the street from the Fox Tucson Theatre. Here’s a photo of one of the young performers flying in the air (courtesy of Donovan Dean Durband).

Les Avenge acrobatics

Check out the website (www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com) for the upcoming schedule on the Scott Avenue stage:

6:30pm-7:30pm: Seashell Radio : Indie/Electroacoustic/Rock

7:45-9pm: Kate Becker & The Zodiacs : Jazz/Soul/Funk

9:15pm-10:30pm: Rich Hopkins & The Luminarios : Indie/Psychedelic/Pop

The Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band will be performing at the Fox Tucson Theatre from 7 to 9 p.m, doors open at 6 p.m.

Singer Jamie O’Brien will be performing in front of the Old Pueblo Garage on Congress Street from 6 to 8 p.m. He plays guitar & ukulele, and sings mostly Irish and Celtic songs (and sometimes Hawaiian melodies using slack key tuning on his guitar as well). He performed at the first urban fest event (see photo from May 8 article – link below).

Since its inaugural event on May 8, followed by the second fest on June 12, these 2nd Saturdays Downtown happenings have been wildly successful, drawing tens of thousands of partiers. The FREE concerts at the beautifully renovated Fox Tucson Theatre are a huge draw, as are the free music performances on the Scott Avenue stage and on the street.

The delicious food options and interesting craft vendors and activities are a huge plus as well. Last month even scientists from the Flandrau Planetarium were there providing telescopes to see Mars! Most of the shops and restaurants downtown on and around Congress Street (between the Hotel Congress/Rialto Theater, and the Fox Theatre), as well as 6th Avenue and Scott Avenue, are open as well.

And look for those unique, well-dressed, face painted human statues scattered along Congress Street. Photos from May 8 fest (click here) and June 12 fest (click here).

Nothing to do this coming Saturday night? Venture on downtown for some hot urban fun.

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7/11/10 UPDATE: photo gallery online now (click here).

Droves and droves of people were there enjoying themselves on E. Congress Street tonight for the very first 2nd Saturdays Downtown event. It was wonderful to see the lighted marquees of the Rialto, Screening Room, and Fox beaconing to all the revelers. I got there early and listened to several performers…

Jamie O’Brien was playing his uplifting Irish music at One North Fifth (with Sharon Goldwasser on violin & mandolin), then I rambled over to the lovely Fox Tucson Theatre to hear the renowned Portland Cello Project (five cello musicians) on stage with a drummer. They played a haunting “Godfather Theme” in the first hour and even a rousing singalong “Hey ya”, followed by several lively songs with Weinland (a vocal guitarist).

Then I ran into fellow TC.com blogger Charles Spillar (“Artistic Tucson”) and we set off to explore two fabulous L.A. themed bars– Sapphire Lounge (rooftop bar, with several floors of ultra elegant dance/lounge areas) at 61 E. Congress, then Zen Rock, an equally elegant dance/lounge with a basement at 121 E. Congress. Wow, neither of us could believe these two high scale bars existed on Congress Street.

Then we checked out “Catacoustic Groove” a men’s cappella rock/soul/R & B group of six fellows including Dr. Bruce Bayly, an old friend of mine. They were drawing a large crowd at the Ronstadt Transit Center.

Also happening: a rock sound stage on Scott Avenue with The Modeens, The Mission Creeps, and Greyhound Soul, and nearby the Tucson Circus Arts with people on stilts, who teach juggling, clowning & taiko drumming. A local pie maker (Big Skye) sold me a delicious strawberry/rhubard pie. It seems street musicians were everywhere, along with mimes/human statues with grey faces & costumes, and a good mix of food and craft vendors. Most of the restaurants on E. Congress were open and doing good business as well. Stefan George was performing over at the Hotel Congress for free.

Cinema La Placita showed Beatles’ movies on a large screen projected on the wall of the large empty lot on E. Congress between Scott and Stone, and Ultimate Electronics encouraged youth to participate in karaoke/musical instrument participatory singalongs, also Beatles’ music. I loved hearing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” again. Cinema La Placita organizer Erika O’Dowd was passing out flyers for their upcoming Beatles movie on May 13, “A Hard Day’s Night.”

Need I say more? It was a fantastic “Urban Street Fest.” Kudos to former TC.com blogger Donovan Durband and his new boss Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik who apparently had a big hand in pulling this event together. Both men were present as well, enjoying themselves.

And as Everett, the guy with a humorous “Free advice for 5 cents” stand on the corner of Congress/6th Avenue said “my advice is to come back” for another 2nd Saturday. I recommend we all take his advice.

The second 2nd Saturdays Downtown is slated for June 12. Don’t miss it.

5/9/10 UPDATE: Photo gallery of shots taken by Donovan click here.