Congratulations goes out to Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove in defeating former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner last night in the Ultimate Fighter Finale. Born and raised on Maui, Kendall won The Ultimate Fighter series, but has recently lost two straight fights in Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. Evan Tanner was in a similar position with a comeback fight where he lost to a tough Yushin Okami. Both were looking to come back hungry as ever, since both are coming off losses.

To Kendall, this was a make it or break it fight. After training out of Vegas for some time, he went back to the islands, particularly BJ Penn’s MMA in Hilo Hawaii where he trained with BJ and Rudy Valentino. Here, he felt that he was at his best, and boy, did he give it to Evan Tanner. I was able to see a very confident Kendall, with much improved striking and good defense. His suspect chin was tested, but he weathered the storm and was not in trouble at any point. He even threw two jumping knees when Evan tried to perform a single leg takedown, which should definitely be in the highlight reels sometime sooner than later.

Kendall won a decision, with one judge scoring Evan winning two rounds out of three, while the other two judges gave all three rounds to Kendall, and even giving Kendall a 10-8 in one of the rounds due to a thorough beating of Evan. I till tip my hats off to Evan because he showed a lot of heart and did not give up, but Kendall was too much for him.

Again, congratulations to Kendall! With BJ and Kendall back in the mix, Hawaii is definitely putting Hawaii back on the map!

How many times have to stepped into Sharper Image at Ala Moana, browsed their cool and innovative products, but just walked out cause it was too pricey? Or something that you could use, but you weren’t sure if you could shell out the money for those cool gadgets? Well, now is your chance. Sharper Image at the Ala Moana Center is having a clearance sale since they are closing nationwide.

All items are all sales final, with products ranging from 20-40% off. If you go there, and something you want isn’t there, fear not. They are going to bring in new items weekly to get rid of inventory everywhere. We already bought a few items for about 30% off. There are a lot of great buys, especially items that aren’t manufactured by Sharper Image. Things like the XBOX 360 and the Bose SoundDock are never on sale anywhere. This way, you can pick one of these items up for 20% off. That’s really a good deal.

Head on over before all their products are gone!

Since my girlfriend is a vegetarian, we both were looking at other places that serve vegetarian plate lunches that aren’t the usual bland tasting plates that I have tasted in the past. Welcome Well Bento. I consider this place a hole in the wall type of takeout restaurant. We’ve been hearing from several people that this place is a gold mine of delicious food, so we decided to check it out.

Well Bento is located in a kind of obscure location. They are located at 2570 S. Beretania Street, Suite 204. To give you a better sense of where this is, it’s in the vicinity of Puck’s Alley. It’s actually in a building that is surrounded by Burger King/Jiffy Lube, and the little shopping center that has Blimpies, Kit-n-Kitchen, etc. Once you see the 2 story building, just walk on up and you can’t miss it.

First impressions of this place was “wow, this place is SMALL”. Not only is it small, but it’s SUPER HOT in there. I don’t think they really invested in anything that would keep the cooks comfortable. They have two fans on high blast rotating, but it doesn’t offer much cooling at all. The kitchen was not only small, but very simple…in ways, it looks kind of dirty, but it could be because the kitchen looked dated. The cooks were definitely sweating, and it kind of concerned me if their sweat would ever reach our food.

Well, before I start turning you folks off, let’s talk about the food. Despite what I described above, the food was fantastic. I ordered the grilled chicken, which was served over a bed of brown rice with tahini sauce (a fantastic gravy), macaroni salad and cole slaw (they don’t use mayonaise), and broccoli, carrots, gobo, and potatoes. I got the chicken grilled Louisiana style, which was kind of peppery and spicy at the same time. The chicken was absolutely tender and delicious, and the Louisiana style definitely fit the bill. Although I’m not a big fan of carrots, all their vegetables including the carrots were very tender and tasty at the same time. The vegetables were also very bright in color, and they also let you know that they only cook fresh ingredients…that means NOTHING out of the can. Crazy. The tahini gravy over brown rice was AWESOME. I could eat that everyday. And to think all this was healthy…it was mind blowing.

My girlfriend got the grilled salmon which came with the same sides. The salmon was perfectly grilled, very tender on the inside, and was seasoned with tamari sauce and olive oil. Man, I would definitely order this the next time.

The prices were very reasonable as well. The chicken was $7.95 and the salmon was $8.50. Very cheap and very good. They also have a large selection of vegan dishes as well. Check em out or visit their website www.wellbento.com.

Well, I guess if I can’t make it to the summer concert of the year (the American Idols Live 2008 tour — David Cook rocks!), I will have to settle for Bayfest. The lineup is surprisingly good this time, though, and I might actually make it to Kaneohe this Fourth of July weekend to check out Live and Everclear on Sunday.

This summer will mark the 19th annual Bayfest concert, and while there is always a country star playing (this year it’s Rodney Atkins), there’s always a rock band in the mix.

Little Big Town and Rodney Atkins will play on Friday ($24)

Three Doors Down will play on Saturday ($29)

Everclear and Live will play on Sunday ($29)

Two day passes are just $48, and the three day pass is $58. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster. Visit the Bayfest web site for more details.

The bill to extend rail service to the airport has been passed, but there has been some reluctance to follow through with it due to its price tag.  An extra $350 million is a hefty price to pay for this service, but from a local’s point of view, it would be pointless to NOT have the mass transit run to our only international airport on the island.

When the bill was initially passed to build a rail system on Oahu to connect Honolulu with Kapolei, talks only included Salt Lake and Aiea, skipping the airport entirely.  It seemed to me (and many others) rather pointless to have a mass transit system that bypassed an important stop for locals and visitors alike.

Rail Service to the airport is an absolute must and despite the expensive price, plans to go ahead with the project will begin in 2009.  Hooray!

Michelle Wie, Sean Kern, Doug Lambert, Parker McLachlin.  These are just a few of the first-class athletes and Punahou graduates that continue to make sports headlines both locally and nationally.  Now, Punahou School will celebrate being ranked #1 (of nearly 4,000 schools) on Sports Illustrated’s list of Best High School Athletics Programs.

In a way, this should come as no real surprise.  In just this year alone, Punahou won 16 state championships, and the program boasts a 65% participation in athletics.  Considering how far removed the school is from the national athletic community, locals should be proud to see Punahou among the best in the country.  A major contributing factor to the school’s success is the generous alumni support and fund raising efforts (like the annual Punahou Carnival, held in early February).  Punahou’s athletic program continues to grow, and success is qualified not by championships won, but the sense of camaraderie and personal growth experienced through participation in one sports team or another.

Deep in the valley along the mystical Pali Highway and Ko’olau mountains is a fantastic waterfall that you can swim in and jump into from ten or twenty feet up.  The trail has recently been upgraded, making it a quick and easy hike.  Ten minutes past the top of the waterfall, you will find a natural slide that you can slip and slide along for a little extra fun.

Make sure the fall is full of water and that the pool is deep enough before you jump from the twenty foot spot.  From the Falls is another trail leading to a different part of the valley, but this route is not recommended, as it is long (about five miles) and not scenic.

This hike takes just two hours round trip.  From the Pali, turn onto Auloa Road and head into the valley.  Park on the residential street of Maunawili Road and follow the signs through a few backyards that lead to the Maunawili Falls trail.

A real local favorite of mine that is quickly becoming a visitor must-do is the hike to Kuliou’ou Ridge.  The trek starts at sea level from the back of Kuliou’ou Valley.  Follow switchbacks leading up the mountainside until you notice the vegetation change from tropical trees to pine and finally to steep red dirt cliffside.  The end of the trail has one of the most rewarding vistas on the island, as you are able to see both the south side of Oahu and the east side from Hanauma Bay and Rabbit Island to Kailua and the Mokulua islands.

There is a picnic table a little more than halfway up the trail, which makes for a really pleasant snack stop before continuing to the top of the ridge.  Be sure to bring lots of water, as this hike is a bit strenuous compared to other hikes on the island.

This hike takes four hours round trip — three if you’re fast.  From town, drive along the Kalanianaole Highway, taking a left on Kuliou’ou Road.  Drive all the way into the valley.  Park at the end of Kala’au Road.  The trail begins from the cul de sac.

What was once a little-known lighthouse on the rocky eastern coast of Oahu has now become one of the most well-trodden yet wonderfully rewarding hikes on the island.  Many visitors choose to hike from the the parking lot along the paved path to the lighthouse and back.  There are, however, two worthwhile detours, both of which take add an extra hour to the hike.  The first are to visit the pillboxes scattered on the hillside, which will give you a sense of the effects of Pearl Harbor and Hawaii’s current role as a Pacific port of call.  The second leads you down the steep, rocky path to several tide pools you can swim in and blow holes that make for entertaining flying objects by the water’s edge.  During the winter, from November through April, be on the lookout for whales, who find the Makapu’u Lighthouse an especially nice place to breech.

This hike takes two hours round trip, plus two hours for the additional detours.  Take the Kalanianaole Highway past Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach.  Parking is available on the right hand side, just before the hairpin curve leading to Sea Life Park.

Just wanted to comment on breakfast that we had this morning at I Love Country Cafe. They are known for the breakfast menu of giving large amounts of food for a very decent price. And there are MANY MANY healthy choices, as it is a popular spot for bodybuilders and athletes. But this morning while going to work, my girlfriend and I were hungry, so we stopped by I Love Country Cafe (the one next to Ala Moana adjacent to Blockbuster and Payless Shoes). What did we find there? Seriously, one of the cheapest breakfast’s I’ve had in the longest time.

Basically, for $2.75, you can choose between three combos. The first is 2 eggs, rice, and ham or spam. The second is 2 eggs and french toast, and the third is 2 eggs and pancakes. We both got scrambled eggs, brown rice, and ham (we’re both trying to be more health conscious). All I can say is wow, for $2.75, this is a steal. The ham was very tasty, and were cut up into large triangles. It kind of had a slight spam taste, but most likely this was because they probably cooked the ham next to spam on the same pan (that kind of rhymed huh?). The eggs were great, and didn’t have that very buttery taste some restaurants make them, which I don’t like too much.

So was this a bargain? Sure it was! They have lots of local variations for breakfast, so I would say stop on by if you are short on cash and want delicious healthy food. Really, I KNOW I’d rather go here to get their breakfast than any fast food joint. Period.