A DAY FOR FILET
Tuesday is National Filet Day, and Morton’s the Steakhouse is celebrating with $1 petite filet mignon sandwiches at the bar. Take advantage from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Ala Moana Center restaurant. Call 949-1300.
RESTAURANT DINING, FOR DONATIONS
Throughout August, ordering certain dishes from certain restaurants will result in donations going to the Surfrider Foundation.
The 4th Annual Traveling Plate Hawaii campaign has enlisted more than 100 restaurants statewide, each offering a select dish sold to benefit the foundation’s five local chapters in their efforts to protect oceans and beaches.
This year Kona Brewing Co. will match all donations up to $15,000.
To partake, ask for the Traveling Plate special at a participating restaurants. Go to TravelingPlateHI.com/menu Opens in a new tab for a full list for all islands.
MOONCAKES PAIR WITH WHISKEY
The Chinese Moon Festival takes place in mid- September, but it’s time to commit yourself, should your aim be the Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s Whiskey, Mooncake and Tea Tasting celebration.
The event is 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at Mandalay Chinese Restaurant, but for the early bird price of $50, reservations must be made by Aug. 14. After that, admission goes up to $60, with reservations due Aug. 29.
Special mooncakes, such as abalone and egg, will be brought in from Vancouver, Canada, to be paired with whiskeys and Chinese tea. A six-course Chinese dinner is included. Call 533-3181.
BUBBIES WANTS YOUR OPINION
What’ll it be: churro, berries and basil, peanut butter and jelly, pomegranate-acai, maple-walnut or peaches and cream?
Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts is conducting a national Instagram vote for the best idea for a new mochi ice cream flavor.
Vote by Friday using the hashtag #makemybubbies. One voter will win a year’s supply of mochi ice cream.
Last year’s winning flavor was pina colada, suggested by Hawaii resident Matthew Sasaki. Bubbies honored him with a party last month at Sky Waikiki.
POP TARTS SHRINK TO CEREAL SIZE
Start your day with a sweet sugar buzz and leave the toaster behind — Pop Tarts just became a cereal. The traditional Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart has been shrunk down to a slightly puffed cereal you can enjoy as a snack or in a bowl with milk.
Find it in the cereal aisle of grocery stores.
A NIGHT ALL IN WHITE
One of Honolulu’s most exclusive dining affairs is also one of its most elusive.
Le Diner en Blanc takes place Sept. 14, at a location that will be a secret until the day of the event. Attendees are required to dress “head-to-toe in elegant and white-only attire,” and bring their own “excellent food,” tables, chairs and dishware (also white).
Last year more than 2,000 people paid for the privilege to attend. And getting in is no small feat: The first phase of reservations is now open, but only to those who attended last year; the second phase, which opens Tuesday, is for those referred by previous attendees. Everyone else goes on a waiting list. On Aug. 15 reservations open to those on the waiting list.
To get on the waiting list, go to honolulu.dinerenblanc.com. Cost, should you be accepted, is $106 per couple, to cover a membership fee and transportation to the event site.
For those who’d rather not carry so much stuff, caviar, Champagne or La Tour Bakehouse picnic baskets may be ordered, to be delivered to the site. Order through the Le Diner en Blanc e-store. (Only wine and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed; beer and hard liquor are prohibited.) Floral arrangements may also be ordered.
The Le Diner en Blanc tradition began in Paris. The event marked its 30th anniversary in that city last year, with a record 17,000 guests attending. It is now celebrated in more than 80 cities in 30 countries.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
