The love poem commencing with “a jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou,” can be relived in a more upscale way with charcuterie, cheeses and crostini, and wine in glasses (versus jugs), at the new Dean &DeLuca market and wine lounge in Waikiki.
The two-story venue opens today at the base of the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki. It offers to-go packaged items, a cafe with patio downstairs, and a wine lounge upstairs.
The market is an amenity for building occupants, though management hopes to serve local residents as well.
“We are extremely excited to be at the Ritz-Carlton, which is an iconic brand, and Dean &DeLuca is an iconic New York brand, and we think they will work very well together,” Luke Blubaugh, the general manager, said. The building is steps away from the hustle and bustle of Kalakaua and Kuhio avenues, Blubach said.
Retail items include Dean &DeLuca-branded foods and treats, locally made products including Chocole‘a chocolate-dipped pineapple and Maui Fruit Jewels’ award-winning gourmet fruit candies.
Downstairs, customers also will find ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads and other items, many of which also can be purchased by the pound — prime rib and haricots verts are examples. Depending on the item, it can be reheated on-the-spot to eat out on the patio that seats up to 40. The upstairs lounge has seating for as many as 20.
The espresso bar serves 100 percent Kona coffee, along with other hot and cold beverages, including Hawaiian soda with tropical flavors, a take on Italian soda, Blubaugh said.
The nearly two dozen local employees wear chef jackets and black pants, lending foodie credibility to the venue. Some bear the title of cheesemonger, Blubaugh said.
The lounge will stock a range of wines to go with the market’s charcuterie, cheese or bruschetta platters and panini sandwiches made with imported, domestic and made-in-Hawaii products. Bruschetta starts at $5 and goes up to $35 for a plate of seven pieces; charcuterie and cheese plates start at $12, and panini sandwiches range from $12 to $16.
The selection of food and menu items was overseen by Johan Svensson, executive chef for Dean &DeLuca. He also is executive chef for BLT Market on the building’s eighth floor.
Svensson said he geared the food offerings toward a broad range of tastes, and uses locally grown, locally made ingredients whenever possible.