Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day brunch

Cinco De Mayo. It’s Block Party Time.

Almost everyone knows that Murphy’s Bar and Grill is block party central during St. Patrick’s celebrations, but this year you can celebrate on the street during Cinco de Mayo, too.

“In recent years our St. Patrick’s Day festivities have become popular as a place for the whole family to come,” says owner Don Murphy.“So this year we decided to open up the street for a Mexican children’s fiesta, before the main party in the evening.”

Children’s events will include hands-on tortilla-making, a bouncy castle, face painting, and free sombreros and maracas to the first 100 children to arrive. Evening festivities will include food and beverage booths, live music by Rolando Sanchez, and mariachi bands. Merchant Street will be closed from 5 p.m.

Murphy’s Bar and Grill 2 Merchant St. 531-0422

Quintero’s - Two Decades of Mexican Dining.

Regular diners at Quintero’s need no reminder that Cinco de Mayo is approaching. Nor do they need to be told that Quintero’s has some of the tastiest Mexican food in Honolulu.

“We’ve been here for 20 years,” says owner Maria Quintero, who cooks every dish from scratch.“Our customers know that our food is home-cooked, and the kind of Mexican food I grew up with. If they traveled to Mexico, this is what they’d find.” If you go before Cinco de Mayo madness hits this small, family-run restaurant on Piikoi Street, then make sure to try Maria’s ceviche, guacamole and carne asada.

Quintero’s Mexican Restaurant 1102 Piikoi St.

593-1561

Tequila Time at Jose’s.

Need to find a neighborhood spot where you can party till the wee small hours, enjoy some great food and celebrate some serious Cinco de Mayo? You probably should check out Jose’s Mexican Restaurant in Kaimuki. One of the original Mexican restaurants in Hawaii, the gang at Jose’s has been celebrating this popular festival since 1973. “We run a version of our regular menu on Cinco de Mayo,” says co-owner Fred Martinez, “And we also offer a couple of special dishes on that day.” But mostly, he admits, Jose’s will be featuring lots of their famous margaritas. Menu favorites include crab enchiladas or burritos, carnitas (roast seasoned pork), beef or chicken taco salad served in a flour tortillas bowl, and fajitas with strips of chicken or top sirloin, sautéed with bell pepper and onions.

Jose’s Mexican Restaurant

1134 Koko Head Ave.

732-1833

Raiatea Helm and Ho’okena Headline at Ala Moana Hotel on Mother’s Day.

Here’s a great opportunity to check out the newly renovated Ala Moana Hotel and hear some of Hawaii’s most talented musicians. Lunch and dinner buffets will be served on Sunday, May 13, with entrees that should satisfy the whole family. Brunch, dinner and entertainment will be held in the Hibiscus Ballroom. If you haven’t been to Ala Moana Hotel in a while, you’ll be amazed at the changes. Take your mom, listen to some great music and enjoy the new, improved ambience. Food and beverage director Keith “Bud"Koehler has been receiving compliments and positive reactions from all who come to stay. “People are really amazed at the new look, and they seem to like the changes,” he says. Sunday brunch with Ho’okena and Aaron Sala will be served May 13 from 11 a.m., and the dinner buffet is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. with entertainment by Raiatea Helm and Ho’okena from 7 until 9 p.m.

Tickets for the all-inclusive brunch and concert are $50 for adults and $25 for children. Dinner buffet and concert is $60 adults, $30 children (ages 4-11).

Ala Moana Hotel 410 Atkinson Drive 955-4811

Tiki’s Welcome Moms with Food and a Family Photo.

You can tell Bill Tobin is sincere when he says that he and his staff want to honor “the wonderful women in our lives.“His own mom was a strong and positive influence in his life, and as a father of young children, he admits to the utmost respect for moms! So Tiki’s is giving away something special this Mother’s Day - a free family photo. “We wanted to make this Mother’s Day one that everyone can remember with a special picture,” says Tobin, managing partner and CEO of Tiki’s Grill & Bar. “It’s a perfect way to capture the day we honor the wonderful women in our lives, and we invite everyone to share it with the Tiki’s ‘ohana.”

Family photos will be taken during brunch and e-mailed to family members.

Tiki’s Grill and Bar, located on the beach in Waikiki (second floor of the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel) has an outstanding Sunday brunch that’s only served on occasional holidays. With fine food, a superb view of the beach, a relaxed, tropical atmosphere, live, local entertainment and desserts to rival any in the islands - it is a perfect place to take mom. Whether your family group is large or small, you’ll enjoy this welcoming family-friendly spot in Waikiki.

Tiki’s Mother’s Day brunch will be served May 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $30 for adults and $15 for keiki ages 5-12. The restaurant has free validated parking.

Tiki’s Grill and Bar ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel

2570 Kalakaua Ave. 923-8454

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