ELEVEN, a new cocktail bar concept by Foodland Hawaii featuring “artisanal cocktails, delectable bites and cocktail-inspired desserts,” is now open inside Foodland Farms just in time for the holiday season.
“This newest addition to Foodland Farms Ala Moana was born from the suggestions of the many customers who frequent the store’s wine bar and wanted a place to enjoy great cocktails and food with friends,” said Foodland chairman and CEO Jenai S. Wall. “Their idea intrigued and inspired us, and after having to delay our planned March 2020 opening due to the pandemic, we’re excited to finally share ELEVEN with them and our entire community.”
Hidden on the Piikoi Street side of the store, ELEVEN’s 1,100-square-foot space was designed by The Vanguard Theory and presents an environment Foodland describes as “welcoming, comfortable and stylish.”
Table seating at accommodates up to 43 people, with enough standing room for another 18 guests.
ELEVEN pays homage to Foodland’s original Ala Moana Center location, which opened in 1959 and was the local, family-owned company’s 11th store overall.
A celebration of Foodland’s evolution at the mall over the last 60-plus years, ELEVEN presents an intriguing experience for guests seeking “new experiences and discoveries” via Foodland corporate mixologist Matt Rosskopf’s menu of signature and classic cocktails.
Rosskopf, who created grand opening cocktail menus for et al., Redfish Poke Bar by Foodland and the Pau Hana bar at Foodland Farms Pearl City, has introduced a festive lineup of holiday cocktails for ELEVEN’s grand opening, including The Woodsman, made with Clyde’s May Bourbon, Brovo Douglas Fir Liqueur, Green Chartreuse, and Carpano Dry vermouth, and the Safe Winter Port Cobbler with Fonseca Siroco Dry White Port, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Cognac Park Fin Boi, and Muddled Pineapple.
Other items that will be available year-round at ELEVEN, include:
- 400 Rabbits: ELEVEN’s signature small-batched cocktail is a compelling mash-up of Tequila Fortaleza, Yellow Chartreuse and cacao liqueurs, fresh orange and lime juices, rooibos tea and – this is for real – goat’s milk.
- The Hemingway Daiquiri: Imagine fresh lime and grapefruit juices sweetened with a hint of maraschino liqueur, and rife with its namesake’s spirit of choice, rum – in ELEVEN’s take, a white rum from Kauai’s Kōloa Rum Co.
- The Kakaako Mule: The Moscow Mule gets local with flavors of fresh pineapple! It includes cantaloupe juice, ginger beer, a touch of heat from fresh serrano chili, and Buffalo Trace Wheatly Vodka.
- The Islay to London Martini: Islay is a Scottish island best-known among whiskey enthusiasts for its peaty, smoky scotch. London gins are famously dry and juniper rich. These two British Isles locales meet in this lively Tanqueray No. 10 gin martini tempered by a Laphroaig 10-year scotch wash.
ELEVEN’s lineup of bar snacks and small bites was created Foodland Chef de Cuisine Rebekah “Bekah” DeCosta, and includes popcorn made with bacon fat and topped with toasted parmesan and sage, house-fried potato chips with garlic salt, vinegar, tabasco, and a Worcestershire aioli.
Entrees include:
- Butter Poached Shrimp: Think poached shrimp drizzled with warm butter and topped with fresh celery leaves, chives and tarragon crème fraiche on crisp brioche.
- Sake-cured Salmon: Pumpernickel toast topped with cured salmon and coriander cream cheese, finished with pickled cucumber and radish, and everything bagel seasoning.
- Za’atar Roasted Beets: A block rockin’ beet combo of roasted za’atar beets, pickled beet tops and beet hummus layered with feta cheese and spiced honey on seeded rye, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Lacinato Kale: A bright and briny union of large-leaf Italian kale, white anchovies and avocado, topped with a truffle lemon vinaigrette on garlic focaccia.
For dessert, try some of Foodland Corporate Pastry Chef Brian Sung and Pastry Chef Rick Chang’s trio of creative cocktail-inspired Sweet Symphony desserts:
- Mocha Bon Bons, crafted with Hawaiian rum ganache and a kiss of local coffee
- “Old Fashioned” Cream Puffs
- Fromage Panna Cotta
“ELEVEN welcomes everyone looking to hit the ‘pause’ button for a little while, to decompress and enjoy our house crafted cocktails and inventive, delicious plays on classic bar snacks and savory toasts,” said Foodland chief food officer chef Keoni Chang. “ELEVEN is a remarkable contrast – a modern, stylish, yet comfortable and simple cocktail bar and small bites getaway in, of all places, a grocery store.”
ELEVEN is open from 4 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and 4 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Enter via the Foodland Farms main entrance or the bar’s Piikoi Street entrance after the store closes.
