Community Corner

New Hawaiian Restaurant Opens on South Laurel St.

Noelani's Hawaiian Bar & Lounge will open on July 13 in the space formerly occupied by Morty's.

The much-anticipated reincarnation of the former Morty’s Restaurant space at 1037 Laurel St. San Carlos is finally a reality and it’s bringing with it a little bit of  aloha! July 13th marks the beginning of a “soft” opening of Noelani’s Hawaiian Bar & Lounge.  

Noelani’s is the dream of college friends and native Hawaiians Noelani (Noe) Maestrini and Bradley Wills, who have over 20 years of combined restaurant and bar expertise. “We have been talking about opening our own place for 10 years;  since we were both at Caprino’s in Belmont,” says Wills. “We both felt that we now have enough experience to step into our own.”

Besides Caprino’s, the two have honed their skills at several local restaurants; Wills most recently managed the Melting Pot in San Mateo &  launched The Office in San Carlos, helping to craft their concept & their bar offerings. Noe Maestrini has developed a loyal following over the past several years as a noteworthy mixologist and bar manager at Piacere. 

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Noelani’s chef, J.C. Sazo, Jr.  is a long- time friend of the owners and seasoned culinary professional, boasting a resume that includes Allspice in San Mateo and ten years  as a private chef.  Acquiring the restaurant space at 1037 Laurel Street was a stroke of perfect luck and timing. “Since I worked on Laurel Street, I was aware of the opportunity and knew this was our chance,” says Maestrini. “The location is perfect for our concept. The indoor/outdoor spaces remind us of home. This is the feeling we want to share with our guests.”

The pair, along with partner/owner Marco Maestrini, Noe’s husband, have built a staff and worked quickly to re-design the interior and exterior spaces, using  whimsical island colors & patterns.  

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Noelani’s will focus on the bar, and feature island-inspired cocktails like the Mai-Tai and guava margaritas. They’ll also offer the full range of classic cocktails, beer (six on tap), and wine.  

Noelani’s will serve lunch, brunch & small plates starting at 3 p.m. Dinner service will be a tapas-style format with plates to share family-style.  The food menu will showcase true Hawaiian flavors including several takes on Ahi Poke, Mochiko Chicken, guava marinated skirt steak and their signature “Lazy Man’s California Roll”.  Many of their ingredients will come directly from the islands and will feature fresh local seafood, meats and produce.  

Starting Saturday July 13th , Noelani’s hours will be lunch, Tues-Fri. 11:30 AM-3 PM, small plates will be available 3-10 PM Tues.-Thurs. evening  and 3-12 PM Fri. & Sat. evenings. Brunch will be available 10AM-3 PM Sundays. The bar is open all day and they are closed Mondays.  The public is welcome to visit during the “soft” opening   period and the owners look forward to hearing what guests think.  

“The concept is simple, says Maestrini, “it comes from our hearts and from our home.”

                                                                        

 

 

 

 


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