Kellie James ’01 Schmidtke (far left), Stephanie Deweese ’03 Johnstone, Misha Lam ’01, Rebecca Davis ’01 Kandell and Leina Ijacic ’01.
Alumni and friends gathered for the highly anticipated Dinner in the Buff (’n Blue), Punahou Alumni Association’s signature culinary event, which this year kicked off a year-long centennial celebration of Alumni Lū‘au.
Guests enjoyed an evening under the stars on September 20 at the Thurston Memorial Chapel Courtyard featuring delectable tastings from an esteemed lineup of alumni chefs and restaurateurs, including Ed Kenney ’86 (Mud Hen Water), Mark “Gooch” Noguchi ’93 (Pili Group), Jason Chow ’05 (Local General Store), Jennie Wyss ’93 (Swiss Hibiscus), Kellie Kong ’02 Taguchi and Kailey Onizuka ’08 Wong (Beer Lab HI), and Louis D’Avanzo ’84, Keno ’02 and Dawn Hunt ’05 Knieriem (The Boardroom).
More than 300 people noshed on locally sourced bites and craft brews, showcasing the culinary talents of Punahou alumni and the best of local cuisine. The lineup also featured, for the first time, an alumni chef from the mainland: Jennie Wyss. She represented her Portland, Oregon restaurant, which drew inspiration from the longtime Hawai‘i establishment, Swiss Inn, run by her family.
In commemoration of Punahou’s 100 years of Alumni Lū‘au, guests dressed in vintage aloha and buff ’n blue attire, a festive beginning to a historic year of celebration!