Our Picks for the Weekend Star-Bulletin staff

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MUSIC

Quik brings California love to Pipeline stage

One of Cali's greatest unheralded talents is coming to Honolulu.

Compton-bred hip-hop artist Quik (formerly known as DJ Quik) started with turntables as a teen. After signing with Priority Records, he released "Quik is the Name" in 1990, scoring Billboard hits with "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Tonite."

Quik became one of the West Coast's most sought-after producers in the '90s, with the late Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Xzibit, Snoop Dogg and Kurupt all benefitting from his touch.

After his 2000 album, "Balance and Options," tanked, Quik was dropped by his label. 2002's "Under tha Influence" also did poorly, while 2005's "Trauma" was overshadowed by Quik's legal troubles in 2003 from pulling a gun on his sister.

Following a stint in prison in 2006, Quik has regained his focus and teamed with long-time buddy AMG to form the Fixxers, releasing the single "Can You Werk with Dat." this year.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Thursday at Pipeline Cafe, with opening sets by Na Hoku Hanohano Award-nominated rapper Krystilez, Big Mox and E-Dub. Call 589-1999.

FESTIVAL

All is forgiven at this Sunday family festival

Sunday's International Forgiveness Day will be recognized with a family festival at Kaimuki High School from 1 to 5 p.m. Intending to weave forgiveness into the fabric of life, specific to the day's theme will be "Children and Forgiveness." Programmed throughout the day will be Hawaiian leaders Nalani Olds and Kupuna Kawohiokalani on "The Queen and the Bowl of Light," Hoku award-winning singer Paula Fuga ("Hero of Forgiveness") special guests from Kabul, Afghanistan, speaking on overcoming war and terrorism; and a Tolstoy drama done in pidgin from the student T-Shirt Theatre from Farrington High School.

The Fool from the IONA Contemporary Dance Theatre's "The Living Tarot" performance event will also make an appearance, as will storyteller Jeff Gere. Milk and cookies will be provided by Wally Amos, and there will be as a free forgiveness meal (an all-natural meal can be purchased from vendor Volcano Joe's). Also, a student-made "Aloha Peace Wall," created for the Dalai Lama, will be displayed.

Call 781-7617.

FAMILY

Presto -- Kids are free at Magic of Polynesia

Kids seem to especially delight in magic tricks, and there's a long-time Waikiki show that'll accomodate them and their families through the summer.

John Hirokawa's Magic of Polynesia at the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel is offering free admission to children 8-years-old and under when accompanied by a parent (up to two children with each paying adult).

To accomodate families, showroom dinner seating starts at 5 p.m., with Hirokawa's show starting at 6:10. Validated parking costs $4.

For reservation prices and packages, either call 971-4321 or go online at www.magicofpolynesia.com.

ART

YWCA pottery sale will bowl you over

Step carefully into the Richards Street YWCA, or you might knock something over. The place will be taken over by ceramics and stoneware made by members of the Toshiko Takaezu Studio for its summer sale.

Some 10 to 20 potters are selling their wares until 9 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in the Y's Laniakea lobby.

The theme for the show is bowls, so expect to find lots of functional pieces, with a sprinkling of ornamental works.

Other highlights include voting in a "best bowl" contest, door prize giveaways and, on Thursday, ceramic demonstrations.

And adding a couple of the handmade bowls to your kitchen cabinet not only jazzes up your meals while supporting local artists, it helps out the Y as well -- part of the proceeds benefit YWCA programs.

For more information, call 538-7061.

FOOD

Uncle's Fish Market & Grill

Pier 38, 1135 N. Nimitz Highway / 275-0063

Creationists attacking Darwin's theory of evolution have probably never been to Hawaii, where, clearly, human inhabitants have evolved to adapt physically and behaviorally to island living. Living in this petri dish, it's hard to realize just how weird and tweaked we are by the notion of crowds and scarcity.

This was evident during visits to Uncle's Fish Market & Grill, where I wanted to beat the early lunch crowd. It's a tactic that would work if everyone else weren't also lining up to lunch at 10!

The bait? Fresh fish at a reasonable price, though only during the day for now.

The menu is bigger than you'd imagine from studying the chalkboard, because for every fish offering, whether ono, mahimahi, opah or ahi, you also have a choice of four tempting preparations: charbroiled with garlic and olive oil or Uncle's teriyaki sauce; sautéed in garlic, butter, wine and lemon; blackened Cajun style; or pan-fried with a touch of chili pepper and soy sauce.

For me, sautéing is the way to go if you want to avoid dried-out fish. But the cooks here so far are doing a tremendous job of timing doneness so your fish gets rare-, medium- or well-cooked treatment to order, a courtesy ordinarily reserved for steaks. Both charbroiled and pan-fried styles retained their moisture at medium doneness.

You might wish for more chili pepper in the pan-fried version, but sauces are kept simple -- made from ingredients found in any auntie or uncle's kitchen -- to avoid overshadowing the real star, the juicy succulence of fresh fish.

Go for the fish plates. Other menu items are mere distractions.

In addition to hot entrees, Uncle's offers a handful of refrigerator items packed to grab-and-go, including $5.95 bowls of delicious ocean-fresh spicy ahi poke on cabbage, sashimi and oysters on the half shell. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays. Meals less than $15 per person. -- By Nadine Kam