A mélange of two of my favorite places

August 17, 2010 – 2:37 pm

A fine French Bistro in downtown Honolulu; for me, it doesn’t get much better than that. The next time you’re on Oahu and in the mood for a fantastic lunch or dinner, check out Brasserie Du Vin. You’ll find this little gem at 1115 Bethel Street, just across from the Hawaii Theater. My favorite seating is on the patio at the rear of the building.

For lunch my fav is the roasted Dijon chicken with Greek olives and for dinner it’s hard to go wrong with the grilled fish du jour with olive butter and Machego cheese served atop a white bean salad. Add a charcuterie or a fromage plat (they call them cured meat and artisan cheese, respectively) and you have a real bistro meal.

Brasserie Du Vin is also just down the street from two of my other HNL picks; Hank’s and Indigo, but that’s a story for another blog update.

By handy randy | Posted in Food & Drink, Off Island, Restaurants | Comments (0)

I must be hungry.

August 11, 2010 – 12:25 pm

Here’s a quick, simple, and one of my favorite ways to prepare fresh island Ahi.

Seared Ahi Tuna

2 6-ounce Ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick, 6-8 oz each)
2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish). Put these, along with the ginger, on your MCC swap meet grocery list.
1 tsp. lime juice

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Remove the Ahi from the marinade at take it to one of the BBQ areas at Kamaole Sands. Preheat a grill for about 10 minutes and when the grill is hot, sear the Ahi for two minutes to a two and a half on each side, or a bit longer if you prefer, but be careful to not overcook this delicious fish.

3. Remove from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.

Serve with two scoops of rice, a nice green salad with a sesame-ginger dressing and a nice sauvignon blanc.

So ono!

By handy randy | Posted in Food & Drink, Recipes | Comments (0)

Maui Brew Festival 2010 – Ono Beer, Great Cause

May 3, 2010 – 11:26 pm

 Maui Brewers Festival logoThe second annual Maui Brewers Festival showcases the best in hand-crafted beers made in Hawai‘i and beyond. Join hosts Maui Brewing Company, Paradise Beverages and Maui Arts & Cultural Center for a day of tasting beers from 30 breweries, appetizer sampling from island restaurants, live entertainment with local bands and prize giveaways. [more information...]

Saturday, May 15
MACC Events Lawn
3-7 pm

By handy randy | Posted in Arts & Culture, Entertainment, Food & Drink | Comments (0)

I heart HNL!

March 24, 2010 – 5:06 am

Paris is wonderful, NYC has its own charm, I’ve never had a bad time in Amsterdam, Minneapolis is gorgeous in the summer, but hands down, Honolulu, Hawai`i is my favorite city in the world. I’ve just returned from an all too short weekend trip and per spec, it was wonderful.

I’m a firm believer in scheduling travel around meals, so our arrival in HNL was scheduled just in time for a quick trip Diamond Head on the H1 to Kaimuki for a spot of lunch at Chrissie Castillo’s ono Café Kaila. Open for breakfast and lunch (breakfast served all day) Tuesday through Sunday, the place is almost always packed. Fresh, fresh, fresh local organic ingredients, skillfully and carefully prepared and served and great service are keys to Chrissie’s success. I opted for the warm spinach salad with artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, mushrooms and bacon topping a fresh bed of greens and baby spinach. Laurel went with the Local Scramble with ham and home fries. Super fluffy eggs, it’s hard to go wrong at CK. It’s one of those places where you get serious “Restaurant Prairie Dog Syndrome.” That’s where every time a server walks past with a plate of food you crane your neck and say “oooh! I should have had that.”

About 99.6315% of the hotels on Oahu are in Waikiki, but I usually opt to stay downtown, more specifically China Town, at the Aston Executive Center. Reasons being are (a) it’s convenient to lots of fun stuff; (b) the hotel staff is ichiban; and (c)it’s a boat load less tourist crazy than the Kalakaua/Kuhio scene. At the Exec Center, get an upper-level room on  the makai (ocean) side and you’ll have a fantastic view of busy Honolulu harbor, the airport and the d Waianae mountains. Aston does a good job maintaining CMS data so the reservation call is always a snap. Once they have my name it’s pretty much just a matter of verifying that I haven’t moved since we last visited and that my preferences are all the same.

Lodging secured, next up on the schedule was a quick walk down Hotel Street to Indigo Restaurant for a little Aloha Friday happy hour. I think Indigo’s address is technically on Nuuanu Ave., but the quickest entrance to my favorite bar in the place is via the Bethel side, next to the Aloha Theater. Happy hour features $4.00 martinis and a really ono pupu buffet. Well gin is Bombay; vodka is Skyy (nobody goes to Honolulu because it’s too expensive?) I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to things served in a martini glass, but if you’re a bit more malleable, give the lychee- or apple-tini a try. In all, I think they advertise like 14 in all to choose from.

Hotel Street and China Town have changed a lot in recent years and mostly for the better. It’s been a long-term project that’s included closing of Hotel Street to auto traffic, the Fort Street Mall, etc. In recent years, an art market/community has emerged and this past Friday included one of the First Friday art walks. Currently, the gallery count numbers around 20 and it’s growing. I’m big fan of supporting your local artist.

With the art theme in mind and Pau martinis, it was time for a stop at Hank’s on Nuuanu. Proprietor Hank Taufaasau originally opened the place to showcase his artwork and today the bar serves as a kind of bridge spanning the days when Hotel Street was dotted with Navy shore patrol and the areas current adjacency to one of the Pacific’s primary hubs of commerce. No one is a stranger in Hank’s. It’s a place built for conversation. Many nights you’ll find tunes, too. I do, however, miss the good ol’ Victoria Stringer days. Later in the evening, a trip upstairs from Hank’s to the Dragon Lounge is recommend—very tiny, very wonderful jazz club.

The night is young, I am not; time to move on to the Tapa Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for a little Olomana.  About 20+ years ago, Olomana with Jerry Santos began a Friday/Saturday gig in the Paradise lounge at the HHV that was slated to go for about a month. 18-some years later, the gig was still going. The Paradise lounge became a gathering place for local entertainers and it was always a treat to see who might stop by to sit in with Jerry, Ryan, Willy, Wally and Haunani. In 2007, the Hilton Hotel chain, including the HHV got gobbled up by Blackstone Group: one of those heartless, soul-devoid gang of money-grubbing asshole investment cos. Shortly thereafter, some ivy-laden genius decided that it was time for a change and Olomana was gone. It wasn’t long until they returned to the HHV, but this time to the bar in the Tapa tower. Pau hana time is earlier. Gone is the intimacy of the Paradise Lounge (not to mention the damn columns)–the Tapa bar is located between a swimming pool and the main driveway and has 3-story ceilings. However, Olomana still pack’s ‘em in. Even with hefty trade winds and a bit of rain, the crowd was impressive. It wasn’t much past 11:30 pm, but for Maui geezers it was well past our bedtime and to head back to the Exec and little time to enjoy the harbor views.

[more to follow...]

By handy randy | Posted in Bars, Entertainment, Food & Drink, Off Island, Restaurants, Travel Tips | Comments (0)

Where to find ‘grinds’

February 1, 2010 – 10:12 pm

One of the great things about vacationing in our Maui condo is being able to use our gourmet kitchen. In prior posts, I’ve mentioned the the fresh fruits and vegetables available at the Saturday swap meet in Kahului, but if you plan on whipping up an island meal or two, you’ll probably need a few more supplies than you can there.

Grocery StoreFor grocery purchases in Kihei, you basically have three or three and a half choices, depending on how you want to count.

Let’s start with “the half”‘; Long’s Drugstore. For a lot neighborhoods in the islands, Long’s (now part of CVS) is the local–within walking distance–general store. In Kihei, they offer a pretty basic, but surprisingly diverse collection canned goods, cereals, bakery and dairy items and even some produce. I’ve found the greens are usually not the best looking garden offerings you’ll see, but for the basics they’ve generally got you covered. Also, the Long’s liquor department often has some of the better deals on wine, beer and other spirits.

In the true supermarket category, let’s start with my overall favorite, Foodland. The Kihei store is a bit smaller than some, so if you’re looking for truffle oil or semolina flour, you’re probably out of luck, but the overall selection is not bad. The bakery’s OK, fresh fish is usually pretty good and on most days, the produce is fresh and well-stocked. Day in and day out, I find Foodland offers the best grocery value. Their Maika`i (Hawaiian for excellent) frequent shopper programs provides good weekly deals on a variety of common items and snacks and for every $250 you spend, you’ll get a 5%-off coupon. My other reason for hitting Foodland is the wine department. On the vino aisle, you’ll find a fairly broad, not overly pretentious, decent selection of the grape.

Next on my list is Times Market (formerly Star). Times is where you want to go if you’re still looking for that truffle oil. The store has more SKUs than almost any other supermarket I’ve ever been in. Times’ produce and bakery departments are pretty good and the dairy case and deli counter offer a bit diversity than you’ll find at Mr. Sullivan’s Foodland. I’ve never been impressed with Star’s meat counter, but maybe that’s just me. The down side of Star is that I find it to just be more expensive.

Head mauka to hit Safeway, the last of the Kihei supermarket options. Things have gotten a bit better, but when the store first opened, I could never find anything that said I was shopping in Hawai`i. No 20 lb. bags of Hinode, no Roselani ice cream, no Aloha Maid soft drinks. Kihei or Kookamonga? It’s sometimes hard to tell. I suppose that does make Safeway the ‘safe’ choice;  bakery and produce are pretty good, but I guess I’m just more into the ‘local’ shopping experience.

Enough said. Go get those grinds and make something ono!

By handy randy | Posted in Condo Notes, Food & Drink, Shopping | Comments (0)

Café O’lei

October 19, 2009 – 7:53 pm

Cafe O'leiCafé O’lei

2439 S Kihei Rd
Kihei, HI 96753

Simply said, Café O’lei is one of my favorite spots in Kihei. An interesting and diverse menu, sushi bar, reasonable wine list and on most occasions, the service is pretty good (ask to sit in Leah’s section—she’s outstanding). It’s located just a few blocks north of the condo on the upper level of Rainbow Mall.

Personal favorites include the macadamia-crusted chicken, crab cakes, onion soup and the flat breads. For more details, check out their website (trust me, the food is much better than the cheesy Flash graphic on this site) or see what Urban Spoon has to say.

By handy randy | Posted in Food & Drink, Restaurants | Comments (0)

What’s for kau kau?

October 19, 2009 – 7:32 pm

What's to eat?I get lots of requests for recommendations on the best spots to dine in Kihei and on Maui, but for several reasons, I find restaurant suggestions tough. It’s hard to find a consensus on what makes a good spot to dine and everyone has their biases. Personally, I avoid chain restaurants at all costs and having spent a good chunk of my life in business travel mode, I find I stay away from major hotel food offerings.  

That said, I shall try to expand this blogs offerings of places that I believe that you, our good malahinis, might enjoy. Your input in this area will be most appreciated.

To see the complete and current list, click on the Restaurants in the category list.

By handy randy | Posted in Food & Drink, Restaurants | Comments (0)

Cafe Marc Aurel: A Wailuku Gem.

May 14, 2009 – 11:00 am

“…bohemian cafe culture at its finest” is the description you’ll find on the Cafe Marc Aurel website, and it’s beyond me to come up with a more apt summary. Marc’s is a collection of food, drink, art, music, dance and fun people. One of the things I find most enjoyable about Marc’s is that on any given visit, I’m not really sure what I’ll find. Perhaps a belly dancer, some new edgy art, perhaps some really good slack key guitar. One thing you can always count on is great food and drink. The menu leans toward Mediterranean fare. The wine list a bit pricey, but fun.

Next trip to town, why not give Marc Aurel’s a try.

By handy randy | Posted in Restaurants | Comments (0)

New location for the Maui Swap Meet

April 15, 2009 – 9:25 am
Maui Swap Meet

Maui Swap Meet

After more than 20 years on Pu’unene Ave., first at the old fairgrounds site and then across the street next to the post office, the Maui Swap Meet has relocated to gorgeous new digs at Maui Community College.

Even though the new location is fantastic, change never comes easily. In the old place, our normal route was pretty predictable: left at the third row for Manoa lettuce and radishes then down to the ironwood trees for papaya, anthuriums, cukes, etc., etc. In the new location, even though it’s been a couple of months, it still takes a bit longer to track down the weeks supply of essential grinds.

The Maui Swap Meet is open every Saturday from 7:00 AM to 1 PM and it’s a great source for fresh local produce, flowers, gifts, t-shirts, books,  jewelry, tools and other “necessities.” Get there early before all the good stuff is gone.  More Information… 

By admin | Posted in Food & Drink, Shopping | Comments (0)

Ono grinds with a little spice.

January 19, 2009 – 9:44 pm

I spent seven wonderful years in Albuquerque and this may have been the place I became a true foodie. As expected, New Mexico is where one will find New Mexican cuisine. To note, this is something quite different from the salty, blandly hot, greasy, cheese-encrusted stuff typically called “Mexican food.” In Kihei, just around the corner from Henry’s, you’ll find Amigo’s. A #3 and a #5 (Chicken Enchilada and a Chili Verde) are about a close to anything you’ll find near Menaul and Candelaria. So ono! Try it out.

To get to Amigo’s from the condo, head north on S. Kihei to Lipoa St. (you’ll see Star Market on the left). Turn right and then a quick left just before the gas station. It’s in the back of Lipoa Center. [map]

By handy randy | Posted in Food & Drink, Restaurants | Comments (0)