MASONS LOBSTER ROLLS - SEATTLE

MASONS LOBSTER ROLLS

1307 1ST AVE

SEATTLE, WA

206-223-4980

https://www.masonslobster.com/locations/seattle-wa

https://www.yelp.com/biz/masons-famous-lobster-rolls-seattle-seattle-2

https://www.facebook.com/masonslobster/

https://www.instagram.com/masonslobster/?hl=en

We loved the Lobster Roll at Luke's Lobster Roll in Seattle but once we had the Masons Lobster Roll we were converted to Masons lovers.  Wow...these Lobster Rolls are the absolute best.  Perfect grilled roll with loads of sweet lobster with butter and that's it.  No mayonnaise or fillers here.  Just the true taste of lobster.  Da best!  So good in fact that we had them packed up for travel to Hawaii.  The staff was amazing and nice.  They took time to pack the lobster, butter and rolls separately so they would travel well.  And they did!

MASONS LOBSTER ROLLS

ORDER AT THE COUNTER

MASONS LOBSTER ROLL MENU

AMAZING DELICIOUS LOBSTER ROLL

SO GOOD WE BOUGHT SOME TO TAKE HOME TO HAWAII

 

HAU TREE LANAI

HAU TREE LANAI

KAIMANA BEACH HOTEL

2863 KALAKAUA AVE

HONOLULU, HI 96815

808-921-7066

https://www.kaimana.com/dining

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hau-tree-honolulu-3

https://www.instagram.com/thehautree/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/thehautree/

The Hau Tree Lanai is one of my favorite spots in Waikiki.  The view of Kaimana beach cannot be beat and the food is really good.  This hotel and location are etched in my life as this is the first place I stayed when I moved to Hawaii in the 80's.  I was transferred to Hawaii from California and my boss at the time loved this hotel because of its location.  He let me stay here for almost two months until I found an apartment.  Since I had never been to Hawaii in my life, this was a joy for me.  Waking up on the beach each day and being able to jog around Kapiolani Park, hike Diamond Head and ride a bike around was great.  I was too afraid to go into Waikiki at night because I had heard they beat up white guys.  Seriously, I stayed down at the Kaimana Beach Hotel pretty much 24/7.  At the time, they served Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce with White Rice for breakfast.  I would sit under the Hau Tree each morning and enjoy this breakfast that has become of our families favorite dishes.  Anyway lets get to today.  After having lunch at the Outrigger Canoe Club which is next door to the Hau Tree Lanai, I opted not to have my friend drive me home and instead went to the Hau Tree to reminisce and just sit back and see what memories I could enjoy.  I ordered a glass of wine and looked out over the beach.  My mind was flooded with great memories like the old Hamburger Stand that was an institution on the beach here.  Also the mini-mart inside the hotel where I would get all my food and beer.  Ended up sitting here for hours all alone and at peace.  Decided to order something to eat and went for the Lobster Roll.  The Roll was good but when you order a Lobster Roll you don't need Guacamole and Prosciutto.  I prefer letting the flavor of the Lobster be the star.  I fought off eating the Brioche Bun to stay low carb.  Actually ate all the Lobster meat and left the bun.  I decided to just taste a bun and tore off a piece.  Wow.  so buttery and delicious.  I ate half the bun damn it.   

HAU TREE LANAI

ONE OF THE BEST SPOTS IN WAIKIKI

HAU TREE LANAI AFTERNOON BITES

LOBSTER ROLL

YOU DON'T NEED GUACAMOLE AND PROSCIUTTO ON A LOBSTER ROLL

KAIMANA BEACH HOTEL LOBBY

 

JOLENE'S MARKET - LOBSTER ROLL

JOLENE'S MARKET

CHINATOWN CULTURAL PLAZA

100 N. BERETANIA ST #105

HONOLULU, HI 96817

808-540-1000

HOURS:  Daily 10AM -8PM

www.jolenesmarket.com

www.yelp.com/biz/jolenes-market-honolulu-4

www.facebook.com/pages/category/Seafood-Restaurant/Jolenes-Market-906139876386085/

www.instagram.com/jolenesmarkethnl/?hl=en

Another lunch at the office from Jolene's Market.  This time I enjoyed the Lobster Roll.  It has large pieces of Lobster but also a bit of mayonnaise and something that was pretty salty.  I liked the Pickled Vegetables on the bottom and would probably order this again.

Click link below to view previous post on Jolene's Market;

https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2021/04/jolenes-market-birria-tacos.html

JOLENE'S MARKET LOBSTER ROLL

 

HALIIMAILE GENERAL STORE - HALIIMAILE, HAWAII

HALIIMAILE GENERAL STORE

HALIIMAILE, HAWAII (MAUI) 

Bev Gannon, the owner of Haliimaile General Store is one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.  She is probably the most accomplished and recognized female chefs in Hawaii.  She now has at least four restaurants on Maui but the Haliimaile General Store was her first and most iconic restaurant.  The setting is a pineapple plantation field basically in the middle of nowhere.  Miles off the main highway sitting near a few small homes and shade trees.  The dirt parking lot is usually full so you park across the street near what looks like old storage warehouses.  When you arrive here you are transformed to another era. The days of sugar cane harvesting and plantation workers.  The Halimaile General Store was originally a store where the workers could by meat, produce and just about everything else that was available at the time.  The time was 1987 when Bev Gannon purchased the store.  On Oct 14, 1998, there were over 100 people waiting to get in her new restaurant.  At the time, the restaurant only had five or six tables and 30 chairs total.  Since that day the restaurant has been expanded and you don't know who you will run into when dining there.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alice Copper, Sharon Stone and Rachel Ray are among the dozens of celebrities that visit here.  The menu changes here during different seasons so Bev can utilize the bounty of fine food products grown in the area.  We were seated at a nice table close to the cooking area with a view of the main dining room that is like sitting on someones porch or veranda.  The room was filled with smiling faces and conversation.  We began our meal with the Duck Tostada appetizer ($14).  Delicious pieces of duck meat perched between crunchy tortillas and covered with a cole slaw type salad.  A bit of Hoisin Sauce complimented the duck.  This was good but was missing something to make it great.  Next we tried the Beet Salad with Tempura Fried Goat Cheese ($14).  Local greens topped with very fresh colored beets and served with a fried ball of Goat Cheese.  The cheese was tart and added a big punch when mixed with the beets and greens.  Would have liked a little more aggressive dressing on this one.  The Seafood Sashimi Napoleon ($18) was a tower of mixed sashimi (mostly ahi tuna and salmon) between crunchy tortilla like stuff.  Bev Gannon herself came to our table when this dish was presented.  Her and her husband both showed us how to crunch the dish up and eat it.  Bev asked if we liked the meal and we all said "yes".  That was very nice of her to stop by.  The Lobster Roll ($6) was an appetizer that was shared.  Nice pieces of lobster with a little too much mayo served on a delicious bun.  This was good.  The Seared Scallops ($38) came to the table looking beautiful.  Perfectly seared scallops on a bed of Risotto.  The scallops were a little under seasoned but cooked perfectly.  I loved the risotto but did not know why there was a quarter inch of oil on the bottom of the plate.  All the oil kind of spoiled the dish.  The Kids BBQ Rib Meal ($12) was a huge hit.  Fall of the bone ribs smothered in a sweet bbq sauce that was delicious.  Served with mashed potatoes and coleslaw.  Everything on this plate tasted great.  For Dessert we shared the Chocolate Truffle Cake ($10).  Simple delicious.  Chocolate and more chocolate.  Could not improve on this dish.  We all loved it.  I highly recommend the Haliimale General Store.  Great atmosphere, service and food.
Click link below for updated post on Haliimaile General Store;
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2017/07/haliimaile-general-store.html

HALIIMAILE GENERAL STORE

BEV GANNON'S HALIIMAILE GENERAL STORE

HALI'IMAILE GENERAL STORE ON MAUI

RELAXING FAMILY KITCHEN ATHMOSHPHERE

OPEN KITCHEN TO SEATING AREA

SMALL BAR IN MIDDLE OF DINING ROOM

KITCHEN OVERLOOKS DINING ROOM

FRESH BAKED ROLLS ARRIVED WARM AND SOFT

DUCK TOSTADA WITH COLE SLAW

BEET SALAD WITH TEMPURA CHEESE BALL ON TOP

KIDS BBQ RIB MEAL

THE REVIEW WAS EXCELLENT ON THIS DISH.  LOVED IT

SASHIMI NAPOLEON WITH AHI TUNA AND SALMON

LOBSTER ROLL

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH RISOTTO AND A LOT OF OIL

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE - YUMMY!

PICKED UP A COOKBOOK BY BEVERLY GANNON

COOKBOOK SIGNED BY THE GREAT HAWAII CHEF

HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY - HALEKULANI HOTEL

HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY

HALEKULANI HOTEL

HULA UNDER THE KIAWE TREE AT SUNSET

The Halekulani Hotel is probably the nicest and only 5 Star Hotel in Waikiki.  The hotel features three signature restaurants with the first two being very high end.  The House without a Key is a casual indoor/outdoor restaurant/bar located poolside and oceanside.  The large Kiawe Tree on the lawn is the perfect background for what has become one of Hawaii's premier sunset hula shows.  This is not a flashy or loud show.  Simply Hawaiian music and an elegant dancer.  We always enjoy time spent on the patio here.  It allows us to enjoy a sunset and cocktail in a very calm and relaxed setting unlike most of the watering holes in Waikiki.  You can choose cocktail seating up front near the Hula Dancer or Dinner seating under covered umbrellas or under roof.  We always choose outside under the umbrellas.  We were seated rather quickly during prime time.  After a minute or two the waiter arrived to take our drink order.  Was surprised that no water was brought to the table.  When I asked for a water, our waiter brought me one but none for the rest of the table.  Complimentary bread here is delicious.  Very fresh.  We ordered from the Small Plate Menu as we did not want a big meal.  The best deal on the menu was the Childs Beef Skewers ($8.50).  Nice chunks of marinated beef served with fresh vegetables.  Our daughter loved the dish.  I tried the Beef Skewer and it was delicious.  The Caesar Salad ($12) had no anchovies and no taste.  The bacon bits were hard like rocks.  The Lobster Roll ($14) was also tasteless.  You can get a roll like this at any vietnamese restaurant (less the lobster) for a few bucks.  Since you cannot taste the small piece of lobster in each piece, this dish is not worth it.  The Poke Sliders ($18) seemed like a real good idea and the presentation was beautiful.  Problem is fresh Poke (Ahi Tuna) should not be served on a bun.  This was really fresh and delicious Poke.  When you put this stuff on a bun and eat it like a burger, the Poke squirts and gets mushy in your mouth.  I ate my second slider without the bun.  Just picked out all the Poke pieces.  Delicious.  I think the Childs Beef Skewer dish came with a desert.  We enjoyed a scoop of chocolate ice cream covered in whipped creme and surrounded by MM's.  I really like House without a Key, but really think they need to work on the menu.

Click link below for another post on House without a Key;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2008/08/house-without-key-halekulani-hotel.html

COMPLIMENTARY BREAD BASKET

CAESAR SALAD

LOBSTER ROLL 

CHILD BEEF SKEWERS

POKE SLIDERS

POKE SLIDER WITHOUT THE BREAD ON TOP

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH WHIPPED CREME AND M N M'S

LOBSTER - SANTA MONICA PIER

LOBSTER

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA

After enjoying the Pier scene in Santa Monica, we ventured up to Ocean Avenue and found Lobster.  This award winning seafood restaurant was voted one of the best Seafood Restaurants in Los Angeles.  We were just looking for some fresh oysters but ended up having a delicious lunch with an incredible view of the Pacific.  We did not have reservations, but the man at the reception desk said they would have a table ready in a few minutes.  We were taken upstairs to a beautiful restaurant with a commanding view of the Santa Monica Pier and the crisp, clear blue Pacific Ocean.  Does not get much better than this.  We started with the Oyster Sampler ($19.50).  There were around eight fresh shucked oysters on a platter of crushed ice.  These were delicious but did not hold a candle to the fresh Cherry Stone Clams ($3.50 each).  Huge pieces of fresh clams that everyone said were actually two clams per shell.  They were sweet and delicious.  Actually the best fresh clams I have ever tasted.  I tried a bowl of Clam Chowder ($10.00).  It was thick and full of clams and a lot of potatoes.  Not the best chowder I have every had but really good.  Also tried a Lobster Roll ($24.00).  Loved the bread and thought this was just o.k. for the money.  My girls absolutely loved the thin and crunch french fries served with the Lobster Roll.  Dad enjoyed the Jumbo Crab Cakes ($26.00).  These were huge crab cakes that were stuffed full of lump crab meat and topped with a nice salad.  Shirley tried the Fresh Filet of Sole ($26.00).  The fish was cooked perfectly.  Meaty and delicious.  Served with mashed potatoes and some artichokes.  Heide tried Crab Louis Salad ($18.00).  Large pieces of lump crab meat and a nice fresh salad.  Keli went for the Pasta with Shrimp ($10.00).  She loved it as usual.  The wines by the glass here were quite expensive.  The Cake Bread Chardonnay was $20 per glass!  This is an expensive lunch but a great location with good food and service.

LOBSTER 

SANTA MONICA PIER

LOBSTER RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THE PIER

CHERRY STONE FRESH CLAMS 

HUGE FRESH CLAMS - BEST EVER!

CLAM CHOWDER

LOBSTER ROLL WITH FRENCH FRIES AND CUCUMBERS

FRESH OYSTERS

OYSTER MONSTER!

CRAB CAKES

CRAB CAKES ARE BIG - THIS IS AN ENTREE PORTION

CRAB LOUIS SALAD

FILET OF SOLE

KIDS PASTA WITH SHRIMP