AHI TOWER AND SPINACH SALAD

DINNER AT HOME

I am blessed to have a wife that doesn't want expensive hand bags, jewelry and gifts.  She also prefers to stay at home for birthdays, holidays and Valentine's Day.  I pressed her for weeks on what she wanted for Valentine's Day dinner and she just kept saying "anything".  I asked her if she wanted Steak, Pasta, Seafood, Vietnamese, Thai and the answer was always "no".  Finally the day before Valentine's Day she said she wanted a Spinach Salad because we had Spinach in the refrigerator.  Then on Valentine's Day morning she said she would like Ahi and Avocado if I could find fresh Ahi.  I found a nice block of Ahi and created her dinner which was quite simple.  I tried to make the Spinach Salad like the one we enjoyed at Side Street Inn before they took it off the menu.  Spinach and Lettuce mixture with Bacon, Egg, Tomatoes, Strawberries, Mozzarella Cheese and Balsamic Dressing.  Also made Garlic Bread with a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese.  Delicious Valentine's Day dinner at home.

AHI AND AVOCADO TOWER

SPINACH SALAD

SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED SHRIMP

DINNER AT HOME

Keeping it light and low carb with this super delicious Spinach Salad.  Made a warm Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing to go over the Baby Spinach, Shrimp, Egg, Red Onion, White Cheddar Cheese, Avocado, Bacon and Korean Pear.  All the flavors and even the Korean Pear slices worked.  Unreal delicious.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SHRIMP

 

SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

DINNER AT HOME

Trying to keep our meals light and bright plus a bit more healthy.  Made up this delicious salad with Spinach, Egg, Carrots, Onion, Corn, Provolone Cheese and a little bit of Strawberries.  Yummy!

SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

STEAK AND LOBSTER - DINNER AT HOME

STEAK AND LOBSTER

DINNER AT HOME

Enjoyed an incredible meal cooked by my Wife for friends visiting from California.  Started the meal with some fresh Taco and Ahi Poke served with Cucumber and Avocado.  Yummy!!!  Next up was our favorite Boschetto Al Tartufo Cheese served with Garlic Bread and Raspberry Jelly.  This combination of the Truffle Cheese, Raspberry and bread make this an absolute flavor bomb. A little Prosciutto Wrapped Melon accompanied the cheese and it was light, fresh, cool and delicious.

The Spinach Salad with Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Strawberries was amazing.  Probably the best Spinach Salad I have ever tasted.  Homemade Honey Vinaigrette added a ton of flavor to this salad. The Steak and Lobster.  Wow....perfectly cooked and seasoned.  This meal was better than a Five Star restaurant in Honolulu.  My lovely bride knocked out the presentations and flavors making this a meal to remember.

TAKO AND AHI POKE WITH CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO

BOSCHETTO AL TARTUFO CHEESE WITH RASPBERRY JELLY AND PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED MELON

SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON, AVOCADO AND STRAWBERRIES

PREP IS DONE.  READY FOR OUR GUESTS

STEAK AND LOBSTER

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE WITH ROSELANI ICE CREAM

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS - KING LEAR DINING ROOM

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS

KING LEAR DINING ROOM

We signed up for "Anytime" seating aboard the Independence of the Seas.  This means you have no set time for dinner.  You can make a reservation for a specific time or just show up and be seated.  You can opt to sit with other passengers or just by yourself.  We sat together as a family and did not participate in the group dining.  Service here was hit or miss.  Sometimes good and sometimes terrible.  The food pretty good when they had a decent menu.  There were many times when we looked at the menu and decided to eat in another area of the ship.  Meals here always start with soup, salad and a variety of starters.  You can choose as many starters as you like and can order several entrees if you are real hungry or just want to try different things.  You ask and they bring it with no questions.
Click links below to view more posts on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas;
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/independence-of-seas-portofino.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas_27.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas_8766.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas_08.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/large-and-beautiful-showroom.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas_2026.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/royal-caribbean-independence-of-seas_07.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/01/johnny-rockets-diner-is-on-independence.html

PAN SEARED GOLDEN SEA BASS

FORMAL MAIN DINING ROOMS ARE BEAUTIFUL 

CHEF'S SIGNATURE MENU (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

APPETIZER MENU - YOU CAN ORDER ONE OF EACH
(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

VISALIA ONION TART

SPINACH SALAD

CARVE ROASTED PRIME RIB BEEF

SIDE STREET INN

SIDE STREET INN

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Wow....how great it was to get back to the original Side Street Inn.  The newer Side Street on Kapahulu does not compare to the original.  Once again we enjoyed great service and the ambiance of an Hawaii classic bar/restaurant.  I love this place.  Simple, no attitude and great waitresses that care about your experience no matter how busy it gets.  Our rookie waitress Annie was the best.  Just off her training week and already a seasoned professional.  We started with the Garlic Soy Beans.  Warm and filled with the taste of garlic.  Followed this up with the Manila Clams in white wine and butter.  Great broth and clam flavor.  The clams were small but filled with flavor.  The bread soaked in the sauce was a winner.  We enjoyed Hawaii's best Spinach Salad once again.  Fresh Spinach with bacon, cheese, onions, egg and balsamic dressing.  Really a great salad.  We also had the Worlds Best Fried Rice.  Have never had better.  We love Side Street's Fried Rice.  It is filled with vegetables, various meats and just a perfect blend of everything.  Finished the meal with a blazing plate of Rib Eye Steak.  Served on a sizzling platter and loaded with sauteed onions and mushrooms.  Pretty darn good.
Click link below for updated post on Side Street Inn;
https://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2017/05/side-street-inn_28.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/03/side-street-inn.html

SOY BEANS WITH GARLIC

STEAMED MANILA CLAMS

SPINACH SALAD - BEST IN HAWAII!

WORLD'S BEST FRIED RICE

SIZZLING RIB EYE STEAK

SIDE STREET INN - HONOLULU

SIDE STREET INN

HONOLULU, HI

Welcome to a new version of my blog complete with video. I picked up a Flip Video Device that is about the size off a cell phone. It fits in your pocket and shoots high definition video with a touch of a button. The video is easily downloaded onto the computer. You can make and send a video in a matter of minutes. There are no tapes or memory cards either. This will allow me to shoot video clips when we travel and dine.  Turn down a back street near Ala Moana Center and you find a little gem housed between a bunch of seedy bars. Forget about parking here. There just is not much around. Lucky they offer a valet right in front for $5.00. The valet workers are courteous and fast. Once you enter Side Street you will notice that it is an odd shaped place. The tables go from room to room in different shapes. There are flat screen tv's everywhere playing sports. You can sit at the bar and order food or drinks. I like the booths for a little privacy. This is a hot spot with people constantly coming in and going out. The waitresses are all veterans and know how to work in a fast paced environment. They smile and really provide excellent service given how busy they are. The food is without compare. Most of the items are large portions and are meant to be shared. At Side Street you just order a bunch of plates and eat family style with everyone having a little bit of everything. This trip we ordered the Spinach Salad. A huge mound of spinach topped with large chunks of bacon, onion, egg and shredded mozzarella cheese. Add a great tasting dressing and you have what could be the best spinach salad in town. The fried rice is definitely the best in town. A huge bowl of perfectly cooked rice jam packed with ham, pork, portuguese sausage, carrots, onions and then topped with sliced green onion. Simply amazing and always enough to bring home extra for tomorrow's breakfast. We tried the Escargot with puff pastry. Large snails stuffed into a mushroom cap and then smothered in garlic and cheese. Sinful but delicious. The Pork Sliders were off the hook good. Kalua Pork stuffed in a chinese style bun and topped with bbq sauce and a slice of pineapple. You get three for around $9. Awesome! If you just want to enjoy a cold beer and some stick to your ribs local food. This is the place to go.

SIDE STREET INN