Honest reviews of Hawaii restaurants and travel experiences from the Santos family in Honolulu, Hawaii. Please join to follow this blog and leave comments about the places you read about.
Click on "Older Posts" at the bottom of each page to continue your adventure. This blog is for fun only. I am not a food critic. Just call em' like I eat em'. Enjoy!
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Going to the Old Spaghetti Factory brings back fond memories for me. Over 25 years ago while living in San Diego we would get 10-15 of us together on a Friday night and fill a large table at the Spaghetti Factory. Why you ask? Well at that time it was dirt cheap. We could enjoy pasta and beer for around $10 per person. It was a great deal for a bunch of broke guys and girls wanting to go out for a good time. While the prices have risen a bit, the Old Spaghetti Factory has not changed much. Still a good place for families and large groups. Make sure you make a reservation here. There seems to always be a wait if you don't. Parties of 15-25 the norm here. We had reservations and despite a big line in the reception area we were seated right on time. The young staff is very friendly and efficient. We had fresh bread and our drinks in a matter of minutes. Started with the Sicilian Garlic Cheese Bread ($6.29). Fresh bread topped with garlic and three melted cheese. Served toasted with a side of Marinara Sauce. Not bad. The Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce ($9.99) was a huge disappointment. It looks and smells like Clam Chowder poured on pasta. The sauce is bland, creamy and really lacking any clam flavor. The menu describes the sauce as being for the Clam Lover - with hints of wine, fresh garlic, green peppers, onion and parsley. Tastes nothing like the description. My wife could not eat it and instead shared my plate of the Pot Pourri ($11.29). The Pot Pourri is a sampler of four sauces; Mizithra Cheese and Browned Butter, Meat, Clam and Marinara. This turned out to be a pretty good way to go. I liked the Mizithra Cheese mixed with the Marinara. Worst of the four was the Clam Sauce. All of the pasta dishes come with your choice of soup or salad. We all took the salads. Basically a bowl of lettuce with a few croutons. The girls enjoyed the Kids Meal Pasta with Meat Sauce ($5.99). This is the key to the Old Spaghetti Factory. You can get a complete meal that includes bread, salad, pasta, drink and dessert for $6. We all finished with the Spumoni Ice Cream that is included with the meal price. Nice flavor but very soft. Link to menu below.
Was having dinner at a restaurant in St. Louis when a couple at the table next to us mentioned they were going to a Van Halen concert at 7:30. It was around 5:30 the night of the concert. I got on my iPhone and logged onto Stubhub.com seconds later I had two fifth row seats to see Van Halen at 7:30.
After printing the tickets back at the hotel we ventured to the Scottrade Center to see these 1980's rockers live. The opening act was Kool and the Gang. Go figure? Had a great time. While David Lee Roth at 57 years old has lost most of his vocal range, Eddie Van Halen and his son were incredible.
Here is the review from the St. Louis Dispatch
By Daniel Durchholz
Midway through Van Halen's hour and 50 minute performance at Scottrade Center on a Sunday night, singer David Lee Roth posed the rhetorical question, "Is there such a thing as rock and roll without complaining?" Of course there is. And Van Halen Roth, plus brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen on guitar and drums, respectively, plus Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass - epitomizes hard rocks party-hearty, fund at all costs attitude, evidenced by the bands late 70's - early 80's run of classic albums and its surprisingly on-point new release, "A Different Kind of Truth".
And yet, there are complaints to be filed, most of them involving Roth. At 57, he no longer stalks the stage like a predatory king of the jungle, coming off instead as an eager-to-please song and dance man. His determination to entertain is admirable, but there's a desperate, Norma Desmond air about him too.
Besides, the real show is taking place to his left. In recovery from both alcohol abuse and cancer, Eddie Van Halen remains one of rock's wonders to behold, reeling off impossibly fleet-fingered solos and chunky power chords, still cracking his trademark smile as if his six strings pyrotechnics were no big deal. His dazzling solo spotlight was the show's musical and emotional epicenter.
The stage was sleek and uncluttered but dominated by a massive video screen that underlined Diamond Dave and Eddie to large-than-life status. The 22 song set was filled with favorites, plus a few choice nuggets and songs from their new album.
But for every off-the-charts performance, such as the crushing "I'll Wait" and the explosive "Hot for Teacher", there was a song or two that came up lacking. Roth seemed gassed, lagging behind the beat during "You Really Got Me." On "Dance The Night Away," he tried singing in a register no longer available to him. And on "Beautiful Girls," he forgot the words.
Still, the singer gamely offered a few of his athletic moves of old - a scissor kick here, splits there - after which he mimed using a walker and tossing it away. He spouted a little street - corner philosophy (" I say mistakes make people") and claimed "62 days, clean and sober,"Over applause, he cracked, "No, not in a row." If vaudeville ever makes a comeback, Diamond Dave will be there, without complaint.
This dish inspired by Mario Batali has become a family favorite. It is simple to make and really delivers on flavor. Highly recommend you try it at home.
PAPPARDELLE WITH MUSHROOMS
FRESH LOCAL MUSHROOMS, SAGE AND LEMON
HEAT BUTTER TO SLIGHTLY BROWN. ADD SAGE AND ABOUT HALF THE JUICE FROM A LEMON
ADD MUSHROOMS
COOK JUST A FEW MINUTES AND REMOVE LARGE PIECES OF THE SAGE
ADD PASTA TO SAUCE AND MUSHROOMS
ONE OF THE FAMILY'S FAVORITE MEALS. SIMPLE, FULL OF FLAVOR AND DELICIOUS!
Enjoyed the company of some good friends and had some great Island Style Pupu's at home. Nothing like fresh Sashimi Grade Ahi Tuna coated in Cajun spices and pan seared for just a few seconds. I also love fresh Poke from Foodland. Especially like the Kim Chee Tako Poke. Thinly sliced Octopus marinated in Kim Chee Sauce. Hawaiian style pupu's can be just about anything. With all of the diverse cultures in Hawaii you will be served Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and American favorites wherever you go.
SEARED AHI WITH CAJUN SPICES
AHI POKE, EDAMAME AND KIM CHEE TAKO POKE
SMOKED SALMON ON CUCUMBER WITH SOUR CREME AND DILL
If you are ever between the airport and Waikiki, I highly recommend that you stop by the Hawaiian Chip Companyon Republican Street. This Hawaii small business owned by Jimmy Chan makes some really good Taro and Sweet Potato Chips in a small warehouse next to an Air Conditioning Contractor and Restaurant Equipment company. Jimmy also makes some really good hot sauce named Kilauea Fire and Raging Volcano. His products are so good that he has to turn down selling mainland Costco stores because he cannot obtain enough quantity of Taro to fill the orders. You can however buy his products in local Costco stores. Jimmy's Gourmet Taro and Sweet Potato Chips come in Original, Zesty Garlic, Kiawe BBQ and Kilauea Fire flavors. I love to eat them with his hot sauces. The Kilauea Fire is slightly sweet with a back end kick of heat. The Raging Volcano sauce packs a nice punch of Habanero Pepper heat from start to finish. The flavor is addicting. You will stand there in his warehouse and eat an entire bag. Jimmy brought out a piping hot fresh bag of chips for us to sample. Everyone in our group ended up buying chips, hot sauce or both. Jimmy is a dedicated salesmen who simply enjoys his product and customers. This is the kind of business you want to succeed. Jimmy does not cut corners. He uses 100% fresh Hawaii products to make his chips. The Taro comes from the Big Island and Sweet Potatoes from Molokai. You can enjoy a free sample during the week and also on Saturdays. 1928 Republican Street. Honolulu, HI.
They also serve and sell 100% Hawaii Coffee from the Big Island and Oahu. Free samples.
Visit Republican Street or the website at www.hawaiianchipcompany.com
The birth of our delectable chips began through the aspirations of entrepreneur James “JimmyChan” Chan and inspiration from Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show. From dream to conception, James relentless pursuit to find the best cooking method and perfect balance of spices has made our sweet potato and taro chips one of Hawaii’s favorite snack chips. Only the highest quality Okinawan sweet potato and taro grown on the Big Island and golden sweet potato grown on Molokai is used to make our gourmet chips. By using only the freshest and highest quality produce we are able to consistently offer you the best sweet potato and taro chips on the market today. If you don’t believe us, try a bag for yourself–you will notice the difference.
With the market currently demanding healthier foods, we strive to keep our chips as natural as possible. Without compromising the quality and taking our customers health concerns to heart, we switched our cooking oil from partially hydrogenated soy bean oil to canola oil, which is trans-fat free. In addition, our cooking process allows us to minimize the amount of sodium without sacrificing flavor, and it also allows us to keep our product preservative free. We don’t want you to worry about your health when you “inadvertently” munch away a whole bag.
Throughout the years we have developed five tempting flavors, which we are sure you will find a favorite that will satisfy your cravings. These flavors are: Original (lightly salted), Zesty Garlic, Kiawe BBQ, Kilauea Fire and Sugar Coated.
Keep an eye out for possible new flavors and products in the upcoming year!
FRESHLY MADE TARO AND SWEET POTATO CHIPS MADE RIGHT HERE IN HAWAII
KILAUEA AND RAGING VOLCANO HOT SAUCES ARE GREAT!
FRESHLY COOKED CHIP SAMPLES
ADD A LITTLE HOT SAUCE TO THE CHIPS
SMALL TASTING AREA IN FRONT OF WAREHOUSE. FREE SAMPLES AND COFFEE
SWEET POTATO FROM MOLOKAI
MOLOKAI SWEET POTATOES
THE OWNER "JIMMY" IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS CHIPS AND HOT SAUCES. HE PULLED OUT A TARO ROOT FROM THE BIG ISLAND TO SHOW US HOW THE PRODUCTS ARE MADE
TARO FROM THE BIG ISLAND. PRIZED COMMODITY RIGHT NOW IN HAWAII.
JIMMY CUTS A SLICE OF THE TARO TO SHOW US THE INSIDE
Was served up a big surprise when my lovely bride brought a salt crusted Italian Sea Bass to the table. The Branzino was baked under a salt crust for only 15 minutes at 400 degrees. The fish was very moist and flavorful. Loved the Baby Bok Choy finished with a little bit of Oyster Sauce and Garlic.
BRANZINO SEA BASS BAKED IN SALT CRUST
REMOVE SALT AFTER BAKING
FULLY COOKED FISH MAKES GREAT PRESENTATION
PEEL BACK THE SKIN AND YOU HAVE A MOIST AND FLAVORFUL WHITE FISH
BRANZINO SERVED WITH BABY BOK CHOY SAUTEED IN OYSTER SAUCE AND GARLIC
I am done looking for good Tacos in Hawaii. This time we made our own and invited around 10 people over for Taco Night. Dozens and dozens of tacos were consumed. One guest finished 11 by the evenings end. Two people finished 8 Tacos each. Our Tacos are made with slowly cooked Shredded Chicken and Beef that takes hours to prepare and cook. We use a variety of chili's and spices to create flavorful meats that fill our tacos with flavor. Our tacos have a freshly fried corn tortilla shells that adds a nice crunch. Add our homemade salsas and you have some really good tacos. Also made Carne Asada Street Tacos that take me back to my days hanging out in Tijuana and Rosarito Mexico.
THE SANTOS FAMILY TACO SHREDDED BEEF OR CHICKEN
SHREDDED CHICKEN TAQUITOS
SHREDDED CHICKEN TAQUITOS FILLED WITH SLOW COOKED, MARINATED CHICKEN
SHREDDED CHICKEN AND BEEF TACOS WITH HOME MADE MEXICAN RICE AND BEANS
I did not take photographs during our meal at John Mineo's just outside St. Louis out of respect for the C.E.O. of a 400 million dollar a year corporation. Sometimes this food blog thing surprises people so I don't take photos at the table if I do not know the other diners well. The images here are from the internet. Oh...how I wish I would have taken photos of this place. The food and service were incredible. One of the best Italian meals of my life. We did not order appetizers they simply appeared on the table. There was a garlic shrimp dish served in one of the best tomato sauces I have ever tasted. The sauce here is delicious. I had a home made pasta with fresh vegetables. The pasta was perfect. The sauce perfect. Everything worked here. The food, service and ambiance. I hope we can someday return so I can take pictures and provide more details on the great food.
Dallas is becoming my favorite airport to have a layover. There are lots of great places to eat and really good Admirals Club Lounges. On this brief layover that was supposed to be 45 minutes and turned into 3 hours and 45 minutes due to a engine problem I stopped into Blue Mesa because I saw "TACOS". It was 10:00 am and I wanted their "street tacos" shown on the menu. Problem was that they do not serve the regular tacos before 11:00 am. With a plane to catch I ordered two Breakfast Tacos for $5.99. I chose one ground beef and one Chorizo taco. Was surprised to find out they were very big. This is actually a good deal for airport food. The tacos were filled with egg, potato, cheese and your meat choices. Served with a really good salsa. You could roll up the tortilla and call this a Breakfast Burrito too.
