HENRY'S PUB AND RESTAURANT - SAN DIEGO, CA

HENRY'S PUB AND RESTAURANT

SAN DIEGO, CA

San Diego has a vibrant Gaslamp District located downtown.  The streets are lined with restaurants, bars and sidewalk cafes.  The baseball stadium for the San Diego Padres is located in this area and on Game Day, the fans fill the restaurants and bars prior to the game.  We ended up at Henry's Pub for no specific reason.  We just saw a table outside that would accommodate four of us.  We had a great waitress named Ashley.  She kept our drinks coming and was always positive.  We started with a Tomato and Basil Pizza ($11.50).  Nice size pie that I thought would be bad because it had a thicker crust.  Turns out the fresh tomato, basil and cheese was pretty darn good.  I ordered the Chicken Enchilada Bowl ($6.50).  I thought it would be an enchilada of some sort.  Turned out to be the best Enchilada Soup I have ever tasted.  This was the total bomb delicious.  At $6.50 it is bargain.  I was surprised that this was listed as the Chef's Specialty in an Irish type Pub, but boy they were right on.  Simple delicious soup filled with large chunks of chicken and tortilla strips.  My friend ordered the Salmon Fish and Chips.  Standard Fish and Chips done with Salmon.  He seemed to like it.  I tried a piece and found it to be very "fishy".  The Chips were good.  My Buddies seem to enjoy the Chicken Wraps and Fries.  This was a great place to spend time with friends and people watch on 5th Avenue.  After the meal we walked over to the stadium and enjoyed the game.

HENRY'S PUB AND RESTAURANT

HENRY'S PUB AND RESTAURANT IN SAN DIEGO

LUCKY TO HAVE THESE GUYS AS FRIENDS

TOMATO AND BASIL PIZZA

BAJA CHICKEN WRAP

SALMON FISH AND CHIPS

CHICKEN ENCHILADA BOWL

SAN DIEGO MEXICAN FOOD

SAN DIEGO MEXICAN FOOD

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

San Diego has some of the best Mexican food I have ever tasted.  There are hundreds of taco shops around the city.  I didn't even get the name of this place.  Just stopped in for "breakfast" and enjoyed Rolled Tacos and a Carne Asada taco.  Five Rolled Tacos cost me $4.99.  What a deal for chicken filled tortillas topped with cheese, lettuce, guacamole and fresh salsa.  I could only eat about two and was full.  The Carne Asada Taco consisted of grilled steak and nothing else.  A huge portion of meat.  This was not my favorite taco, but still not bad.  The Salsa Bar helped add flavor with two types of salsa and some fresh cut "hot" carrots with jalapenos.

ROLLED TACOS

CARNE ASADA TACO

MAHI MAHI WITH PAPAYA RELISH

MAHI MAHI

WITH PAPAYA RELISH

DINNER AT HOME

As the weather warms, we go to lighter meals and often use the BBQ.  One of our favorite fish dishes is Mahi Mahi or Marlin served with a fresh papaya relish.  Onions, tomato, papaya, cilantro and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Always served with rice and fresh vegetables.  This time we went with Choi Sum because we got a bunch on sale.

DUC'S BISTRO - HONOLULU, HAWAII

DUC'S BISTRO

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

I was lucky to be wined and dined at Duc's Bistro.  This downtown Honolulu restaurant is a bit expensive and not a normal place where I go to eat lunch.  I like the atmosphere here.  It is reminiscent of an uptown eatery in San Francisco or other big city.  Small and quaint with a bar and what seems to be family working there.  Our host who I think was Duc himself was warm and gracious.  Visited our table several times to make sure we were happy with the meal.  We started with Mousse of Black Truffle Duck Pate ($5) served with warm Sourdough Rolls.  The rolls were cooked perfectly and the Mousse was rich and delicious.  Next we went for the Beef Tartar ($18).  Hand cut New York Wagyu Beef, served with toast points.  This was the bomb.  Delicious dish.  The Beef is diced and mixed with capers, onion and other things that I could not distinguish.  The toast points were also very good. We tried the Foie Gras ($15).  Pan Seared and splashed with cognac and served on a toasted piece of bread and fresh papaya.  The Foie Gras was great.  For the main course, we tried the New Zealand Lamb Chops ($18).  This was a half rack of Spring Lamb with a red wine demi-glace.  Not my favorite but my friend loved it.  Next we went for the Steak Saigon ($19).  Cubes of New York Steak flambeed and flavored with garlic and Maggi "French Shoyu".  Both entrees were served with a bowl of Jasmine Rice.  This was a very flavorful dish that I enjoyed.  This was a very good, expensive and relaxing meal.  A big treat.  www.ducsbistro.com

DUC'S BISTRO NEW ZEALAND LAMB CHOPS

DUC'S BISTRO IN DOWNTOWN HONOLULU

MOUSSE OF BLACK TRUFFLE DUCK PATE

BEEF TARTAR

FOIE GRAS

STEAK SAIGON

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGER - THE VOLCANO

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGER

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Once again my daughter forced me to consume a burger this weekend.  After careful consideration we chose Teddy's Bigger Burgers near University.  I decided to try the 5 ounce Volcano Burger.  The burger is topped with Pepperjack Cheese, Jalapenos, Kilauea Fire Sauce, Onion, tomato, lettuce and pickles.It was good....real good.  Cost about $6.50.
Click below to view other posts on Teddy's Bigger Burger
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2012/04/teddys-bigger-burger-kailua.html
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2010/05/teddys-bigger-burger.html

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGER

TEDDY'S BIGGER BURGER

VOLCANO BURGER

LIKE THE JALAPENOS AND HOT SAUCE

KID'S BURGER WITH FRIES

SHRIMP AND CALAMARI PASTA

SHRIMP AND CALAMARI PASTA

DINNER AT HOME

When we saw frozen cleaned Calamari on sale at the market, I had to come up with a recipe to incorporate this into a dish.  Keli wanted pasta so I came up with a vegetable seafood combination that was actually pretty delicious.  I sauteed onion, bell pepper, carrots and celery in chopped garlic and olive oil until it was just slightly undercooked.  I then poured the vegetable mixture into a jar of Bertolli Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce so the vegetables could finish cooking in the sauce.  I have made my own pasta sauce for years and have also tried expensive restaurant brands in a jar.  There is no better jar sauce than Bertolli.  It really is good.  While the sauce heated, I sauteed Shrimp and Calamari in garlic and olive oil.  I made sure not to overcook the seafood because it was going right into the sauce with vegetables.  Everything warmed to perfection and then was tossed with spaghetti.  This dish exceeded my expectations and will be cooked again and again.

PHUKET THAI RESTAURANT - KAMAKEE STREET

PHUKET THAI

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Phuket Thai opened a location near Ward Avenue and the large theatre complex that anchors the block.  After a movie we decided to walk across the street for some Thai Food.  We love Thai food.  In fact, in my younger days I probably ate at Mekong on Beretania Street once a week.  To this day, the original Mekong is probably one of the places I have eaten most in my lifetime.  Absolutely best Thai food I have ever eaten.  Mekong is gone now.  Replaced by a burger joint.  Phuket Thai has another not far from our old condo.  We always enjoy the food but it just has a different taste than the old Mekong.  Phuket Thai's new restaurant is located on Kamakee Street just off Ala Moana Blvd.  We were greeted and seated in a matter of seconds with a 7:00 reservation.  The restaurant was a good 2/3 full and filling quickly.  I found the staff to be excellent here.  Our waiter was first rate.  The hostesses also work hard.  When there is nobody at the front they run around and fill water glasses always keeping busy and taking care of the guests.  We started with The Spring Rolls ($8.50).  Six vegetarian rolls that were really a bit bland.  Nothing in them but noodles it seemed.  The Thai Beef Salad ($9.25) was probably my favorite dish of the evening but still a bit bland.  The Paht Thai Noodles ($9.75) were not bad.  Large serving of noodles with some crunchy bean sprouts and chicken.  The Seafood Combination ($12.50) was filled with shrimp, fish, calamari and scallops.  The sauce was real soupy.  This was not a hit and we did not want to take the leftovers home.  I was amazed how fast all the food came out considering the restaurant was almost full.  The appetizers were at our table only minutes after we ordered them.  As soon as we put a dent in the Spring Rolls, our entrees came quickly.  Our waiter was polite and professional.  Service was the good part of our meal here.  I didn't like the restaurant seating because you have people sitting too close on both the right and left.  It is like being part of their group and there is no privacy.  I know, you don't go out to a restaurant for privacy.  Just don't like this seating set up.  All in all the food was o.k.  Made me really miss Mekong on Beretania.

SPRING ROLLS

PAHT THAI NOODLES WITH CHICKEN

SEAFOOD COMBINATION

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

KAHALA MALL, HAWAII

What do you do when the police close the only road that gets you home?  Well in our case we pulled off the freeway and followed the crowd to Kahala Mall where we waited a good hour for a table at CPK.  Seems dozens of other people had the same idea because the mall was packed like Christmas time.  CPK is one of our favorite places to eat.  Probably have racked up more frequent eating miles there than any other restaurant over the years.  Usually enjoy a pizza, but lately more salads and pasta.  This trip we ordered the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza Hawaiian Style.  BBQ Chicken Pizza with some Pineapple.  I really liked the addition of the pineapple.  The Pasta with Chicken, Spinach and Asparagus was cold and the chicken was hard.  We tried a new item on the menu.  Korean Style Taco's.  These tiny (two bite) tacos were around $6.  Full of flavor and great tortilla taste.  What can I say about the Kids Pasta.  Keli could eat this dish every day of her life.  She orders this and only this every single time.  The staff at CPK Kahala was warm and friendly.  The Manager stopped by our table to thank us for our business.  This was nice.  The rest of the staff was always smiling and really trained well in providing excellent service.

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN

CPK KAHALA MALL IS ALWAYS HAPPENING

KOREAN STYLE TACOS

ORIGINAL BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA WITH PINEAPPLE - HAWAIIAN STYLE

CHICKEN, SPINACH, ASPARAGUS SPAGHETTINI

KIDS PASTA WITH MEAT SAUCE

BUZZ'S WHARF - MAUI

BUZZ'S WHARF - MAUI

VIEW FROM THE ENTRANCE

BUZZ'S WHARF RESTAURANT

MA'ALAEA HARBOR, MAUI

Going to Maui on business once every month or so  is not bad work.  I always drive around and realize how lucky I am to live in Hawaii and marvel at Maui's natural beauty.  My favorite spots are Kapalua and Wailea.  This trip, one of my customers invited me (and paid) for lunch on Ma'alaea Harbor.  Ma'alaea is located in the middle of the Island between Lahaina and Wailea.  A perfect spot perched overlooking the small harbor.  Buzz's is around 42 years old.  It feels a bit dated inside, but the staff is courteous and seem to really care about your experience here.  We enjoyed a huge bowl of clam chowder.  This is real thick chowder filled with clams and a lot of potatoes.  The Seared Ahi Sashimi was AWESOME.  Lightly tossed in cajun spices and seared quickly to just cook the edges.  Inside the Ahi is red, raw and delicious.  Served with soy, wasabi and a bit of honey I think.  The Steamed Clams were small but they gave us a large bucket of them for around $18.  Served with bread for dipping in the sauce.  

I like Buzz's for lunch on Maui. 

CLAM CHOWDER

SEARED FRESH AHI SASHIMI

STEAMED CLAMS

FLANK STEAK WITH HOISIN SAUCE

FLANK STEAK WITH HOISIN SAUCE

DINNER AT HOME

It's a good thing when you can feed a family of three for $10 and enjoy a delicious and healthy meal at home.  Grilled Flank Steak with a Hoisin Sauce glaze served with fresh Baby Bok Choy, bean sprouts and carrots.  Simple, fast, healthy and delicious.

SALMON WITH HOLLANDAISE

SALMON WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

DINNER AT HOME

One of my favorite dishes in the world is Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce.  Wild Sockeye Salmon was on sale today at the market.  My daughter saw it in the display case and said she wanted "that" Salmon.  For less than $10 we scored a great dinner.  Served up with some fresh sauteed vegetables with Oyster Sauce and white rice.  Simply delicious!!!

PANDA EXPRESS

PANDA EXPRESS

HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Recently enjoyed a rare weekend day with my daughter and her friend.  We had lunch at Panda Express and then saw a movie.  Panda Express is quality Chinese fast food.  Everything is good here. The fried rice, noodles and other dishes are always fresh and delicious.  My daughter loves the Orange Chicken and Fried Rice.  I went with Fried Rice, Spicy Chicken and Beef Pepper with Vegetables.  The Chicken had a good bit of spice which I loved.  The Pepper Beef was full of pepper and hit the spot.  If you do not care about calories and fat, Panda Express is great tasting food.  If you want to loose weight like me, I would stay away or really check out the menu fat intake before you order.  This was a great day because two 9 year olds don't care about fat or calories.  Plus the movie was alright.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN WITH FRIED RICE

PANDA EXPRESS IN HONOLULU - FAST CHINESE FOOD THAT IS REALLY PRETTY GOOD

ORANGE CHICKEN AND FRIED RICE

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

BURGERS ON THE EDGE

BURGERS ON THE EDGE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

The last thing I wanted today was a burger.  I need to drop a few pounds and was looking for something lighter.  Keli and me were cruising around and ended up at Good to Grill on Kapahulu.  We walked into Good to Grill and found employees that were like zombies.  No service, just stares.  The sign by the cash register read "Lunch served at 12:00".  It was 11:40 so we left.  Keli saw Burgers on the Edge and said she wanted a burger.  "You sure I asked".  Yes, Daddy, lets get a burger.  I was forced.  Keli ordered the Waygu Beef Burger ($8.49) with cheese, turkey bacon, pickles and sprouts.  I ordered the burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle ($8.49).  I took two bites and was done.  Could only dream of a $2.00 In n' Out Burger.  How can a burger cost $8.49 and not be as good as a $2.00 In n' Out Burger I thought.  This was disappointing experience.

UPDATE:  THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED.

$8.49 Burger with Cheese, Turkey Bacon, Lettuce, Pickle and Sprouts

$8.49 Burger with Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Jalapeno Ketchup

GIOVANNI'S ORIGINAL SHRIMP TRUCK - AT HOME

GIOVANNI'S SHRIMP

DINNER AT HOME

We love Gionanni's Shrimp Truck on the North Shore.  It has taken a year to come close to the recipe at home.  We could never duplicate the hot sauce that makes the shrimp the best in the world.  What to do?  Well, we always buy a few containers of the hot sauce every time we go to Giovanni's.  With the sauce in hand, my wife cooks the shrimp to perfection in white wine, garlic, butter and lemon juice.  We cook the rice perfectly with sauteed garlic and serve the dish with the original Giovanni's hot sauce.  Absolutely perfect dish.  Just as good as driving to the North Shore.  You must have the hot sauce from the original truck to make this the real thing.  I could never duplicate the hot sauce recipe, but will try for a long time.

http://giovannisshrimptruck.com/history.php

GIOVANNI ORIGINAL SHRIMP TRUCK PERFECTED AT HOME - MINUS THE SAUCE!