GREAT EATS HAWAII

Sunday, October 18, 2015

SOUTHERN LEGACY BBQ AND BREW - HOOVER, ALABAMA

SOUTHERN LEGACY BBQ AND BREW

2943 JOHN HAWKINS PKWY

HOOVER, AL 35244

205-988-0744

HOURS: Monday thru Saturday 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Sunday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

www.legacybbq.com

Yum..yum...yum.... BBQ Pulled Smoked Pork Sandwich and Fried Pickles. Cannot think of a better way to begin a trip to Alabama. After literally 22 hours in the air and on the ground we arrived in Birmingham tired and hungry. After a brief 30 minute stop at my hotel to shower, we jumped into a sedan and headed to Tuscaloosa to watch the Alabama vs Arkansas football game. I gave the driver two instructions. Please stop for BBQ and beer on the way to Tuscaloosa. He gladly cooperated and had us parked at Southern Legacy BBQ and Brew within a few minutes. Since we do not have any good BBQ in Hawaii, I really wanted to order everything on the menu and hang out here for hours. No time for that on this day as it was burning into our tailgating time in Tuscaloosa. We bellied up to the bar and ordered a cold one before ordering food. I went with the regular Carolina BBQ Sandwich ($7.49). Pulled Smoked Pork with Spicy Cole Slaw served with Pickles on a Kaiser Bun. I added a good dose of the Sweet Heat BBQ Sauce and took a big bite. Wow......the bun was buttery and added a layer of flavor along with the Pork, Slaw and Pickles. This sandwich was delicious. One of the best BBQ Sandwiches I have tasted in many years. Loved it. The Fried Pickles ($5.99) were also delicious. Lightly breaded so you could really taste the pickle. Loved these too!

SOUTHERN LEGACY BBQ AND BREW

SOUTHERN LEGACY BBQ AND BREW IN ALABAMA

LARGE RESTAURANT AND BAR

SEATING IN THE BAR AREA

SOUTHERN LEGACY BBQ AND BREW MENU

APPETIZERS, SALADS, WINGS, GUMBO AND PASTA........I WANT IT ALL!

BBQ RIBS, CHICKEN, SANDWICHES, PRIME RIB, STEAK AND EVEN CATFISH. I WANT TO TRY ALL!

CAROLINA PULLED SMOKED PORK SANDWICH WITH SPICY COLE SLAW AND PICKLES

THIS WAS OH SO GOOD!

LOVED THE SWEET HEAT BBQ SAUCE

FRIED PICKLES

AHHH........

THE BUENA VISTA - SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT

THE BUENA VISTA

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

TERMINAL 3

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128

650-201-8961

HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 4:00 AM - 11:00 PM

www.thebuenavista.com

Very happy to see that one of my favorite places in San Francisco now has a satellite version at the San Francisco International Airport. The Buena Vista which is home to the World's Best Irish Coffee is in Terminal 3 and definitely worth a stop if you have time while traveling through San Francisco. The restaurant/bar was packed when I arrived with patrons enjoying food, beer and cocktails while catching a Major League Baseball Playoff game. Think the Dodgers lost the game while I was mowing down a bowl of Clam Chowder ($8.59). The Chowder was nothing to write home about. Super bland and full of potatoes and very little clams. Might be one of the most bland and tasteless Chowders I have ever eaten. Even the Bacon lacked flavor. Disappointed to say the least. My Irish Coffee was delicious and pretty much the same as you get at the original Buena Vista near Fisherman's Wharf. Oh...my friend ordered the Bar Wings with Siracha Sauce ($15.99). These were the most disgusting Wings on earth. The sauce was so bad that I could not even finish one wing. My friend left half his order on the plate as did the guy sitting next to us eating the same thing.

Click link below to view additional posts on the original Buena Vista in San Francisco;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-buena-vista-cafe-san-francisco.html

THE BUENA VISTA

THE BUENA VISTA AT SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

THE BUENA VISTA MENU

LIMITED MENU FOR TRAVELERS AT THE AIRPORT

CLAM CHOWDER TOPPED WITH BACON

THE BUENA VISTA IRISH COFFEE

Saturday, October 17, 2015

AZURE AT THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL

AZURE

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL

2259 KALAKAUA AVENUE

HONOLULU, HI 96815

808-921-4600

HOURS: Monday thru Sunday 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

www.royal-hawaiian.com/dining/azure/

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is probably my favorite hotel in Waikiki. This grand luxury hotel opened to the World's elite in 1927 and still remains a favorite among celebrities, moguls and upscale travelers from all over the World. Azure is perched oceanfront with one of the best views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. As you enter Azure you have seating on the left inside the restaurant and seating on the lanai which is outside but covered overlooking Waikiki Beach. The views are amazing and perfect for someone on vacation in Hawaii. I was surprised to see the same old 1970's chairs in the restaurant that I wrote about back in 2011 (see link below). The restaurant specializes is fresh seafood which surprisingly is sometimes hard to find in Waikiki. The concept is simple. Serve the freshest fish that is purchased daily at the early morning Pier 38 Fish Auction near downtown Honolulu. You can pretty much have your fresh fish prepared any way you like it and can add a variety of sauces. The prices here are not cheap with a piece of fish running around $40. This includes your choice of two side dishes which in the world of Waikiki prices makes this comparable with other restaurants who do not serve the quality of Azure and surely do not have the ambiance and view that Azure has. Service at Azure was pure perfection on the evening we visited. I guess it does not hurt to know an employee or two who really went out of their way to make sure our table was hydrated and happy at all times. We began our meal with a perfectly chilled glass of Champagne served from the bar that is literally in the middle of the dining room. Then came fresh bread with Butter and Sea Salt plus another dip that included Clams. The Clam dip was my favorite and I could have eaten bowls of it. Probably ate too much bread as I just loved the Clam Dip so much and could not stop eating it. I ordered the Hirabara Farms Baby Romaine Salad ($15) to start my meal. This was a very unique "Caesar Salad" with the lettuce wrapped in Rice Paper and Tomato, Croutons placed around the plate. Presentation was nice to see but I mixed it all together on the plate and cut it up. Liked the flavors but thought the presentation and separation of the ingredients was not necessary. For my entree, I went with the Seared Hawaiian Yellow Fin Ahi with Diver Scallops ($44). Served with Island spiced and Sake braised Spinach and Prosciutto wrapped Enoki Mushrooms. The Fresh Ahi was amazing but I do not like thick cuts of raw tuna. I prefer smaller bites so this dish did not blow me away. The Scallops were cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the Prosciutto Wrapped Mushrooms. Everyone at our table had a different type of fish and there was five of us. Not one complaint in the bunch and in fact, everyone wants to return to Azure. There are so many times when we just want a nice piece of fresh fish and we scour the internet for Honolulu restaurants that serve fresh fish. Believe me there are not many that do it right or even have two selections of fresh fish that is not fried. Azure gives you the perfect setting to enjoy fresh fish and the food is good. You will pay a little more here but I think it is well worth it.

Click link below to view previous post on Azure Restaurant;

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2011/03/azure-restaurant-royal-hawaiian-hotel.html

AZURE

AZURE DINING ROOM WITH THE SAME CHAIRS FROM 2011 VISIT

BAR IN MIDDLE OF DINING AREA MAKES IT FAST AND EASY FOR WAIT STAFF TO GET DRINKS

LARGE OPEN AIR DINING ROOM

THE BEST SEATS ARE ON THE LANAI BEFORE THE SUNSETS. IT WAS TOO DARK TO TAKE PHOTOS
OUT THERE WHEN WE ARRIVED

CHILLED SEAFOOD AND SALADS

SMALL PLATES OR APPETIZERS

GREAT FRESH SEAFOOD SELECTIONS

THE LARGE PLATE ENTREES

START YOUR MEAL WITH SOME GREAT FRESH BREAD, BUTTER AND CLAM DIP

DIP WITH CLAMS ON LEFT WAS GREAT!

ROMAINE SALAD WAS A LITTLE UNIQUE

FRESH HAWAIIAN AHI TUNA WITH SCALLOPS

OPAKAPAPA

ONAGA

LOVED THE SIDE ORDER OF CORN

VERY HAPPY CUSTOMERS AT AZURE!

Monday, October 5, 2015

LOS ANGELES LAKERS IN HAWAII

LOS ANGELES LAKERS IN HAWAII
STAN SHERIFF CENTER - UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

What a treat to see the Los Angeles Lakers in Hawaii. The exhibition match vs the Utah Jazz sold out with over 10,000 Laker Fans buying up tickets at prices up to $500. I purchased my tickets the day they went on sale months prior to the event and was given 17th row center court seats via the ETicket Hawaii website. We arrived at the game 90 minutes prior to tipoff because we knew that the parking lot would fill up fast. It did and we were uncrushed and comfortable in our seats enjoying a cold beer and some great Stan Sheriff Center Nachos. Anyone attending the game would have thought they were in Los Angeles with thousands of die hard Laker fans wearing Laker gear from head to toe. Seemed every little kid in the building had a Laker shirt or hat on. Heck, even I pulled out my #24 Kobe Bryant shirt that I had bought in Los Angeles and never worn in Hawaii. The blond Hollywood crowd with plastic surgery and designer duds was not in the house on this day, rather a very Asian crowd in shorts and tank tops filled both the court side and cheap seats. The feeling inside the Stan Sheriff Center was electric as the crowd waited to see an NBA legend. Kobe Bryant was the draw here and that is who people wanted to see. When Kobe hit the court for warmup, the crowd erupted with excitement. The excitement waned when they pulled Kobe out for the second half and the Lakers missed layups, short shots and just looked like they were not ready to play. This was unlike any Laker team I have ever seen in the past. Perhaps they are just rusty and need to get back in the rhythm of the game. No worries for me as I just loved seeing Kobe and the Lakers on the court in Hawaii. Showtime in Paradise was awesome despite the poor play. As a side note, I attended a breakfast the day before the game with Laker Head Coach - Byron Scott, Assistant Coach - Mark Madsen and GM - Mitch Kupchak. All were total gentlemen and very friendly. Mark Madsen extended his hand to me and introduced himself and Mitch Kupchak posed for a selfie with me. Byron Scott was taking pictures with fans until his handlers moved him quickly to the elevator so they could get to practice on time. So nice to see the Laker Coaches and GM being so nice to the fans and giving back to local charities. I have been a Laker fan for life and love them more now than ever! Go Lakers!!!!