GIOVANNI'S ORIGINAL SHRIMP TRUCK

GIOVANNI'S ORIGINAL SHRIMP TRUCK

NORTH SHORE, OAHU

A trip to the North Shore would not be complete without stopping at Giovanni's for some fresh shrimp. This has been a favorite of mine for over 15 years. There is rarely a trip to the North without eating here. I crave their hot sauce like nothing else on earth. Giovanni's hot sauce is bursting with flavor and heat. It is so hot that if you order your shrimp with the sauce on the shrimp. There is a no refund policy. I get the sauce on the side and pour it all over the garlic rice and dip each piece of shrimp in it. The menu at Giovanni's is simple. Shrimp Scampi with hot sauce or without ($13). The place comes with about one dozen shrimp that has been drowned in garlic, butter and white wine. You get two scoops of rice with toasted garlic on the side. The shrimp comes with the skin on so you are going to get greasy and make a mess eating them. This is part of the fun. Your hands get gooey and sticky and smell like garlic. Garlic is everywhere on the plate and it is so good. The shrimp and hot sauce are addicting. I am an addict for Giovanni's. Everyone I take here seems to love it and always want to return. THIS IS AN OAHU MUST.

KUA AINA SANDWICH - HALEIWA, HAWAII

KUA AINA SANDWICH

HALEIWA, HAWAII

I have never been a big fan of the $8 burger, but when my sisters son came out to Hawaii to celebrate his high school graduation I took him and his four friends to Kua Aina on the North Shore. These are high school kids that are all 6' and taller. They eat like elephants. At Kua Aina you can choose between a 1/3 pound and 1/2 pound burger. The basic burger comes with lettuce and tomato. Grilled onions, cheese, bacon, avocado, pineapple or chilies can be added for .50 to $1.00 each. The boys loved these burgers and said they were the best ever. They threw them down in minutes and then consumed two baskets of the French Fries ($3.25). The fries are cut really thin like shoestrings and are crisp and tasty. Thumbs up for the fries. I had the 1/3 pound burger with Cheddar Cheese. It was huge. The grilled onion really ads some nice flavor. The burger was moist and flavorful. After three bites I was full. Kua Aina is an institution on the North Shore. If you are out there and crave a burger, this is probably the best place to go.

WOLFGANG'S STEAK HOUSE

WOLFGANG'S STEAK HOUSE

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Finally got an opportunity to visit the new Wolfgang's Steakhouse at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Waikiki. Wolfgang's is not Wolfgang Puck as everyone seems to think. This Wolfgang's is an off shoot of Wolfgang Zwiener from New York. Wolfgang spent many years at the great steakhouse called Peter Luger's in New York City. His goal was to take all his experiences at Peter Lugar's and make it better. The Steaks served at Wolfgang's are dry aged for a set number of weeks in a temperature and humidity controlled room. The Manager in Waikiki is William. He remembered us from his days as head waiter at Mortons in Honolulu. William quickly greeted our table and asked if we would like to see the kitchen and dry age room. We all said yes and were lead through the kitchen to a room filled with the largest cuts of beef I have ever seen. All clearly marked with dates so they can be used at the perfect time.Back up to the wait for our table and while sitting at the bar the bartender pulls out a basket of fresh, hot homemade potato chips. These chips were great. Thick, salty and full of potato flavor. You could easily sit at the bar and fill up on these bad boys. Back at the table, we were given another basket filled with fresh hot breads. There were probably three different types. I tried the one with onions on to and it was good. I opted for a Caesar Salad ($10,95). It was pretty basic. My friend ordered the Tomato, Onion and Mozzarella Salad ($14.95). Huge pieces of thick tomato, onion and cheese. Enough for two people. Our other friend went for the Wolfgang Salad ($15). I tried some of this and it was great. The salad features a combination of Lettuce, red onion, roasted sweet peppers, shrimp and bacon with a house dressing. Speaking of bacon, we ordered one slice of Wolfgang's Canadian Bacon ($3). This 1/4" or larger piece of bacon filled a plate. We all shared it with our salads and loved it. Our waiter suggested that we try sharing our steak. He said they would bring the steak to the table and cut it up for everyone. He also suggested that we order the steak for two even though there were three of us at the table. Good tip since we would have went for steak for three had he not let us know that the cuts were huge. The steak for two is $143.85. Good thing I was not picking up the tab. The steak for two easily served all three of us. So figure about $50 per person for the steak. We were busting out full by the time we were finished. The steak was presented on a sizzling platter and cut into nice slices. It was cooked to absolute perfection and was juicy, perfectly seasoned and delicious. One of the best steaks I have ever had in Hawaii.

To accompany our steak we ordered Steamed Broccoli ($9.95) and German Potatoes ($13.95) that were recommended by our waiter. Wow....these potatoes are the best. Basically hash browns filled with onions and bacon. This is a MUST try when you visit Wolfgang's. This was a terrific dinner and when we finished William sent over a complimentary plate of desserts. Plain and Chocolate Cheese Cake and Key Lime Pie with Ice Cream. The Cheesecake was thick and dense New York Style which I love. The service was fantastic from start to finish. The staff really seemed to understand customer service. The dining room at Wolfgang's is a big open space with a lot of tables. There seemed to be no dress code as my guest dined in shorts, t-shirt and slippers. Wolfgang's may be pricey, but it was worth it. The wine list is good but most of the wines are over $100 per bottle. Our wine tab equalled our food tab. Can't wait to return.

TACO DEL MAR

TACO DEL MAR

There is a reason why Taco Del Mar's are opening all over Hawaii. The food is good. It is not at the level of the taco places in San Diego, but for fast Mexican food it does just fine. The meats actually have flavor, the hot sauce actually has some kick, the beans and rice are actually good. The portions are also big while the prices are actually reasonable. I noticed most patrons consuming the Mondo Burrito's. This is like a pound of meat, rice, beans, cheese and salsa packed in a soft tortilla ($5.99). My daughter loves the burritos. They offer a kids size ($3.39) and let you pick the ingredients. The kids menu also comes with beans and rice and chips. The menu is pretty simple here. There are six main items to choose from; Carne Asada Steak, Shredded Beef, Braised Chicken, Carnitas, Ground Beef and what they call Alaskan Fish. You pick the meat or fish and pack it into a soft taco, hard taco, burrito, enchilada, salad or quesadillas. Then you pick black beans or refried and then load on the fixins. I opted for two hard tacos ($4.39). One Shredded Beef and one Braised Chicken. They are large and filled with meat, then topped with cheese, lettuce and Pico De Gallo. I went for the "hot" sauce and it had the perfect heat and good flavor. My only complaint is that they use pre-made taco shells. Other than that they are amongst the best tacos you can find in Hawaii. We also tried the Fish Tacos. Lightly battered fish in a flour tortilla and topped with cabbage and Pico De Gallo. Pretty good, but not at the level of the San Diego Fish Tacos. The beans and rice are very good compared to other places. I have been complaining for 17 years that Hawaii does not have any good Mexican restaurants. Taco Del Mar helps out but I would really love for Roberto's or Juanita's from San Diego to open here.

BUCCA DI BEPPO

BUCCA DI BEPPO

HONOLULU, HI

Before seeing the great movie UP, we decided to grab a quick pizza and salad at Bucca Di Beppo. To our surprise we happily found the best Margherita Pizza in Honolulu. Bucca does the perfect Margherita Pizza. The pizza is simply great sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. The flavors really pop. You can taste the sauce, cheese and basil. The crust is super thin and lightly charred from the oven. The small pizza will serve two people with ease ($12.99).We also tried the Chopped Antipasto Salad ($12.99 small). This salad was fresh and filled with flavor. It included salami, pepperoncini, olives, cucumber along with provolone and feta cheese. Our daughter ordered Macaroni and Cheese from the Children's Menu. Wow a huge bowl of pasta covered in silky cheese for about five bucks. There was enough Mac n' cheese for two or three people. We all tried it and liked it. Bucca takes you into a different world filled with photographs and memories of Italy. Photos of Sofia Loren, Frank Sinatra and the Pope fill the walls. As you enter the restaurant the hostess asks if you would like to tour the kitchen. You can see the staff, fresh ingredients and cleanliness. This place is great for large parties as all of the menu items are meant to be shared. You can order a small or large portions. I cannot wait to return for another pizza. UPDATE: Went back for lunch and tried the Spicy Arrabbiata Pizza ($15.99 small). Wow another great pizza. Pepperoni, spicy sausage and red onions with gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese. This is a meaty pizza with big taste and hint of fennel. Me and my guest loved it. We ordered a small order of Spaghetti and Meatballs ($17.99) and could not eat it because the pizza filled us both up. I took a small taste of the 1/2 pound meatballs and pasta and it was good. A small order will serve 2-3 and maybe even four people. The serving is huge. Got to try the Spaghetti and Meatball for leftovers. The pasta sauce was a bit bland and so was the meatball. Not my favorite by far.

CAFE MIRO - HONOLULU, HAWAII

CAFE MIRO

HONOLULU, HI

Cafe Miro is located in Kaimuki in a very unimpressive looking building from the outside. In fact, you could easily miss this place because the sign is so small and it does not look like such a nice place. I was impressed when we entered and found a smiling staff and well decorated and clean restaurant and bar. Seemed like at least four different people welcomed us to the neighborhood eatery. Our waiter was well versed on the menu and ingredients. He also went out of his way to make sure our daughter had a cool beverage in place of fruit punch which was not on the menu. Her special drink came in a large Martini glass and she loved it. I went for a glass of chardonnay. The menu at Miro consists of two tasting menus. The Prix Fixe Menu (3 courses) is $38. The Chef Special Menu (4 courses) is $49. There is also an assortment of add on items such as Foie Gras with Truffle Sauce ($18) and soup or salad for $6-$7. The menu has many choices to choose from. Everything from Roasted Game Hen to Duck Breast, Beef Tenderloin, Rib Eye and several selections of fresh fish. We opted for the Chef Special Menu so we could enjoy a larger variety of the menu items. Prior to ordering, hot fresh bread was brought to the table with butter. Then came a complimentary cold potato soup. The soup was awesome. It was delicious and very refreshing on a hot summer night. I would like to try the same soup warm sometime.  The rest of our dinner started out with a bang. We ordered the Appetizer Tasting Plate that includes five different appetizers. This dish not only was beautiful on the plate but absolutely awesome. The combination of different tastes blew us away and we thought we may have found a real gem. The plate included Ahi Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonaise and Crispy Garlic. This one bite item was the best of the evening. Fresh raw ahi with a slice of avocado. The Fresh Oyster Escargot Style (broiled with herb garlic butter) was also perfect and delicious. The Oyster went down like butter. The Proscuite and Mozzarella Salad with honey drizzle and walnuts was also great.  There was also a vegetable terrine and crab cake that were good. Our appetizer plate was followed by the Sauteed Fresh Foie Gras. This was probably the worst Foie Gras I have had in quite sometime. Also the first time one of us did not want to finish the dish. The Foie Gras had a bitter aftertaste and the sauce was bland. The Sauteed Fresh Hokkaido Scallop with Honey Cream Sauce was really good. Two nice size scallops perfectly cooked and topped with fresh mushrooms. My wife had a piece of Onaga fish that was excellent but served with a very oily sauce. The oil ruined the dish. Our meat entrees were Roasted Duck Breast with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce and Braised Short Ribs with Port Wine Reduction Sauce. My duck was uneatable. I really left all but one piece on the plate along with a piece that had chew marks. I could not chew this stuff and it had absolutely no flavor. The Short Ribs also lacked flavor. For dessert we enjoyed a magnificent cheese platter that included three different cheeses, crackers and fruit. I liked this as a finish. Our other desert was ice cream with several different cakes. Good presentation and flavor. I was so bummed that this dinner started with a bang and ended in a thug. The staff at Miro was gracious. I really wanted this to be a hit. Don't know if we will return here.

VINO ITALIAN TAPAS AND WINE BAR

VINO ITALIAN TAPAS AND WINE BAR

HONOLULU, HI

Great friends, great wine and great food. Wow.....what a night we had at Vino's. This place is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Hawaii. We have been three times now and all three times were absolutely perfect. The food, wine and service are all top notch. Throw in Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya (photo above) and his stories about wine tasting trips all around the world and you have a very memorable evening. Our friends Tom & Arlene spare no expense when dining. They had Chuck choose the wine and everyone ordered a dish or two to share family style. Family style is the way to enjoy Vino's. Order a bunch of dishes and share them. This allows you to enjoy the many flavors on the menu. The great thing about Vino's is that you have a Master Sommelier (there are only two or three in all of Hawaii) helping you with wine selections. Chuck is a down to earth local boy who does not act the part of Sommelier. He is like an old friend sharing stories about his family, friends and great wine experiences. You can give Chuck a budget when you arrive and he will pick the best wines to meet your budget. Say you want to spend no more than $50 on a bottle. You tell Chuck this is your limit and he will select wines below this price point. I have never been disappointed in his selections. In fact, most of the time I am blown away. Wines from France, Spain, Italy and America that I would never have known about if it were not for Chuck. Enough about the wine, now lets get into the food. We started with the Cheese and Salumi Platter ($13). Three different cheeses served with an assortment of salami meats. This was delicious. The Hudson Valley Foie Gras Bacon followed ($18). This is amazing! Foie Gras served on toast with an apple type sauce. The Foie Gras melts in your mouth like butter and is filled with a richness that is indescribable. We enjoyed two salads. First the Waialua Asparagus Salad ($12). Heirloom beets, Hau'ula tomatoes, Nalo Greens, herbed red potatoes and a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. This is a great salad. The fresh beets, asparagus and tomatoes exploded with flavor. Then you have the contrast of the crusty herbed potato. Our second salad was a Ceasar. Good but not great. When the entree's came it seemed like there was no end. First came two types of Snapper from the Hiroshi's menu next door. This is another great thing about Vino. They have a sister restaurant called Hiroshi's. You can order off of both menus. Our fish came from the Hiroshi menu and was probably one of the best fish dishes I have ever tasted. The fish was incredible. It was smooth and buttery. Not dry and flaky or fishy. Wish I could remember the name of this dish. It is a must try. The House made Three Cheese Gnocchi ($16) followed. Jumbo lump crab, roasted wild mushrooms, sugar snap peas, sage brown butter sauce & Kabocha pumkin puree. Yum.....The Vino's House Made Ravioli ($8) was also delicious. Sweet fennel sausage, baby spinach, ricotta cheese in a slow cooked marinara sauce. I love this dish and the marinara sauce. The Red Wine Braised Shortribs ($20) with horesradish curst, roasted garlic potato puree, rosemary shallot confit and white cannellini beans is the bomb. We also found room to try the Truffled Mac & Cheese ($15). Aged Black Diamond White Chedder, double cream Gouda and garlic cream, mushrooms and proscuitto. This is not your average mac and cheese. Everything this evening was great. By far one of the best dining experiences you can have in Hawaii.

CHUCK FURUYA OPENS OUR FIRST BOTTLE OF VINO

WAIKIKI YACHT CLUB

WAIKIKI YACHT CLUB

HONOLULU, HI

We were curious when friends asked us to join them for dinner at the Waikiki Yacht Club. I have not been to a Yacht Club in 20 years and no nothing about boats or private club etiquette. Oh well, I threw on some shorts and a aloha shirt and made my way down to Ala Moana Beach park to see how the rich people live. We found parking quickly along the park. We entered into a small hallway where we were asked to sign in. Once signed in, they asked us for the name of the guest we were seeing at let us in through a locked door. The Yacht Club is somewhat old and showing its age. The age of the patrons however is older. We entered to find a very nice indoor/outdoor seating area and large bar overlooking the boats. I made my way to the bar and asked for a cold brew. The bartender asked if we were "guests" and I politely said yes. The beer came, conversation began and I was a happy camper. We moved outside to a table along the dock and enjoyed the great view. Our friends arrived and quickly began to introduce to many of the members. We took a walk along the slips and view our friends beautiful 30' boat. After the tour we were taken to the dining room which is wide open. Our table was right in front with great views of the boats and city skyline. Really nice spot. The menu has steak, prime rib, fish and several pasta selections. Prices range from $10 to $20 for entree's with a soup and salad bar. This is a pretty good deal. I loved the salad bar. It was loaded with fresh veggies. The salad was fantastic so I tried the Portuguese Bean Soup. Served with a nice garlic bread. Good too. I would return here just for the soup and salad bar. For my entree, I ordered the Pan Fried Mahi Mahi. I requested pasta in place of rice or potato and the waiter said no problem. They should never write Pan Fried on the menu. Pan seared or roasted sounds better. My Mahi was not fried at all. No batter or heavy oil. Just good, fresh Mahi served with an avocado relish and good pasta. I loved the dish. We also tried the Shrimp Scampi which according to my wife was bland and so so.

My daughter ordered a three cheese pizza that was served on a flour tortilla and then covered with enough cheese to cover Diamond Head. It quite simply was uneatable. Overall experience here was great and we all want to return to enjoy the beautiful evenings on the dock and great company.

WAIKIKI YACHT CLUB PASTA

WAIKIKI YACHT CLUB

AUNTIE PASTO'S - HONOLULU, HAWAII

AUNTIE PASTO'S

HONOLULU, HI

Over 15 years ago I used to frequent Auntie Pasto's quite often because the prices were low and the food was good. Why I stayed away from the place for the past 10 years is crazy. Perhaps I thought it was better to pay $20 or more for a plate of pasta at more hip and trendy places. Well, we made it back last night and I am so glad we did. Once again I found the food to be good and the prices very reasonable. The kicker was that the service was great too. Auntie Pasto's has been somewhat of a Honolulu tradition going on 25 years now. They are in the same location and serving the same basic menu items. I remember going here week after week because you could take a date here and get out the door for under $20 total. The portions are large and the prices are still really low compared to other Italian restaurants. The fresh baked bread and basil/olive oil is free and delicious. We started with the Red Pepper Calamari ($9.50). I liked this dish because the Calamari was not fried. Large whole pieces of Calamari cleaned and stuffed with mozzarella cheese and then topped with tomato, onion and peppers. The dish is not too heavy and the onions and peppers really compliment the Calamari. The Caesar Salad ($6.75) was basic and covered in too much bland dressing. I ordered the Meat Sauce Bolognese with Spaghetti ($8.50). This is a steal. You get a huge plate of pasta covered in a rich and very meaty sauce. There was enough here for two people. At $8.50 this is the deal of the day. We also tried the Shrimp Scampi Pasta ($12.95). Large shrimp in a fairly bland sauce served with pasta. This dish just needed more garlic or something to make the flavor pop. The service on this visit was perfect for a Friday night. We were seated and quickly served our drinks, then appetizers and our entree. The employees were professional and pleasant. I am glad that we re-discovered Auntie Pasto's and will be back again soon.

GIBSONS STEAK HOUSE

GIBSONS STEAK HOUSE

We always dine at the Chop House when in Chicago. I have never had a bad steak there and really looked forward to visiting again during our stay in the Windy City. A few days before leaving for Chicago I had lunch with a rep that lived in Chicago for many years. She gave Gibsons high praise and told me to give it a try. I did and she was right. Gibsons is a terrific steakhouse. We had reservations for 8:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. We arrived early to find the place absolutely packed. I am talking shoulder to shoulder packed in the bar and restaurant. No recession in this town. Everyone seemed to be out this night. After checking with the hostess we pushed our way into the bar. There wasn't an empty seat in sight. Then two people got up from chairs placed around a piano. We sat and were quickly greeted by a smiling waitress that took our drink order. At about the same time the piano player showed up and began playing some nice jazz tunes. The drinks came quickly and the waitress was still smiling. Wow....great service when the place is packed to the max. I like Gibsons. We were seated about 1/2 hour late. The tables in the main dining room are as close together as any place I have ever been. They really pack you in. Tight and crowded. There were two large men seated across from our table. My wife said she has seen them on a basketball team. I looked over and did not recognize either of them. Turns out it was two players from the Boston Celtics that were in town for a playoff game. Anyway back to the food. So the place is packed and steaks are flying left and right. You would think that this would reduce the service level. Not here. We had two great waiters that actually took time to ask us questions and make us feel right at home. They displayed a platter of raw meats and described each cut in detail. I went for the W.R. Chicago Cut ($42.50). This is a bone in rib-eye. It was cooked to perfection but not the best rib-eye ever. I had to put the house seasoning salt on it to get more taste. We also tried the Porterhouse Steak ($47.50). It was also very good. The steaks came with a nice house salad at no charge. We ordered the Vegetable Combination ($11.25). Huge pieces of green beans, broccoli and some other stuff. The Asparagus with Hollandaise ($9.25) was awesome. The biggest asparagus I have ever seen. Perfectly cooked and served up with a tasty hollandaise. The service was great through the entire meal. This is amazing considering the volume of business this place does. I will go back to Gibsons in a heartbeat.

MICHAEL RICHARD CITRONELLE - WASHINGTON DC

MICHAEL RICHARD CITRONELLE

WASHINGTON DC

How do you spend $700 on a dinner for three? Well I will tell you and I am not proud of this. This is the stupidest mistake ever in my dining experiences. It is my fault completely, I should have not swallowed the bait fed to me by the Frommer's Guide. Frommer's boldly states that Michael Richard Citronelle is the city's best restaurant period. With this in mind I booked our table weeks in advance. My wife kept reminding me that she did not want to spend money on a fancy three hour meal. Time and time again she tried to talk me out of it. But no, I had to make the call and find out for myself if this was indeed the best restaurant in DC. We arrived early as the place was just filling up. The waiters here are well polished French type and from the time you sit down to the time you leave you feel like you don't belong. Our table was nice and situated near the glass enclosed wine cellar that is divided into two rooms. One for red wines an the other for whites and champagnes. Beautiful set up. We ordered Pasta with Butter Sauce for our daughter ($16) and then I boldly decided to try the Chef's Tasting Menu for the evening. Something like 9 courses. The cost......I really don't want to remember but here it is...$190 per person plus and additional $90 for the wine pairing. This means one meal was $190 and the other with wine was $280. I want to stop writing it makes me ill. The meal began with an appetizer of fresh crab stuffed into a egg shell. Nice presentation but crab is crab. Along side the egg shell was what looked like a piece of egg quartered. It was actually cheese made to look like an egg. The last thing on the plate was a chicken nugget. This was a fried piece of chicken. I kid you not. Next came a cold asparagus soup. It was absolutely perfect. There was some soft shell crab, halibut that were good also. Then came my favorite part of the meal. A mini lobster burger with potato chips served in a basket. For this course the waiter instructed us to use our hands. No forks required. The lobster burger was fantastic. This was followed with what the waiter called slow cooked short ribs that have cooked for 72 hours. He said that it would melt like butter in your mouth. Not true. You had to chew the thing and the flavor was no better than short ribs served here in Hawaii at many restaurants. There was a cheese course and all of the cheeses were really good.  The deserts included a Kit Kat type bar and a chocolate degustation that was o.k. One of the chocolates was covered in coco powder and terrible. The meal was good but not worth the incredible high price. The service was good. I especially liked the wine steward who politely explained the origin of each wine. The wine pairing was perfect. Every wine complimented the food. Probably the best pairing that I have ever had. My only complaint is the price. I won't make this mistake again. We will be eating left overs at home for months to pay for this one.

MICHEL RICHARD CITRONELLE IN WASHINGTON DC

THE CAUCUS ROOM

THE CAUCUS ROOM

WASHINGTON, DC

We wanted to try out a Washington power steak house our last night in DC. Our Frommer's Guide recommended The Caucus Room as a place where the politicians come in droves for their steaks. The guide said that the place is happening when Congress is in session. If they are not the place is empty. I guess Congress was out the Friday night we arrived. There were only about four tables seated by 7:00. With this low turn out you would think the service would be incredible. Well it was not. Our waiter while nice was not into providing a high level of service. Just kind of went through the motions and gave us the check. Never saw him again or even got a thank you. As for the food, the place is overrated. We started with a Caesar Salad and a Bib Salad ($8). The Caesar was good but the Bibb was better. The Bibb had a thick piece of bacon and Stilton Bleu Cheese dressing that was very good. I ordered the 10 oz Center Cut Filet Mignon ($39). Served with fresh horseradish, roasted garlic and bearnaise sauce. You need the garlic and sauce to get any flavor out of this steak. It was quite dry and flavorless. We also tried the USDA Prime Delmonico ($49). This is a 22 oz. bone in rib eye. This steak was cooked perfectly, juicy and full of flavor. A huge difference from the filet. The mashed potatoes ($8) were excellent especially if you add the horseradish to them. All in all this was a decent meal. Would I go back. Probably not.

THE CAUCUS ROOM MENU

NATIONALS PARK - WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONALS PARK

WASHINGTON, DC

It had rained for two days and we were set on not attending the Washington Nationals baseball game. We were making plans to do something else when I said lets just take a cab over to the stadium to check it out. If the rain continues we can leave. I had already bought the tickets so what the heck. When we arrived the rain had turned to a light mist so we entered the stadium with our umbrella's in hand. The place was empty. I mean empty. This new 41,000 seat stadium had no fans. Just a few die hards like us out for a good time. From the time we entered the stadium to the time we left all of the employees and food servers here were fantastic. They all welcomed us to the park and thanked us for coming out. This happened at every place we stopped to eat or shop. While taking a lap around the entire park we found a place in center field called the Red Porch. It was a restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating perched on two levels overlooking the field. We were seated at a table outside that was covered from the rain. A waitress quickly came to our table and offered us menus. Menu's at a baseball game I said. This is great!. We ordered three beers, Chili Dog, Quesadilla and Cookies and Milk. The entire tab was $50. This is a bargain. We kept thinking they would make us leave our great table and make us go to the seats we paid for which were about 10 rows up from the dugout. Great seats but sitting at a table and getting waited on was a treat. Turns out you can stay as long as you want.  this means we could have bought an $8 ticket and stayed at the Red Porch through the entire game. We stayed until the seventh inning and enjoyed every minute of this park. The employees are fantastic and you can't beat the prices. The Nationals do everything possible to make your stay enjoyable. The food was not fantastic. The hot dogs are very bland. We were very happy that we braved the rain and spent a few hours at the park. This was a great evening with the family.

NATIONALS PARK ON A RAINY EVENING

WE DISCOVERED THE RED PORCH AND NEVER LEFT

THE RED PORCH IS THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME

WE LEFT OUR EXPENSIVE SEATS BEHIND HOME PLATE AND SAT HERE

WE WERE WAY OUT THERE BUT ENJOYED THE GAME AND FOOD

CHILI CHEESE DOG WITH FRIES

FROM HAWAII TO DC AND WE ARE HAVING FUN