Just had dinner here tonight. Everything we had was delicious. As a transplanted East Coaster, it was the first spot out here that really reminded me of home.

- Oysters fresh and tasty
- Clam cakes were the perfect combo of airy and clammy. SO's first time trying them and he liked them so much we skipped dessert to have a second order.
- Oyster sliders had a great crunch on the outside that was light enough to allow the meatiness of the oysters to shine through. Great bread, too.
- Duck breast was our semi-random selection given we had seafood on the brain. It was some of the better duck I've had and the mostarda that came with it was a great complement.

Prices were pretty reasonable for the quality and amount.

Another thing to mention, the service was very friendly and attentive - and not in that faux Hollywood way you often encounter around town. They genuinely seemed excited to be there and proud of the food being served (something I observed with the surrounding tables, as well).

We made reservations last minute through their website and were seated immediately. Could not have been more pleased with the entire experience. We definitely plan to come back to try the chowder, monkfish and more clam cakes.

HWAK was really what I think most people envision when thinking of Hawaii. Truly lovely. We got there earlier than the sunset to make sure we had a seat. It wasn't crowded at all when we arrived, but was absolutely packed by the time we left.

As for Hau Tree Lanai, I think the food ranges from solidly good to outstanding, depending on the dishes you order. If you go in with the mindset of having good food with a great view, you shouldn't be disappointed and might even be pleasantly surprised by some things. I think it's the overall combination of the view, the service and the dishes we really did love that made it such a great experience.

The pics are from Hau Tree (tiki torch) and HWAK (diamond head).

Ha, yes, my husband said the same thing regarding my food memory, but I really wanted to try to keep track of everything to report back. Just sorry it took so long to have the time to do it. Speaking of memory, I did forget to mention we hit the He'eia Pier General Store for breakfast one day. Unusual spot and the food was solid. I had a fried rice dish, which was so filling I didn't eat again until dinner. Ultra-casual and easy to miss if you only see the boats given it's at the end of the road, so to speak.

Another spot we hit that I enjoyed was in the International Market Place. I can't remember the name, but it was a Korean BBQ place. I remember the food being very good, we shared the Bulgogi plate with some sides, but it was also the first place we hit after landing and we were starving... could've colored my perception.

So I am very late in creating a post-trip review, holidays and such got in the way, but I did want to thank everyone again for their input. We had a fantastic time and ate very well, though we didn't even come close to hitting the majority of our food list - perfect excuse to return.

Here's a quick list of some of the places we did manage to hit.

IYASUME - Turned out this place was literally a block from where we were staying. We stopped by every morning we were there to pick up some musubi to go. They were the tastiest versions I've had, and we enjoyed the variety they offered. We typically stuck with the spam version, but also ventured into those with egg and bacon or cheese. Very tasty, great for taking to sit by the ocean in the early part of the day.

BOGART'S CAFE - Hit this one by accident after hiking to Diamond Head. We ended up going back a few times, as it was comfortable and the food was tasty (terrible coffee, though). I stuck with the breakfast bagel w/Portuguese sausage and the hub stuck with his acai bowl.

PUKA DOG - Admit this was not necessarily recommended, but we had it before in Kauai and get a craving now and then. Since we weren't really that hungry we just got one to split - Polish sausage, mild, coconut relish with lilikoi mustard. Tasted just like the one in Kauai, which was a winning combo for us.

MAI TAI BAR (Royal Hawaiian) - We went here just for drinks, but our seat was right next to the ocean with such a spectacular view of the ocean, sunset and Diamond Head... we ended up staying to eat. Drinks were very strong. I got a ginger version of a Mai Tai, no missing the ginger in that, and hub got the original. Food was just so-so, as expected. The tuna appetizer was actually pretty good, the fish was fresh and the flavors were nice. We also shared a pizza that had zero flavor despite the inclusion of cheese and fresh basil. The view was so nice we didn't really mind.

HAU TREE LANAI - This was our splurge meal for our time on this side of the island. We had a table right by the ocean, so again, totally winning view. Service was incredibly attentive and friendly, and we definitely felt he steered us in the right direction for our selection. I also appreciated we weren't rushed in any way. For appetizers we had the Ahi Sashimi and the Island Style Duck Breast. The fish was fresh and very good, but the duck was the standout of the night. Really great combination of flavors, salty, smoky and sweet, and the meat itself was incredibly tender. Very rich, though, it was good we shared. For my entree I had the crab crusted mahi mahi, which was good, but not as flavorful as I was expecting. Hub had the cajun styled opah, which was excellent. Overall, an exceptional meal and experience.

HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY - Hands down this was one of the highlights of our time here. Had we realized just how special this place was, we would have gone there on our first night in Waikiki, not our last. As recommended, we only went for drinks and appetizers on the lawn, which was great. I can't remember what we ate, but it was fine. The drinks were great, as was the service and music. Watching the sunset as we sipped our cocktails was the perfect way to spend a few hours relaxing before heading out to the North Shore the next day.

SECOND HALF OF TRIP
On the North Shore we were staying in an area without many immediate food options in the area (as many of you noted). We spent time running around during the day, but stayed close to our rental in the evening. That said our evening food was actually pretty good, just repetitive. We ate at Surfin' Tacos for several dinners, simply because we could walk there and bring our food back to eat at our rental while listening to the ocean. We boringly stuck to the veggie burritos, but they were actually pretty tasty and we liked the green sauce (I'm guessing some cilantro blend) that came with them. Nothing fancy, but it did the job. The other place in the same vicinity was Papa Ole's Kitchen. We really liked the teri beef dish, but be warned on portions - the smaller size was enough for us to share and be full. They were really friendly and even gave us a complimentary dessert that was some sort of peanut butter biscuit-like thing. It was very good, though incredibly sweet. We weren't able to finish it, but very much appreciated the gesture.

KUA AINA SANDWICH SHOP - Stopped here while running around. We got the ahi sandwich. Very fresh and tasty, but with a ridiculous amount of lettuce on it. We scraped most of that off. I heard later their burgers are pretty good, but didn't get to check it out this time around.

KOA PANCAKE HOUSE - Stumbled upon this place while in the area and checking my phone for a nearby place to eat. Only saw the menu, so we sort of took our chances. Glad we did. Breakfast was very good with the Portuguese sausage & eggs always a staple of mine. But hub's Vinha D’Alhos & Eggs was worth a second visit. Unusual vinegary pork dish that really turned out to be kind of addictive - if you like that sort of thing.

FUMI'S - Though we passed the shrimp trucks multiple times a day, the only one we made it to was Fumi's. Got the garlic shrimp plate to share. Thought it was pretty good, but my favorite part was actually the rice soaked in the sauce. Good snack and the shrimp were fresh. The wait wasn't too bad when we hit it, but I did see lines when we drove by at other times.

TURTLE BAY RESORT - We stopped here twice for drinks near the pool area. Nothing special about the drinks, but watching the surfers and the sunset was what brought us back. Good way to wrap a busy day. Didn't try the food, so no comment on that.

TED'S BAKERY - Stopped for breakfast. Not much of a wait. Got my usual Portuguese sausage and eggs. They were as good as any of the other places we stopped. Hub went with Spam and eggs and thought it was actually pretty good - saying something for a guy who only likes Spam in his musubi. Didn't get to try any of the baked goods, so I'm afraid we missed out on the full experience.

OLA - This was not one of the recommended, in fact, everywhere I looked pointed to 21 Degrees North as the far superior option. That said, it was our anniversary dinner and we decided we'd go with the view over food quality for this one. We were pleasantly surprised as we must've hit them on a very good night. To be fair, the hostess was a bust, as she stood talking to two other employees and completely ignoring the fact we were standing there - not a good start. But it was rescued by our very attentive waiter and the quality of the food. By the time we got our appetizers, we'd pretty much forgotten about our lack of a greeting and we were seated with an unobstructed view of the ocean and sunset. Appetizer was the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps. These tasted really good initially, but I found them to be a tad sweet after a while. Hub did not, so it might've just been my palate. For our entrees we both went with the butterfish. Very happy we did because that dish was delicious and I would not have wanted to share. I love butterfish (sable fish/black cod... whatever you want to call it), but this was one of the best versions I've ever had. It's a shame this place hasn't been more consistent based on other reviews I've seen, because when they get it right they can really be outstanding.

Anyhow, thanks again to those who responded. I hope to try any recommendations we missed on a future visit. I also hope this can maybe help those planning trips now. Look forward to a return trip.

- Missy

We went to Scarpetta last time and had an amazing meal. In fact, we're going back this time even though the menu appears to be the same. The best dishes were the creamy polenta and the agnolotti, though everything was really good.

We've previously been to Craft and would easily go there again. Both places had great service to match the quality of the food. And unlike some Dine LA participants, they really seemed to embrace the concept.

We ended up at Scarpetta on Friday night. We were both really impressed with the service and quality of the food. DH got the raw yellowtail, the famed spaghetti and the vanilla caramel budino. I got the creamy polenta with mushrooms, the short rib agnolotti and the coconut panna cotta with pineapple - the last was an addition to the online menu's other two desserts for Dine LA.

Everything was delicious, but the real winners were the polenta, agnolotti and the budino. These certainly were heavier, rich dishes, but we shared it all. As much as I loved it, I'm not sure I could've finished the agnolotti without a little help - though I certainly enjoyed every bite. We also had a few glasses of wine recommended by our server, which were outstanding. Nice plus, Scott Conant was present and greeted us as we were being seated. We definitely plan to return.

-----
Scarpetta
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Thanks all! Your input has been very helpful and I appreciate the warm welcome. The suggestions around the area sound great. I do think I'll scratch Morimotos off the list in favor of a more laid back lunch experience. I actually have more places I'd love to try than time I'll actually have to do it at this point - good dilemma, though.

I'll take a look at dining at 21 Degrees North. Even if we just had one glass to toast our anniversary at the top of the meal, that'd be sufficient for us. We've been on some of those kind of roads on the other islands, so I know exactly what you're talking about and appreciate the heads up.

First, thanks to everyone who posts on this board - reading all of your recommendations helped shape the first half of our upcoming trip!

We're coming from Los Angeles to celebrate our anniversary in mid-November - spending the first few nights in Waikiki and then heading to Hauula for the remainder of the trip. I think we've got Waikiki covered (though always open to feedback) with plans to hit the following places:

Hau Tree Lanai (early anniversary dinner)
Drinks at HWAK to catch the sunset
Side Street Inn
Nico's
Pineapple Room or Morimotos for lunch
Others we may hit if in the area or have time: Diamond Head Grill (before/after hiking), Leonard's, Liliha Bakery, Mai Tai Bar, Duc's Bistro, Rainbow Drive-In

Though we're planning to see a lot of the island while there, Hauula will be our homebase for starting day trips or wrapping up in the evening for the second half of the trip. Looking around, I didn't see a lot of food options mentioned close to that area and would appreciate any feedback on breakfast/lunch/dinner spots nearby.

Also, our actual anniversary is while we're staying there, and though we don't need anything fancy - hence, the earlier dinner at Hau Tree Lanai - we'd love suggestions for a place where we could sit down, get good food and maybe some wine/cocktails, but doesn't require much driving. Not sure if anything fits the bill...

TIA!
Missy

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Duc's Bistro
1188 Maunakea St, Honolulu, HI 96817

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka St, Honolulu, HI

Diamond Head Grill
2885 Kalakaua Ave Fl 2, Honolulu, HI 96815

Hau Tree Lanai Restaurant
2863 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

Thanks for all of the advice! Greatly appreciated. We'll be in town for a few days, so you've given us some additional places to consider for our non-birthday nights out, too.

Hi all,

We're in town from Los Angeles end of September, and not to add to yet another visitor thread, but I was looking for suggestions for a nice dinner out for two to celebrate my husband's birthday. We're staying at the Sutton Place Hotel, so anything from Gastown to Yaletown would be perfect, though I'd be open to other areas.

His request was for a place that wasn't too loud, had a nice oyster selection, and got consistently great reviews. I've been considering Blue Water, but wanted to at least check before pulling the trigger to see if I was overlooking any gems that fit the bill, such as a place with a view.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. :)

Actually, we really love the Pizza Rosa at Palermo. So, I will duck in time with you as things are hurled in this direction. And, yes, the pizza is really the only thing to get there, but it is so addictive and totally worth the calorie splurge.

Yep. On Sunset (near Fairfax) next to the Rite Aid.

There is a great vendor at the Hollywood FM called Lindner Bison (usually set up on Ivar, I believe). That might be the one Frommtron is thinking of... They carry ground meat and burger patties. They also carry a wide variety of other things, too (ribeye, tenderloin, chuck, etc.) if you're curious to expand your buffalo consumption. We've been really happy with everything we've bought there and the woman who runs the stand is really helpful and friendly. Bonus, the bison is grassfed, which is supposed to make it healthier and give it a better taste. Here's their website if you're curious -- http://www.lindnerbison.com/

Good rec for food and atmosphere, but it's Saddle PEAK Lodge, not Saddleback Lodge. Just be aware it's very game-centric in fare.
http://www.saddlepeaklodge.com/

Recent thread -- http://www.chowhound.com/topics/502816

I second Los Balcones del Peru. Really good stuff.

Went to FO a little after 1pm today (Friday) for lunch and they were, wait for it...out of burgers! Doesn't bode well for the coming weekend rush if you're looking to get your burger fix tonight.

I asked Tai about this last summer (after seeing NG's post) and Tai said he'd like to at some point, but had no immediate plans to do so in the near future. Sounded like it was more of something he might've said in passing, as in "some day I'd like to...", not "I'm going to" kind of thing.

I was referring to this section in particular which is located near the bottom of the article I posted:
"Las Vegas is part of an aggressive NATIONAL GROWTH strategy, as the company is expanding in existing markets while entering NEW markets throughout the country, with plans to ultimately triple the number of Dunkin' Donuts stores in the United States to 15,000 by 2020."

They also reference opening 40 more stores in the region, but don't specify what they mean by region.

It certainly did well enough to MAYBE open their minds to the possibility.
http://www.franchising.com/dunkindonu...

You're probably right. I just know they've had national ads before that never hit out here, so it did seem like something was up, but it could just be they're flooding more money into blanket advertising. The newly opened one in Vegas might be as far West as they're planning to go...

I grew up back East, too and always make a point to hit DD to get a coffee (I like the coconut flavor they now carry) when I'm visiting.

Side note, but has anyone else noticed that recently there have been many DD ads popping up on various channels out here in Los Angeles? I'm not referring to the ones for the coffee you can buy in the grocery stores, but actual ads for products they only offer onsite (lattes, breakfast sandwiches, donuts, etc.). I don't want to get my hopes up that they're actually planning to possibly come back here...but it does strike me as interesting/odd since in the 8 years I've lived here, I've never once seen a TV ad for them and now I catch one on a regular basis...

Hugo's has two locations. One in WeHo and one on Riverside in Studio City.

Here's a recent thread to help you out.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/491323

There's already another thread on this, but here is the article link if you want to read in more detail what happened between the owners & the developers. The link jumps down to the bottom of the article for some reason, but just scroll up to read the whole blurb.

http://la.eater.com/archives/2008/03/...

I agree with hrhboo and Wolfgang. The majority of the pizzas on the menu are well within the $14 - $15 range (some are less) and the few that are around $17/18 have pricier ingredients (clams/shrimp/deluxe meats). I find their pizzas are quite filling and have always had leftovers for lunch the next day. I've also never received a pizza that wasn't bursting with toppings.

The hub and I often split an appetizer (maybe two), each get a pizza, split dessert and leave so stuffed that we slip into food comas once we get home (with pizza doggie bags in hand). I also think they have a lot of very reasonably priced wines to choose from. I don't find the prices that high for what you get and have always been pleased with the quality of the food. My only complaint -- the hostess could be a little friendlier, but the waitstaff have always been warm and welcoming.

Our faves so far: The chicken liver bruschette, the bianca pizza, the clam pizza, the mushroom pizza and the meat lovers, though we're still happily working our way through the list. :)

There was a mention of it here -- http://la.eater.com/index.php?page=2
scroll down to find the article and sample menu.

The OP does state the area of LA -- "downtown/eastside/hollywood" -- but the other two things you mentioned would help narrow the field.

Near the Pantages is Fabiolus Cafe on Sunset Blvd. Pretty reliable Italian food and a nice atmosphere, though it does get crowded for the pre-theater rush. If it was nicer outside, the patio can be charming. Not too expensive.

Two doors down is The Bowery, which is more of a pub environment. It can get crowded, too, though. Here's the menu. http://www.theboweryhollywood.com/htm...

Also in the area is Lucky Devils. It might be more casual than you're looking for foodwise (burgers/sandwiches/salads), but it does have a good, fun vibe and interesting decor. Plus, they have specials and wine/beer if you're interested.

Prizzi's Piazza on Franklin also has pretty decent Italian dishes, though it can be a bit pricey for what you get. That said, it should still fit your budget and atmosphere request. Parking is a pain, so just valet.

Out of the above, I'd say Prizzi's and Fabiolus have the more formal settings (though not stuffy) while The Bowery and Lucky Devils are more of the fun/casual environment.

Have fun and enjoy the show!

I'm a former DE resident, now living in California, and coming back to the Dover area for the holidays. I'll have my husband in tow and I'd like to introduce him to a true Maryland crab feast. The problem is...I haven't lived in the area in almost a decade and am not sure where to go. Restaurant suggestions would be preferred, but any suggestions on where to get already steamed crabs for take out would be okay, too. Though I'd like to keep it close to Dover, I don't mind driving if the quality warrants it. Thanks for any and all feedback!

And happy holidays!