wiselindag's Profile
Maui Trip Report
EWSflash - I always research the restaurants for my trips... sometimes days and days on the boards, studying other trip reports to find the places I want. Right now I'm re-doing a trip I took last year to Prague, Budapest and the Danube since I'm taking a group there next week. It's funny to stop reading about restaurants in Eastern Europe and go back to Hawaii for a moment! I thought I had posted the food report for last year's trip, came over here, and just realized I never did. All the restaurants are included so now I have to go back and pull them out for Chowhound. I always try to give back.....
Maui Trip Report
Palmtree - This was a multi-course dinner so no worries. Yes, there were sides with the entree. The Swordfish came with French Fries and vegetables and the Scampi came with Spaghetti plus we had salad.
Any Ideas for Sunday Lunch in Nice?
My sister and brother in law will be in Nice in a few weeks and I planned to send them to Acchiardo for lunch until I realized that they will be there on Sunday. Where could they have a lovely lunch with good wine on a Sunday? I'm thinking it would have to be a hotel dining room, but if so which one would you recommend? Any help you can provide would be much appreciated!
Maui Trip Report
Maui
My husband and I traveled to Hawaii in March, 2010 to spend time with in-laws who had invited us to share their almost two-week vacation timeshare on Maui. Before heading over there, we decided to spend a few days on Oahu so that I could visit with an internet friend I had met when planning our China trip, and DH could revisit scenes from his youth when he was a young Naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor. Mostly, as is typical for all my trips, this was mostly a trip about eating, with a little sightseeing and a lot of relaxation (because it was Maui and I’ve been here before) scattered in between meals.
Saturday, March 6 - We had an easy drive from the airport to the condo at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas. The first evening our in-laws, who had eaten on the long flight from Florida, went straight to bed. Since we were coming from Oahu and ready for dinner, we went over to the next building to an on-site Italian restaurant called Puleo, which operates Thursday – Sunday evenings. We ordered a Caesar Salad (wonderful!), Spaghetti Alfredo with Chicken (very cheesy), and a small thin-crust pizza topped with olives, mushrooms, and sausage (for me, the sausage was too much and I wasn’t crazy about the pizza). Service was excellent and the restaurant enjoys a pretty setting looking out at a reflecting pond, a pool area, the ocean, and the beautifully landscaped and lit grounds of the resort.
Sunday, March 7 - Because we had two kitchens in our double unit and a nice dining room table, we agreed that we’d eat some food in and the rest out. There are barbecue grills on the property available for guest use, but we weren’t ambitious enough to use them although lots of other guests grilled regularly. On the morning of the first full day, my sister-in-law and I drove down to Safeway to pick up breakfast, lunch, and snack items for the condo. We had skipped a stop at Costco’s after the airport because my in-laws were too exhausted after their long flight. For starters we were happy to stock the kitchen with cereal, milk, juice, fruit, roast chicken, wine, cheese, bread, chips, and cold cuts.
Feeling lazy, we chose to eat lunch at the pool Ocean Bar and Grill at the resort, which turned out to be surprisingly good. We ordered a Pupu platter for the table with Kalua Pork Sliders, Coconut Shrimp, and Chicken Egg Rolls (all delicious), a Cobb Salad (excellent), Seafood Chowder for DH (ordinary), a Chicken Teryaki Plate Lunch (tasty) for me and a Club Sandwich for DH (also good). Our in-laws had a Fish Wrap and the Mahi Mahi and enjoyed their lunch. We all took back part of the meal to munch on later while watching the Academy Awards
Monday, March 8 - The next day we took the resort shuttle down to Whalers Village for an early dinner at Leilani’s. We frequently made use of the complimentary resort shuttle (which takes you in a loop from the Ocean Resort Villas to the Westin and Sheraton as well as Whalers Village on Ka’anapali Beach) and is both easy and efficient. The shuttle runs on a schedule, and we never had to wait for than a few minutes for one to come along. There is another shuttle to Lahaina, but we drove there and so never tried that one out.
The dinner at Leilani’s was good and the sunset was beautiful (there’s usually a gorgeous sunset from this beach). DH and I had sunset specials (early bird pricing) and shared a Spinach Salad (with bacon and macadamia dressing), Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti, and a Hawaiian Swordfish with fruit, lime and cilantro dressing with French Fries and Mixed Vegetables, which we thought was quite good. Our companions ordered Seafood Chowder, Scallops and Shrimp Skewers, Goat Cheese Salad, and Mahi Mahi, all of which they enjoyed. With delicious Sourdough Bread, the dinners were too filling to leave room for dessert. Service was outstanding.
Tuesday, March 9 - There was more wind, but also more sunshine this morning. After breakfast, my sister in law and I went up to the old Star Market (now called Times Market) to buy some staples. We also stopped by the Okazuya Deli to sample some salads, which would supplement our supermarket barbecue chicken for the evening meal, and we got some rice and gravy to add some starch. What we ordered from Okazuya was good, but we never got around to really sampling their menu. They are conveniently located for the area, just a short distance past the Star/Times Market on the beach road.
Wednesday, March 10 - Today was so windy it seemed at times as though a hurricane was blowing through the resort. Later in the afternoon, our in-laws declined to accompany us, but DH and I braved the wind to take the shuttle down to the Whalers Village. Gale-force winds were not going to stop me from sampling the D. K. Kodama menu at Cane and Taro for half price (Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when seated between 5:00 and 6:00 o’ clock). I had been told we should get there before the 5 o’clock opening since the line would form 15 minutes to half an hour before. We arrived about 4:50 and were at least 30 people from the door. A receptionist came down the line and asked for our names and the number in our party, and after the doors opened, the line moved quickly. I figured we would be somewhere far from the view, but was pleased to notice that there was a table left by the windows because these were all for two people and most of the people in front of us in line were with friends or in family groups.
Our waiter, Aaron, quickly took our order and the food arrived with amazing speed (too efficient for relaxed dining; this was more of a race to get the food on the table.) Aaron noted at one point that we had our own little (not so little actually) buffet. Here is what the two of us sampled: Waipoli Island Green Mixed Salad (half order) with Papaya Vinaigrette, Rock Shrimp Dynamite tossed with Creamy Masago Aioli and drizzled with Unagi Glaze, Beachside Sliders with Carmelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese (there was a choice of cheeses), Pork and Shrimp Shumai with Spicy Mango Sauce, Crab Wonton Triangles, Spider Roll with Unagi Glaze and Sweet and Thai Chili Sauce, and last, but not least, Fried Chicken. It was a lot of food, but I figured at half price I could really get a good feel for the menu and take home enough food for a second meal. I managed to squeeze in one dessert, too. Torn between the Signature Apple Tart and the Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Chocolate Sauce and White Macadamia Ice Cream, I went with the latter, but should have chosen the Tart. The Chocolate Cake was too sweet. Accustomed to a more bittersweet chocolate taste in this dessert, I had trouble with the overly sweet taste of the cake, another instance where the Hawaiian sweet tooth is way sweeter than my own. The good news is that we knew we could go back the second week for another 50 percent off night at C and T and another opportunity to try the tart.
As for the rest of my buffet, here’s the rundown: My favorite dish by far was the first one to arrive – the signature Dynamite Rock Shrimp… crisp, tangy, and delicious. Combined with the salad, which also arrived in the first round, the shrimp dish was very satisfying and got the meal off to a great start. My other favorite was the sliders, which were excellent. I liked, but didn’t love the Spider Roll, but I wanted to sample some sushi since many people like this section of the menu best. The shumai was also tasty, but not equal to the best shumai I have eaten. My least favorite item was the Crab Wontons. They were crispy on the outside, but the crabmeat inside was not first rate and for me, that spoiled the taste.
A couple of notes on the half price early bird menu: the most expensive steak and lobster items on the menu are not included and they automatically add an 18% gratuity before deducting the 50%. All in all, it’s still a terrific deal… all that tasty food and a great sunset, which I could photograph from my seat.
Thursday, March 11 - By the time we finished our vacation timeshare presentation, our foursome had gotten very hungry, so we headed down to Lahaina and found Da Kitchen, which had been highly recommended. This, like the dinner menu from last night, is the type of casual food I enjoy – lots of variety, Asian influenced cuisine, and reasonable pricing. We ordered a pupu platter (Fried Calemari, Ahi Poke, Fried Wontons, Shumai, and Green Pepper Poppers), Island Salad, and Korean-style Fried Chicken Teriyaki. Our in-laws had a Papaya Salad and Fried Mahi Mahi Plate Lunch with a humongous order or white rice and macaroni potato salad (our Teriyaki came with these too). It was a tasty, inexpensive lunch with plenty of leftovers (in fact so many leftovers, we never quite finished them… so much food and so little time, as usual!)
Friday, March 12 - For tonight’s dinner, we went down to the Hula Grill. The options at the HG, are a “Tasting Menu” with three courses for $24.94 or the regular menu. Our excellent waitress, Holly, explained that the three-course menu has half size portions. The four of us ended up ordering from the tasting menu. Although there was some concern that it might not be enough food, in reality, there was plenty and we were all full by the end of the meal. Here is what we ordered: DH and I shared two appetizers – the Crab Cake (which consists of one little, tasty crabcake) and the Pork Potstickers. The latter was served with a Ponzu dipping sauce and a delicious slaw. There were four of the Potstickers, so we each got two. For the entrees, DH and I shared the Mahi Mahi encrusted with Macadamia Nuts (served with rice and more slaw), and a “Petite” Filet Mignon served with Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus. While there was nothing special about any of this food, it was all quite good and nicely served. Our in-laws enjoyed their meal also. BIL had the Crabcake, SIL had the Beet Salad, and they both had the Macadamia Mahi Mahi. For dessert, we all had the best part of the dinner – dubbed an ice cream sandwich with raspberry and chocolate sauce, there was chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream in the center and the sauces on the top and bottom with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Not too sweet, just simple and delicious!
Saturday, March 13 - As predicted, the day began with the least wind since we arrived. Determined to make this a pool/beach day, we left our plans open but decided we were in the mood for a Mexican dinner.
Dinner was at Tia Juana, near the entrance to the Kaanapali Resorts. This is a new place which opened in February (and as I finish writing this in May, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s gone by now). This was our first (and fortunately as it turned out, our only) bad dining experience on Maui, and it wasn’t just partially bad, it was entirely bad from start to finish. If you’d like to know why you shouldn’t go near this restaurant, here are the details:
We asked the Concierge at the Westin to book us a table for four for 5:30. When we arrived, the hostess said table for two? My Sister in Law said we have a reservation for four people for 5:30, but the hostess didn’t ask her name and seemed oblivious to the reservation. While this presented no problem for us because there were plenty of tables, I wonder what would have happened if we had arrived after the place began to fill up. Also, I would think it would be important for the restaurant staff to know our party was from the Westin. As it happens, the Concierge asked me to report back and that information should be important to a new restaurant, but apparently they didn’t care.
Here is what the Tia Juana webside said: Announcing TJBC Upstairs Happy Hour!! Every Day! TJBC announces its new Happy Hour from 4-6PM upstairs everyday! Enjoy Chichuahua Wings, Jalapeno Poppers, 3 Paco's Tacos, Grilled Chicken Quesadilla or 4 Taquitos for only $5.50!! Also, TJ's Da Kine Margaritas $4.50 - Coors Light Drafts & Tecate Cans $3.00 - Dos Equis XX only $3.50!
When we received our menus, there was no mention of this nor did our waiter say a word about Happy Hour drinks or specials. We asked and he seemed surprised that we asked the question. “It’s just for the bar”, he explained, but he agreed to charge $4.50 for the House Margaritas and honor the beer prices. The website should indicate that this is only for bar patrons, because we most certainly were seated upstairs in the area in front of the bar. It was a bad way to start and it didn’t get much better. A dish of chips and two dishes of salsa were brought to the table before the drinks arrived.
We ordered two of the House Margaritas, a beer and a diet coke (for the driver). I also asked for a glass of water, which I needed because some salsa had landed on my white blouse. Despite dabbing at it in front of the waiter, he didn’t seem to notice that I needed the water posthaste. After a wait, the Margaritas and the Beer arrived while the stain continued to set. Eventually, after a second request, the water got to the table.
My brother in law is extremely hard of hearing. As a result, sometimes his wife asks a question and then he asks the same question. The waiter seemed to find this amusing, and made note more than once that he wanted the Mahi Mahi Burritos without the blackened part. Worse, when it was time to order a second round of drinks, my SIL asked the guy who brought the Guacamole to the table. He was not our waiter, but since four people serviced the table at one point or another, it was a little confusing. Instead of saying he’d get our waiter, he proceeded to take the drink order. My DH ordered a Coors and my SIL asked him to tell her the draft beer choices so she could order one for her husband. For some reason, there was no printed list of beers (just wine and cocktails). As a result, the waiter needed to recite the choices, which he did quickly and impatiently. My SIL asked him to run through the choices again, and he said, “I’ve already told you four times.” I don’t know if it was three or four by this time, but she had explained to the waiter that her husband could not hear, and it was obvious that she needed help with the beer. There was absolutely no excuse for his rudeness. (I don’t know his name, but the guy wears a pony tail.) To make it worse, after the Coors and the Draft Dos Equis Amber had been ordered, he never brought them. After a long wait, she asked the wait staff member who came to the table if he could remedy the situation. He said the guy had probably forgotten to put the order in and he quickly returned with the Coors and a bottle of something that was not the Draft Beer requested. We sent back the bottle and another 15 minutes went by. My SIL tried to get the attention of the guy who had blown the drink order, but he ignored her. Eventually Aaron, our main waiter, came by and we told him what happened. Within ten seconds the correct beer appeared on the table. Score one for Aaron. To round off the story, after we had finished our food and were waiting for our check, Aaron brought another Draft Dos Equiis Amber to the table. We looked at him with a “what are we supposed to do with this now?” look and he said he brought it to make up for the earlier problem. At that point in the meal, an offer of a free dessert or removal of the beer from the check would have been more appropriate. The beer remained on the table when we left, but at least he made a gesture.
Late in the meal the hostess, who was also doubling as a waitress, asked if we were finished and picked up a few plates. I asked her if the guy in the long pants was the Manager and he said yes and that his name was Robert. I thought that question might either elicit an “is there something wrong?” or an effort on her part to send Robert over to our table so I could tell him about the rude waiter, but Robert never came near us after he delivered a spoon I requested at the beginning of the meal. In short, this restaurant has serious service issues. My recommendation is that the entire group should go on a field trip to Hula Grill to learn how to provide excellent service.
As for the food, I am sorry to say it didn’t make up for the poor service. We ordered the House Tacos and Chili Relleno and DH also ordered the House Tacos and Mahi Mahi Burritos. The fillings were dry, the tacos were tasteless, and the entire meal, while filling, was eminently forgettable. On a seventeen day visit to Hawaii, this was our only bad meal.
Sunday, March 14 - A lazy Sunday with a walk on the beach, and then it was time to drive to Roy’s Kahana Bar and Grill for my brother-in-law’s birthday dinner. We had a 5:30 reservation and, after a short wait, were among the first people seated when they opened at 5:30 sharp. Our server was Gil, and the service he provided was exemplary. Birthday martinis were quickly followed by appetizers. DH ad I ordered the Dim Sum Canoe for Two, which included Shrimp Sticks, Potstickers, Szechuan Ribs, Spring Rolls, and Panko Crisped Ahi Sushi Roll. Our in laws ordered the Crab Cakes, and the Beet and Nalo Mixed Greens. I enjoyed everything on the platter, but especially liked the Shrimp Sticks and the Potstickers. In general, the appetizers were excellent and we were all happy with our orders. Hot dinner rolls were delivered to the table as soon as they were taken out of the oven, and then the entrees arrived. Everything we ordered was from the Ma Ke Kai (Sea) side of the menu – Hibachi Salmon with a Cucumber Namasu and Citrus Ponzu, Roy’s Classic Macadamia Nut Crusted Shutome (Swordfish), and Roy’s Misoyaki Butterfish with Sizzling Soy Vinaigrette (over potatoes, which I ordered mashed and my sister in law had broiled, with a Lobster Butter Sauce. This was some of the best fish we ate in Hawaii, fresh, moist, and flavorful.
Dessert needed to be ordered early and we all asked for the same dessert – Roy’s Signature Chocolate Souffle with Ice Cream. This is actually more of a Chocolate Lava Cake than a Souffle, but the dessert is wonderful, with the perfect degree of Chocolate Sweetness (not too much). People may say that Roy’s isn’t what it used to be, but this meal was every bit as good as previous meals I’ve eaten at this and other Roy’s branches. We all loved it and it turned out to be our second favorite meal of the trip (after our finale at Mama’s Fish House).
Monday, March 14 - After eating lunch at the pool and then walking along the beach to work up some sort of appetite for dinner, DH and I set off to find the new Star Noodle, a restaurant run by the group that also runs the Aloha Mixed Plate and Lahaina Luau. Our GPS and the Concierge’s directions to the Industrial Park (although she didn’t know exactly where the restaurant was located in the Industrial Park), got us there. Drive to the top and over a street and then you’ll see it.
The first thing we noticed is that the other diners were locals (with lots of trucks in the parking lot). The hostess was wonderful – we walked in and she greeted us with a lot of enthusiasm and warmth, and quickly seated us. Our waitress had her ups and downs. We started with a negative. Although we were sitting there studying the menu for several minutes before people were seated at the next table, she came over and took their drink orders first. At the same time, she recited the specials for them and explained several of them in response to their questions. Eventually she got to our table, but we were never given the specials (since she was rather loud and I’m naturally curious, I listened to some of what she told the other table, but of course she should have waited on us first and given us the information).
We over-ordered (how else could I taste a representative sample of the menu?), and here, too, there was a service lapse. For the two of us, I asked for Green Salad (big and quite good with a Lemon, Sesame Dressing), Yakitori Chicken (with Scallions and Sesame Seeds and absolutely delicious), Salmon with Miso Sauce (good, but could use more miso sauce!), Lahaina Fried Soup (actually a noodle dish fried with pork and quite tasty, but not a soup), Look Funn Rolls (which I thought would be filled, but which were actually rolled up noodles with a delicious Noodle and Scallion preparation next to the noodles. The service problem was that the “soup” was in a big bowl, and given all that we ordered, we couldn’t eat even a third of it. When I got the bill, I realized there were two sizes for this item and we had been given the “double” when the lower-priced single portion would have been plenty. Our waitress didn’t ask which size we wanted, but should have suggested the smaller portion.
The final problem came with the dessert. When the waitress cleared the table she asked if I wanted to take the “soup” home. I said no, and commented that I was saving room for the malasadas. (served with chocolate, and caramel Sauces, and peanuts). Much to our surprise, one minute later, out came malasadas. Not only had I not actually ordered them, I wasn’t given the opportunity to check the menu for other selections and wasn’t offered tea or coffee. I was surprised. Still more surprising was the taste of the malasadas. Anyone who has read the Oahu portion of my report, knows about the Oahu malasada quest and our wonderful experiences with Agnes’s Portuguese Bakery and Leonards. These Maui malasadas looked okay – round and covered with sugar – and they were warm, but they were also tasteless. I would recommend Star Noodle with some caveats and hope they will fix some of the problems delineated here.
Tuesday, March 26-This morning the sun was shining brightly as we set off for a drive North past Napili Bay, to Kapalua, where we had brunch at the Planatation House, one of the nicest meals of our trip. This is a restaurant set on a golf course, with gorgeous views of the greens and the Pacific. We loved every aspect of this meal, from the view to the gracious, well appointed dining room, to the excellent service of Librado, and finally to the delicious food. We all ordered breakfast, with two of us ordering eggs (one omelet and one rancher’s breakfast), and the other two ordering Benedicts (one classic and mine over crab cakes). For starters, we all ordered fruit – one half a papaya and the others with Maui Gold Pineapple with Sour Cream and Cinnamon. The pineapple was terrific and my SIL enjoyed the Papaya. We were all pleased with our eggs. My crab Benedict was terrific – delicious crab cakes and perfectly done eggs covered with Hollandaise and a Roasted Pepper Sauce. The first bite was heavenly and I enjoyed every bite that came after. On the way back we drove along the coast road, checking out various resorts, passing the Honalua General Store (sorry, we couldn’t eat another bite of anything so sampling the sandwiches here will have to wait for another visit).
After another relaxing afternoon at the Westin (what else would there be?), we took the shuttle down to the Whalers Village for our second round of half prices at Cane and Taro. We again ordered our favorites – the Rock Shrimp Dynamite, the Waipoli Island Greens with Papaya Vinaigrette, and the Crispy Chicken Wings, and added some new tastes – the Three Cheese Quesadilla, and the Pork, Shiitake, and Water Chestnut Spring Rolls. This time I was determined to try the House Special Apple Tart Dessert with Caramel Sauce, which was totally awesome and worth the one-week wait.
Wednesday, March 17- This was another gorgeous day. For lunch, DH and I walked up the beachwalk to Duke’s Beach Bar. Owned by the same group that owns Hula Grill and Leilani’s, Duke’s is new and we enjoyed a delicious grilled cheeseburger and a Turkey, Brie, and Bacon sandwich and some iced tea. Our service was perfect, and our check was the smallest of our entire trip. Duke’s is a good lunch choice, located right on the beach.
Thursday, March 18 - After breakfast in the condo and final packing, we are off to Mama’s Fish House for lunch, en route to the airport. The ride over was easy and with the exception of a brief delay where traffic merges as Highway 30 goes to two lanes, quick. We gave our car, laden with suitcases, to the valet and walked down the steps and over to the hostess station at the Fish House, noting that the place was packed for weekday lunch. We were half an hour early for our reservation and were happy to wait for a few minutes for the hostess to seat people there ahead of us. We were quickly shown to a table in the open air section, which is open to the ocean breezes. The other two areas of the restaurant have glass windows, so if you prefer to be seated there, I would suggest you mention it to the hostess, or even better, when you make your reservation. We were shown to a table closest to the lawn and the ocean, but in deference to my SIL, who didn’t want a breeze, we “swapped” with a couple seated back one row, who were eying the tables with the best views and after hearing her comment about the breeze, asked if we would mind. Happy all around, we were quickly supplied with water and food menus, noting the drinks menus on the table when we arrived.
I have read many reviews of this restaurant in which people were unhappy with the service and sometimes attributed their service problems to their drink (typically non-alcoholic) orders. We ordered one soda and one iced tea with two of our party drinking just water, and our service was exemplary throughout the meal… absolutely perfect in every way. Our server, Barbara, told us about the specials and took our order when we were ready. Three of us ordered soup. The Polynesian Lobster Soup with Coconut, Spinach and Breadfruit Crisp was extraordinary – subtle, but delicious, and laden with large lobster chunks. Someone wrote that they would like to eat the complimentary Tomato Ginger Soup every day, and while very good, the Polynesian Lobster Soup is what I would very happily eat every day for the rest of my life. Since that won’t be possible, I’d be very grateful to anyone who could supply a recipe for it (or something similar – I’ve searched and so far, haven’t found it.). My brother in law, who also ordered this Lobster Soup was ecstatic from the first sip, and exclaimed over and over how wonderful he thought the soup was, echoing my thoughts completely.
Barbara brought warm bread to the table and then when we finished the first loaf, offered us another, which was perfect timing because the second loaf arrived at the same warm temperature as the first loaf. We had barely finished the bread, when the entrees arrived. We ordered the Deep water Ahi Seared in Ginger and Panko Crust with Kalua Pig Rice Pilaf and a side of Kimchi, and the Mahimahi stuffed with Lobster, Crab, and Maui Onion Baked in a Macadamia Nut Crust served with Rice Pilaf and a small piece of Corn on the Cob. The regular rice pilaf was good, but not particularly interesting. The corn was sweet and delicious. Our in-laws shared the Ahi, Bacon, and Gruyere Sandwich, which came with crispy, tasty Molokai Sweet Potato Fries. They enjoyed their food, and all I can say about the Lobster-Stuffed Mahi Mahi is that hours later, I was still thinking about it. In fact, months later, I’m still thinking about it. It was the best fish entrée I have ever eaten… exceptionally expensive, but entirely worth it. The Ahi was delicious, but not in the same league as the Mahi Mahi. The Kalua Pig Rice Pilaf was also excellent with lots of strong pork flavor.
I didn’t leave room for dessert. Perhaps this was because the two lobster courses were so rich and filling. Or because even though I had read rave reviews of the Black Pearl, I just couldn’t work up the appetite from the description in the menu (chocolate mousse and passion fruit cream in a pastry sea shell. Perhaps it was because I knew I would return to this restaurant at some point in the future, and wanted to save dessert for the return visit. Whatever the reason, the two courses I ate were wonderful and I decided to quit while I was ahead. It was a wonderful finale to our trip.
Later, after a short hop over to Oahu, we had time on our hands at the Honolulu airport, waiting for board our flight back to Newark. There aren’t any good restaurants airport. Some decent pupu options, garlic shrimp, loco moco or Leonard’s malasadas would turn this airport into the perfect place from which to leave Hawaii. Someone should open a stand there - Burger King just doesn’t cut it, especially when you have eaten lunch at Mama’s Fish House (and notice that only three or four hours after that wonderful lunch, I was ready to eat again!)
This was an excellent vacation – frenetic at the beginning in Oahu, and extraordinarily relaxing in Maui. I definitely plan to return to both islands in the near future and perhaps add more island exploration while I’m there. Although it’s a long way from home, Hawaii is wonderful and worth the trip. It’s certainly a worthy foodie destination with lots of interesting eating and then there’s the scenery.
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Mama's Fish House
799 Poho Place, Paia, HI 96779
Da Kitchen
2439 S Kihei Rd Ste 107A, Kihei, HI 96753
Plantation House Restaurant
2000 Plantation Club Dr., Kapalua, HI 96761
Roy's Kahana Bar & Grill
4405 Honoapiilani Hwy, Lahaina, HI 96761
Hula Grill - Kaanapali
2435 Kaanapali Parkway, Lahaina, HI 96761
Leilani's on the Beach - Kaanapali
2435 Kaanapali Pkwy. Bldg J, Lahaina, HI 96761
Oahu Trip Report
Hawaii Chowhound Report
Oahu
My husband and I traveled to Hawaii in March, 2010 to spend time with in-laws who had invited us to share their almost two-week timeshare on Maui. Before heading over there, we decided to spend a few days on Oahu so that I could visit with an internet friend I had met when planning our China trip, and DH could revisit scenes from his youth when he was a young Naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor. Mostly, as is typical for all my trips, this was a trip about eating with some sightseeing scattered in between meals.
After arriving at the Hilton Hawaiian Village around 8 pm, we dropped off the bags and walked over to Kalakua Avenue and up to the DFS Galleria. I was in quest of Sam’s Kitchen, facing the Galleria in the little marketplace area next to an ABC store, and Sam’s turned out to be easy to find. I ordered Coconut Garlic Shrimp and DH ordered curry chicken. Both the shrimp and the chicken were tasty, but the rice was mushy. Possibly the worst piece of corn on the cob I have ever eaten was served with the meat, rice and salad. The corn tasted as if it had been sitting in a pot of water all day… ugh! I had chosen Sam’s because I wanted a Hawaiian-style experience for our first meal and given the hour, after a long day of travel, didn’t want anything fancy, formal or time-consuming. Service was quick, the food was filling, and the price was right, but some of the reviews I had read of this place oversold it.
The next day we drove to Kailua (which is a wonderful drive over the Pali Highway). There we had a Fodors gtg at the Kalapawai Market Café where we met my long-time Fodors friend, Marksfour, her husband, my college classmate and two of Marksfour’s Fodorite friends. We enjoyed lots of lively conversation over an assortment of foods including stuffed chicken breast, Greek salad, eggplant, and a chicken skewer. The market has lots to choose from and everything looked wonderful, although the meal was less interesting than I thought it would be from the appearance of the food in the display case. Because each person could order when they arrived (and the group tended to drift in), this was a good casual spot for this type of gtg, but definitely not a great foodie destination.
Then it was on to Agnes’ bakery for warm, freshly baked plain malasadas. These were my introduction to malasadas, and I thought they were delicious. There was no way I could visit Kailua and not stop at Agnes’s, since malasadas were high on my “to-eat” list.
I had made a reservation for Alan Wong’s for dinner before leaving NY. After ample consideration of the merits of the five-course and seven-course tasting menus versus the ala carte menu, I decided my husband and I should go with the five course menu, and I think that was the right decision since we would never have had room for more. We arrived at Alan Wong’s a little early, and chatted with a lovely couple while waiting for our tables to be ready.
We started off with the magical soup and sandwich and crispy wonton with ahi poke first course. This soup and sandwich, which is like no soup and sandwich I have ever eaten, was wonderful. I loved every bite… complex, and wonderful. Next came the seafood dumpling and buttery lobster, which I also enjoyed immensely. By this point, I was in heaven and loving this dinner. Third on the course list was the Onaga. The first bite tasted a little too gingery, but then the rest of the bites were delicious… not sure if I just got too much ginger with my forkful, or my palate adjusted. I also adored the corn and mushrooms mixture on which the onaga was perched.
Every one of the first three courses on the tasting menu was wonderful, but then, strangely enough, I found the final two courses disappointing. For me, the Short Ribs Kalbi style dish was just too cloying and sweet. I was surprised since I usually love ribs, and had never before encountered anything too sweet, but this was my first big meal in Honolulu, and I was to discover that this is the place where menu items can be too sweet, even for someone with as developed a sweet tooth as mine. The two desserts were also just too sweet. Maybe it was a lack of contrast, or maybe you have to be a local to appreciate this, but neither dessert pleased me. What a strange ending to a meal which started with such promise!
Our service team was wonderful, and provided seamless service throughout the meal along with a running commentary. The waiter and runners were informative and charming. Although this was one of our priciest meals in Hawaii, there was tremendous value in the $75 tasting menu, and I was enough satisfied with the first half of the meal to look forward to a return to Alan Wong’s or perhaps the Pineapple Room on my next visit.
My dining companion, as always, said it was “fine.” Food is not his thing, and throughout this trip, he left the ordering up to me and was content to split the food so I could try more items (this is a marriage which has lasted a long time for some very good reasons, and this is one of them!) We took taxicabs both to and from the restaurant because it was raining hard and it was too far to walk from our hotel.
The next day we took some of our Hilton Hawaiian Village dollars (from the Hilton Vacations presentation) to lunch in the resort’s Tropics Grill on the beach. There is a lovely view of the beach here and the Atlantis dock, and those walking on the beach boardwalk (which isn’t made of boards… it’s cement). We enjoyed our lunch, which consisted of a Greek Salad and Fish and Chips. The salad was excellent and very large. The Fish and Chips was far from the best I’ve eaten, but the fish was tasty and the chips, while not super crispy, were okay. The service was very good. Tropics is fine if you’re eating for free or happen to be staying at the resort, but there are undoubtedly better, less expensive places for lunch in Honolulu.
After lunch we took a walk to see more of Waikiki and to sample Leonard’s Bakery malasadas. We strolled down to Kapahulu Avenue and turned the corner, where I was expecting to see all the eating places I knew were there – the Rainbow Drive In, Rico Tacos, Ono Hawaiian Foods, and our destination, Leonard’s Bakery. Much to my surprise, there were no storefronts for many blocks (I had imagined a Kapahulu Avenue with shops where instead there were hotels, fields, medical facilities, schools, a zoo, and lots of gas stations. It was many, many blocks (yes, we kept walking!) before we got to the beginning of the foodie heaven that Kapahulu is (just before the H1!). Not actually hungry, we passed by all the interesting foodie destinations, stopped to get DH a cheap haircut, and finally arrived at Leonard’s Bakery, home, according to many, of the best Hawaiian malasadas. Wow, I’d have to say they were worth the walk and worth the long line (it moves quickly) on which we stood. I ordered three malasadas (plain, custard, and custard with lilikou also known as passionfruit.) and enjoyed all of them with some low-fat milk (naturally low fat!). Even though it has been forty years since I ate them, I am always searching for another taste of the best doughnuts I ever ate. Those were fruit-filled, sugar-coated doughnuts from a shop in Cambridge, England. That place is long gone, but eating Leonard’s malasadas made me wish the Leonards folks would bake these same doughnuts with fruit fillings instead of custard. Anyway, Leonard’s won my personal Agnes/Leonard competition.
For dinner we joined the two women we met the day before at a bar/restaurant in Waikiki which one of them was reviewing. Genius Bar and Grill serves (according to my expert friend) Japanese izakawa bar food of the type served nowadays in Tokyo. In order to make the best choices for the review (and of course for our dining enjoyment), she asked the owner to recommend some dishes for us to try. He suggested we start with some sake samplers (there are dozens of sake brands on offer, but the nine we tried were totally sufficient for us). Being sake novices, DH and I shared the “mild sweet and light sampler, while our companions ordered a set of the medium (called the genius sampler) and the connoisseur (drier and earthier) sampler. Before this evening, I had sampled sake twice before, never particularly liking what I tasted, but this time I liked it quite a bit, so I guess for me, mild sake is the right choice.
We started our food sampling with some cream cheese poke flavored with wasabi and shoyu and topped with bonito flakes and crunchy flying-fish roe and a trio of dips and pita triangles including boursain cheese, local tomato salsa, and a taramo salad (a concoction of smoky cod roe mixed into mashed potatoes). Because we enjoyed the cream cheese poke so much, we ordered the Spicy Ahi Poke with a miso sauce (and didn’t like it as much without the cream cheese). Next up was a Sauteed Chicken dish with a Spicy Relish Dip, Japanese-influenced Loco Moco (breaded and fried chopped beef, rice, gravy made with demi-glace and a sunny side egg on top), and my least favorite dish of the evening, Pasta Vongole (usually one of my favorites). I think it was a combination of the canned clams (ugh!) and the furijitsu seaweed flavoring added to the sauce. I was assured that this dish would be very popular in Japan, but I would definitely not order it again.
This was one of the strangest meals I have ever eaten, but it was quite enjoyable. The unusual combinations, the variety, the lively conversation, the charming setting (we were situated on a porch, seated on couches with fairy lights strung along the latticed railings, and the excellent service all served to create a special and fun experience.
The next day another college classmate of mine came by and drove us to Chinatown for a dim sum lunch. We were joined by one of our new friends from the night before, so the four of us were able to sample lots of dumplings at our destination – Tai Pan. After a short wait for a table, we were seated. This is one of those places where you want to be sure the wait staff knows you want a table and you need to be assertive. Otherwise, you could be standing there for a long time as the waitresses bustle around serving dumplings. Customer service is not what Tai Pan is about… it’s the dumplings and only the dumplings (but quite enough for me… I knew instantly that this was my kind of place!) We looked at the signs on the wall, which included some daily specials, and some of the baskets being served around the room and in the display case before ordering. Then we chose Fried Seaweed Seafood Roll, Har Gao, Fried Shrimp (with super crispiness), Spare Ribs, Char Siew Bau, Scallop Luk Fun, and two orders of Xiǎolóngbāo. All of this food, which was delicious and filling, cost less than $30.
For dessert we drove over to Shimizu Shave Ice (our local expert’s pick for the best shave ice in Honolulu). I ordered a small (which was gigantic) shave ice with ice cream, covered with three syrups – crème brulee, chocolate peanut butter, and coconut (I passed on the Red Velvet, which I like when it’s a cake, but am not ready to eat on shave ice.) This was my first experience with shave ice, and I have to admit that I’m just not into it. I needed to have that shave ice experience, but I’m happily going back to ice cream cones from now on.
After a relaxing remainder of the afternoon, we took a cab over to 3660 on the Rise to sample Russell Siew’s cuisine. “Sample” turned out to be the operative word since we ended up ordering two samplers. First up, we tried the Appetizer Sampler described as perfect for two, but actually enough for three. On the platter were Calamari with a Tomato and Mayonnaise Sauce, Ahi Poke, Asian Slaw, Garlic Fried Shrimp on a bed of Fried Spinach with Garlic Aioli, and the piece de resistance -–Fois Gras and Beef Tenderloin Tortellini (which could just as easily have been labeled as dumplings) with Mushroom Jus. We enjoyed all of the appetizers. DH ordered a bowl of corn and clam chowder and I had a half order of the Mesclun Salad with Tomatoes and Lemon Miso Dressing… all good although the clams in the soup were from a can (why aren’t there fresh clams on Oahu? We get Manila clams in NY and that’s a lot farther away!)
Knowing we couldn’t eat that much more, we split one main course – Wild New Zealand Salmon in a glaze with Sweet Potato Croquettes. The latter were a surprise to me because they were purple sweet potatoes in a fried nori crust… definitely not your typical potato croquettes, but tasty. This was followed by the second sampler, this one a dessert sampler with Crème Brulee with Choclate Crust, Panna Cotta with Strawberries, and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce. All of the desserts were delicious and much to my delight, not overly sweet.
Our meal at 3660 was delicious and I can now understand why people like this restaurant so much and return often. I wish it were a little closer to where I live so I could, too. In addition to the excellent food, I want to once again commend the excellent service staff. We were well taken care of throughout the meal by a team of very pleasant young people who were knowledgeable, easy going, and efficient.
Although this was my first visit to Oahu, it certainly won't be my last. I look forward to returning for more of what I loved on this trip and a chance to sample those places for which we ran out of time.
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Leonard's Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816
Alan Wong's Restaurant
1857 S King St Fl 3, Honolulu, HI 96826
3660 On the Rise
3660 Waialae Ave Unit Frnt, Honolulu, HI 96816
Agnes Portuguese Bake Shop
46 Hoolai St, Kailua, HI
Kalapawai Market
306 S Kalaheo Ave, Kailua, HI
Tai Pan Dim Sum
100 N Beretania St # 167, Honolulu, HI
Some questions for my Oahu trip (a bit long)
Thank you for the great reviews. I had planned to go to Roy's when we get to Maui (I ate there years back), but you have me rethinking that based on your review. We're already booked for Alan Wong's.
Your photographs were fabulous. I have lots of problems taking food pictures. As soon as the food hits the table, I dive in, and then later remember that I should have taken pictures first... very poor impulse control!
I also loved your description of the airport meltdown. I would have been in exactly the same state. Missing out on a great eating experience (or what I think would have been great eating) sends me right back to early childhood. All the more reason to return to Oahu sooner rather than later.
Regarding the pasteis de nata, I think they came from some place near Newark. A former student brought them to a party I organized last fall and I still dream about them.
Finally, I, too would love to be part of a NYC gtg. It will be tough to do before I leave for Honolulu, but definitely would be fun when I get back at the end of March. If you can't wait for me, that's okay... maybe next time.
Some questions for my Oahu trip (a bit long)
Just a quick thank you, Miss Needle, for both your questions and the answers that resulted, your report, and your photographs.
I will be on Oahu for the first time next month and definitely plan to try Leonard's malasadas, the ones at Agnes' Portuguese bake shop (I had Portuguese custard tarts for the first time this year and must admit I became an instant fan so I'll do a comparison since the ones I ate came from New Jersey), and now thanks to your report I'm also going to have to try the cocoa puffs. I made a reservation for Alan Wong's and will sample several shrimp trucks and let you know what I think. I'd also like to try Sam's Kitchen.
After reading your description, I think we'll skip Ono's and maybe Side Street Inn, too. I'll report back after our trip. We're going on to Maui for a much longer visit so I'll report on our eating adventures there, too.
Thanks again!
Linda
South American Cruise Report including Buenos Aires and other Ports
South American Chowhound Report
My husband, son and I visited Buenos Aires prior to taking a cruise around the Horn from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, Chile. Thanks to everyone on these boards who helped me make some restaurant selections on this trip. We'll start with the Buenos Aires report:
December 31 - On the first day of our visit to Buenos Aires, we walked around Recoleta and its famous Cemetario. Ready for a late lunch, we went in search of the street called Posadas and the El Sanjuanino restaurant where people seem to love the empanadas. There was a small line outside, so we joined it and were quickly seated at a table in the main room (there is an additional seating area in the basement). Our waiter turned out to a quite entertaining (yes, a singing waiter!) and our lunch was delicious. We sampled three beef and three chicken empanadas and shared a beef tamale and a mixed salad. With four sodas, mineral water and two beers, the tab was AR$110 (at approximately four Argentinian Pesos to one US Dollar). We all considered this a successful start to our South American eating adventures.
Earlier in the morning, I had stopped at the supermarcado and stocked up on ham, cheese, bread, Beer, and Diet Coke in case we couldn’t find a place to eat for New Years Eve. I didn’t want to pay for an exorbitant meal to celebrate the New Years and hoped that, as in NY, there would be some cheap places open for a meal earlier in the evening. Forget it! Everything that didn’t cost a small fortune really was closed as our B and B owner had predicted, so we had our sandwiches for dinner and then enjoyed a fabulous fireworks display from our terrace – major displays from several directions and local fireworks going on for several hours.
January 1 - As we expected, most businesses were closed in BA. for the New Years holiday, including many if not most of the better restaurants. I think some opened in the evening, but for lunch, only the most touristy of spots seemed to be open as we wandered down Rivadavia, into the Centro, and then over to San Telmo. Walking down Defensa and noting that all of the places along here I had hoped might be open were still closed, hunger overtook us. We reached Plaza Dorrego, where we sat down at an outdoor café called La Pergola del San Telmo complete with tango dancers, horrible service and worse food. Then we walked home. All was not lost, however, because I did enjoy a good ice cream treat for dessert at one of the Freddo branches.
Later before going to the Tango Show, we went to the Palacio de Papa Frita for Brochette of Chicken and Steak served with a huge mound of their special fries – puffed with air and quite tasty. Our son had the cutlet Milanesa and plus salad and drinks the meal came to AR$155. PPF is a chain and in the course of our meanderings, we saw the three other branches of this restaurant. I chose to eat here because it was only a few blocks from the tango show (which had an exorbitant dinner we chose to skip). Some travelers have raved about PPF, but I can’t second their opinion. It’s an okay restaurant that is reasonable with good service. For great food, I would definitely advise going elsewhere.
By the way, we went to Tango Porteno. I had reserved on their website and spent AR$240 for the three of us to sit upstairs without drink or dinner. (US$20 pp) I enjoyed the show which featured a talented troupe of dancers, two singers and twelve musicians (including four playing bandoneón or the Argentinian version of the accordian) and various film snippets of Argentina in the 30’s and 40’s in a lovely art deco theater located right next to the Teatro Colon. Although the seats weren’t great (get here earlier than they recommend if you go, so you can sit in the front row)I would recommend Tango Porteno for an inexpensive tango show experience.
January 2 - We originally planned to eat our first dinner in B.A. at La Cabrera, but because of a twelve hour plane delay in Houston, we missed that meal, and we ended up going for lunch on Saturday. It was fabulous! Our son, ever the curious one, decided a taste test was in order when he discovered Kobe beef on the Specials Board. He ordered the Kobe and we ordered the Argentinian Lomo with pepper on the side so we could compare them (not an opportunity to be missed in his opinion). We all agreed that the Lomo was fantastic and the Kobe Steak tasted even better (for double the price, but still very cheap by NY standards.)To be fair, the Lomo was perfectly tender, but the Kobe had some gristle and wasn’t uniformly tender. Both steaks came with more little sides than I could count (little artichoke hearts, endive, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, apple sauce, olives in several guises, creamed potato, mashed yellow squash, and more – all delicious). With several kinds of bread and bread sticks and olive tapenade and artichoke dip (I think it was artichoke), we had plenty to eat. Also whoever recommended the Degustacion de Postres should be thanked. It wasn’t on the menu, but proved to be an excellent idea and a perfect way to end our meal. I asked our terrific waiter, Marcelo, the price, and in so doing learned that there was a choice of half a selection or a whole platter. We chose half, which was plenty for the three of us and included Chocolate and Strawberry Ice Cream, Flan, Tiramisu, and Dulce de Leche. With a bottle of mineral water and three sodas the total bill came to AR$286.82 (pretty terrific for what we ate including 500 grams of Kobe beef and 400 grams of Lomo!) The rave reviews for La Cabrera are, in my opinion, well deserved and we all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch there. When we exited, there were crowds on the sidewalk, waiting to get in to both the main restaurant and the annex down the street. We had called to make a reservation and I would strongly advise doing that.
Still full from lunch we decided to have a smaller dinner and our son chose to try the pizza place recommended by our cab driver from the previous night (who mentioned as we passed it that Pizzeria Guerrin on Corrientes near the Obelisco, had the best pizza in the world). We are New Yorkers who ate pizza in Rome in November, so we were more than a little skeptical, but with a recommendation like that, it was worth a try. Sure enough, at 9 o’clock on Saturday night the restaurant was very crowded. We ordered the Pizza a la Casa Grande, which came with Mozzerella, Ham, Tomatoes, Olives and Red Peppers. While it wasn’t a great pizza, it was quite tasty and we all enjoyed it. With a beer, two sodas and a mineral water, the bill came to AR$78.
I was sorry to have had so few opportunities to eat at the many recommended places in Buenos Aires because of our late arrival and the holiday. I kept some pesos and definitely plan to return in the not too distant future for more B.A. dining experiences.
Our first port of call was Montevideo, so here is a description of what we ate and drank there.
January 4 - After touring downtown Montevideo and the suburbs of Carrasco and Pocitos, we drove back into town and had lunch in the Mercado del Puerto at La Posada Don Tiburon. This was a restaurant recommended by our guide, who we invited to join us. We ordered a Brochette, an Ojo de Buey and a Milanesa de Tenderloin along with a chorizo sausage (which we all tasted, and which was delicious) and a caprese (here served as hot tomato and cheese sort of like a pizza without the crust) ordered by the guide. We also had two bottles of water and a bottle of Don Julio Cabernet for a total bill which came to $55 a couple in US dollars. After lunch the sun came out and we were happy to take a short stroll around the market area before returning to the ship. There were many other restaurants in the market, but they were inside. While more expensive, this was a fancier place with a nice glass patio area facing the pedestrian area and I guess the guide thought we would prefer it. Next time I’ll check out one of the parillas inside.
There were a number of ports between Montevideo and our next portside dining experience in Puerto Veras, Chile. I traveled on this trip with two decidedly non-Chowhound companions, so forgive me for not sampling food in Puerto Madryn, Stanley in the Falklands, Ushuaia or Puerto Chacabuco. Several of these were short port days and in each case, after a large breakfast, we got back on the ship in time for some sort of lunch. We did spend the entire day touring around Lake Llanquihue, Petrohue Falls, Osorono, and Puerto Veras, so here we happily stopped for a lovely lunch.
January 15 - Since we (a group of nine people who met on the Roll Call at Cruise Critics) were all very hungry after a morning of zip lining on Osorno and walking around at Petrohue (plus visiting with emus and llamas at a little farm), lunch in Puerto Veras was much anticipated. We were all pleased with our guide’s pick, a little restaurant called El Patio de Mi Casa. We ordered off the menu with Jaime providing translations and ate Salmon a la Plancha (served with a sauce and spaetzle), Tortellini Stuffed with Chicken for our son (very good pasta drenched in a delicious cheese sauce), and a Crab Au Gratin dish (Pastel de Jaiba), which was outstanding. For the three of us, with one Crab dish, one Salmon dish, the Tortellini, a beer, Mineral Water, two glasses of White Wine (also terrific), and a Pisco Sour (for our son, who wanted to try his first Pisco Sour, but not his last) the total was US $43.
January 17 - After debarking in Valparaiso on January 17, we traveled over to Vina del Mar for three days of surf, sunshine, and touring before heading back to snowy, chilly NY. Leaving our son, who went to bed at 4 a.m. after a last night of hanging out with his friends on the ship and needed a nap at the B and B, my husband and I strolled over to the seafront, enjoying the sunshine and the ocean, looking for a place to lunch. I had the restaurant called Enjoy in mind, and although it looked very nice when we found it, it was closed for the National Election Day (yes, we dealt with both New Years and Election Day on this trip, both of which put a crimp into my eating plans!) We then walked to a place our B and B owner had recommended, an Italian restaurant that several of his clients had frequented and recommended to him earlier in the week. On the way, as we checked various possible places (either closed or packed with people), an older woman (older that is than I which means quite old) asked me in Spanish if I needed help. I explained what we were doing, and she recommended another Italian restaurant she likes. We stopped to check at the one Brian had mentioned only to find they had a long wait … something about the kitchen being backed up with orders (the explanation was only available in Spanish so I might have missed something, but it was also very crowded). We then walked with her to her favorite place, only to find that it, too, was closed for the day. I thanked her profusely for her assistance, and we started to walk back, looking for a likely place. Eventually we got to a coffee café with cold coffee drinks. Having gotten beyond hunger, and booked for an 8:30 dinner, I decided a cold drink and a pastry would suffice.
Later we set out for the Cap Ducal, which our B and B owner, who is clearly not a chowhound, thought would be the ideal venue for a first night dinner in Vina – seafood on the oceanfront. When we arrived, the view was stunning and we were seated at a window table. A few minutes later two friends from the ship came over to inform us that they had been waiting for half an hour and had just been told that they wouldn’t take orders until 9 p.m. or serve until 10 because of the Election restrictions. We had been told they wouldn’t be open until 8:30 for dinner, so the fact that they had gone at 8 made us think there was some miscommunication involved. Soon after, they left without eating, but enjoying the view and the ambience, we stuck it out. Candles were lit on the table as the sun set, and soon after they took our order. Soon they brought out delicious warm rolls and we were served cokes. We knew there could be no alcohol sales until after 10 p.m. because of the election and quickly discovered that the fish options were limited (perhaps because it was Sunday, but more likely also because of the Election). We ordered three appetizers and three entrees in order to try a variety of dishes. For the starters, we had Machas Parmesana, Parmesan Marisco (an assortment) and a Congrio and Calamari Brochette Fritti. For the entrees we shared A Reineta y Corvina Prima Pasto, Corvina Vasco, and Congrio Erisa.
Dinner was disappointing. Cap Ducal has a great location and apparently the owner doesn’t feel the need to serve anything more than average food. The seafood was fresh and tasted okay, but there was nothing exceptional about it, and every fish dish on the table was drowned in sauce. The bill came to 43,700 Pesos (at almost 500 Pesos to the Dollar, so this dinner cost over $90 for the three of us with no alcohol... definitely too expensive!)
January 18 - After a day-long walking tour of Valparaiso (including a $6 pub lunch which included soup, chicken and mashed potatoes, and fruit salad) the three of us plus a couple who were also staying at our B and B took one of the electric trolleybuses back to Victoria Square, in search of a pub recommended to our hotel-mates by their friend, the Director of the German School in Vina del Mar. After some strolling around the square along with lots of locals, and viewing the entertainment on offer (a Punch and Judy show for children and a mime who was pretty funny) and some hunting, we found the pub and were surprised to see an offer for $3000 Pesos (about US$6) for Chorianna, four Pisco Sours and a Litre of wine. This didn’t seem possible, but we ordered the special and later learned someone had erased the “1” so it was actually $13,000 pesos, which was only about $25 and still a bargain. The Chorianna arrived on a large platter – strips of fried meat, onions, egg, and French Fries. In addition, we ordered Fried Fish and Chips, our friends ordered Ceviche and the three guys also had some beer. Everything tasted good, but certainly not great. The company was good, and I would consider it a Valparaiso experience, but not a great eating experience.
Tuesday, January 19
We said good-bye to our new friends at breakfast since they were headed for a final meal in Valparaiso at the Fish Market (they reported later that the Ceviche there was great and much better than at the Pub) before their flight home. For lunch, we set off down the hill to eat at “Enjoy,” which had re-opened. Brian recommended the Barbecue/Parilla and the idea of one last Parilla appealed a great deal to all of us. As a result, we sat at a table on the terrace – gorgeous view of the sea and protected from the sun and ordered a Parilla de Carne (for two) and a Parilla del Marisco (for one). We ended up with Ribs, Steak, Sausage, Roast Potatoes, Salmon, Scallops, and Shrimp along with some excellent Chilean white wine – a lovely although fairly pricey meal.
Later, our innkeepers invited us to join them in the garden. They had been out to a winery for lunch and told us about their day while we shared stories of our travels and experiences. In the end, this is the main reason I love to travel – connections like these with people who live far away. Sitting in the garden, drinking wine, eating olives, and conversing about our lives was a perfect finish to our trip.
After our huge lunch, we didn’t want another big meal, so we went down the hill one final time to try a restaurant I had on my list called “Entre Masas.” I thought this place would be limited to empanadas since that is what my notes indicated, but it turned out that in addition to some 30 empanada combinations, they have a full menu. Part of a chain, the restaurant was decorated in a modern and comfortable style, and the service was excellent. I had to put my Spanish skills to the test in deciphering the empanada fillings, and ended up ordering one with crab, one with meat and olives and cheese, and a third empanada with ham and cheese. All were deep fried, very large, and delicious, with the meat, olives, and cheese the winner of the taste test. It was fitting, somehow, that we started the trip with empanadas and finished with them, too.
I was sorry that I didn’t get to try some of the restaurants on my Valparaiso list on this visit. Because we had to eat as a group for lunch the day of the tour (and although I checked, Le Filou de Montpellier was open for lunch only so we ended up at the pub with our new friends), and because we just didn’t feel energetic enough to go back to Valparaiso on our final day, we still have a group of Valparaiso restaurants to sample on our next trip to Chile.
Rome Dining Report
My husband and I flew to Rome on Thursday, November 5, 2009 with plans to spend a long weekend in the city prior to embarking on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Solstice the following Monday. Here is an account of the eating portion of that weekend:
On our first day in Rome, after arriving on an overnight flight, we took an overlong nap and missed lunch. Then we went for a walk and along the way, hunger overtook us and we began looking for a place to have a snack since it was way past the lunch hour. Nothing appealing seemed open until we got to Bar Al Senato, just a few blocks from the Albergo del Senato, our hotel. We stopped in and decided to split a Pizza Funghi, which they made from scratch and which was quite tasty. The barman offered us dessert – he said his wife had made the tiramisu and it looked good – but there was no way we were going to have another bite and spoil our first dinner in Rome, so we declined and headed back to the dryness and warmth of our room. I was surprised, but very pleased with the quality of this first, impromptu snack pizza.
Dinner was at Armando al Pantheon and when we arrived with our two traveling companions at 8:30, some people were already eating. We took our table and the place quickly filled up. For primo, we ordered Spaghetti ala Claudio (with garlic, mushrooms, and saffron), Spaghetti ala Carbonara (with egg and guanciale), Spaghetti ala Gricia (guanciale and pecorino romano), and Ravioli ala Armando (funghi and cream). All were delicious. Secondi honors went to two dishes – Abbacchio a Scottadito (grilled lamb chops) and Veal Saltimbocca (veal with proscuitto, sage and wine). Two of us ordered the lamb and two ordered the veal. With one house red wine – Masciarello Montepulciano d’Abruzzi, which was excellent, two carciofi ala Romana for appetizers and two big bottles of Pellegrino, the tab came to 140 Euros for the four of us. We were delighted with our meal. Although a little fatty, the lamb was especially tasty. (As you shall see, I was on a mission the entire weekend to eat lamb and try to duplicate the fabulous lamb of my dreams, previously eaten in Rome four years ago at Da Giggetto.)
Following dinner we strolled over a few blocks in search of gelato at Giolitti. The choice of cup or cone was easy, but choosing the gelato took a little more time and thought. I ended up with a scoop of coconut and a scoop of chocolate and loved both of them. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at San Crispino to examine their gelato, but the flavors did not entice us to go for seconds. We decided to stroll over to the Trevi Fountain to finish off our first day in Rome on a high note, and then made our way back to the Pantheon and to bed.
Alessandra, who works on the front desk at the Albergo del Senato had handled my restaurant dinner reservations in advance of our arrival. Two of them were made without a problem, but she was unable to get through to the third restaurant I had requested. She said they had been renovating and it didn’t appear to be open yet, but if I wanted to check, she helped me find it on the map so I could go over and find out. We strolled around, admiring the buildings and wandered over towards the river, looking for Via Fiammina, where I hoped to find La Fiammetta open and ready to receive us for dinner on Sunday evening. As Alessandra predicted, there was plastering in progress and no sign that the restaurant would reopen any time soon… certainly not in time for our planned Sunday night dinner.
After breakfast on Saturday, I went out to confer with Mauro, another of the excellent front desk folks at the hotel, on a replacement restaurant for the closed La Fiammetta. Alessandra had suggested one around the corner from the hotel called “Due Colonne.” As she described it (and we had walked by and checked the menu on her suggestion the day before), the décor is simple but they have a large and delicious seafood menu with very fresh fish. She noted that they are closed on Monday because there is no commercial fishing on Sunday. When I asked Mauro for his opinion, he first joked that the Donato, the owner, is his son so of course he recommended it. After I laughed at his wink, he said, “Actually it is a good restaurant and I recommend it, but Donato is no relation”... quite a comedian. We booked it for Sunday night dinner.
We set out about 10:30 for the market at the Campo di Fiori, stopping to take a sunny day photo at the Piazza Navona. The market stalls were set up in the Campo and were filled mostly with fruits and vegetables with some meat (I saw at least one butcher) and some pasta stalls along with the requisite tee shirts and hats and other touristy clothing items.
We continued our walk to the street I wanted to explore – the Via Guilia, and then over to the street along the Tiber and continued our stroll with the river at our side on this gorgeous day. The leaves were still on the trees and glistened in golds and yellows in the bright sunshine. Days like this remind me why I like to travel in the autumn… no heat and no crowds.
After visiting the Vatican, we were ready for lunch, so we headed down the Borgo Pio, a street lined with shops and restaurants seeking either Arlu or Tre Pupazzo, my two recommended restaurants in the area. Since we found Arlu first, that is where we lunched. The restaurant has a lovely little dining room decorated with paneling, ribbons and pictures (with more seating outside). We ordered one Pizza Funghi and one Tonerelli with Funghi, two cokes and one mineral water and the bill was 27 Euros. Everything was good, but I wish the chef didn’t have such a heavy hand with the salt.
Dinner on Saturday night was reserved at Matricianella. I knew this restaurant was over towards the Trevi Fountain area, and thought I’d found the street on my map, but checked with the front desk, and was very glad I did. It turned out that there were two different Via Leones in the same area. I thought it was the one closer to the Spanish Steps, but it was actually to the left of the Corso. We stayed at the Albergo del Senato partly because we could walk everywhere, and this evening we again set out on foot to get to the restaurant. It was exactly where my friend on the desk had said, which saved a lot of trouble.
We were seated next to two young Americans and I was instantly amused to discover the guy studying the wine list (actually a giant tome). We determined that yes, he was a wine aficionado and that they were both lawyers in NYC… something they had in common with my husband, and that led to a long conversation on legal careers.
The dinner highlight for me was the Fritti Zucca de Fior, which was wonderful. I had decided to try the Pajata, which so many have raved about. Although good, it was not something I would order again. My husband’s Carbonara was quite tasty. Still seeking the fabulous taste of the lamb I had eaten four years before, I ordered Roast Lamb with Potatoes. It was flavorful, but quite chewy and not entirely edible, and fell far short of that memorable dinner. My husband ordered Steak and Rocket, only to discover that no steak was available. He ended up with Veal and Roast Potatoes, okay, but not great, and not what he wanted. The carciofi a la Guidea was served cold and the Insalata Misto ordered by my husband never arrived. If there were any specials, we never heard about them. With two glasses of house wine and one bottle of Pellegrino, the bill came to 82 Euros, but after pointing out to the waiter that we didn’t receive the salad, five Euros were deducted, so we actually paid 77 Euros. This meal was the only disappointment of our Roman restaurant experience,(with the exception of the restaurant that was closed), but since we enjoyed the company of our young friends, we still had a pleasurable evening. We strolled back on the Via Pastini and noticed that even past 11 p.m., it was still quite lively on this fair-weather Saturday night, the restaurants still filled with diners.
On Sunday we set off to explore the Jewish Ghetto. I had not made lunch reservations (a mistake on a Sunday) because I wasn’t sure where we would be at lunch and what we would feel like doing about lunch. Once there, and starting to feel hungry, we decided to look for Piperno. This turned out to be harder than it sounds, and when we eventually did locate it, we found that it was packed and there were no tables available so we walked back to Da Giggetto and snagged one of the last two available tables for Sunday lunch. (Note to self: book Piperno for next visit to Rome since it looked lovely and I was especially attracted to the antipasti display at the front.) Despite the fact that a woman we had met along the way who decided to join us for our impromptu tour had already eaten lunch, and my husband is never hungry, we managed to eat three Fritti Fiore di Zucchini (not nearly as crisp as the ones we had at Matricianella), two Carciofi Guidia (much better than the cold one I ate at Matricianella), one Spaghetti with Vongole with lots of tiny clams and delicious, and one Roast Lamb with Potatoes. (Okay, I admit it, I ate the lion’s share of the food…no surprise to anyone who knows me!) Interestingly, the lamb, while good, didn’t measure up to the extraordinary lamb my friend and I had eaten here four years ago. That was the best lamb of our lives, and I guess a once-in-a-lifetime experience. With two sodas and a bottle of Pellegrino, the bill came to 65 Euros. Four years ago when we ate at Da Giggetto, service was brusque, but this time we were fortunate to be served by Aldo, who was the best waiter we had during our weekend in Rome. Even though we weren’t eating much and had not booked, he treated us royally.
Later, after lots more walking and a rest, we met our traveling companions for dinner at Due Colonne. We dined on excellent Spaghetti with Clams, Seafood a la Amalfi (wine sauce with mussels, clams, and shrimp), Spaghetti with Pesto, Shrimps Scampi, Grilled Sea Bass, Fried Calimari and Shrimp and for my husband who had wanted beef for two days, Beef Stew with Rocket (a bad idea in a seafood restaurant!). With wine and Pellegrino, the total was 138 Euros for the four of us.
After dinner, we set out to locate Della Palma in order to try the other local gelato place, and here we found the largest selection of gelato in the neighborhood – fabulous choices including many with fruit and chocolate (orange, raspberry, apricot and cherry were all chocolate combinations you could order). It was also possible to sit here while consuming your gelato (not allowed at Giolitti!), but the price was the same everywhere we ate gelato in Rome – a small cone or cup with two scoops cost 2.20 Euros. It was time to go back and pack before getting some sleep in anticipation for our big day on Monday when we would travel to Civitavecchia and board the Celebrity Solstice.
After our cruise we returned to Rome briefly before heading home. Here is the description of our last meal in Rome – lunch in Trastavere: For our last lunch together, we decided to eat at Carlo Menta. This casual trattoria had been recommended by several travelers, and we were truly surprised when we saw the prices on the menu posted outside… a genuine bargain in a pricey neighborhood. We ordered a pasta dish and a pizza for each pair (Gnocchi and a Ham and Mushroom Pizza for the guys and Lasagna a la Casa and Mushroom Pizza for the two of us). Along with a bottle of mineral water, a litre of red wine, and two cokes, the tab was gentle ((I would tell the exact amount if I knew, but the guys treated us in return for my 105 pages of pre-trip notes. Suffice it to say that the Mushroom Pizza was four Euros, the Lasagna was five Euros, and I think the Mushroom and Ham Pizza was five or six Euros.) Both the pastas and the pizzas (extremely thin crust) were delicious and I would strongly recommend this place. (In fact, as I’m editing this while sitting in my living room, I’m dying for another pizza like the one we ate at Carlo Menta!) So our last meal in Rome left me wanting more Roman food… the perfect ending to our trip.
Whirlwind Visit to Istanbul
Thank you, Antman, for your helpful response. Everything you recommend sounds wonderful, but given our limited time and the lack of culinary adventure genes in my traveling companions, we'll play it by ear. I have voluminous notes on Ciya and on
a variety of other recommended spots, which we'll bring along and consult as we go.
I especially appreciate the recommendation for Karakoy Lokantasi since it's fairly close to the ship and sounds wonderful.
I hope we'll get back to Istanbul soon and get a chance to try some of the others including Grifin.
We'll let you know where we end up eating and provide a report on our return.
Whirlwind Visit to Istanbul
I wish we had more time in Istanbul, but for this visit we will arrive around 1:30 p.m. and leave the next day at 2. I plan to spend the first afternoon (Friday) in the Sultanahmet area where we will probably want a quick and inexpensive lunch. The evening is wide open, but I'd love to
take my group of friends to Ciya Sofrasi, if this is still the best foodie destination or else visit a fish place with excellent mezes and maybe even a view. Saturday morning we'll head over to the Bazaar and Spice Market and grab an early lunch before heading back to the ship. I don't think we have time for a Bosporus cruise (although if the 90 minute one is running in November, that's a possibility, so perhaps a ferry ride will have to suffice. (Does anyone know if the yuryol 90 minute cruise runs at sunset?)
As you can see, I'm trying to take my friends on a whirlwind tour of the major tourist sites and manage to eat well in the process. I've read through all the posts, but it's sometimes difficult to tell where the places are in relation to our itinerary or how to get there from wherever the Celebrity Solstice will be docked. Any recommendations would be great and specific tips or advice on how to find the places you are recommending would be very helpful since we won't have much time to wander around and get lost.
Barcelona: What Have I Missed?
Count me among those who like Senyor Parellada. For the ambience, service, and food quality it's very hard to beat the price. Last year I particularly enjoyed the lamb with garlic and this year the duck with figs was very good. They do not open until 8:30 in the evening.
Many have raved about the tortilla Espanola at Cal Pep. I never want to waste room on anything but seafood at Pep, but it's worth knowing that their tortilla is very good.
I loved this post -- so many good ideas. I'll definitely try Tapas 24 for breakfast next time I'm in Barcelona. I, too, like Dulcinea. I have been to several of the granjas on Petritxol, and I think they are all good for the hot chocolate/churros experience.
I'm thrilled to read about Jordi's Michelin honor. I was just there for the first time a few weeks before it was awarded (you can read about the meal in detail in my Two Weekends in Barcelona post).
Two Long Weekends in Barcelona
I spent two long weekends in Barcelona in November. Here’s a report on what I ate there. This is the third and fourth times I have been to Barcelona and I made an effort to improve on the excellent eating experiences I enjoyed last year.
I arrived on Friday morning and the first meal I wanted to eat in Barcelona was at Cal Pep, which I had enjoyed very much last year. It was still shuttered (at 1:00 p.m.) so I walked around the block. When I returned, there were a few people in front of me lined up in a straight line in front of the shutter. Workers were laughing and joking around the corner, waiting for the lunch rush. Then Pep arrived and everyone went inside. At 1:17 the grill went up and the line entered and sat down at the counter seats, more or less in the order in which we were lined up, with some management from Pep. This time I was seated in Pep’s section (last year I was on the left side of the counter, but now I was on the right). Then Pep negotiated the order with each customer or pair of customers.
I had learned from my mistake last year (when I filled up on vegetables and fried fish and didn’t have room for the fish of the day). I ordered Tallerines (medium sized clams) and Almejas (the thumbnail sized clams which they prepare with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice) and the fish special, which turned out to be Turbot with garlic fried potatoes. It was all heavenly.
Pep opened the five clams on my plate which had not yet opened (and they seemed fine and just as delicious as the rest!) He then deboned the turbot and scraped off every delicious morsel for me. When my neighbor didn’t eat all of the fish, Pep scolded them for missing some. I truly felt as if Pep was taking good care of all of “his diners.”
To my left were two friends from Hong Kong and to my right were a couple from Beirut. The Hong Kong friends let Pep order for them and got fried fish, clams, tuna tartare, mushrooms and one other dish (which I forgot). The Lebanese couple ate along the same lines as I had chosen, but had a few variations. We all ended up tasting and sharing from each other’s plates –enjoying the wonderful fish and the comraderie - truly the reason I love Cal Pep! I was offered a taste of a dish with calamari and garbanzo beans by one of my Lebanese neighborbors. I didn't think I would like it, but discovered it was delicious. In return, I offered some of Pep’s “special dessert” – vanilla, egg whites and sugar. With cava, the meal came to 45 euros…expensive, but worth every penny.
The friend who was traveling with me arrived later in the afternoon. For her first dinner, I had booked a table at Senor Parellada. I thought the location (walking distance from our hotel), the lovely décor, the reliable fare and the reasonable prices would all appeal to her and they did. We had excellent fritura (fried vegetables cooked like tempura), duck with figs and cannelloni. All tasted much as it had when I’d dined here in the company of a larger group last year and the dinner and surroundings were excellent. We passed up the ubiquitous crème catalan for a stroll over to the Artisanal Gelato place down the block, where I had a combination of chocolate and coconut gelatos – fabulous for 2.20 euros.
Saturday morning we strolled over to the Rambla and went to Pinoxto in the Boqueria Market. Last year I had planned to eat here, but was deterred by the crowd of people waiting for seats at the counter and ended up at Kiosko Universal. This time, I was determined to try Pinoxto and found that by standing behind some folks who were almost finished, the wait was shorter than expected, and well worth it. This was a great experience, although we both commented that this was unlike any breakfast we have ever eaten… okay, let’s call it brunch. Garbanzos, almejas a la plancha (steamed open on the grill and then squirted with olive oil), cetas (roballes mushrooms in gravy), one beef and one ham croquette each to try, jugo de naranja, 1 xuixo (pronounced choo choo - pastry with cream inside which we split), café con leche (they put a big sugar bowl in front of you and you help yourself), and one bottle of aqua con gas came to 32.70 euros. Our waiter, a young man named Albert, was terrific and helpful. Both of us loved the experience and would highly recommend Pinoxto.
We walked through the market and delighted in the various types of stands including vegetables, juices, seafood, butchers, and prepared foods. There were stands filled with gorgeous fresh fruit and others with dried fruit, fruit juices. We studied the fish – so many kinds including dorado and cuttlefish, lobsters, clams, crab, mussels, gambas in many sizes and even different colors. Butchers were selling beef and ducks, lamb and all sorts of pork including baby pigs, and pigs heads. There were stalls with chickens and ducks and all sorts of eggs including ostrich eggs, duck eggs, and many types of hens eggs. The vegetable stalls were filled with artichokes, mushrooms with names you never see in the U.S., and all sorts of tomatoes. There were wonderful candy stalls with chocolates, and almonds (A lady selling almonds and all sorts of chocolates offered me so many samples that I felt obligated to buy some chocolate covered almonds – an expensive, but delicious mistake!)and stalls with prepared foods that looked wonderful – salads and casseroles ready to pop in the oven. If I lived near the Boqueria, I’d certainly eat well every night!
We had a reservation for Cinq Sentis for Saturday night, and I had high hopes for a great culinary experience. I am happy to report that all of my expectations were met – our dinner at Cinq Sentis was terrific. When you order, they ask if you are there for the first time and if so, they substitute some of their signature dishes for whatever is listed on the tasting menu so you have the complete Cinq Sentis experience. That was great because we wanted to taste all of the dishes I had read about here.
We had an amazing meal (much like those described by others on this site) which started with what they label as “Tapas” – marcona almonds, house marinated “gordal” olive stuffed with pimento, and Jordy’s shooter, which is maple syrup, chilled cream, cava sabayon and rock salt. The olives are marinated in orange are very tasty, but Jordy’s shooter is truly extraordinary. We were instructed to down it in one gulp, with all of the liquids sliding down our throat in the proper order, followed by the rock salt…a wonderful start to the meal, and one that lets you know you are in for something truly unusual.
Next on our menu was the “Pa Amb Tomaquet” consisting of “pometa” tomatoes, toasted bread, arbequina olive oil, heirloom tomato sorbet, garlic and “fuet.” The last, according to Wikipedia, is a Catalan thin, cured, dry sausage of pork meat in a pork gut. (Sometimes it’s probably better not to look things up!) We both enjoyed this, but found the tastes interesting, but not fabulous.
Our next course was the Foie Gras “Coca.” This was described as crisp pastry, glazed leeks, burnt sugar crust and chive “arrope.” Ugh oh… more quotation marks! The last turns out to the grape syrup. I’m not a fan of foie gras, but this was quite delicious. I think anything with a burnt sugar crust is going to taste pretty good, and this was no exception.
The next item was one of my favorites. It was called Diver Scallop and was listed as sunchoke puree, roasted onion escalivada sauce, jamon chip and, of course, a big beautiful, apparently lovingly selected by the diver, scallop. I adored it. According to my research this sauce is composed of peppers, garlic, onion, olive oil and whipping cream…how could it not be delicious? The sunchoke is another name for a Jerusalem artichoke.
At this point, we weren’t halfway through the meal, but we were smiling a lot and thinking we were fairly close to heaven. Then the Mediterranean Tuna arrived. This was a rare chunk of tuna, nestled in a bath of smoked tomato water (which someone said they would like to drink in a bowl. I wouldn’t go that far although it was tasty), lemon peel compote, and black olive salt.
The Iberian Suckling Pig was the next course and this was also one of my favorites. It was described as crisp and succulent, with apple in two textures and ratafia. The last has at least two meanings - a cordial or liqueur flavored with the kernels of peaches, apricots, or cherries. liqueur, or an almond-based drink similar to a cordial. The word indicates a flavor of almonds. Next time I’ll have to ask what the ratafia flavor was in this dish. Perhaps someone who has dined here knows the answer?
We were next served an Artisanal Cheese plate with contrast. I don’t remember what the contrast was, but the cheese was wonderful.
Getting closer to the end, we sampled Textures of Lemon, with cake, curd, and ice cream with vodka ice – just think lemon flavored delicousness and you’ll have the essence of this course.
For dessert we sampled two desserts – the strawberry one described as strawberries from the Maresme, mascarpone sorbet, fennel, and rosewater and the Chocolate with Bread, Olive Oil and Salt. The latter dessert is described as “grand cru” 67% chocolate, olive oil ice cream, shattered bread, and macadamias. Honestly, how could anything with chocolate and macadamias taste bad? Although some people have questioned this dessert (and I was a little concerned about the olive oil ice cream), this was hands-down our favorite dessert of the meal. The strawberry dessert was good, but not that different from what can be eaten elsewhere. The true value of this meal was in its unusual combinations and that was consistently true from the first bites until the last. It should be noted that this meal lasted three hours and service was quite efficient. It takes a long time to enjoy nine courses, even if they are small.
The nine-course Sensacions tasting menu for two, plus small charges for a bottle of water and a very reasonable bottle of wine came to 176 euros. Interestingly, the water they served was called Vos – a Norwegian water which they said is less salty than Spanish bottled water. It’s also possible that they serve it because the blue bottle is so lovely to look at. They offered us the empty bottle, but since we were headed for plenty of traveling, carrying an empty bottle around wasn’t a possibility. Although we didn't have a souvenir bottle, we won't forget this meal... it was that special.
Our third dinner of the weekend was scheduled for Paco Meralgo. We were a little early and waited on the sidewalk with several other diners for the restaurant to open.
When we were seated in the non-smoking section at the counter, we took the Spanish and Catalan menus to find the items recommended by folks on Chowhound. Based on these recommendations, we ordered fried artichoke (which was shaved very thin), stuffed zucchini flowers, fried green onions (pajarritos), tallarines a la plancha, razor clams, pa amb tomatoquet, crème caramel, a glass of white wine and a glass of cava, a bottle of water and café con leche, which came to 44 euros. We also tasted our neighbor’s scallop with garlic and found it to be as delicious as all of our food… definitely a wonderful meal.
Good as the food was, the company was even better. On our left we had a local couple out for an evening meal, who talked with us about the food and recommended their dessert. Since they were seated at right angles to us, conversation was easy and we found out they own a jewelry business. To our right was a young couple from California. They were interested in our food and our trip, and we had a great time chatting with them. When they left, we ended up meeting their replacements – another young couple, this time from Paris. When he couldn’t eat any shellfish or meat on the menu (we were recommending dishes to them), I realized they were kosher. It’s definitely a challenge to eat in Paco Meralgo (or most other places in Barcelona) if you are kosher! Our waiter, Julian, was very helpful with our orders and very speedy in delivering the food and drinks… sometimes too speedy. I loved Paco Meralgo, but would recommend that they space out the food a little better. They, of course, are anxious to turn over the seats, but when food gets cold because you’re trying to finish the last item that arrived, it isn’t as good as it could be.
On Monday morning my friend and I set out for the Celebrity Century for an 11 day cruise around the Mediterranean, where we sampled some very tasty meals in Provence, Nice, Vernassa (Italy), and Morocco.
When I returned to Barcelona, I met my friend, Jackie, who flew in from Wales to spend the weekend. We set out for lunch at the Taller de Tapas branch on Argenteria, where we ordered ham croquetas (I seem to often order croquetas in Barcelona and they are always good!), razor clams, salt cod (bacalao) fritters, and the special, which was magret of duck with cider. Lunch came to 30 euros and although good, wasn’t particularly special. It’s hard to believe that those who rave about Taller de Tapas spend time in Cal Pep or Paco Meralgo, which are, in my opinion, far superior. We walked over to the artisanal gelato place for another round of their delicious frozen goodies.
For this final weekend I had booked Friday dinner in an effort to be economical - Meson Jesus and Paco Meralgo for Sunday so Jackie could experience the great food and ambience. Jackie also wanted to try La Rita based on the recommendation of her former husband, so we planned to go there on Saturday night.
Friday night we went to Meson Jesus which has a terrific deal – three courses, all the wine you can drink, dessert and coffee for 18 euros. Yes, it is cheap, but I can’t imagine what produced those rave reviews for the food. Maybe we just had bad luck with the menu, but the hake we ordered was dry and not very good. For starters we had soup, and that was tasty but certainly not wonderful. I had a lentil soup and Jackie had something called “crème vegetable” which turned out (much to our surprise) to be vegetable soup. A very ordinary crème catalan finished the meal. The restaurant has been described as atmospheric… it’s on the dark side and there are holes in the red table cloths. Service was efficient, and the location makes it convenient if you’re staying in the Barri Gotic or on the Rambla.
Breakfast on Saturday was, of course, at Pinoxto. Jackie needed to try this place and I wanted to go back and eat more. Sometimes after a great experience at a restaurant the second visit is a disappointment, but that certainly was not the case at Pinoxto. Last time we were ably served by Albert, great nephew of Juanito. This time our server was Albert’s Dad, Jorge, and the service was excellent.
We had garbanzos and huevos amb almejas (eggs with those delicious tiny clams - fabulous!), deep fried breaded lamb (which Jorge mistakenly described as kid), and Café con leche with a Xioxo pastry. With a bottle of water, the tab came to 26.80 euros. Jorge and Albert posed for photographs and then we took off for another leisurely stroll around the market, studying the many wonderful stalls. We stopped for a fresh fruit juice (mine was coconut with mango – delicious for a euro) and Jackie took some photographs of the luscious displays.
For dinner on Saturday we walked to La Rita (on Arago past Gracia). We were the second people in line at 8:10. There are no reservations and the line forms early. They opened about 8:25 and the place, which is big, was completely filled by 9. This restaurant was a surprise. It was nicer than I expected – table cloths and lovely service and the menu was terrific. After trying to decipher the Catalan menu in the window, it was funny to be handed English menus and see what the food really was. After much deliberation, we decided to order mushroom croquettes (four to an order), monkfish with clams in burnt garlic sauce and duck confit with pears and caramel sauce. I loved the croquettes – and adored the duck confit, so tender and delicious that I ate every morsel I could. We finished with great desserts. Although Jackie was slightly disappointed with her apple crepes with crème caramel, I was delighted with my profiteroles. With half a pitcher of Sangria, a bottle of water and a diet coke the bill came to 40.90 euros. This was about the same as the previous night’s dinner bill, but the difference in quality (both atmosphere and food) was stark. This was much more delicious and interesting food served in lovely surroundings with white table cloths (no holes like last night), candles, mirrors, and cushioned seats. No wonder people line up – La Rita is a winner.
Sunday morning the Boqueria is closed, but I had been wanting to try a Bocatta, a chain restaurant, which I liked much better than its competitor, PANS. I had a bikini (grilled ham and cheese sandwich) and diet coke for three euros plus 2.10 for fresh orange juice – the contraption for squeezing the oranges had to be assembled and watching the young woman put it together was our morning entertainment – quite complicated!
Sunday night it was off to Paco Meralgo, my last meal in Barcelona for this trip. Although this was a second visit, I wanted Jackie to have the pleasure of eating there. Also, I wanted to see if it would be as good as it was the first time. This time the restaurant filled up much more slowly than it had two weeks before. There was definitely a drop in tourists and perhaps locals, too. Alas, we had no one to chat with. On my left was a guy sitting two seats away, eating by himself, and speaking with no one (not even the counter guy). To our right was a doting couple who had eyes only for each other. While the food made up somewhat for the lack of interesting company, it was striking how different the two visits were – we were surrounded by sociable types the first time (as I was both times at Cal Pep – this year and last).
We ate anchovy with eggplant montaditas (which tasted smokey and delicious), grilled assorted mushrooms, which were terrific, padrones (deep fried green peppers), pajarritos (just as good as last time), and a “dumpling” which turned out to be among other ingredients, tuna, olives, and vegetables in a wrapper – this was more like a turnover than a dumpling and was big. Seafood croquettes were winners – wonderful! We also ordered almejas roasted with olive oil and lemon – scrumptious as always, and repeated the stuffed zucchini flowers. With two glasses of cava, a bottle of water and tea dinner came to 56 euros.
I can’t wait to return to Barcelona to sample some other restaurants and return to my favorites. This city truly is an eater’s paradise – a feast for the stomach as well as the eyes!
Connecticut Seafood
I just returned from a road trip from the NY area to Boston and wanted to report on two lunches en route. The first was at the Flanders Fish House in East Lyme, Connecticut. Our lunch began with two chowders (we couldn't decide which one to order, so shared some of each). The first was their regular New England Clam Chowder. It was so delicious that we ended up taking some quarts along with us to give to our Boston hosts... without question the best NE clam chowder I have ever eaten... chock full of clams and creamy, tasty... you get the picture! The other soup we ate was a daily special fish chowder filled with an assortment of seafood - also excellent.
We followed the soups with an order of Littlenecks on the half shell (icy and fresh) and clam fritters - more dough than clam, but very tasty and lightly fried. For our entrees we had an order of Coconut Shrimp and a Lobster Salad. The shrimps tasted as if they had just arrived and were absolutely delicious. The Lobster Salad was bland and I wouldn't recommend it. Service was excellent. I would definitely recommend a stop here if you are in the area.
On the way back we made a special detour down to the coast for a stop at Joe and Lennie's Fish Tale in Westbrook, Connecticut. I had eaten here a number of years ago and loved it. This time we ordered a feast. I started with half a dozen Oysters (Blue Points) and then we tried the chowder. The only chowder on order here is the Connecticut coastal version -- clam juice, lots of juicy clams and potatoes, and a dash of milk. The waitress was nice enough to bring us a "taste" and since I much prefer the thicker, creamier version, I skipped a full cup, but my eating partner liked it enough to order more. Next up was a fabulous plate (a single order was plenty for both of us) of fried onions. This was followed by our fried fish platters - clam bellies and oysters for me and shrimp, scallops, and fried fish on the other side of the table. Served with tasty cole slaw, it was all terrific. I wasn't sure that the clam bellies would still be good in October, the waitress was reassuring on that point, and she was right -- the clams were great.
We took half our food home and today I had a great oyster and clam poor boy for lunch.
We'll definitely return to both of these fish restaurants and would recommend them.
Report on Hong Kong Trip in progress
Yes, you do remember correctly. Here is one poster's description of how to find the Yellow Door (don't know if you had these, pasantrin, but thought they might help):
Yellow Door (Sichuanese, SoHo-ish, on a side street off Cochrane nearly under the mid-levels escalator)-
A little hard to find, it's on an upper floor of an office building, but you can see the sign from the escelator if you look for it.
Good luck!
Afternoon Tea in HK
prasantrin,
I'd love to see your chart. I have about 70 pages of notes for a three day visit to Hong Kong starting April 1 so I suspect many of your places will be in my notes also. I should be paring down, but here i am looking for the one great place I hadn't found yet! If you send it to me - wise linda g at
optonline dot net, I'd be grateful.
I also note that meuri is leaving for HK at the end of the month. Will you be there April 1-4? If so, my husband and I would be interested in meeting up with you and/or with prasantrin if your travels will bring you to HK at the same time??? It's so difficult to try all these wonderful dishes with only two people! So many places, so little time, and so few mouths!
If either of you or anyone else would like my 70 page compendium, I'd be glad to attach it to an email.
Linda
Barcelona Trip Report
Elizabeth,
Sorry I should have looked at the photographs and read your blog before my first response. Wow, great pictures and very useful information! Thank you!
Linda
Barcelona Trip Report
Elizabeth,
Thanks for the suggestions. I have read several positive reports on Yellow Door and am particularly interested in their duck. I am a little concerned that the food might be too spicy... I don't mind slightly spicy, but I'm not a great fan of chili peppers. What was your experience in that regard?
Linda
Barcelona Trip Report
Elizabeth,
Now you're making me hungry! I'm focused on our next trip - Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Yangshuo, and Xi'an, so spent lots of time thinking about dumplings and noodles and duck, but a plate of those clams would really hit the spot right now!
I hope you have a wonderful trip and Happy New Year to to you, too!
Excellent Cuban Restaurant in Hollywood Beach/Hallandale Area
We recently spent a few days at the new Crowne Plaza at the south end of Hollywood Beach and had a great dinner at Padrino's. This restaurant, which has branches in Plantation and Boca Raton, was recommended to us by fellow guests at the hotel and proved to be a winner.
This is a large, friendly family-style restaurant with several birthdays being celebrated on the Sunday evening we were there. I ordered the Roast Chicken, which came with three sides -- (I had the yellow rice and the black beans and maduros also known as sweet plantains or sweet bananas). Everything was delicious. Portions were large and the price was under $9 -- hard to beat! My husband had a Roast Pork dish with white rice and black beans and mixed vegetables. We both thought the food was excellent, the service was friendly and efficient, and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to fellow chowhounders.
Barcelona Trip Report
We recently returned from a brief visit to Barcelona before embarking on a transatlantic cruise. We ate very well and here is a report on where we went and what we ate. Feel free to ask any questions you have. I very much appreciated the input I received from fellow Chowhounders before our trip and would like to repay the favor.
We arrived on a Friday morning and were able to briefly nap at our hotel before setting out for lunch. First stop on the agenda was CAL PEP. Because we overslept a bit, we weren't able to arrive in time for the first round of seats, but enjoyed chatting with others while waiting and watching the "show." By the time we were seated I knew what to order based on what had been recommended here and what was fresh that day. Be aware that when you come in, if people are waiting, you need to let the person in charge know how many people are in your party. (I wasn't sure of the protocol and asked the people in front of us).
First up were the little tiny clams cooked in broth, garlic and maybe butter. They were fantastic! I asked for their name and was told "almejas." Later in the meal we also sampled the razor clams, and while these were delicious, nothing could beat the taste of the little ones. We also ordered the assorted fried fish which included fried sardines, calamari, shrimp and another small fish I never did identify. This was very tasty, but unlike some others, I wasn't blown away by the sardines. For me, they were good, but not great. Later we sampled the Pa amb Tomaquit (after all, we were in Barcelona and this was our first meal!). I expected it to be hot, but discovered that this dish is served lukewarm. Another winner was the artichoke hearts. They had some ham on them which I later thought must have been chorizo -- wonderful. For dessert we sampled the crema catalana. Although we didn't order the Lotte fish (no room left!) others said it was terrific. The tab with a glass of cava for me and a two beers for my husband came to 53 euros.
I loved CAL PEP ... the shared experience of being with other people who were enjoying eating the food... the laughter and good cheer of the guys waiting on customers (especially Patrick who waited on us) and cooking (we were right in front of the cooks and had a good opportunity to watch what I can only characterize as choreographed chaos). Dish after dish was prepared and sent out to customers -- each dish perfectly timed and presented. During lunch we chatted with Belgians (ahead of us in line), two people from Liverpool, (seated next to us) and two Americans (behind us in line)) and several of the guys behind the counter -- a wonderful place to eat which in my opinion lived up to its reputation.
For supper the first night we went with another couple to their favorite Tapas place (from a previous visit) - CERVESERIA CATALANA. This was a somewhat disappointing experience. After CAL PEP, it was bound to be something of an afterthought and I wasn't impressed with the choice of tapas or the quality. It was ok, but based on this visit, I would choose another tapas restaurant. We ate chicken croquettes, beef montadito, small clams, pa amb tomaquet, shrimps, peppers, a slice of tortilla and chocolate cake. I don't remember the price, but it was all quite reasonable.
On our second day we had breakfast at the Boqueria. I enjoyed the walk around the market, but was very disappointed by the food at KIOSKO UNIVERSAL. We ordered fresh orange juice, fried eggs, which came with dreadful oily french fries, greasy bacon, and a good piece of bread. With hindsight we probably should have skipped the American-style breakfast and eaten something else, although many people at the counter were ordering the egg breakfast. The service was indifferent, breakfast cost 11 euros each, and I would definitely try a different place next time. On the way back I noticed the same breakfast was available at Mokka (cafe on the Rambla) for under 8 euros.
After the big breakfast, we decided to skip lunch and have a hot chocolate and churros in the afternoon to save room for our big dinner at Senyor Parallada. The hot chocolate and churros, which we sampled at a bakery/cafe - Dulcinea, via Petrixol 2, churros and hot chocolate were inexpensive and delicious.
For dinner we invited a number of people from our Cruise Roll Call to join us at SENYOR PARELLADA on Via Argenteria. This turned out to be fabulous -- this restaurant deserves all the praise it receives! First of all, we had a problem because some of the people who were dining with us were delayed and ultimately didn't make it to dinner because of a huge demonstration in the Placa Catalunya, which blocked the entrance to their hotel. We waited quite a while for them before ordering but the folks at the restaurant were understanding and extremely polite. In NYC they would have given us a hard time, but in Barcelona the table was ours for the evening and they were extremely patient. As indicated elsewhere, there are two rooms at Senyor Parellada - upstairs and downstairs and they are both lovely rooms with understated Spanish decor. I had asked for a large table that could seat 12 and the one we got was great - square so that we could all talk to one another easily. While waiting we polished off a few bottles of cava and perused the menu. We had agreed that we would order many dishes for the table and then sample all of them. We ended up with 9 people and ordered salad, fried vegetables, a double order of Duck with Figs, a double order of lamb with garlic, canneloni, a double order of paella, noodles with cuttlefish (black ink). Everything was wonderful and we all ate until we were stuffed! Great food, lovely service, and a bill that was so shockingly low, nobody in our group could believe it. With plenty of cava, bottled water, and more than enough food to feed the nine of us, the bill came to 163 euros.
Breakfast on our last morning was rather anti-climactic. Since it was Sunday many places were closed. We wandered out to the Rambla and ended up in Mokka, where we sampled a biquini -- essentially a flattened toasted ham and cheese sandwich, which tasted great. For a breakfast of one biquini, fresh orange juice for both of us, a croissant and two hot chocolates we paid 9.89 euros.
Although our visit was short, we ate very well and we're looking forward to more good eating on our next trip to Barcelona!
Linda
Senyor Parellada in Barcelona - Photo report
Perceptor,
Thanks for the excellent suggestion... not sure if we have a concierge, but I'm sure someone at the reception desk can call. We are on a Transatlantic on the Millennium starting on December 2 traveling from Barcelona to Malaga and Cadiz, on to two Canary Islands, then across the Atlantic to Labadee and docking in Fort Lauderdale. I've done a number of Med cruises and loved them all.
I did check out your other posts, and your photographs are fantastic. It's hard to decide where to eat (we only have two days this time) after looking at all that fantastic food!
Thanks for taking the trouble to report on your eating experiences and for taking these great photographs.
Linda
Senyor Parellada in Barcelona - Photo report
Perceptor,
Thanks so much for your recommendation (and chauft for the second!). We will be in Barcelona on November 30 and December 1 and would love to go to Senyor Parellada (maybe with a group from our cruise companions). Is there a way to make reservations online? Do you think we will be able to make the reservation via our hotel staff when we arrive or should we contact them now?
Thanks for your help. I'll provide an updated report when I return, but since everything you chose looked so good... it will probably be a similar meal.
Linda
Barcelona report (long)
Could you list any of the "very good eating places" in the Boqueria? We'll be there at the end of November/beginning of December and I definitely plan to check out the market. Thanks!
Also, thanks to mbfant for the helpful review of where to go and what to avoid!
Hilton Head Island - help w/ non-chain recs
My husband and I were on HHI last month and had a great lunches at the Sea Shack and Charlie's L'Etoile Verte. The Sea Shack is definitely a popular spot... prepare to line up, but the price is right and the seafood is fresh. Charlie's is more refined dining -- great service, lovely atmosphere, delicious food and reasonable prices. I hope you enjoy your visit.
Report on Road Trip through the Carolinas
After reading dozens (maybe even hundreds!) of posts prior to a recent road trip, I wanted to repay all the generous Chowhounds who offered suggestions by describing some of the terrific eating experiences my husband and I had on a recent week-long journey down to Hilton Head Island and back from NYC.
For the first leg of the trip we drove down to Wilson, North Carolina.. We ended up stopping for lunch in Maryland at a Phillips in the Rest Area off 95... not as good as the restaurant, but for a quick stop, it wasn't bad. (I wish someone would recommend a good place to grab some lunch between NYC and Wilson that wouldn't be too far from 95!) Wilson was chosen because I love to stop at Parker's! After all the recommendations, I decided this time I would order the fried chicken and that turned out to be a great decision.... really delicious! To make it even better, I added some fried oysters to the platter (they'll change up the combinations if you ask). Anyway, Chris had the pulled pork and it was a as good as I remembered it.
The next morning, remembering the admonitions to "go hungry" to Fullers, I ate a light breakfast.(I say "I" because although Chris ate every meal with me, this is my adventure and not his... he eats, but he doesn't care about the food if you can believe that... so he was along for the ride here). I was a little worried about going early to Fullers (the Lumberton branch was only a few hours from Wilson), but the timing turned out to be perfect... after they opened, on a Sunday, but before the big church crowd arrived. We were able to go through the line several times with ease, but noticed that it had gotten really long when we were leaving! Skipped the salad buffet (not worth doing IMO because you need all available room for the hot food!). Because it was Sunday Dinner (at lunchtime), the full buffet including seafood was available (on weekdays the seafood comes out at 4:00 p.m.). Anyway, I can't do justice to the full number of items on the buffet, but here are some of the foods I thought were delicious: Fried chicken, fried seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, and oysters) chicken and dumplings, all the vegetables (including beans, black-eyed peas, leafy greens such as cabbage and collards, starches including corn, mashed potatoes, rice, okra and candied yams. For me, a new vegetable to taste was the mashed rutabaga (so delicious I had "seconds!") You can get biscuits with your meal; they were just ordinary while I pigged out on the johnny cakes, (crispy fried circles of corn meal). You can top them with a little molasses which is provided at each table for this purpose, but they were delicious without the molasses. Of course they are also had hush puppies, but they just fill you up so I skipped them.
Some have said to save room for the dessert tray, which includes banana pudding, red velvet cake, peach cobbler, and carrot cake among the selections, but I opted for an extra piece of fried chicken and one last johnny cake (ok, I admit it.... I had three big pieces of fried chicken it was so good... the best fried chicken I've ever eaten! I lost count on the johnny cakes.) Then we drove to Beaufort, SC.
Beaufort is a terrific place. We stayed at the Old Point Inn in the Point section (on a street bordering the bay).Because we were still so full from our lunch, we ate a light supper at a lovely restaurant in Beaufort called the Saltus River Grille that we could walk to from our Inn... salads and oysters for me and crab bisque for Chris. Breakfast the next day was provided by the Inn (also very good). Next came the big disappointment of the trip -- our lunch spot was closed so we had to pass up Sgt. White's barbeque joint. I couldn't believe the "Closed for Vacation" sign!"
We drove on to Hilton Head, stopping for lunch at a chain barbeque restaurant called Jim 'n Nicks (since I was in the mood for more barbeque) It wasn't Sgt. Whites, but it wasn't bad and the service was friendly. We got to Hilton Head, and after surveying the area it seemed like too much trouble to go out driving to eat three meals a day, so we stocked up on provisions at the Piggly Wiggly and grabbed burgers the first night (still full from lunch!). Then each morning we just ate cereal for breakfast (we were staying in a lovely "villa" with a kitchen and dining table which helped!) and saved room for a good lunch, which we ate out. The first day we went to The Sea Shack. This was definitely an informal place with delicious fried seafood served with hush puppies and cole slaw. The second day we ate our lunch at an excellent restaurant called "Charlie's Etoile Verte". The dining room was charming and the food was delicious. I had a cup of oyster stew and wild mushroom ravioli. Chris had a bowl of crab bisque and a fruit salad.(He was always too full to eat!) Each night we treated ourselves to a sandwich for dinner! My choice was tuna fish salad and Chris had his usual ham and cheese... so much for gourmet, but our stomachs appreciated the break and it was so much more relaxing to stay home and watch television and not go hunting for restaurants in the dark (hard enough to find in the daylight!)
After we left Hilton Head we went north along the coast avoiding the interstate and sticking to back roads, checking out little communities. We were headed for a great lunch place... Calabash, South Carolina. I've learned from these Boards that this is the world's best fried seafood stop (one of my favorites and before this trip I had no idea this place existed!). Since the consensus choice among posters was The Seafood Hut in Calabash, that's where we went. Fortunately by the time we got there the line was short (this was at 2:30 in February, so I can imagine how crowded it was at 12:00 and how bad it would be in the summer when all the tourists are around.) I had the fried oyster platter and Chis had the shrimp... very fresh, greaseless, crisp, and completely delicious!
Our next stop was New Bern, North Carolina. Another barbeque restaurant was on the list... this one called "Moore's Old Tyme Barbeque." It turned out to be one of my favorite stops on the whole trip. When we got there Tom Moore asked me if I'd like to taste his barbeque (I think I looked a little confused because they had just turned out the lights in the kitchen and I thought they must have just closed!). Anyway, his free "taste" turned out to be an entire serving of barbeque (absolutely delicous!). I started talking with him about his restaurant (I thought this Moore's was connected with the Moore's in Kenly, but he said his place has been around much longer and they aren't connected at all). He sat down and chatted with us while we ate (he also gave me two pens, two coin holders and two calendars so I wouldn't forget the name of the restaurant!) Anyway, after we discussed barbeque, politics, the Civil Rights movement and various other topics, we called it a night. I'd definitely recommend stopping by here if you're in the New Bern area.
On Friday we left New Bern and drove to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit my sister in law. We were going to stop at the Skylight Inn to sample the barbeque, but it would have been out of the way, it was too early, and I had actually had enough barbeque and didn't feel like any more...so I'll save the Skylight for another trip. We stopped instead in a lovely little town (with lots of friendly people) on the water called Edenton, NC, where we found a little cafe called Chero's. After an excellent chicken salad lunch, we stopped in the local bakery for some cookies and a great French bread to take to our hosts. The owners of the bakery turned out to be from Yonkers, NY!
Our last stop was in Maryland to visit a nephew. We got off 95 for lunch en route through Virginia and ended up trying a Five Guys. I would never have stopped here if it weren't for the positive reviews on the boards. We were both pleased with the burgers -- delicious and inexpensive, plus they give you all-you-can eat peanuts.
So, four pounds heavier (me, not Chris, of course) and very satisfied, we concluded our road trip. We're headed for a family reunon in Myrtle Beach in July, so we'll get a chance to sample some more of this wonderful food in the near future.
