BEEF WELLINGTON AND LOBSTER TAIL - VALENTINES DAY AT HOME

BEEF WELLINGTON AND LOBSTER TAIL

VALENTINES DAY DINNER AT HOME

Oh.....what a treat.  Beef Wellington and Lobster served with fresh vegetables.  The Beef was cooked medium rare and to perfection.  Covered in a duck pate and wrapped in puff pastry.  No restaurant in America is better than being at home with the ones you love.  This meal was truly memorable and delicious.  I thank my wife and daughter for preparing and enjoying this with me.  The dessert was sinful.  Chocolate brownie with a Hershey's almond bar in the middle.  HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

ALOHA KAUAI PIZZA - KAPAA, KAUAI

ALOHA KAUAI PIZZA

KAPAA, KAUAI

Located in the Coconut Marketplace just behind our Kauai beach shack is a very small little pizza shop called Aloha Kauai Pizza.  We stopped by last week for a quick lunch.  You order at a window and then can sit on benches fronting the pizza stand.  This is not a restaurant.  It is a take-out only stand that measures about 15' x 20'.  The people working here are warm and friendly.  The menu is simple with salads, calzone, sandwiches, pasta and pizza.  Pizza's come in 7", 12" and 16" sizes.  We tried the "Local Boy" which the menu said was a "must".  This pizza includes Hawaiian pineapple, Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.  We ordered the 12" which was $16.95.  This is a bit expensive for a small pizza, but I know the cost of doing business on Kauai is high.  As we waited for our pie, there was good live local music being played in the square that fronts the pizza stand.   We enjoyed the pizza but felt that it needed a little more sauce and flavor kick.  It was good and we will return again to help this family owned business that has been on Kauai since 1991.  

HOOTERS HONOLULU

HOOTERS

HONOLULU, HAWAII

What can I say.   Who does not like cold beer, girls and chicken wings.  The combination is perfect.  I like Hooters for the chicken wings.  We get them as hot as possible.  The fried pickles are also very good.  A visit to Hooters should always include an order of fried pickles.  They are great.  Dip the pickles in the ranch dressing and you will be hooked.  I also like the burger sliders for lunch.  

ISLANDER ON THE BEACH - KAUAI

ISLANDER ON THE BEACH

KAPAA, KAUAI

The best restaurant we have found in Kauai is right on the lanai of our beach shack at the Islander on the Beach.  We go to Safeway or Foodland and buy food.  Then cook it downstairs on the bbq's and return to our shack and eat on the lanai overlooking the ocean.  There is no finer place for me.  This dinner consisted of Alaskan King Crab Legs, Sliced Rib Eye, Ceasar Salad, corn, roasted maui onions and some plain old white rice.  Heaven on earth and blessed to spend the evening on the lanai with my beautiful wife and best friend daughter.  Oh....did I mention that the beach shack is available year round to rent.  Enjoy relaxing days and nights right on the beach on Kauai.  Simple, no frills life with nice pool and the ocean at your doorstep.

STEAK AND KING CRAB DINNER ON OUR LANAI AT ISLANDER ON THE BEACH

GREAT VIEW FROM OUR 3RD FLOOR LANAI

HUKILAU LANAI

HUKILAU LANAI

KAPAA, KAUAI

Next to our Kauai beach shack there is a oceanfront hotel with a nice little restaurant called the Hukilau Lanai.  We have eaten here several times during our Kauai visits.  This trip we stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night.  As usual the place was packed.  We did not have a reservation but arrived early enough to be seated.  After we were seated there was a wait and the bar was full.  The photo above was taken from our table.  Nice view of pool area and beyond is the ocean.  For starters we enjoyed the Adams Ahi Poki Nachos.  Crisp wonton chips layered with sashimi grade ahi poke, tomato, avocado and tobiko, topped with wasabi cream.  This dish has tons of potential but is a little too sweet for our taste.  The dish is full of furikake which is a sugared seaweed.  I loved the poke but could not eat the entire dish because of the sweetness.  Next we moved onto a nice Arugula salad which featured locally grown arugula, fresh beets, corn off the cob and a basil vinaigrette dressing.  This was a good salad but would be better if they added some other lettuce other than 100% arugula.  I liked the beets, corn and dressing. Entree items include Pasta, Steak, Prime Rib, Pork Tenderloin and fresh fish.  We tried the fresh Ahi Tuna served with okra gumbo and polenta.  I don't know if gumbo, polenta and ahi go together too well, but separately each was good.  The gumbo was spicy and full of flavor.    One good thing about the Hukilau Lanai is that they offer 20 different wines for under $20.  

SHAKA TACO - KAPAA

SHAKA TACOS

KAPAA, KAUAI

We are blessed to have a little beach shack on the beautiful Island of Kauai.  Not far from our place is a little taco shop called Shaka Tacos.  During our last stay we ventured into Shaka for the first time.  After several bad mexican food experiences on Kauai we were a bit skeptical and not too excited.  After looking at the menu which was posted on a large board, we were positive that this would be another waste of time and money.  The menu is very simple.  Tacos, Burritos, Tacquitos, Sopes, Quesidilla and Tortas done with veggies, shredded chicken, shredded beef, carne asada, pork, ahi or shrimp.  We opted for the chicken tacquitos ($7.00) and a shredded beef taco ($4.00) and carne asada taco ($5.00).  The food arrived quickly with a small pile of freshly cooked tortilla chips.  First bite was the shredded beef.  Wow....it actually had good flavor.  Next came the carne asada.  Wow....good flavor again.  Now onto the tacquitos.  Good flavor again.  All three were good.  I would order them all again.  The only thing missing was a good salsa or hot sauce.  If Shaka had some good sauce the tacos would be the best on Kauai.  Instead they offer bottles of Tapatio sauce (which I love).  The only other complaint would be the prices.  $7.00 for tacquitos and $5.00 for a small taco is just too much.  I will return again to Shaka Tacos.

SHAKA TACO

SHAKA TACO IN KAPAA, KAUAI