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Thursday, March 31, 2011

FISH SANDWICH DAY

FISH SANDWICH DAY
AT HOME AND THE OFFICE

Had a Fish Sandwich from Kahai Street Kitchen today for lunch.  They topped the fish with lettuce, tomato, onion and fried onions.  This was good so I bought some fresh Hawaiian Sword Fish that was on sale at the market.  Made my own version less the fried onions.

KAHAI STREET KITCHEN FISH SANDWICH WITH FRIED ONIONS
FRESH HAWAIIAN SWORDFISH  SANDWICH AT HOME

VINO ITALIAN TAPAS AND WINE BAR

VINO ITALIAN TAPAS
AND WINE BAR
HONOLULU, HAWAII 

Enjoyed another great meal at Vino with our good friends Tom and Arlene.  Once again, the evening was enhanced by Master Wine Sommelier, Chuck Furuya.  Chuck is the "man" when it comes to wine tasting in Hawaii.  I love the fact that he wears a pair of shorts and aloha shirts rather than a tuxedo with gold medals hanging from his neck.  We give Chuck a budget for our wine and he consistently delivers great wines at affordable prices.  He takes time to explain each wine, where it was made and any history associated with the winery.  In addition to Chuck, Vino has a great waiter that always treats us well.  He also is consistent and delivers great service while making us feel comfortable.  We always eat family style at Vino so everyone can enjoy a variety of different dishes.  On this visit we started with the Cheese and Salumi Platter.  Three really good cheeses and a variety of meats.  Loved the cheese.  We also tried the Calamari.  Pretty bland and the sauce was this brown stuff that I could not figure out.  The Ravioli Stuffed with Pumpkin and topped with shrimp was excellent.  The Beet Salad was lean on beets and really was not the best I have had at Vino.  These were smaller round beets that were light in color.  The Gnocchi with Crab on the side was a bit bland.  The Lamb Shank was just o.k. and the Osso Bucco was just o.k. too.  We tried the Snapper and it was o.k.  All of the entrees were served with the same mashed potatoes and tomato.  All of them the same.  Could not believe this.  Seems a little lazy.  We topped off the evening with a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream.  This was delicious.  The company and wine on this evening were outstanding.  The food however was just o.k.  I love Vino.  Just was expecting a bit more after several really great meals here.
Click below for another post on Vino Italian Tapas

CHEESE AND SALUMI PLATTER
CALAMARI WITH SOME ODD BROWN SAUCE
PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH SHRIMP
BEET SALAD
GNOCCHI WITH MUSHROOMS AND PEAS
LAMB SHANK
OSSO BUCCO
SNAPPER
GREAT CHOCOLATE 

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

SMOKED MARLIN SANDWICH

SMOKED MARLIN SANDWICH
DINNER AT HOME 

My good friend brought some Smoked Marlin back from his trip to Kona.  This is a real treat and one of my favorite snack foods.  While I was in Bali, Indonesia several years ago, we stayed at a hotel on the beach.  Each day we would visit the pool bar where they served Smoked Marlin Sandwiches.  Once we had one we were addicted and probably ate one every day during our visit.  With the Marlin in hand from Kona I made my version of my Bali favorite.  First I put a butter/garlic spread on the bun and seared it on the grill.  Then you thinly slice the smoked marlin and lay it on the bread.  Top the the marlin and add sliced red onion, capers and horseradish.  This sandwich is the BOMB.  You can also serve this dish without the bun.  Try this if you can get smoked marlin.  I guarantee you will love it.  TASTE OF HAWAII FAVORITE!
Click link below for more posts and recipes for Marlin;
http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2015/01/grilled-marlin.html

LARGE SMOKED MARLIN SANDWICH ON ROLL

MINI SMOKED MARLIN SANDWICH ON DINNER ROLL BUN

THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM - PACIFIC PALISADES

THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA 

Spent a wonderful day touring the museum and gardens at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Pacific Palisades.  Wow....what a beautiful property and first class museum of art.  How Getty assembled such priceless art and history in one place blows my mind.







BARRY MANILOW CONCERT AT UCLA

JASON ALEXANDER WAS HOST
BARRY MANILOW IN CONCERT
ROYCE HALL, UCLA
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Enjoyed a great concert by singing legend Barry Manilow.
Jason Alexander who was George on the Jerry Seinfield Show was the host.  Manilow still has it and really performed well. I could listen to him sing "Mandy" for hours.  Love the lyrics and melody.



ROYCE HALL AT UCLA
HOW DID I GET SO LUCKY
HOW DID I GET SO LUCKY TWICE
LUCKY TO HAVE DAD AND HEIDE TOO!

PAGE MUSEUM - LA BREA TAR PITS

PAGE MUSEUM - LA BREA TAR PITS
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

I visited the La Brea Tar Pits as a child on field trips.  What a joy it was to return with my family some 40 years later.  It is amazing to see this great site preserved smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles.  The Tar Pits are still here and you can view the tar bubbling at the top.  They are still excavating this site.

PAGE MUSEUM 








COCINA CUCAMONGA - CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK

COCINA CUCAMONGA
CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA 

After riding the California Screaming Roller Coaster, we stopped in for some tacos at Cocina Cucamonga at California Adventure Park adjacent to Disneyland.  The Steak Taco's are pretty good and served with some nice rice and beans.


COCNINA CUCAMONGA AT CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK
STEAK TACO PLATE
THE FAMILY ENJOYS THE RIDE

Monday, March 28, 2011

TONY P'S DOCKSIDE GRILL - MARINA DEL REY

TONY P'S DOCKSIDE GRILL
MARINA DEL REY, CALIFORNIA

We had a group of seven people looking for a meal on a Friday night in Los Angeles.  It was around 7:00 pm and the wait at The Cheesecake Factory was 90 minutes.  We called Tony P's Dockside Grill from our cell phone and they said they could accommodate us in around 20 minutes.  Tony P's it is we said.  We arrived to find the place pretty busy with the bar area filled to capacity.  The bar area is pretty cool.  It is set up kind of like a sports book in Las Vegas.  Long tables in front with high tops in the back.  All face the bar and a huge array of flat screen t.v.s playing sports.  The restaurant area is separated nicely from the loud bar and has indoor and outdoor seating.  We were seated quickly outside overlooking the marina.  The patio was enclosed with space heaters heating the area.  Our waiter was top notch and went out of his way to accommodate by Nephew Robbie who had his jaw wired shut.  All his food needed to be blended so he could drink it through a straw.  The waiter said "no probelm" and worked with the kitchen to pull off some great food drinks for Robbie.  We started with a bunch of appetizers.  Tony P's Famous Onion Rings ($7.50).  This is a gigantic pile of paper thin sweet onions that are marinated, seasoned and fried.  Wow....these were good and a bargain.  The Seafood "Guac" Tail ($8.50) was a huge mixture of chopped Florida Rock Shrimp, Blue Crab Meat, Pico De Gallo, Chopped Avocado and Lime.  Served with warm corn tortilla chips.  Wow again.  Another tasty bargain.  The Fried Clams ($7.50) was another bargain but there were far more french fries on the plate and not too many clams.  The Edamame ($5) was drenched in Sesame Oil which kind of ruined the natural flavor of the beans.  The Ahi Sliders ($11) was another Wow dish.  You get 8 crisp wonton skins topped with fresh Ahi Tuna and topped with spicy vegetables and wasabi aioli.  This would be $20 in Hawaii.  I absolutely loved the Ahi Sliders.  DELICIOUS!!!!   The Not Your Usual House Salad was around $5 for a half portion.  The half portion was huge and also super good.  We tried a full pound of Alaskan King Crab Legs ($39.95).  They cut the crab in half so it is easy to eat.  Sweet and delicious.  The Crab is served with a Baked Potato and Vegetables.  Another great deal.  The Wedge Salad was good but not great.  The House Smoked BBQ Chicken ($14.50) was a nice portion of chicken served with smoked beans with onions and jalapenos, cole slaw and fries.  The Grilled Shrimp Platter ($16.95) was a large plate of grilled shrimp topped with a light citrus bur blanc sauce.  There was also a large salad topped with chicken I think.  I really liked Tony P's.  The service was outstanding.  The food was good.  Really liked the appetizers and their affordable prices.

TONY P'S FAMOUS ONION RINGS
EDAMAME WITH SESAME OIL
FRIED CLAMS WITH FRIES
AHI SLIDERS - THESE ARE THE BOMB!
AHI SLIDER
SEAFOOD "GUAC" TAIL
NOT YOUR NORMAL HOUSE SALAD
ALASKAN KING CRAB DINNER

BBQ GRILLED CHICKEN 
GRILLED SHRIMP
SALAD WITH CHICKEN FINGERS
WEDGE SALAD
TONY P'S SPORTS BAR
SWEET "D" WITH ROBBIE AND JOSH