Road Tips

Hukilau Lanai - Kapa'a, HI

During our trip to Kauai earlier this year, we were looking for a good place to go out for a nice seafood in the area.  We were staying just south of Kapa'a along the eastern shore of the island and one of the bartenders at our hotel was telling us about a place that was at a resort just up the road - Hukilau Lanai.  We made reservations to have dinner there that evening.  

Hukilau is the term for a style of fishing ancient Hawaiians did from the shore.  "Huki" means "pull" in the Hawaiian language, while "lau" means "leaves".  Ancient Hawaiian fishermen would weave leaves from banana and coconut trees together to form a type of net that they would then swim with out into the ocean and pull back toward the beach to catch fish.  Similar types of fishing celebrations occur around Hawaii today.  And the term "lanai" is the Hawaiian word for "patio" and the Hukilau Lanai is an indoor/outdoor upscale seafood restaurant located in the Kauai Coast Resort At The Beachboy, a Shell Hospitality property in Kapa'a.  

The Hukilau Lanai dates back to 2002 when the Kauai Coast Resort opened up.   Alaskan transplants Wally and Roberta Wallace were the original owners of Gaylord's, a restaurant at the upscale Kilohana Plantation resort near Lihue that opened in 1986.  When the Kauai Coast Resort was in the planning stages, the Wallaces were contacted about running the restaurant there.  However, before the resort and restaurant opened, Wally Wallace passed away.  When the restaurant opened, they named the bar area Wally's Lobby Bar in memory of Wally Wallace.

Roberta Wallace, along with her daughter Paige and Paige's husband, Russ Talvi continued to run both the Hukilai Lanai and Gaylord's (changing the name to 22 North in the early 2000's as the 22 north parallel latitude runs through Kauai).  Working with them in running the kitchen and front of house at Hukilai Lanai was their talented chef Ron Miller and his wife, Krissi.  

Ron Miller grew up in Pennsylvania and got his first job washing dishes and bussing tables at The Sun Porch, a popular buffet restaurant in Hopwood, a small town near the West Virginia/Pennsylvania border.  Miller was a free-spirit and enjoyed the relationships he developed with people at the restaurant.  He eventually became a cook at The Sun Porch and moved on to the Allen Room (now the Allen Street Grill) in State College, PA.  

At the Allen Room, Miller was able to spread his culinary wings and offer foods made from scratch with a menu that sometimes changed daily.  The menus were all handwritten with what Miller was making that particular day from fresh foods he got from local food purveyors and markets.  

The Allen Room was small - it sat 35 people - so going from there to a large 400 seat restaurant in Northern Virginia was quite the stretch.  But he found that his acumen in running a restaurant was exactly what the struggling restaurant needed and business turned around while Miller was in charge of the place.  

It was at the Virginia restaurant that Miller met his wife, Krissi.  Married in the mid-90's, the Millers saw an opportunity to move to Hawaii and they ended up on Oahu in 1997 with Ron Miller assisting the famous Hawaiian chef/restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi at the original Roy's Hawaii Kai.  Roy Yamaguchi was one of the original 12 Hawaiian chefs who championed the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement of using locally raised foods and fresh caught fish from the Pacific Ocean.

After a couple of years at Roy's, the Millers moved to Kauai to work at Gaylord's partnering up with the Wallace family before the untimely passing of Wally Wallace.  When Hilukai Lanai opened in 2002, Ron and Krissi Miller made the transition to the new restaurant.   

Roberta Wallace, now Roberta Cline, was wanting to divest herself of the two restaurants on Kauai, and Paige and Russ Talvi were looking to move back to Alaska to open a summer lodge - they eventually opened the Port Ashton Lodge on Prince William Sound.  They sold their interest in the Hilukai Lanai to Ron and Krissi Miller who returned in 2010, then sold 22 North to another party who renamed it Gaylord's.

Pictured right - Ron and Krissi Miller.  Photo courtesy MidWeek Kauai.  

Along with the Millers, three of the four other chefs in the kitchen started at Hilukai Lanai when it opened in 2002.  Executive sous chef Bobby Krause and sous chefs Regie Anical and Adam Phelps have all been in the kitchen since day one.  Sous chef Eliza Vicoy is the "newby" having started at the restaurant in 2006.  In an industry where kitchen turnover is a problem, the kitchen at Hulikai Lanai is pretty stable.  

Initially, I tried to make reservations at Hulikai Lanai via Open Table, but it said that the earliest we could get in would be 8:30 p.m.  That's a little too late for my wife and we really wanted to eat there.  I've found that Open Table can sometimes be a little off with their reservation times and I ended up calling the restaurant to see if we could get in earlier.  Since the restaurant didn't open until 5 p.m., I got the answering machine.  I left a message that we would be interested in seating for two at 7:30, but would take 8:00 p.m. if 7:30 wasn't available.  Around 4 p.m. I got a call back from someone at the restaurant that 7:30 for 2 would be fine.  It was another instance where Open Table didn't help with requested times, but calling the restaurant got us in when we wanted.  

We pulled into the Kauai Coast Resort around 7:20 p.m., located just off the Kuhio Highway on the Aleka Loop.  (see map)  The next door Coconut Marketplace was undergoing some extensive renovations and many of the stores were closed due to construction.  We were hoping to visit the Lappert's Ice Cream shop after dinner, but those were one of the places that were closed.  

Coming into the resort, we found the small Wally's Lobby Bar next to the hostess stand.  We gave her our name and we were told it would be a short wait.  We sat at the bar and were getting ready to order a couple drinks when the hostess came back and said she was ready to seat us.  

The dining room had two levels on the inside and then the lanai past that.  The lanai was full and there were tables available on the two levels of the inside part of the restaurant.  (Open Table failed me again.)  We were seated along a wall looking out over the lower level and out into the lanai.  It was rather breezy outside with the trade winds coming off the ocean and we were more than happy to be inside than out that evening.   

After getting our menus from the hostess, our server for the evening - a young woman with the interesting name of Vannghi (Vonnie) - came over to great us.  From the moment she greeted us to the final part of setting down the check later in the evening we felt nothing but hurried by her.  She was nice, but she seemed pushy to get us to order drinks right away, to order our food long before we were ready, to take our plates long before we were done, and to push us into desserts at the end of the meal.  This was a nice place and we were going to savor the meal.  

They had live entertainment that evening in the form of a duo that called themselves Easy Living Jazz.   Helen Turner was on flute and acoustic guitarist Jeff Iglesia played a number of laid back classic jazz tunes.  All I could think about when she was playing the flute was the scene from the Will Ferrell movie "Anchorman" where his character Ron Burgundy was playing "yazz flute" in the jazz club.   But the music was enjoyable enough during our time at Hukilau Lanai.  We got a couple of mai tai's to drink (or in my case, sling back) while we perused the menu.  

Ron Miller completely believes in using sustainable, locally grown foods and fresh-catch seafood from the ocean.  He's a champion of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement that was started by his mentor Roy Yamaguchi (and others) and it's reflected on the menu at Hukilau Lanai.  The list of local farms, ranches and fishermen Hukilau Lanai uses on a daily basis is long and varied.   And since they opened in 2002, Hukilau Lanai follows a green initiative plan that recycles vegetable oil, coffee grounds, even crayons used for the kids to color with at the table.  They've also reduced the amount of energy and water they use in the restaurant, as well as reusing or composting paper products while offering non-styrofoam, biodegradable  containers for take-out orders.  

There were many interesting items on the menu including seafood, steaks, chicken dishes, pork tenderloin medallions, and something called Wally's Steak Crown Royal named after Wally Wallace and his penchant for Crown Royal Canadian whisky.  They were pan-seared peppercorn tenderloin medallions that were cooked in a Crown Royal demi-glace.  Those actually sounded pretty good.  But I was looking for fresh seafood that evening.  

We started off with one of the many appetizers - or pupus - on the menu at Hukilau Lanai, some poke nachos that were developed by sous chef Adam Phelps.  They consisted of ahi poke, locally grown sliced tomatoes and avocados, tobiko (flying fish roe), inamona (a Hawaiian relish-type condiment made from roasted kukui nuts), a wasabi cream sauce and placed on top of crispy wonton chips.  The fresh ahi poke was wonderful and all the taste sensations going on with the appetizer was almost mind-boggling.  This was a great opening for what promised to be a great meal.  

We shared a salad before dinner consisting of fresh greens from Kailani Farms, a sustainable organic farm on Kauai's north coast.  With the greens were fresh pickled beets, sweet corn off the cob and drizzled with a fresh vinaigrette.  For good measure - and $3 bucks more - I got some Maytag Blue Cheese on top of the salad.  At least, I asked if it was Maytag Blue as the dairy had been closed since February and a blanket recall of their cheese dating back to November of last year was in effect.  Vannghi went back to ask the chef if it was truly Maytag Blue and she came back moments later assuring us that it was, indeed, Maytag Blue Cheese.  It had been a significant time since the cheese had been recalled and I was a tad incredulous that this was real Maytag Blue Cheese.  Nonetheless, the salad greens were crisp, the beets had that sweet, yet earthy taste, and the blue cheese with the aged balsamic vinegar was pungent and forward in taste.  

For our main entrees, I looked long and hard at the Wally's Crown Royal Steak.  They also had an interesting meat loaf dish on the menu that was tempting me, as well.  But I ended up getting the Cajun-spiced Kajiki (the Hawaiian term for Blue Marlin).  It came on a bed of mashed potatoes with an onion brown sauce .  Sautéed spinach with a tropical flower perched on top of the marlin.  The fish was fresh, but it was a tad overcooked for me.  And I didn't get much of a spicy Cajun taste with the fish.  

Cindy looked long and hard at getting the Cajun-spiced Kajiki, too, and she almost went with the Hukilau mixed grill - various grilled seafood items with sugar cane-skewered shrimp.  It was served with an orzo (Italian barley) pasta in a cream sauce and topped with a Thai coconut-chile sauce.  Surprisingly though, she ended up ordering the macadamia nut-encrusted chicken breast.   It was served on top of locally grown veggies, then topped with cilantro, micro-greens and a yellow curry sauce.  She thought it was fabulous.  

Once again, we sort of felt rushed throughout the meal.  While I appreciate an attentive server versus one that just disappears, our server seemed to be pushing us to finish up so she could give us the dessert menu.  Twice she came by to clear plates when it was still evident that we were still eating as we were taking time to savor the meal between bites.  

When we were finally finished with our main entrees, well, of course we had to have dessert and I saw that they had a Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Creme Brûlée.  I'm a sucker for all that.  They also had a coconut lilikoi tart that my wife wanted to try.  We decided to get both.  

Oh!  Did I mention that it was also my birthday?  And a significant one, at that.  With the coconut lilikoi tart was a thin chocolate wafer with "Happy Birthday" spelled out on it.  My wife had evidently told the server at some point that it was my birthday (probably when I went to use the restroom).  A small box with a bow on top containing chocolates was also delivered by our server.  The creme brûlée had a nice charred crust to the top with a delicate and tasty custard underneath.  The taste of the vanilla was very prevalent.  However, the coconut lilikoi tart was out of sight.  It had a lilikoi coulis on the plate that went well with the tart taste of the pie.  We were both very happy with the desserts we got that evening.  

While we did feel hurried at times by our server, our overall experience at Hukilau Lanai was very favorable.  My Cajun marlin was a tad overcooked and I would have liked to have had some more spicy seasoning on it, but it was fine for what it was.  My wife loved her macadamia nut-encrusted chicken breast served on a bed of local vegetables with a Thai coconut-chile sauce.  The atmosphere at Hukilau Lanai was elegant, yet laid back with that Hawaii "aloha" vibe.   For being close to our hotel, Hukilau Lanai was a nice choice for a well-above average dinner that evening.  

Jay's Beef - Schiller Park, IL

A place that I had been reading about in a list of good Italian beef restaurants around Chicago was Jay's Beef with three locations around the greater Chicago area.  It turned out that the Schiller Park location for Jay's wasn't far from the hotel I was staying at near O'Hare Airport and one afternoon after a dealer visit I decided to go to that Jay's Beef location for a sandwich.  

Justin Fortuna was a noted athlete in the Chicago area who ended up playing basketball for DePaul University in the late 40's and early 50's.  But his first love was baseball, a sport that he played well past his 50th birthday after transitioning to softball.  Fortuna was a member of a national championship 16" softball team from 1969 thru 1972.  And when he wasn't playing softball, Fortuna was a basketball official and baseball umpire for over 30 years, culminating in 1996 when he was named to the Chicago Public League Coaches Hall of Fame for officials.   (Fortuna was also inducted into the Chicago 16" Softball Hall of Fame in 2014.)  

Justin Fortuna had a stint in the Army after graduating from DePaul, and coming back to Chicago after his tour of duty was over he became a clothing salesman.  In 1958, Fortuna opened his own clothing store - Justin's Mens Wear - a place he ran for three years.  After getting out of the clothing business, Fortuna sold aluminum siding for a number of years before changing vocational directions once again.  This time he got into the restaurant business.  

Pictured right - Justin Fortuna

Justin Fortuna's wife, Muriel, came from an Italian family that had their own secret recipe for Italian beef.  Muriel's mother, Edith, and Edith's sister Margie came up with the family recipe in the 1940's and passed it along to other family members.  Margie and her husband, Al, first owned an ice cream shop that they turned into an Italian beef sandwich shop.  Justin Fortuna decided to get into the Italian beef business and he took over a small building in the village of Harwood Heights in Northwest Chicago that was reportedly owned by notorious Chicago mob boss Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo.  Named after Justin and Muriel's oldest son, Jay's Drive-Inn opened its doors in 1976 in what Fortuna called a "shack".  (The original location was demolished in 1994 and a new building was built in its place.)  

In 1982, Fortuna opened the second Jay's - now called Jay's Beef - in Schiller Park, while a third location opened in Des Plaines in 1987.  Justin Fortuna passed away in 2000 at the age of 72 and his son Jay carried on with the restaurants.  Jay Fortuna opened a Chicago location on North Ave. in Wicker Park in 2007, but closed the Des Plaines location about five years ago.  Jay Fortuna's brothers - Frank and John - and his sister, Ginny, currently help out with the restaurants.  

The Schiller Park location for Jay's Beef is on W. Irving Park Ave. in the flight path of one of the runways from nearby O'Hare Airport.  (see map)  There's a small parking lot along the west side of the building.  The interior of the place is small - it seats maybe a couple dozen people, max - and is counter service only.  The menu is located on a small board next to the ordering area of the counter.   

The menu primarily consists of Italian beef and sausage sandwiches - there's an Italian beef/Italian sausage combo available - along with hot dogs, Polish sausages, a grilled chicken sandwich, burgers, and a ribeye steak sandwich.  On Friday's, Jay's serves up their famous pepper and egg sandwich.  Sides include fries, onion rings, chicken tenders, fried mushrooms, chicken wings, tamales and jalapeño cheddar poppers.  

For my first visit to Jay's Beef, I had to try the beef sandwich.  The Italian beef is cut thin and is very juicy from the gravy its simmered in.  Red pepper flakes and spicy giardiniera topped the sandwich that was served on spongy Italian bread from the Gonnella Bakery in nearby Schaumburg.  The sandwich was simply delicious.  The roast beef was tender and flavorful with a zesty taste thanks to the pepper flakes and the giardiniera.       

I also wanted to try one of their Chicago-style hot dogs.  Like many other places in the city, the hot dog came with crispy fries.  I got it with everything - chopped onions, neon-green sweet relish, tomato slices, a dill-pickle spear, sport peppers, yellow mustard and topped with celery salt.  The Vienna Beef hot dog had the signature "snap" to each bite.  It, too, was a very good Chicago hot dog.  

I wasn't all that interesting in the fries since I had an Italian beef sandwich AND a hot dog to eat, but I did try a couple just for the hell of it.  Those two turned into two more, then two more, etc., etc., because the French fries were very good - crispy on the outside, fluffy potato taste in the middle.  I find most French fries are either limp and greasy, or they're frozen, then deep-fried where the life is cooked out of them.  But the fries at Jay's Beef were fresh, crispy and flavorful.  

With all the Italian beef places around Chicago, there's a huge debate as to which one is the best.  I've found that most people like the ones they grew up with and many people in the Schiller Park and Harwood Heights areas think that Jay's Beef is the best.  I thought both the Italian beef and the hot dog were very good and delicious. But the French fries were simply wonderful.  Jay's Beef is a simple, no-frills place with good Chicago-style food at reasonable prices.  And it's been that way for 40 years. 

Island Taco - Waimea (Kauai), HI

On our day trip to the south and west sides of Kauai during our recent Hawaiian vacation (click here to read about that day), we ended up in the small village of Waimea.  It featured a number of little shops and even had a farmers market going on in the shadow of an abandoned sugar processing plant.  We were told about a place to have lunch there, but another place just across the street caught our eye and we decided to go there.  Here's the story of Island Taco and the lunch we had there that afternoon.

Kirk Marois was a native of Oahu who has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years.  In August of 1998 along with his wife Christine, the Marois' opened Grinds, a full service cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in Hanapepe on Kauai.  

It took Kirk Marois 12 years to come up with a concept for a new restaurant that he was planning to open in nearby Waimea.  He wanted to have a restaurant that had a Mexican influence by having house-made tacos filled with locally grown meats and fresh-catch seafood, serving them with house-made salsas and sauces.   But he didn't want to be pigeon-holed as a Mexican restaurant, but more of an island taco stand.   Along with their two daughters, the Marois' came up with the different types of tacos and chimichangas they would serve at their new restaurant.  The couple found an open-air place along the main highway in Waimea and opened Island Taco in 2010.  Just under a year ago, the couple opened a second Island Taco in the Poipu Shopping Village in the resort city of Poipu on Kauai's south side.  

Waimea is a sleepy little village along the Kamualii Highway that takes you to the west side of the island.  It has a black sand beach and a long pier that stretches out into the Pacific Ocean.  On the town's east side is Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park which was once home to the first fort built by Russians in Hawaii in the early 19th century.  Inside the fort was also the first Russian Orthodox church built in Hawaii as well as living quarters for 30 troops, and storage for ammunition and weapons.   The red dirt landscape of the park had a number of boulders that outlined the original fort with a Russian flag flying in the breeze coming off the ocean.  

We parked just down the street from a farmers market that was going on in an open space near an abandoned sugar mill.  We walked down the street to take a look at some of the shops that sold clothing, fruit, and knick-knacks.  Now, I was told about a place called the Shrimp Station that has locations in both Kapa'a and Waimea on Kauai as a good place to get some delicious shrimp.  But just across from the Shrimp Station in Waimea was Island Taco.  I'm a sucker for good fish tacos, so we went there.   (see map) 

There's not much to the interior of Island Taco - just an ordering counter with the menu on boards next to the counter.  There's seating under an awning as well as seating on picnic tables under umbrellas outside.  

For not wanting to be known as a Mexican restaurant, it's tough to distinguish between the Mexican influence and the island influence with the food at Island Taco.  They feature, of course, tacos, as well as burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and taco salads served in formed taco shells.  The stuff they put into the food is definitely Hawaiian from kalua pork, to fresh caught ahi tuna, to teriyaki grilled chicken, to locally sourced beef.  They also make their own chips at Island Taco.  

The seared wasabi ahi tuna tacos caught my eye right off the bat as did the kalua pork tacos.  Cindy was gearing more toward the wasabi ahi tacos, but wanted to have a bite or two of the kalua pork tacos if I got those.  We decided to get a couple of the seared wasabi ahi tuna tacos and a kalua pork taco to try.  We took a seat at a counter under the awning of the building and waited for our tacos.  Cindy had picked up a couple of cinnamon chip samples that were on the counter near the register and she was noshing on those while we waited.  Nearly everything is made from scratch at Island Taco and it was a good 15 minutes before our tacos showed up in front of us.

The seared wasabi ahi tuna tacos were filled with chunks of the seared tuna and mixed with cabbage, chopped tomatoes and finished with a wasabi aioli sauce.  Cheese normally comes with the tacos, as well, but I told them to hold the cheese on the fish tacos.  The tacos were big - somewhat justifying their $12.50 per taco price.  I got a side of ranch dressing with the tacos - that I didn't use - and a side of mild salsa that I did use, but only to eat with a side of chips Cindy got with her taco.

The pork taco featured smoked kalua pork mixed with lettuce and tomatoes, but we also decided against cheese on the kalua pork taco.  While we both had one of the seared wasabi ahi tacos, we shared the kalua pork taco.  All the tacos were served on a freshly made flour tortilla shell.  

And the tacos were, well, good.  Not great, but not bad.  I don't know if they were worth the price we paid for them ($11.50 for the kalua pork taco).  But it was something different that we don't usually get on the Mainland.  The wasabi ahi tuna tacos had a nice little spicy bite from the wasabi aioli and the tuna tasted fresh and not fishy at all.  The cabbage slaw helped balance the taste out between the fish and spicy bite.  The kalua pork had that great kalua taste that I like so much, but they were a little salty in their overall taste.  

The tacos we had at Island Taco were expensive - it was a $40 plus lunch after getting some chips to go along with some water with our tacos.  But everything is expensive in Hawaii so we weren't so taken aback by the sticker shock of the price of the tacos.  It's tough - to nearly impossible - to find good seared ahi tuna tacos in the Midwest and I don't think I've ever had kalua pork tacos before this.  Island Taco was emblematic of the laid-back aloha lifestyle that personifies the island of Kauai.  Were the tacos worth the price?  To some, probably not.   But it was a nice little place to have a good lunch in Waimea.   

Blueberry Hill Breakfast Cafe - Oak Brook, IL

My wife and I just had an exhausting 8+ hour flight from Maui to Chicago getting into O'Hare International Airport around 5:30 a.m.  It was exhausting in that we didn't get much sleep thanks to the obligatory screaming child on the flight.  Usually, screaming kids will quiet down after an hour or so.  But this kid was screaming for over half the flight.  Couple that with the fact that when we left Maui it was sunny, humid and 84 degrees and when we got into Chicago it was cloudy, drizzly and 44 degrees.  We needed to get something to eat before we drove back home that morning and we ended up stopping at a place in Oak Brook that I'd seen a few times in the past - Blueberry Hill Breakfast Cafe. 

The Oak Brook Blueberry Hill is one of seven locations of the restaurant around the greater Chicagoland area found mainly on the south, southwest and far western suburbs.  Each restaurant opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. daily.  (The Oak Brook location stays open until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.)  The restaurants offer farm fresh breakfasts as well as soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and burgers for lunch.    

The Blueberry Hill Breakfast Cafe in Oak Brook is located in the Oak Brook Promenade shopping and entertainment center along Butterfield Road.  (see map)  It was around 7:30 when we got into the restaurant and there was a smattering of people in the place.  We were seated in a comfy booth in the larger of the two dining rooms in the restaurant and given menus.  Our server, Melissa, came over with some coffee which Cindy took, but I asked if they had espresso available.  She said they did and I ordered a triple espresso just to get my groggy brain going on that somewhat dreary morning.    

They had a little bit of everything for breakfast at Blueberry Hill - pancakes, waffles, omelets, French toast, skillets, as well as classic breakfasts like eggs Benedict, and steak and eggs, as well as a number of Mexican-influenced breakfasts.  They also have fresh squeezed orange juice at Blueberry Hill and I ordered a large glass of that to go along with my espresso.  

With "Blueberry" in the name, I automatically assumed that they'd have a number of breakfasts featuring blueberries.  Anything with blueberries is my favorite for breakfast and while I thought about getting the blueberry waffles - a featured breakfast at Blueberry Hill - I ended up getting the blueberry crepes.  Melissa asked me if I wanted the blueberries served plain or glazed.  I didn't know what she was getting at with the "glazed" description - I thought they were covered with a powered sugar.  But she said it was like a compote.  I took the blueberries plain.  

Cindy got the California skillet with scrambled egg whites.  It featured fresh spinach, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and goat cheese on top of American fries.  She had a choice between toast and pancakes and she got the toast.  She was happy that she didn't get the pancakes as there was a lot of food in her skillet.  She knew she wouldn't be able to eat the whole thing.  

My crepes were light and tasty, filled with a slug of blueberries in the three crepes.  A light dusting of powdered sugar were on top of the crepes.  I was pretty hungry - we hadn't eaten since we left Maui - and I was able to make short work of the crepes.  I got a side of thick cut bacon as a side with the crepes.  It was a great breakfast.

Cindy loved her California skillet.  She said the veggies were fresh and flavorful, and the potatoes were very good.  But it was just a lot of food.  She was able to eat just over half of the breakfast before she threw in the towel.  

If you're in the south, southwest or west suburbs of Chicago and you're looking for breakfast, I recommend that you look no further than Blueberry Hill Breakfast Cafe.  With seven locations, a full and interesting breakfast menu, a helpful and friendly wait staff, and a comfortable setting it's tough to beat a place like Blueberry Hill.  

Hanalei Gourmet - Hanalei, HI

Our new "Heaven-on-Earth" place is the small Hawaiian village of Hanalei on the north side of the island of Kauai.  We spent a good portion of two days in Hanalei during our visit to Kauai earlier this year and we really fell in love with the place - from the laid-back feeling of the shops and restaurants to the beautiful half-moon shaped bay where we spent hours just walking along the beach.  When I get in a funk, I switch on this video that takes me back to my mind's happy place.  As we were walking among the shops of Hanalei, we came across a little restaurant that was housed in the Old Hanalei School, an interesting little place called The Hanalei Gourmet.  After taking a look at the lunch menu posted outside the door, we decided to try the place for lunch.  (see map) 

Tim Kerlin grew up primarily in Virginia, the son of a career man for the United States Department of Defense.  Along with his wife, Andi, they moved to Hawaii in the mid-1980's.  Just after their two children were born in the late 80's, the Kerlin's were ooking for a place to open up as a delicatessen.  However, they were rebuffed at every turn from banks who wouldn't finance them in their endeavor.  Tim Kerlin then met Gaylord Wilcox, a developer whose family was at one time one of the largest land owners in Hawaii with sugar and pineapple plantations on four islands.  Wilcox had taken over ownership of the former Hanalei school and was looking to put in shops and eateries in the old classrooms.  

Kerlin had a 90 page business plan that was detailed down to the last penny of expenses he was expecting to incur and he showed it to Wilcox.  Wilcox was so impressed with Kerlin's business plan that he got in touch with his personal banker, arranged for Kerlin's business loan and co-signed on the loan.   The Hanalei Gourmet opened in March of 1990.  

Over time, the little deli was transformed into a formal sit down restaurant complete with a bar area.  The menu expanded and it garnered a reputation for interesting locally sourced foods in a laid-back atmosphere.  While Tim Kerlin oversees the restaurant, Andi Kerlin handles the books.  Tim has publicly credited Andi for keeping the business going all these years.

The space that houses The Hanalei Gourmet is a well-lit room that features artwork from local artists hanging on the wall.  The windows that look out behind the bar area frame the mountains that ring the small village.  While it was laid-back, it was also somewhat of a vibrant atmosphere.  An NBA game was playing on the televisions that hung above the bar area.  With a five hour time zone difference between Iowa and Kauai, it was sort of weird to see an NBA game on TV at 2 p.m. in the afternoon in Hawaii.  

Off to the side of the dining room was the deli part of Hanalei Gourmet.  The deli is the original part of Hanalei Gourmet before they expanded their menu a number of years ago.  The deli opens at 8 a.m. for people who are looking for sandwiches to take to nearby beaches or when they go hiking in the mountains along the Na Poli Coast.  Lox and bagels are also available from the deli all day long.   

Our server for our visit, Rachel, came over to greet us, drop off a couple of menus and to take our drink order. Cindy got a glass of pinot grigio and I saw that they had Kona Brewing Co. Big Wave Golden Ale on tap at the bar.  Big Wave is my favorite beer dating back to our first visit to Hawaii over six years.  

Lunch begins at 11 a.m. and goes through 5:30 p.m. when they switch over to the dinner menu at The Hanalei Gourmet.  Lunch is primarily sandwiches, burgers, salads, and appetizers - known as pupus in Hawaii.  For dinner, they take away the sandwiches, but add pasta dishes as well as main entrees such as seafood, steaks, chicken dishes and a charbroiled pork loin.  

I wasn't quite sure what I wanted for lunch that day.  They had peel & eat shrimp on the appetizer menu that I came close to getting.  A pastrami and Swiss on dark rye bread was also a thought.   They had a specialty reuben sandwich called The Hanalei Sailor that caught my eye which featured a double portion of corned beef topped with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on dark rye, then grilled.  Any of those would have been fine for lunch.

But I ended up going the burger route and ordered one of the three burgers they had featured on their menu - Moe's Ultimate Burger.  The basic burger on the menu is called Big Tim's burger which is a 6 ounce local beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles.  Moe's Ultimate burger takes the Big Tim's burger and adds pepper jack cheese, an avocado slice, and bacon.  It's served on a toasted sesame seed bun.   A side of fries came with the burger.  

The burger was thick and juicy.  It was chargrilled and while I like a flat-grilled burger better, the taste of this burger was delicious.  It was cooked to what I would call a perfect medium with a hint of pink in the middle.  The "toasted" bun wasn't all that toasted, but it was fine.  It was a four napkin burger with everything that was piled high on top of the patty.

Cindy went with the fish and chips - beer-battered fresh catch of the day fish, deep fried and served with fries, Asian coleslaw and a soy wasabi sauce.   The fish appeared to be light and flaky with a nice batter on the outside.  Cindy thought it was simply delicious.  

We lingered for awhile after finishing up our lunches enjoying the atmosphere at The Hanalei Gourmet.  Rachel tried to tempt us with some dessert or an after-lunch drink such as one of their house mai tai's.  We put a significant dent in the mai tai supply while we were in Hawaii, but we decided to go out and take a look at some of the shops that were down the way from The Hanalei Gourmet in the Old Hanalei School.   The slow pace and laid-back feel of the place was refreshing and relaxing.  

The Hanalei Gourmet was one of those memorable places where the food was good, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was relaxing, cozy and comfortable.  I enjoyed my burger very much while my wife was more than happy with her beer-battered fresh catch fish.  Had we had more time in Hanalei we probably would have gone back just to have a mai tai at the bar while looking out the old school windows to the mountains beyond.  The Hanalei Gourmet is a "can't miss" if you go to Hanalei. 

Starboard Market - Clear Lake, IA

We like to stop in Clear Lake, IA when we pass by on our way either to or from the Twin Cities.  On a trip to the Twin Cities earlier this year, we stopped in Clear Lake around the lunch hour to look for something to eat.  Along Main Ave. in the downtown area are a number of shops and small restaurants.  We found a little deli a couple three blocks from the lake that we wanted to try - the Starboard Market.  (see map)  

Roger Poole worked for the railroad and his job took him to a number of places around the nation.  Along with his wife, Sue, and their three children - Jennifer, Katie and Brian - the family moved a number of times depending upon his job.  They lived in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin before ending up in the Des Moines area in the 1980's.  Sue - who was a high school English teacher - was also a good cook encouraging her daughters to help out during family meals so they could learn their way around a kitchen.

Roger and Sue bought a house in Clear Lake in 1993 and the family moved there in 1999 after Roger retired. Hoping to turn some of her kitchen smarts into a small business, Sue Poole opened a little deli that featured sandwiches, soups, salads and baked goods.  She gave the place a nautical theme and called it the Starboard Market.  

Sue and her daughter Jennifer ran the deli with Roger helping out by bussing tables.  Katie would work in the deli during her summer breaks from college, and with some arm-twisting from her older sister she started to work in the deli full time after she graduated.   While the deli was only open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the family was always at the deli by 5 a.m. baking the lemon bars and brownies they sold along with the house-made pasta and vegetable salads they had available to go along with their deli sandwiches.  

In December of 2005, the Poole family had double devastating news.  Roger Poole was diagnosed with prostate cancer and two weeks later Sue Poole was diagnosed with multiple myeloma after she fell on some steps and shattered her leg.  Roger's cancer was removed from his body in March of 2006, but Sue Poole underwent a number of procedures over the years including hip replacements, two stem cell transplants and multiple surgeries before succumbing to cancer in September of 2012.   Jennifer and Katie carried on her mother's legacy and continue to run the little deli to this day.  

We got into the Starboard Market just after 1 p.m. and found a small line at the counter ordering sandwiches.  The place was not very big - it sat, maybe, 20 people on glass-topped four-seater tables.  

On the wall behind the counter was the menu of sandwiches, soups, salads and sides the Starboard Market had to offer.  Katie Poole was at the counter and she took our order for lunch.  The menu featured over two dozen specialty sandwiches including a traditional muffuletta sandwich, the Market tuna salad sandwich, and a sandwich known as "The Dude", which is Jennifer Poole Coffman's nickname for her younger sister who came up with the concoction.  The sandwich featured sliced turkey breast topped with pepperjack cheese, bacon, lettuce, red onion slices and finished with some ranch dressing and served on a kaiser roll.  It's the most popular sandwich at the Starboard Market.   

The case next to the order counter held all the salads and sides the deli had to offer.  They had broccoli salad, different pasta salads - some with meat, potato salad and a number of other items to choose from to go along with the sandwiches, all of which are made in house.   The Starboard Market also offers a number of gluten free items on their menu, as well.  

On the counter near the register were a number of dessert bars to choose from.  They featured cookies - chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodle were some of the ones they had that day - as well as a number of fresh-baked bars such as cheesecake brownies, scotcheroos, and vanilla toffee bars.  The lemon bars looked especially scrumptious.  

After ordering our sandwiches, we took a seat at a table.  On one wall were a number of historical boats that were seen on Clear Lake up to 80 years ago - and more.  Some were excursion boats that took people on sight-seeing tours around the lake, while others were large privately owned vessels.  

Keeping with the nautical theme of the deli, along another wall were a number of framed old advertisements for Dodge boats that were popular in the 1920's and 30's.  These classic wooden runabout boats were on Clear Lake for a number of years and a restored Dodge boat from the 30's fetches well into six figures.   

They allow customers to build their own sandwiches at the Starboard Market as they offer nearly a dozen different meats or spreads, a like number of cheeses to choose from, nine different types of breads, and a number of condiments and sliced vegetables to compliment any sandwich.  I went with my favorite style of deli sandwich - the pastrami and Swiss cheese with yellow mustard on pumpernickel rye bread.  Cindy talked me into getting a side of the pasta salad because she wanted to try some.  

Cindy got half of the Capone speciality sandwich - sliced prosciutto and ham along provolone and mozzarella cheese, topped with roasted red bell peppers, lettuce, tomato, oregano and finished with a red wine vinegar and oil and served on a hoagie bun.  She got the broccoli salad to go along with her sandwich.   

My sandwich was very good - the pastrami was lean and flavorful, piled high on the moist and spongy pumpernickel rye.  The Swiss cheese on the sandwich had a fresh and forward taste that perfectly complimented the pastrami.  I had a couple bites of the pasta salad, but Cindy ate more of it than I did.  I was more interested in trying to finish the wonderful sandwich.  

 

Cindy's sandwich was also piled high with meats, cheeses, and veggie on the thick hoagie bun.  "I'm glad I only got a half," she said as she was making her way through the sandwich.  "A full would be two meals for me."  She said she couldn't make up her mind which she liked more - the pasta salad with olives, chopped green peppers and chopped cheese, or the broccoli salad.   She was more than happy with her lunch.    

 

The people who live in and around Clear Lake are pretty lucky.  They have a quality family-run delicatessen that would work well in a much larger market.  We enjoyed the sandwiches as well as the pasta and broccoli salads they had to offer.  This was a great little place for lunch and expect lines out the door some days as they're only open for three and a half hours five days a week.  

Monkeypod Kitchen - Wailea, HI

When we went back to Maui earlier this year, we were staying in a rented room in a condo at the Grand Champions Resort in Wailea.  I was hoping to be able to try the restaurant they had on the premises, Joe's Bar & Grill, a restaurant owned by renown Hawaiian restaurateur and chef Bev Gannon.  However, in 2015 she had leased the restaurant to two guys who turned it into a Mexican place that didn't work out.  She was left holding the lease - along with a number of debts the two had accumulated - and she ended up just closing the place to focus on her other two restaurants, Gannon's - A Pacific View Restaurant at the Wailea Golf Club just down the road (click here to read our visit to Gannon's), and the Hali'imaile General Store in the Upcountry of Maui (click here to read about our visit to the Hali'imaile General Store).  However, we were told that a new restaurant had opened up just walking distance from the Grand Champions Resort, one that wasn't here on our first visit.  For dinner one evening, we made the short trek to the Monkeypod Kitchen.  

The man behind the Monkeypod Kitchen is chef Peter Merriman who - along with Bev Gannon - was one of the original 12 Hawaiian-based chefs that first championed Hawaiian Regional Cuisine 25 years ago.  His first restaurant, the eponymous Merriman's in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii, has won numerous awards in its nearly 30 years of existence.  (Click here to read about our visit to Merriman's on our visit to the Big Island over six years ago.)   There are two other Merriman's locations - one on Maui in Kapalua, and the other on Kauai in Lihue.  (We also ate at the now-closed Merriman's Market Cafe during our original stay on the Big Island.  It was one of the finest burgers I've ever had complete with one of the juiciest and tasty tomatoes I've ever tasted.)  

Pictured right - Peter Merriman.  

Merriman opened the Monkeypod Kitchen, a much more casual restaurant compared to his namesake restaurants, in February of 2011.  His goal was to be more eco-friendly with the only bottles available in his restaurant being wine bottles.  He had a beer tap system that delivered 36 beers that were all refrigerated at 29 degrees.  The food that is served at the Monkeypod Kitchen is all sourced locally from produce farms, ranches, and local fishermen.  In December of 2012, Merriman opened a second Monkeypod Kitchen location in the Ko Olina resort on Oahu.  

The Wailea Monkeypod Kitchen location is located in the Wailea Gateway Center where the Piliani Highway turns into Wailea Ike Drive.  (see map)   We decided to walk to the restaurant as it was about a five minute walk from where we were staying.   When we got into the place, we found that it was a 30 to 45 minute wait for a table.  

We sidled up to the the ornate and interesting bar and were greeted by one of the bartenders, Jon, who gave me a beer list to look through.  I was sort of surprised that they didn't have any of the Kona Brewing Company beers on tap at the Monkeypod Kitchen, but they did have the Maui Brewing Company's Big Swell IPA - a beer that I enjoyed many times while we were in Hawaii earlier this year.  

Cindy got a mai tai - naturally.  Only this mai tai was unique in that it was made with Old Lahaina light rum, Maui dark rum, lime, mac-nut orgeat, orange curaçao and finished on top with a honey-lilkoi foam.  it was finished off with a thin slice of pineapple.  This was a killer mai tai, so good that I had to have one after I finished my beer.  

The dining room at Monkeypod Kitchen features wood beamed-ceilings that were positioned to cut down on the ambient noise in the space.  It had sort of an contemporary-island atmosphere to the dining area.  

There is a wonderful outdoor patio area along the south side of the Monkeypod Kitchen.  Of course, it was an even longer wait to sit out there that evening.  The patio was illuminated with Edison light bulbs and had a nice laid-back island vibe.  

After about 35 minutes at , we were shown to a back corner table/booth.  It was comfortable, but a little too cozy for two people to spread out in.  We were given menus and after a bit our a server for the evening, Renee - a little blonde with an even disposition - came over to greet us.  We both ordered mai tai's for our drinks for dinner.  

A couple things jumped out at me on the menu.  One was the fresh catch fish tacos consisting of that day's fresh fish, served on a locally made double corn taco shell, tomatillo salsa, fresh avocado slices, locally grown tomatoes and sliced jalapeños.  Right below it on the menu, they had an Asian pork taco made with locally-handcrafted kimchee, jalapeños, chopped asian pears and finished with a sriracha aioli.  They also had fresh poke tacos on the appetizer list made with raw ahi tuna, ginger, chopped cabbage, an avocado cream sauce, and soy sauce and served on deep-fried wonton shells.  Every one of those sounded great.  

But when it came time to order, I took a completely different turn.  Remembering how great the burger was at Merriman's Cafe on the Big Island six years prior, I went with the Pete's Classic burger that featured a locally-grown beef patty and topped with gruyere cheese, Unami mushrooms, and a horseradish creme sauce.  I asked Renee if they could put tomato slices on the burger and she said that would be no problem.

The burger came with parmesan/garlic fries, but I knew I wouldn't be concentrating so much on those as I would the burger.  It was stacked high when it came to the table and I had to open it up to take a look at the two deep red tomato slices that I asked for on the burger.  If you're a regular reader of Road Tips and if you've seen previous entries on our trips to Hawaii, I think the tomatoes grown on Hawaii are the best in the world.  I don't know if it's the volcanic soil or the long growing season, but their flavor is the best I've ever had.  And on a burger they completely enhance the overall taste.  And they did the job very well on this burger - which was already very good before the tomatoes were added to it.  

Cindy ended up getting the fish special that day - a locally-caught Lehi (also known as the Silver Mouth fish), a snapper fish that has similar features as a tuna, but with a fresh and moderate flavor.  It came with capers, curry and lemongrass in a cream sauce on a bed of spinach.   She absolutely loved it.  She offered me a bite of the fish and while it was light and flaky, I thought it the lemongrass was too overpowering for the taste.  Cindy - who loves lemon with fish - thought it was just right.   Either way, I loved my burger and she loved the Lehi entree.  

Renee did her best in trying to convince us to try one of their signature tropical creme pie desserts with a choice of coconut, strawberry, or banana.  She also had a number of different sorbets or gelato available in chocolate, vanilla or coffee flavors.  But we were stuffed - and half-assed drunk from the wonderful, and rum-packed, mai tai's they served at the Monkeypod Kitchen.  

While I was upset that Joe's is out of business and never got a chance to try the place, I had to say that I was more than happy with the meal we had at the Monkeypod Kitchen.  It was a little cramped and cozy in the corner seat, but the food - especially the burger - was very good.  My wife was very happy with the fresh-caught lehi she had that evening.  The atmosphere was vibrant and festive, the service was professional and prompt, and the overall impression we walked away with from the Monkeypod Kitchen was overly favorable.  With the cold craft beer on tap and the world-class mai tai's they served, I would have probably bellied up to the bar more than once if we had more time on this trip to Maui.  

Verde - Kapa'a, HI

During our first night on Kauai earlier this year, we were sort of looking around for places to eat.  Fish tacos sounded good to me and we were told of a place in Kapa'a just up the road from where we were staying that supposedly had great fish tacos with a Southwestern style.  We looked up the address for Verde and went there for dinner that evening.  

Josh Stevens grew up in Albuquerque and his mother was a prolific cook.  She made her signature stacked enchiladas on a weekly basis for the family, as well as her own Hatch chile salsa.  Josh eventually went to culinary school, ending up as the poissonnier (fish chef) at La Mer on Oahu, before becoming the sous chef at Black Rock Kitchen at the Sheraton hotel on Maui.  It was a hectic restaurant and Stevens felt that he needed to get away from the pressures of a high-profile restaurant that did millions of dollars in revenue annually.

Stevens wanted to get back to his New Mexican roots and make foods that he grew up with.  In late 2007, he and his wife, Maris Manzano-Stevens, decided to move to Kauai to open a Mexican/Hawaiian/Southwestern restaurant in Kapa'a.  They opened Verde in March of 2008.  Stevens sourced the chiles for his sauces from New Mexico, coming up with a red salsa and a green salsa that they now have commercially distributed in stores on Kauai.  

Josh Stevens and Maris Manzano split about five years ago with Stevens eventually moving to Panama and Maris keeping Verde.  Along with her brother Carlo, who worked with Josh Stevens in the kitchen learning the intricacies of Southwestern cooking, Maris Manzano continues to work with local growers and fishermen to provide Verde with the freshest ingredients while continuing to source chiles from New Mexico.  

Verde is located in the Kapa'a Shopping Center along Kuhio Highway just as you come into the southern side of Kapa'a.  (see map)  It's actually back off the main road a bit in the strip mall, hidden by a gas station along the highway.

It was around 7:30 when we got in there and the place was about half-full.  Verde is not that large of a place - it seats 28 inside with the possibility of 8 or 12 more in tables in front of the place.  Verde underwent a renovation a couple years ago complete with a granite-topped bar, new wooden walls to give it a rustic feel, new tables and chairs, as well as new lighting fixtures.  It used to be a counter-style place, but they went to full-service along with a full bar at the time of the renovation.  While Verde wasn't large, we didn't have the feeling of being cramped in the place.

We were greeted by one of the servers, Doug, who said that we could sit anywhere inside, but if we wanted to sit outside we couldn't get alcohol served to us.  We wanted margaritas so we took a table inside the small space.  

Doug brought us out some fresh-made chips as well as a couple of margaritas served in Ball glass jars.  He also brought out some of the red salsa that they make at Verde. It had a bit of a bite on the back end that gave it a little zip.  I asked Doug if we could get some of the chile verde sauce.  "It's a little hotter than the red," he warned us when he brought it to our table.  While the first bite of the green salsa did get my attention, I didn't think it was much more hot than the red salsa.  Either way, they were both tasty and helped the delicious margaritas flow down rather easily.

40% of the menu at Verde is vegetarian and they source much of the food the serve from nearly a dozen different organic farms on Kauai.  Hormone-free grass-fed beef comes from the Makaweli Beef Company on Kauai, while local fishermen provide fresh catch fish for the daily menu.  

The fresh catch that day was mahi mahi and that's what Cindy got - blackened mahi mahi tacos served in a crispy taco shell.  They came with cabbage, guacamole, pico de gallo, an aioli sauce and crispy corn strips.  Cindy got the refried beans and rice on the side as she is wont to do with Mexican food.  She thought the mahi mahi tacos were just excellent.  "Every bite, it's so fresh," she exclaimed after finishing the first of her two tacos.

I was leaning toward getting the rare-seared ahi tuna tacos, but I was sort of intrigued with the stacked enchiladas, something that original chef Josh Stevens got from his mother.  They were three tortilla shells layered with cheese, a choice of either the red sauce or green chile sauce with a choice of a marinated adovada pork, Makaweli beef, or the day's fresh catch.  I asked Doug if there was a possibility of getting the stacked enchiladas with just one of the seared ahi tuna tacos.  He said it would be absolutely no problem.  I ordered the pork for my enchiladas along with the green sauce.  

The enchiladas were covered in the Hatch chile sauce, shredded cheese and topped off with fresh cilantro and tomatoes.  It came with a side of rice and a some refried beans.  

Looking at the make-up of the stacked enchiladas, there was a liberal amount of the adovado marinated shredded pork on three layers.  Adovado marinated pork is something that you'll find more in New Mexico than in Mexico with the marinade consisting of red chiles, oregano and vinegar.  It's similar to al pastor only the pork is fermented in a crock pot for hours before it is served.  Honestly, I didn't care how they prepared it because it was simply delicious.  

The stacked pork enchiladas were so good that I had to stop and concentrate on the ahi tuna taco or I wouldn't have the appetite left for it if I had eaten all of the enchiladas.  It was similar to the ones Cindy had with the chopped cabbage, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo, and the corn crisps on top.  The slightly-seared ahi tuna was extremely fresh without a hint of a "fishy" taste.  The overall taste of the taco was outstanding.

But I was more than happy with the pork adovado enchiladas that I got as my main meal.  The green Hatch chile sauce they had on the enchiladas was fresh and had a nice little kick to the taste.  I couldn't finish what I had, but I made a significant dent on the big plate of food I was served.  

Doug came over to see if we wanted another margarita.  I told him that we were fine.  Then he tried to tempt us with one of the many desserts they have at Verde.  He was explaining the spiced chocolate dulce de leche cake that was made exclusively for Verde by the Kō Bakery located down in Lihue.  While it did sound tempting, I was so full from my stacked enchiladas and ahi tuna taco that I couldn't have even thought about getting anything else to eat that evening.   Plus the place had gotten full by around 8:30 (they closed at 9 p.m.) and we thought we'd give up our seats to some people who were waiting to eat.  

We were thoroughly happy with our meal at Verde that evening.  The fish tacos and the stacked pork enchiladas were fresh, flavorful and delicious.  Both the house-made red and green salsas were superb, as was the laid-back and hip service that we received.  While it wasn't fancy, this was one of the better meals we had while we were in Hawaii on this trip.  And quite simply, this was one of the better Mexican-style dinners I'd ever had. 

Red Stag Supperclub - Minneapolis

My wife and I spent an extended weekend in the Twin Cities for our 21st wedding anniversary earlier this year and for our Saturday night dinner we had a number of different options.  One place that I had on my "Restaurants to Visit" list for a long time is a supper club-style restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis.  I was showing it to my wife on-line and she thought that it sounded like it would be a great place for dinner.  I made reservations for the two of us at the Red Stag Supperclub.  

The Red Stag Supperclub is one of eight restaurants under the watchful eye of Kim Bartmann that includes Bryant-Lake Bowl (click here to see the Road Tips entry on that place), Barbette, Pat's Tap and Tiny Diner.  Bartmann, a native of Appleton, WI who came to the Twin Cities to study at the University of Minnesota over 30 years ago, opened her first place - Cafe Wyrd - a small coffeehouse/bistro in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood.  She took over Bryant-Lake Bowl in 1993 turning the run-down bowling alley into a hip place that featured bowling, live theater performances and blue collar beers with down-home food.  

After turning Cafe Wyrd into the toney Cafe Barbette in 2001, Kim Bartmann was looking to do something completely different for a restaurant.  Her sister Kari had joined her in her restaurant endeavors and they wanted to do something that reminded the sisters of their Wisconsin upbringing - a supper club-type restaurant like the ones they visited when the family would vacation in Northern Wisconsin.  They looked at NE Minneapolis as the spot they'd like to put their restaurant and they found an old warehouse that used to house a mechanical contractor.  Taking over the space and turning it into a restaurant took some planning and work.  They were able to finally open the doors to the Red Stag Supperclub in the summer of 2007.  

Pictured right - Kim Bartmann

Recognizing that restaurants use more energy than most small businesses - up to 40% of their monthly operating budgets are earmarked for energy costs - Kim Bartmann saw the need for a reduced use of water and power in her new restaurant.  She started to turn her restaurants into more eco-friendly establishments by composting, recycling, and solar power.  But with Red Stag, she went even further.  With modern technologies in place to use less water, she also had contractors put in nothing but LED light bulbs effectively cutting down the power usage for lights by 90%.  

In February 2009, Red Stag Supperclub was designated as a certified LEED restaurant, the first restaurant in Minnesota to gain the certification from the United States Green Building Council.  LEED - also known as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - is a certification that is given to buildings, both commercial businesses and private homes, that designates them to be of the utmost in energy efficiency. In all, Red Stag uses 50% less energy and 70% less water than similarly sized restaurants.  

We had made our reservations for 7 p.m. and we got to the Red Stag around 6:45.  We pulled up to the building with the distinctive red stag deer hanging from the front corner of the restaurant and valeted the car.  (see map)   Since we were a little early, we sat the bar and got a drink.

The space that Red Stag inhabits is an interesting mix of melding the old industrial look with modern technology.  Wood beams across the ceiling conceal the LED lighting, while large windows on the eastern and southern side of the building allowed the natural evening light to come in.  Even with the abundance of wood throughout the dining area, it didn't seem to be that loud in there.  

The kitchen area is in the back of the dining area of the restaurant.  The open kitchen was bustling with cooks and servers orchestrating orders to get out to customers.  Brian Crouch and Andrew Ernst are the co-chefs in the kitchen at Red Stag Supperclub.  

We were shown to a seat in the back corner of the restaurant along the east side, near the kitchen.  We were given menus and not long after that our server for the evening, Teresa, came over to greet us.  I ordered up a bottle of the Liberty School cabernet for our meal.  

When I think of a supper club, I think of steaks, chicken, seafood, relish trays and salad bars.  While they do have steaks on the menu at Red Stag, they also have some pretty interesting items, as well.  Instead of fresh walleye they have a cedar-planked golden trout entree.  Instead of fried chicken they have a roasted half chicken served with herb-mashed potatoes.  And instead of a salad bar, they had salad plates made with either raw kale or organic greens.  But they actually did have a relish tray on the menu, one that cost $7 dollars with pickled vegetables and eggs.  And on Friday nights they have an authentic Wisconsin-style fish fry.  

We decided to start out by sharing a burrata caprese salad plate.  It was a sliced preserved tomato coupled with fresh house-made burrata cheese - a combination of a mozzarella outer shell with stracciatella cream on the inside - along with arugula, fresh basil and topped with a green olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.  Along with the burrata caprese salad came a bowl of leavened bread with a white butter bean spread infused with truffle oil and garlic.  The taste of the cream burrata cheese with the tomato slices and fresh greens was heavenly.  The leavened bread was also a nice little treat and while I was a little hesitant about the white bean spread, but I thought it was very good.  It was a nice start to the meal.  

Cindy got the schweinshaxe - a slow-roasted pork hock that was served with fingerling potatoes, roasted parsnips, kale and a kumquat preserve.  The pork was tender and pulled away easily from the bone.  It was a hearty and savory meal.

One thing caught my eye on the menu from the time that I first looked at it was the braised beef stroganoff.  It came with beet tagliatelle pasta noodles, sliced mushrooms, charred onions, tart French-style cornichon pickles, and all sitting in a soured crême friache sauce.  The beef seemed to be a little dry and overcooked, but it was still edible.  The cream sauce helped moisten up the beef somewhat and gave it a good flavor.  

Teresa tempted us with some desserts when we were finished with our meals.  Anything with lemon and blueberries also reels me in and they had a dessert with lemon meringue as a base, a cookie crisp on top of that and another roll of lemon meringue on top.  Blueberry compote came on the side of dessert.  The lemon meringue was light and had a good citrus flavor.  The compote was fresh and was a great compliment to the lemon taste of the meringue.  By the time we finished the dessert, we were more than full.

 

I'm still a little mixed about my meal at Red Stag Supperclub.  I thought the braised beef that came with the stroganoff was a little dried out from being overcooked.  My wife thoroughly enjoyed her pork hock dinner, and we both raved about the burrata caprese salad that we started out with.  The service all evening was prompt, professional and personable.  The Red Stag Supperclub calls itself a supper club, but it's much more eclectic than many of the Upper Midwest supper clubs I've visited over the years.  Sure, you can get a steak there, but when was the last time you could get Swiss chard ravioli or clam linguini with hand-cut pasta at a Wisconsin supper club?  I rest my case...

Kula Sandalwoods Cafe - Kula, HI

One of our goals when we went back to Maui was to go to the Haleakala National Park and watch the sunrise from the summit of the volcano.  One of my dealers is a Hawaii veteran and he was telling me that after we left the peak that we had to go have breakfast at a little place on the road back down the volcano.  "Don't go to the lodge," he cautioned me.  "it's just down the road from this place and I don't think the food is as good."  The place he was telling us to go was to the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe in the small Upcountry town of Kula.

The Kula Sandalwoods Cafe is part of the Kula Sandalwoods Lodge that sits at 3300 feet in elevation, a little less than a third of the way up the Haleakala volcano.  (see map)   It's a little family run business that incorporates a handful of cottages along with a small eatery that is somewhat renown for their breakfasts made from scratch.  

We left the summit of Haleakala around 7:15 a.m. and started back down the steep road toward the north side of Maui.  On three or four instances we were held up in bicycle traffic - yep, bike traffic.  A number of companies offer excursions to the summit of Haleakala and then allow people to ride bicycles back down the volcano.  These groups can number up to 25 people and there's really no way to pass them on the curvy mountain road.  They have a guide who runs at the front and who will pull over at designated areas allowing cars behind the bikers to pass.  It's slow going for those portions of the trip back down when you get behind a line of bikes.  

Getting into Kula Sandalwoods Cafe around 8 a.m., it turned out that we were the only ones in the place initially.   The "place down the road" that my dealer was talking about is the Kula Lodge Restaurant which is a larger place, has a great vista overlooking the valley below, the ocean beyond and the West Maui mountains in the distance.  While the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe only serves food until 3 p.m. (12 noon on Sundays), the Kula Lodge Restaurant serves food all day and into the evening.  

At the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe, we were greeted by the proprietor, a lean man by the name of James who offered us to sit anywhere we liked.  He brought over a couple of menus for us and said that he would be taking care of us that morning.  We took a seat at the window that looked out toward the west side of the island.  

The interior of the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe definitely has the Maui Upcountry vibe going for it.  Wood paneling along the walls and the ceiling gave it a rustic and laid-back feeling to the place.  Sturdy wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout the dining area.   

They have an outdoor seating area at Kula Sandalwoods Cafe.  The trees across the highway sort of block much of the good views down to the coast.  But the restaurant is off the road a ways so the sound of traffic going by isn't obtrusive.  

The menu at Kula Sandalwoods is pretty basic - it features a couple of omelets, basic eggs with a choice of meat, pancakes and a breakfast sandwich called the Lokelani - scrambled eggs with ham, topped with Swiss cheese and an herb aioli on a toasted sesame seed bun.  While we looked at the menu, we both got an orange juice.  For good measure - and to help keep me awake after a 4 a.m. alarm to get us up to the summit of Haleakala for the sunrise - I got a double espresso.  It turned out the espresso was pretty weak and watery compared to what I'm used to.  

For her breakfast, Cindy got the eggs Benedict - possibly the signature breakfast at Kula Sandalwoods.  She got the 1/2 order - only one egg Benedict - along with what turned out to be a ton of hash browns.  The hash browns nearly covered her whole plate giving the single egg Benedict a small piece of real estate on the edge of the platter.  She thought the egg Benedict was just all right, at best.  "I don't see what the big deal about the eggs Benedict really is," she said as she was finishing up her breakfast.   

I ended up getting the Portuguese sweet bread French toast.   It was a pretty presentation with six half-slices of the French toast pin-wheeled around the plate and topped with powered sugar and a dollop of butter.  The taste of the French toast was fine, not quite the taste sensation I was expecting from the Portuguese sweet bread as it seemed to be a little bland.  But it was good enough for what I was wanting that morning.  

I would rather patronize smaller "mom-and-pop" joints like the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe, but this breakfast was just pretty average in my book.  While it was a nice little rustic Upcountry establishment, the food we had wasn't all that overwhelming other than the large portions we received.  Breakfasts are big in Hawaii and there's a lot of good places to get breakfast on Maui.  But I'll have to say that Kula Sandalwoods Cafe is not one of them.  

Andale Taqueria & Mercado - Richfield, MN

I was in Minneapolis earlier this year and one evening I was just in the mood for a little taqueria, someplace to get a couple three small tacos and call it good.  The only problem was that I couldn't find any place that I knew was in the Bloomington/Edina area.  I ended up going to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the area, El Tejaban in Richfield.  (Click here to see the Road Tips entry on El Tejaban.)   Then about two weeks later, I was home switching through channels when I happened upon an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  They were in the Twin Cities and were showcasing a place in Richfield - it turns out it was just down the street from El Tejaban - that was a combination taqueria/mercado.  "That's exactly what I was looking for when I was up there a couple weeks ago," I exclaimed to my wife.  When we were back up in Minneapolis a few weeks later celebrating our anniversary, we went to Andale Taqueria & Mercado to get some lunch. 

Fernando Mellado and Jorge Robles were partners in two small Mexican markets in the Twin Cities.  They had done some light cooking in the mercados and were looking to branch out with a combination taqueria/mercado somewhere in the area.  However, when they went to a handful of banks to get financing, they were turned down by all.  

Embers was a national chain of slightly upscale family restaurants that were slowly dying on the vine, or their franchise owners were changing them into a different model once their leases ran out.  The Embers in Richfield opened in 1961 near the I-494 interchange on Nicollet Ave.  By 2008, the franchise owner decided that when his lease was up in early 2008, he would be closing down.  The building's owner left the space empty for a couple years with a "for lease" sign out front.  

Fernando Mellado just happened to drive by the old Embers location one day in late 2009 and decided to call the number on the sign.  The building's owner, John Gross, was so intrigued by Mellado's idea of a combination taqueria/mercado that he entered a limited partnership with Robles and Mellado to develop a new building for them.  Gross hired an architect to design a new space and a contractor to demolish and build a new structure.  Gross - whose father built the building for the Embers franchisee in 1961 - and the two partners split some of the costs of the build-out of the new spot and within a couple of years they were ready to move in.  Andale Taqueria & Mercado opened in August of 2011.  

Business was slow at first, but a couple three local publications in the Twin Cities did articles on the small restaurant and attached market.  Within no time they had tripled their monthly business and were forging ahead.  It certainly didn't hurt that Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives came in October of last year to highlight Andale Taqueria and their Al Pastor Marinated Pork Recipe.  

We found Andale Taqueria & Mercado just off I-494 just south of the corner of 77th Ave. and Nicollet Street, straight across from a Menard's.  (see map)  When we got to Andale Taqueria around 11:30 on a sunny Sunday morning, the parking lot in front of the place was absolutely packed.   We had to go down and find a parking spot on a side street between Andale and the freeway.  The restaurant wasn't that full when we walked in, so most of the people parked in the lot were at the grocery store next door.  

The interior of Andale features windows on two of the walls, high-beamed wood ceilings, and a sort of utilitarian approach to seating with colorful metal chairs and stainless steel table tops.  The menu is on the wall above the counter that is in front of the kitchen.  It's a full menu with a number of Mexican specialties including fajitas, chimichangas, burritos, enchiladas, flautas and alambres - your choice of meat mixed with sliced green and red bell peppers, chopped white onions, bacon bits, ham, melted mozzarella and placed over corn tortillas.  They also have breakfast at Andale and it's served all day.   

One of the things that I was very impressed about Andale were the number of meats they had to offer.  All the meat they serve are butchered in house and prepared fresh each day.  They had three different types of chicken, four different pork meats, and five different types of beef to choose from.  They also had specialty meats such as buche (pork stomach), lengua (beef tongue), beef tripe, and cabeza (slow roasted beef head) - all of which I was not going to order.

We went with tacos for our initial visit to Andale.  Cindy went with carne asada, carnitas and the Pollo a la Mexicana - seasoned shredded chicken cooked with poblano peppers, tomatoes and white onions.  She also wanted rice and beans with her tacos.  She got a Mexcian Coca Cola to go along with her meal.  (No beer or margaritas are available at Andale.)  

I went with a beef barbacoa taco, a carne asada taco, and a taco made with their house specialty - al pastor.  They soak their pork for the al pastor for 24 hours in a house-made marinade that consists of guajillo peppers, orange juice, lime juice, apple juice, cumin, black pepper, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, anciote paste, garlic, onions, salt, and white vinegar.   (Click here to get the full recipe.)  When it's cooked on the flat grill, they toss in chopped onions, chopped bacon bits and chopped pineapple with the al pastor.  It is off-the-hook delicious.  

But the one that really got me was the barbacoa taco.  They slow cook a beef chuck roast in a guajillo sauce, chop it up and cook it on the flat grill.  The taste of the tender beef was out of this world.  All the tacos were served with chopped white onions and chopped fresh cilantro on double corn tortillas.  

They had three different types of salsa to choose from at Andale - a mild green sauce that was made with smoked jalapeños, cilantro, onions and tomatoes that had a bit of a bite to the taste; a spicier red sauce made with spicy and potent arbol chiles; and an "Oh My God!!" green sauce made with fresh jalapeños that was just frigging hot.  They called the red sauce as the hottest of all three, but the jalapeño green sauce was burn-your-face-off hot.  I had to go back and get another bottle of water to help cut the spicy taste from the salsas.  

After eating at the restaurant, we had to run over to the mercado to check things out - as many people do who have a meal at Andale.  

The store was chock full of both American and Mexican foods.  Colorful pinãtas hung from the ceiling.  

One of the reasons the parking lot was so full on that late Sunday morning were the number of Mexican-style baked goods and pastries they had to offer at Andale's mercado.  As we learned on a tour of the Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago a year and a half ago, Mexican pastries aren't as sweet as their European or American counterparts.  The self-serve bins were full of fresh baked goods that people were picking out.  

They also had a full meat counter at Andale featuring many of the same meats they use in the restaurant.  There was a small kitchen off the back of the meat counter where I could see some preparations were going on for the restaurant.  

The tacos we had at Andale were just excellent.  My wife really enjoyed her Pollo a la Mexicana taco, while I thoroughly enjoyed both the al pastor and barbacoa tacos that I had.  Everything was so fresh in its taste and so authentic to traditional Mexican cuisine.  The salsas were good, but the jalapeño green sauce was overpoweringly hot.  Still, Andale was a great place to get tacos, one that I will definitely be back to when I have a hankering for great tacos when I'm in the Twin Cities. 

DiMaggio Cafe - Harwood Heights, IL

When I stay in Chicago near O'Hare International Airport, I'm doing my best to try all of the Italian restaurants that are located in Harwood Heights, a small community on Chicago's west side. I've hit a couple three so far and was impressed with all that I've had.  My next restaurant on my list to try was a small family owned place located in a strip mall along Lawrence Ave. - DiMaggio Cafe.  I went there on a recent trip to Chicago.  

For over 30 years, the DiMaggio family has been serving up Italian food in Harwood Heights.  Specialties are pasta dishes, chicken entrees, seafood dishes, thin-crust pizza and house-baked Italian treats.  Today, the restaurant is run by Francesco (who also goes by Franco or Frank) DiMaggio, the son of the original founders of the restaurant.  

DiMaggio Cafe is located west of the corner of Lawrence and Harlem Avenues in the heart of Harwood Heights. (see map)  It's tucked back in on the north side of Lawrence in a strip mall that also featured an authentic Polish restaurant and a sushi bar.  

Inside the restaurant, they did their very best to simulate a warm and cozy Italian restaurant complete with checkered table coverings, subdued lighting and a laid-back feel.  I found it to be welcoming and very unpretentious.  

There was a small bar area in front of the kitchen.  Franco DiMaggio was seated at the bar talking in Italian to another man when I found a seat in the restaurant.  They had a rack of wines available for take out along one of the walls. 

As you come in the door, there is a bakery case full of Sicilian cookies, cannoli and other baked goods.  I understand the restaurant does a brisk business with their baked goods, especially in the morning.  

I was greeted by a young lady who would be my server that evening.  I looked through the menu and found a number of Italian specialties including Chicken Vesuvio, grilled calimari, and a number of pasta dishes.  DiMaggio Cafe also has a number of sandwiches including Italian panini sandwiches.  And they are also well known for their Sicilian-style pizzas.  

For my starter that evening, I got a house salad that was served with a house salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  It came with a tomato wedge, sliced cucumber and sliced red onions.  The greens were fresh and the balsamic vinaigrette had a thick consistency with a forward tart taste.  I also got a glass of a Malbec wine to go along with my meal.  It was a healthy pour with the wine going nearly all the way to the rim of the glass.  

But the highlight was the fresh-baked bread that came with the salad.  It was served with a bottle of DiMaggio Cafe's house-brand extra virgin olive oil and fresh parmesan cheese.  The bread was soft and very flavorful on its own.  Dipped in the olive oil with some parmesan cheese and black pepper, the taste of the bread was heightened even more.  Thankfully, there was a lot of bread that they served me.  But I had to watch it as I didn't want to get so full on bread that I couldn't enjoy my entree.  

I ordered the meat ravioli - ground beef and pork tucked inside ravioli pillows - topped with a marinara sauce.  And for good measure I got a couple meat balls to go along with it.  It took a little time to get the meal, but I was told that they make everything from scratch at DiMaggio Cafe.  The ravioli looked like they had just cut the pasta in the kitchen, filled them with the meat and then quickly boiled them.  The marinara sauce had a great sweet tomato flavor that went great with the ravioli.  The meat balls were a tad underwhelming for me. They were a little bland in their taste and had a lot of breading in them.  Still, they were good in the marinara sauce.  

Franco DiMaggio came over and asked in a very thick Italian accent how my meal was.  I let him know that I was very happy with what I got.  I told him that I was thinking about getting the chicken parmigiana, but I was happy with the meat ravioli.  "We make great chicken parm," he said.  "You try it your next time in."  

And I probably will.  DiMaggio Cafe was a great little find in my quest of trying the Italian restaurants in the Harwood Heights area.  While it did take a little longer than I thought it should have taken to get my dinner to me, that's a sign that most of the items they serve are made from scratch.  The meat-filled ravioli appeared to be made moments before it was served to me, the marinara sauce was wonderful, and even though I thought the meatballs were a little disappointing, they were still good in the ragu meat sauce.  But the bread with the house-brand virgin olive oil was outstanding.  I was happy with the service I received and the atmosphere was laid-back and friendly.  I may have to go back to DiMaggio Cafe before I try some other Italian restaurants in the immediate area.   

Cafe Mambo - Paia, HI

We tried to spend a lot of time along the north shore of Maui during our recent trip back to that tropical paradise, primarily in the small surfer town of Paia and in the Upcountry of the island.  We got up early one morning to head over to Paia to find a place to get something to eat for breakfast.  We turned onto Baldwin Ave. and didn't go far to find a brightly painted building with open doors and windows welcoming people in for breakfast.  We parked the car and went into Cafe Mambo.  

Jamie Betham was a native of the United Kingdom who was a commercial airline pilot for a number of years.  His wife, Olga, was of Spanish descent and the two fell in love with Maui on a number of visits there over the years.  Getting burned out on his pilot career, Betham wanted to follow his heart and passion for food.  In 2003, the Betham's bought the former Picnics restaurant in Paia, a former health food restaurant that served food like spinach nut veggie burgers in the 1980's.  They brought a little bit of Mediterranean and Spanish cuisine to Hawaii - foods that Olga's family made while she was growing up.  

In June of 2011, the Betham's opened up a second Cafe Mambo location, this one over 5000 miles away in Westhampton Beach, NY on the far east end of Long Island in the Hamptons.  The seasonal restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner like its sister restaurant on Maui.  And in 2013, on the success of the Westhampton Beach Cafe Mambo location, the Betham's opened Mambo Kitchen in the same area serving breakfast until 12 noon each day, along with burgers made from locally-raised beef, unique sandwiches and fresh squeezed juices.  

We pulled into Paia around 9:30 that particular morning and found a parking space just down Baldwin Ave. from Cafe Mambo's location.  (see map)  We were seated along a wall with tables and wood banquette seating.  Our server Aimee came over to greet us and dropped off a couple of breakfast menus for us.  (While we were there, we also looked through the lunch menu and the dinner menu.  While there were some interesting things on the menus such as a kalua duck burrito or a Moroccan-spiced lamb stew, we just didn't have enough time to make it back for another meal on this trip.)  

Cafe Mambo is not all that big.  They have a blackboard with specials on the wall behind the counter that separates the kitchen from the dining area.  Art work and ceramics from local artists adorn the walls and shelves around the restaurant - all of which are for sale at Cafe Mambo.  We were on vacation, of course, so I ordered up a Bloody Mary while Cindy got a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.  I wasn't impressed with the taste of the Bloody Mary and I thought it was a little expensive for what it was.  I got a double espresso with a glass of orange juice after I finished my drink.  

The breakfast menu was unique with a number of healthy and vegetarian options such as two eggs over a bed of quinoa or the Mambo fruit bowl.  They did have the Hawaiian breakfast staple - the Loco Moco - on the menu, as well as a number of omelets, cinnamon-raisin French toast, pancakes, something called the "Hippie Quesadilla", a large flour tortilla that was filled with scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and cheddar cheese.

Cindy went with the Healthy Start - egg whites scrambled with spinach, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes and it came with herb and paprika-seasoned home-fried potatoes.  All the veggies were fresh and she liked what she had tremendously.  

I went with the Mambo omelet.  It was filled with sausage, bacon and cheese.  I had a choice between the seasoned potatoes or some toasted focaccia bread and I went with the focaccia.  The omelet was loaded with ground sausage and chopped bacon with a sufficient amount of cheese mixed in.  I made short work of the omelet, but didn't have any more than a couple bites of the crunchy, yet fluffy bread.  It wasn't that I didn't care for the focaccia toast - it was very good.  I was just full after finishing off the omelet. 

Breakfast is a big deal in Hawaii and there's a lot of very good breakfast places that we've found on our travels to the islands.  Cafe Mambo was a unique experience with a laid-back and friendly "aloha" atmosphere, an above average breakfast with good service.  I wasn't impressed with the Bloody Mary they served, but that was the only negative thing that I could come up with during our visit to Cafe Mambo.  It was too bad we didn't make it back for either lunch or dinner as our time was limited on Maui, but this would be a place I'd love to try again in the afternoon or evening if we make it back out to Hawaii at some point.