Jan 23, 2019
Brad and I both worked during the day. Afterwards we headed over to the Slanted Door, a Vietnamese by Chef Charles Phan. It has been a popular 
restaurant in San Francisco for at least a decade. We ordered a the famous ribs along with other items but the only thing I managed to take pictures of were the ribs. It was a great meal!
Jan 22, 2019
I am sitting in the Boudin Café by the Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. My nephew called me last week saying that he had to take a trip out here and asked if I wanted to join him. I agreed and quickly booked my trip and met my nephew Brad at the San Francisco airport.
I have discovered on this trip that over the years, I have gotten a bit spoiled. When I met Brad at the airport, he indicated that he got a great deal on a rental. I had never heard of the agency and when we arrived at the counter, I realized that the line was moving very slowly. When we got to the counter we waited in line for an hour and a half later, they explained that although Brad had booked it through Expedia, none of the traveler information had come over and they had to key it in to the computer.
The hotel was in a great location close to the fisherman’s wharf but when I got to my room, the bed had a mattress cover and no sheets, pillows or blankets, the heat didn’t work and neither did the Wi-Fi which is why I am over at the Boudin Café using Madame Tussaud’s free Wi-Fi. Of course you desperately need Wi-Fi the moment it isn’t available. To the hotel’s credit, they made up the bed and put in a portable heater but they didn’t get the Wi-Fi fixed. Although my days of bargain travel are long gone, it was nice to remember those days and I really cannot complain about the hotel, it was clean and I felt safe.
After we checked in, Brad and I walked around, when we turned the corner, there was no mistaking the smell of sourdough bread baking. I am a baker and I have spent a lot of time learning and perfecting sourdough bread. There is nothing better than the smell of baking bread except for the smell of baking sourdough bread. Boudin has a bakery, store, cafe and restaurant in the same complex where you can watch them bake the sourdough bread. We could not resist going to the restaurant and ordering the chowder bread bowls. I have to be honest, I could eat every meal there the next few days and not get tired of it and we did go back there a couple of times!
December 17th, 2018
If you knew my mother, you would know how much she adored her father. She was born in Brooklyn and she often talked about how that my Grandfather would take her into “The City” and they would take in a matinée at the Radio City Music Hall. Every time we caught a glimpse of the Rockettes on TV she would tell that story how the dancers would come out and dance and then you would watch the movie on a huge movie screen. were talking about bulldozing Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes were performing everywhere but the Radio City Music Hall.
Although I have been to NYC a number of times, I have never seen the inside of Radio City Music Hall nor have I seen the Rockettes live on stage. I decided that since I had scheduled a trip to NYC, I was going to look for tickets and I found some. After I booked them, I realized that I was going to see the show on 12/17, her birthday.
We arrived an hour early as instructed and as I entered it, I was amazed at just how big the theater is. I guessed that it held over 5,000 people and later confirmed that it holds just over 6,000. It is something just to see the theater. I cannot imagine how special it was for my mother to see a movie there.
Just prior to the show, two organists appeared to the right and left of the stage and started to play Christmas music. There is something about the sound of a large pipe organ that is so moving, it is as if the music moves through you. It gave me the chills.
What happened next took me be surprise – the show was wonderful and very high-tech with the digital screens, 3-D, drones, and light shows along with the singing and dancing. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time thinking that I didn’t expect this! There were the high kicks, ice skating, jazz, ballet and pageantry, there was aerial dancing and after I thought it couldn’t get better it got better!
I would go back and see it again! Continue reading
Hawaiian Dancers
October 27th, 2018
The Decadence event is located in Ko Olina at the Aulani and Four Seasons resort. Ko Olina is a good 40 miles from Waikiki. Cindy had arranged for a car knowing that we wanted to eat and drink and not have to worry about the designated driver. What showed up was a party bus complete with flashing lights, a bar (not stocked) and TVs. It could have seated 10 or more people so there was more than enough room to spread out. Off to Decadence!
We arrived and after have a few drinks and talking with a few of the Chefs, we were seated in the back corner. A few very looking familiar people approached the table and as I tried to place how I knew them, Sophon told me they were on our trip to Japan with Roy and Denise. How could I have not known that? Michael and Anna and they had brought along Anna’s Mom (who was not on the Japan Trip). It was good to see Michael and Anna again.
Of all the events, we struggle with this one, we like having a place to sit down and eat. The food is awesome but we also like to walk to the stands and interacting with the Chefs and trying the food they are preparing and we always debate if we are going to do VIP seating with a menu or if we are going to go and visit the various stands. Either way, it is a great event!
Our party van picked us up and took us back to our hotel in Waikiki. Our driver was cranking Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston with a complete light show with disco ball. The ride back to the other side of the Island few by. Continue reading
October 26, 2018
Started the day by going to have brunch and Lee Anne Wong’s restaurant, Koko Head Cafe. I had Korean fried chicken with mac and cheese. I love every bit and wondered if I had time to go back there a second time during this trip. Unfortunately, there are more places that I want to try than there are meals.
Today’s Hawaii Food and Wine event is Winederland presented by Hawaiian Airlines. It was on top of the Hawaii Convention center. The weather was rainy and it went from nice to drizzle to rainy back to drizzle. We were pretty much done eating when it started raining and there was plenty of room under the tents. It forced everyone under the tents. One of the things that I like about the event is that there is plenty of space yet when we were all under the tents, there was a lot more socializing going on with other people. Continue reading
October 25, 2018
We rented a care and drove around the Island. I found a driving tour on on the Internet that started in and looped around the Island. We left Waikiki and headed to the Pali lookout. I have been there before and love going there. As we were leaving, it started to pour and suddenly, a couple of groups of students along with fellow tourists running to their cars.
We then headed to the Byodo-In Temple. I was trying to remember if I went to that temple with my parents or not. I know I have seen that temple on TV. It is worth a visit, the setting alone is beautiful.
October 25, 2018
As with previous years, this event was held at the Modern Hotel in Waikiki. Out of all the events, I thought this event had one of the best lineups of Chefs. Earlier in the year, I had been working in the Chicago area and got to eat at Top Chef winner Stepahe Izard’s restaurants and loved them. I was excited to see what she prepared. She was right next to Chris Consentino. I have not been to his restaurants but they are on my list! I was not disappointed with either of their dishes.
I thought the best dish of the night were the empanadas from Jose Garces. There was also a very good dessert that Lincoln Carson. I noticed Lincoln had a sign saying his restaurant “Bon Temps” from Los Angeles but I had never heard of it, so I asked him about it and he said it would be opening next year. I am definitely going to have to check that out. Continue reading
October 22, 2018
We had booked a day of snorkeling and I was really looking forward to being out on a sailboat for the better part of the day. I woke up and received an email saying that due to high surf, they were cancelling this morning’s snorkeling trips. Although I was bummed, I hadn’t been sleeping well the past few nights, spending a low-key day might be good. That is exactly what today was.
Besides resting, I went walking up and down the beach. I stopped to take a picture of the resort I was staying in. Overall nice but I was not happy about the adult pool being closed.
waianapanapa state park
October 21, 2018
Hana is a small town at the end of Maui. It is an underdeveloped area on Maui considered by many as unspoiled paradise. Although it is only 52 miles from Kahalui, the road to Hana is a narrow road with a lot of hair pin turns and one lane bridges. It can take hours to get to it which is the reason that it probably remains isolated and underdeveloped. Although Hana is beautiful, it is not about the destination as it is the road to Hana with gorgeous views of the island, dozens of waterfalls, bamboo forests and plenty of small places to stop to along the way.
We had considered renting a car to make this journey but I quickly put that idea to rest, I had made that mistake many years ago when I was doing an installation at the Royal Lahaina Hotel. I was working the Night Audit shift and when I got off at 7AM, I took the rental that my coworkers and I shared and headed out. It was a beautiful but slow and at times white knuckled drive. When I arrived in Hana I stopped and reconsidered my plan, why go back the same way? Why not go around the other side of the Island which is actually shorter? Continue reading
October 20, 2018
We were well aware that there was a strike going on. It was a dispute between a Japanese company and the unions. It affected several hotels in Maui as well as the Moana Surfrider in Oahu. We heard stories about it taking nine hours to check in and people were getting their own towels and linen, restaurants weren’t open and shuttle buses weren’t running. Although I support the right to strike, I am not sure how I would feel about it impacting my vacation. Airlines charge you to change tickets and a lot of airfares are non-refundable. It is a lose, lose situation.
The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival event was scheduled to be at the Sheraton Maui where they were striking. We were told repeatedly that it must be cancelled. I finally emailed the event coordinators who said that the event would take place. I was glad to hear it, these events are charitable events raising funds for the culinary schools in Hawaii.
Spiked! – 12 chefs and 4 mixologists. I enjoyed it very much, not nearly as crowded as the ones on Oahu with a much for causal vibe to it. Robert Irvine and Michele Bernstein were two names that I immediately recognized. Robert joked about him having the best dish and after I had it, I had to agree, then again, there wasn’t anything that I didn’t like! The night ended with a fireworks show!
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