I’m thinking, "I have to say something." So as he’s passing by me, my wife and my mother-in-law, I lean in a bit and say, "Thank you, sir."

Nothing. No acknowledgment at all. He just ice grills me like Chris Parlow. We keep walking in opposite directions. He’s looking back at me like a crazy person, and I’m thinking, "Great. I creeped him out."

Then, he finally says, " Thanks for what?"

"For the show."

He and his wife both throw up their hands, smile and say, "Oh! You’re welcome!"

Fuck the excellent snorkeling. Fuck the rum-filled smoothies. Fuck the amazing seafood. That made my vacation.

Sounds like a cool guy

About a week after the Knicks got Stephon Marbury, I was in an elevator with Isiah Thomas. I was thrilled that we signed Marbury, but a little bit starstruck, so I just whelped out a (now cringeworthy) "Thank you."

To think that I thanked that asshole before his scorched-Earth campaign on MSG is one of my most embarrassing moments, ever. point-blank period.

Tonight:
Hali'imaile General Store!

it's half-off sushi for late night dining (10 pm - 1 am) Thurs. to Sat. at the Oahu one.

>Tonight:
>Hali'imaile General Store!

Nice!

>>Tonight:
>>Hali'imaile General Store!

if you liked that, check out joe's bar & grill in wailea. i used to work there. it's owned by the same woman (and her husband).

http://maui.citysearch.com/profile/3205431/

one night, a man and his children went to play tennis at one of the courts next to the restaurant. 4 hours later, he was at one end of the court, and at the other end was about 12 kids.

a little while later, this man came in for a beer (after we had closed). just before getting up to leave, michael jordan commented on how beautiful the moonbow was.

If you want the best sushi on Maui, go to the Maui Prince hotel.

Maui is sooo dope.. They got a rock out there with a perfect JFK profile.

http://www.thepostcard.com/walt/state/hi/hi26.gif

David Simon sounds like a cool ass cat.

but good move nonetheless.

i saw someone walking towards me that looked a lot like maya rudolph. then i looked at her companion and he looked a lot like paul thomas anderson. i was right about even with him when i realized, oh shit, it WAS maya rudolph and pta, so in a fit of regrettable excitement, i yelled "PAULLL" and slapped him once on the arm.

he didn't do anything, didn't say anything, just kept it movin' and i just kept walking.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

<-------- It tastes sweet.

I be Scrobblin': http://www.last.fm/user/TasteeTreat/

kurly's Super-Duper Awesome DVD Collection:
http://kurlyswirl.dvdaf.com/owned

And sushi for brunch at the Maui Prince (in Wailea)

http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60636-d479164-Reviews-Mama_s_Fish_House-Paia_Maui_Hawaii.html

http://www.princeresortshawaii.com/maui-hakone.php

I still feel retarded for the time I saw JD Williams in Cheesecake Factory and called him Bodie instead of by his actual name.

------------------------------------------------------------------
MCGUFFIE!

He probably gets that all the time.

>I still feel retarded for the time I saw JD Williams in
>Cheesecake Factory and called him Bodie instead of by his
>actual name.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

<-------- It tastes sweet.

I be Scrobblin': http://www.last.fm/user/TasteeTreat/

kurly's Super-Duper Awesome DVD Collection:
http://kurlyswirl.dvdaf.com/owned

I mean, my Wire fanboy status knows no bounds...I can handle encountering Jonathan Papelbon, but JD Williams? Bodie?

I felt like a little kid seeing him. I had to say something and I just blurted it out...there was little to no actual thought involved.

------------------------------------------------------------------
MCGUFFIE!

but at least i aint call him "avon barksdale"

.

the original is the kahana location.

http://direct.where2getit.com/cwc/apps/w2gi.php?client=roys&template=locator_state&state=hi&submit22.x=51&submit22.y=14

http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

any other must stops?

Check with the concierge at the hotel you're staying at. they're usually the best people to ask.

Still, I recommend checking out:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g29218-Kauai_Hawaii.html

A Pacific Cafe Kauai used to be THE restaurant that I would've gone to, but it seems they're no longer there :(

If I showed up yesterday thinking that I'd be going to A Pacific Cafe, and finding out that it was gone... I'd go here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60625-d447832-Reviews-Roy_s_Poipu_Bar_Grill-Poipu_Kauai_Hawaii.html

(As previously mentioned in this thread http://www.roysrestaurant.com/)

that said, the fish is fresh (usually caught same day) on maui/oahu/kauai/hawaii... not as fresh in los angeles.

>that said, the fish is fresh (usually caught same day) on
>maui/oahu/kauai/hawaii... not as fresh in los angeles.

I'm a seafood lover, and have lived in Los Angeles most of my adult life. The shit in Hawaii is a whole other level. My father-in-law is from Alaska and grew up fishing commercially. He gets straight up orgasmic about the seafood down there.

Kauai:

Roy's Poipu Bar & Grill - Must go. Ilima Award winner (restaurant award).

Hamura's Saimin Stand - James Beard Award winner (America's Classics). This is a must. Ilima Award winner.

Others:

Koloa Fish Market - owner used to be executive chef at Sheraton Kauai Hotel

Wong's Restaurant & Omoide Deli - pies (lilikoi chiffon, macadami nut cream)

Others:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/bestrestaurants07/browse?sort=neigh


Maui:

Tasaka Guri-Guri - Must go. For their guri-guri (sherbert-ice cream).

Home Maid Bakery (http://www.homemaidbakery.com/) - Must go. Known for their manju especially the Manju Deluxe, imo manju (sweet potato), and azuki manju.

Komoda Store & Bakery - Must go. cream puffs and butter rolls

Sam Sato's - dry noodles

Others:

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/bestrestaurants07/browse?sort=neigh

Localboyz - shave ice

Aloha Mixed Plate

Ajiyoshi Okazuya - oxtail soup

Da Kitchen

Mala's Ocean Tavern

Nothing like ties or blazers or anything for places like Roy's Poipu. Ask just to make sure when you make reservations.

please don't show up just off the beach in shorts, a wife beater and flip flops.

when working at these places, the staff goes all out to take care of you with not only great food, but great service as well. it's almost disrespectful to show up dressed like a wal-mart shopper...

not only that, but these places are air conditioned so by the time you're half way through your first appetizer, you'll be freezing after spending all day outside in the 80-90 degree weather.

shirt and pants was all we hoped for. those that dressed like trailer trash, were sat in the section with those that brought their 2-year-old children.

I actually wasnt even gonna bring pants but now i am

any words of wisdom form you vets out there?

maui, kauai or the big island (hawaii).

that said, there is a Roy's (as previously mentioned in this thread) on oahu...
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

no trip to oahu is complete without going to the pearl harbor memorial.

i'd probably have to go here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60982-d433959-Reviews-Sushi_Sasabune-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html
(especially after reading the reviews calling the chef a sushi nazi haha.)

as for other restaurants...
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g60982-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html

BEST SUSHI I EVER HAD! The salmon was redic. I didn't sit at the bar but they still told us how to eat the sushi. Great experience. Great service.

Here are some of the places (fine dining to local chains to hole-in-the-wall to a lunch wagon) to hit up in Honolulu and on Oahu. If I don’t mention what you should try, just ask for their most popular items.


Bakeries:

Liliha Bakery - On N. Kuakini Street in Liliha (about a mile northwest of downtown/Chinatown); just west of the N. Kuakini Street-Liliha Street intersection. Don't even think about leaving the island without trying their coco puffs (pictures - http://starbulletin.com/2006/03/22/news/art8ax.jpg / http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/images/CocoPuff1-thumb.jpg). If you love its chantilly topping, can't go wrong with the chantilly cake. Their hotcakes are great, too. No reinvention; just great comfort hotcakes. Haupia (coconut pudding) cake. 24 hours, 6 days a week. Best to go between 1:30 pm and 3 pm. It's ridiculously crowded during lunch, dinner, and Saturdays, but go at those times if you want to see the wide range of people that go there. State treasure.

Nanding's Bakery - Gulick Avenue in Kalihi (about 2 miles west of downtown/Chinatown). Filipino bakery. Gotta try their Spanish rolls especially when the bottom is caramelized. Gotta try their Hopia Mongo which is a pastry filled with mung beans. Doesn't sound like a good idea, but trust me, it's great. The 3rd must-try item is the Hopia Onion which has an onion and sugar filling. May sound weird, but it's awesome. Lastly, gotta try their ensaymada. They got a plain one, but they got a macapuno (cocounut pudding) and ube (sweet potato) one, too. Between the Gulick Avenue-North King Street intersection and Gulick Avenue-Waterhouse Street intersection.

Leonard's Bakery (http://www.leonardshawaii.com/) - On upper Kapahulu Avenue (north of the east boundary of Waikiki proper). Try their malasadas and pao doce. Like Liliha Bakery, it's an institution. They also have a couple of wagons here and there (info on the website).

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop (http://agnesbakeshop.com/) - This is in Kailua, though. The eastern shore/part of Oahu.




Hole-in-the-wall/small-business/other:

Char Hung Sat - North Pauahi Street in Chinatown. Founded in 1945. Gotta go. Try their manapua (steamed or baked bun usually with a meat filling), pork hash, dumplings, rice cakes, etc. See the map below in the link in the Chinatown entry.

Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory – Or for a variety of manapua go there. On lower Kalihi Street. Heading south, it's on your left past Dillingham Blvd.

Kapiolani Coffee Shop - Now located in City Square in Kalihi along with Sugoi (see Sugoi's map below). Try their oxtail soup and fried rice. If you can't make it down there, they have the same oxtail soup and fried rice over at Asahi Grill on Ward Avenue north of the Sports Authority which is north of Ward Warehouse (http://www.wardcenters.com/Maps/WardWarehouseMap.html). Their hamburger steak is really tender and is my favorite on the island. If you don’t get a loco moco (more on this dish below) elsewhere, get it from there.

Side Street Inn - Featured on the Hawaii episode of No Reservations. A bar/eatery. Try their pork chops, fried rice, and the stuff they ate on the show. Just west of the northwestern end of Ala Moana Center (http://www.alamoanacenter.com/). Tucked in an industrial area with car shops, warehouses, clubs, etc. between Pensacola and Piikoi Street. Located on Hopaka Street. Parking is on the street in front (good luck) or on the parking lot on top of the building that you access on the street at the back (Kona Street). A favorite spot of local chefs.

New Uptown Fountain - Featured on No Reservations. Their popular hamburger steak is ridiculously tender. Along with local stuff, they serve Okinawan dishes. The western corner of the Liliha Street-North School Street intersection across McDonald’s.



Plate Lunch; Okazu/okazuya (delicatessen); Other:

Farmers Market @ KCC (Kapiolani Community College) (http://www.hfbf.org/FarmersMarket.html) – Only from 7:30 am to 11 am every Saturday. In addition to checking out the awesome local produce, they got restaurant/eatery vendors there serving food. A variety of stuff to try there. The KCC link gives you a heads up of the booths/vendors lineup each week. You must go. Must. Should’ve been features in the No Reservations Hawaii ep.

Chinatown (http://www.chinatownhi.com/?q=node/14) – There’s a map at the top of that link that includes some of the places I mentioned. Besides strolling through downtown and taking in the sights and sounds (the western part is the markets and food; central and eastern is the business district), try checking out Maunakea Market Place (food court). There are better places to go for the cuisine offered there, but still take it in and stroll through and maybe try some stuff knowing that you’ll hit better spots later or already have.

Helena's Hawaiian Foods - James Beard Award winner. On North School Street in Kalihi not even a quarter mile east of the North School Street-Houghtailing Street intersection. On the north side of North School Street on the block between Aupuni Street and Pohaku Street. Try the Menu C combo with kalua pig (cooked in an imu), lomi salmon, pipikaula short ribs. Also you must get the laulau and fried butterfish collar. And ask for chili pepper water to put on your rice!

Poke Stop (http://www.hawaiidiner.com/restaurants/restaurant.php?restaurant=2409) - If you go to Waipahu, which is about 12 miles west of Honolulu go there. There's a map at the link. Elmer Guzman the owner and chef worked under Alan Wong and Emeril. He was the executive chef at Sam Choy's Diamond Head. Quite a resume. Awesome food.

Tanioka's (http://taniokas.com/index.html) – If you make it out to Waipahu. For the variety of poke that won the People's Choice award for best poke. Their bentos with fish patty are great. Their Hawaiian plates are good, too.

Ono Hawaiian Foods - Featured on No Reservations. If you can't make it out to Helena's in Kalihi, go there. In the middle section of Kapahulu Ave. on the left side if you're facing north. Across the Taco Bell. Get the laulau, kalua pig, chicken long rice, and lomi salmon. Maybe tripe stew.

Young's Fish Market - At City Square along with Kapiolani Coffee Shop and Sugoi (more below). If you can't make it out to Helena's or Ono, go there. Maybe the best laulau out of the three (Helena’s, Ono, Young’s).

Zippy's (http://zippys.com/) - Don't be fooled that it's a chain restaurant. It's local. Try their chili. Obama was pondering getting a Zip Min (saimin noodles, wun tun, vegetables, fish cake, dried seaweed, egg, sweet pork, green onions and breaded shrimp; all in a broth). while he’s in Hawaii. It’s served in the restaurant not the take out/sit down section.

Boulevard Saimin – If you don’t try the Zip Min, won ton min, or saimin at Zippy’s, go here for saimin. On Dillingham Boulevard. It’s just west of the Waikamilo Road and Dillingham Boulevard intersection; east if you’re facing south. Between the Midas at that intersection and the center that houses Popeye’s, Burger King, and Sizzler.

Sugoi (http://www.sugoihawaii.com/contact.asp) - Try the garlic chicken and spicy garlic chicken. Fried chicken with a sweet garlic sauce that goes oh so well with the crunch. Map on the website.

Mitsu-Ken - On North School Street not even a quarter mile east of the N. School Street-Houghtailing Street intersection. Across the street from Helena’s and slightly to the east on North School Street. Used to be the king of garlic chicken. Some say it's still the best. If you’re driving, good luck with parking when it’s busy. They’re open early, like, 4:30 am and close early, like, 2 pm.

Gulick Delicatessen - One of the quintessential okazuyas. Really local stuff. The workingman/everydayman stuff. On Gulick Avenue in Kalihi just south of the Gulick Ave. and N. School Street intersection. On the right side of Gulick Ave. if you're facing south. A second location is closer to Waikiki and Ala Moana is in McCully/Moilili on South King Street, west of McCully Street. Try the corned beef hash patties.

Fukuya Deli (http://fukuyadeli.com/) - Another famous okazuya.

loco moco (dish; not an eatery) – This is a local favorite made of a ground beef patty/-ies, over easy eggs, rice, and gravy. Simple comfort food. Most places also include a macaroni salad. Most people would probably tell you to go and eat L & L Drive-In’s loco moco, but I think they’re overrated (L & L and their loco moco). My favorite is at Kapiolani Coffee Shop (and Asahi Grill) and Big City Diner (at the Ward Theatre or in Kaimuki), but that’s my palate.

Rainbow Drive-In – Obama mentioned this place as one of his possible stops while on Oahu. One of the quintessential plate lunch spots on Kapahalu Avenue just north of the Honolulu Zoo on the right side. Can't miss the sign on the intersection of Kapahulu Ave. and Kana'ina Ave. Get the mixed plate. Some people like their chili better than Zippy's. There's also a Rainbow Drive-Inn Express in Kakaako on Coral Street.

Kahai Street Kitchen – Try their Lunch Bento. In Kalihi Kai, an industrial-residential area, south of Nimitz Highway on the intersection of Kalihi Street and Kahai Street.

Tsukenjo Lunch House - On Cooke Street in Kakaako (west of Ward Center and Ala Moana). They had a lunch wagon on Ward Avenue that's not there anymore, too bad. Try their roast pork. All their meats are really tender.

You Hungry (Puuwainani) – A lunch wagon found at 2 locations in Kakaako and downtown. One on the South Street and Halekauwila Street instersection and the other at the Alakea and Beretania Street intersection. Named Honolulu Mag’s best lunch wagon in ’05 and this year. The classic lunch wagon’s in Honolulu aren’t around anymore – Tsukenjo’s and Kanda’s.

Mana Bu’s Homemade Japanese Musubi’s & Sweets – If you’re in Hawaii, you gotta try and eat spam if you’ve never had it. This place’s teri spam musubi is the best I’ve come across. I think 7-11’s spam musubi won the People’s Choice Awards. It’s next to the Baskin Robin on the corner of the Punahou Street and South King Street intersection in McCully.

W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers – For what many consider to be the best teriyaki burger on the island. It’s called a bar-b-q burger, but it’s a teri burger. Good luck with parking. It’s next door to the City Mill (a big hardware store) on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki between St. Louis Drive and 3rd Avenue.

Mabuhay Cafe and Restaurant - Filipino food. On River Street the western border of Chinatown. Other Filipino restaurants are Elena's Home of Finest Filipino Foods in Waipahu and Thelma's Restaurant also in Waipahu. The lechon kewali at Thelma's is great. So is the one at Julie's in Kapolei Shopping Center.

Golden Coin Bakeshop and Restaurant - Filipino food. Try their halo-halo. There's one on Keeaumoku Street near Ala Moana on the sidewalk of the Wal-Mart-Sam's Club complex. Try their desserts, too. Another good spot for halo-halo is the shopping center to the left of Zippy's in Pearl City. It's on the north-facing side. I don't even know the name. It's a small shop that sells ice cream and crack seed and local snacks.

Nisshodo Mochiya/Candystore - On Dillingham Boulevard in Kalihi. For their assortment of mochi.

If you make it out to the North Shore - Try any of the shrimp trucks that line Kamehameha Highway from Kahuku to Turtle Bay Resort. The Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck, Giovanni's, Fumi's, Romy's. Try either of the 1st two mentioned. One of the guys who had a shrimp truck now has an eatery on Keeaumoku Street that is the street running north to south from the mid-northern part of Ala Moana Center called Andy's Kahuku Shrimp.




Upscale/gourmet plate lunches (the stuff served at lunch wagons and hole-in-the-wall places) at about plate lunch prices:

Kakaako Kitchen (http://www.wardcenters.com/dining/merchants/kakaakokitchen.html) - You'll mostly likely hit up Ward Center which is not far west of Ala Moana. The owner is the great Russell Siu, the executive chef of 3660 On the Rise (more below). I’d try other stuff here, but their hamburger steak is great.

Hapa Grill (http://hapagrill.net/) - But it's in Kapolei which is 18 miles west of Honolulu.

Hank's Haute Dogs (http://hankshautedogs.com/index2.htm) - Gotta go here. Fantastic. Way better than that hot dog place they took Bourdain to - Puka Dog.

Nico's at Pier 38 (http://nicospier38.com/) – Awesome.




Shave ice (snow cones) -

Matsumoto Shave Ice @ M. Matsumoto Grocery Store (http://matsumotoshaveice.com/) - If you go to Haleiwa (28 miles from Honolulu; 45 minutes) on the North Shore, go there.

Waiola Shave Ice - One on Kapahulu Avenue and the original in McCully on Waiola Street, east of McCully Street. If you can’t make it out to Matsumoto’s, go here.

Shimazu Store - on North School Street right on the intersection of the tiny Frog Lane and N. School Street. There's a line outside. Just east of McDonald's on the intersection of Liliha Street and N. School Street.




Crackseed (local candy and snacks) -

Wholesale Unlimited, Inc. (http://cybersnacks.net/crack_seed_li_hing_dried_fruit.html) - Try the li hing mui stuff.

Kay's Crackseed - On the Woodlawn Drive end of Manoa Shopping Center keep going north past University of Hawaii at Manoa, turn left on East Manoa Road.

Crack Seed Center (http://www.crackseedcenter.com/) - I don’t know if it’s still at Ala Moana Center.





Local favorite chips:

Maebo’s One-Ton Chips (http://www.one-ton.com/images/One-Ton-chips2.jpg); Nibb-its (by Yick Lung); and Shrimp Chimps (by Yick Lung)






Fine Dining:

Alan Wong's Restaurant (http://alanwongs.com/) - On King Street 3rd Floor. Between the South King Street and Artesian Street intersection and South King Street and Pumehana Street intersection. It was #8 on Gourmet Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants in 2006. It has won the Honolulu Advertiser readers' award Best Restaurant for 12 straight years. The Pineapple Room (casual dining, 3rd floor Macy's @ Ala Moana) is his, too. He was a guest judge on Top Chef.

Roy's Restaurant (like others have already mentioned; http://www.roysrestaurant.com/index.asp) - One of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas (http://www.hiroshihawaii.com/) - Incredible fusion of Asian and Western cuisine.

Chef Mavro (http://chefmavro.com/) - Hawaii Regional Cuisine with a Greek/Mediterranean touch.

Cassis by Chef Mavro (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/bestrestaurants07/restaurant?id=49) - Read the capsule at the link. It's at Harbor Court on Queen Street just northwest of Aloha Tower Marketplace.

Sam Choy's Diamond Head (http://samchoy.com/restaurants_diamondhead.html) - His other restaurant Breakfast, Lunch & Crab on Nimitz Highway is a great unfussy place to go for seafood and breakfast. Competed on Iron Chef America. Appeared on Emeril Live and Dinner Impossible.

3660 On the Rise (www.3660.com) - In Kaimuki (East Honolulu).

Chai's Island Bistro (http://chaisislandbistro.com/home.html) - At Aloha Tower Market Place (south of downtown). Hawaii Regional Cuisine-Southeast Asian fusion.




Other:

Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar (http://sanseihawaii.com/) – Half-off sushi from 10 pm to 1 am on Thursdays to Saturdays. Great island contemporary fusion sushi.



Urban/yuppies/new/whatever:

Stage @ the Honolulu Design Center (http://www.stagerestauranthawaii.com/) - Northwest of Ala Moana Center on Kapiolani Boulevard.

Mac 24/7 (http://mac247waikiki.com/site2/macmenu.htm) – Great place to go if you’re out late at night. Gourmet versions of local classics. They also do great modern American cuisine.

Town - http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=11449

Just found out. There's a bistro now in that space.

>Cassis by Chef Mavro

completely out of hawaii.

gone are his restaurants on kauai, maui and oahu.

i think he may have even shut down shop in vegas.

my stomach weeps at this news :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

but you've cornered that market.

*

I was like, "Yo later for you Bat HEAD!!"

you heard right, THE Bill Bellamy. i think i blacked out from excitement. (no homo)

... with Lil' Romeo in the passenger seat.

As for MTV alumni, I once waited at a crosswalk on Melrose with... Rikki Rachtman.

was possibly in character (as far as i know), but he was great in last week's episode.

i was driving past and said to myself "oh shit, it's dave 'gruber' allen" and then kept driving.

your celeb encounter < mine

~ ~ ~

Grrr (c) Tatiana

Anyone know of spots that have vegetarian food or chicken dishes? I'm a no pork no beef kinda man. I'm printing this post out for when I leave Sunday.

it's all about the fresh seafood while you're visiting paradise.

I'll get on the fresh fish (no halfbake-o)

that place is a must hitup for anyone in Lahaina..

http://www.cheeseburgerinparadise.com/locations.asp

it's a good place for a cheap burger if you live on the island, but if you live in a major metropolitan city, chances are there are 10 places in your city you can find a better burger. i found cheeseburger in paradise no better than red robin.

when you're visiting the islands, it's about going out for fresh fish served with fresh vegetables that are grown on the islands. arguing that not everybody can afford that, or fish is nasty... well... i guess that's fine too.

in that case, go to ruth chris in wailea or one of the several great italian restaurants. or for roy's famous (believe it or not) meatloaf at one of the locations mentioned in the above thread...

not a glorified wendy's. (no offense)

and I did eat at local spots like Aloha Mixed Plate, and
a really nice restaurant which I can't remember the name of.
The local fish was great. I tried Opah which was the best fish
I ever tasted. Did the Old Lahaina Luau, all kinds of spots.

but FOH with saying Red Robin is better than CIP. Simply ain't true.

just said it was very similar...

and posted a link showing locations of cip. that you can live on the east coast of the united states and go to cip. sure it's not the original one, but it's basically the same.

i change my mind. i'd rather have a swiss mushroom burger at red robin than anything i had at the 4 or 5 times i went to cip.

i'm just saying if i go to hawaii, i'm not having something i can have any other day living on the mainland.

did you get to go to hana? haleakala?

>did you get to go to hana? haleakala?

Not this time. I drove us up there on my honeymoon and I told my wife then that I'm never doing that again unless she wants to drive. They're both amazing spots once you finally get up there. I actually wouldn't mind doing one of those tours where you get to bike down from Haleakala.

I almost brought that up, but didn't want to go there haha.

I didn't mind the drive to Hana (only went once -- I think it was 1995). We stopped at every church, every possible place it seemed. We did a complete circle... started way early and by the time we were back around to Wailea (or wherever we were haha) the sunset was unreal.

As for Haleakala, we went up there on a day where they didn't charge because the wind gusts were 60-70mph. We were one of maybe 5 vehicles up there. You'd go from sun to sleet/snow within a matter of seconds. And again, the sunset going down was the best I'll probably ever see. It just never seemed to end. I never did the bicycle ride thing, but I heard nightmares about chains coming off... I'd be a little paranoid about doing that.

Maui's a nice place to visit, but living there (I lived in Kihei) was terrible. Kihei is the driest part of the islands and it didn't rain for 10 months leading up to when I moved back to the mainland. If I ever do end up moving back, it'll be upcountry. Waikapu (I think I'm spelling that right) or something similar.

Ive done the biking tour down haleakala twice. amazing both times. i was a little nervous at the beginning both times cos it's not like there's a guardrail or anything. lol. but it was really beautiful biking down.

Also did the road to hana twice. loved it but probably because we were in our rental and could go at out own pace.

There is also a great smoothie place in that kind hippie town where everyone stops to get gas at the beginning of the road to hana. i cant remember the name of the town or smoothie place.

I made the smart choice of driving myself. We must have passed 5 of those tour vans, and the people just didn't look very happy.

*shrug*

We stopped at twin falls (I jumped it) and continued up to
that black sand beach which name escapes me. We also did the
bike rides down the volcano.

i didn't even consider doing it in a tourvan. that must have been awful.

I'm gonna be hittin up this post for advice. Just felt like upping it, lol.