Restaurant Review (Kiss My Grits)

Sometimes in life things can get pretty hectic.  So it's been for me, which explains my lack of any post or any interesting cooking for that matter.  Still, I did want to put up this quick review on a new Southern restaurant that just opened up in Honolulu.

Kiss My Grits is a small private eatery that is located in the back alleys of Puck's Alley.  Owned and operated by a brother and sister from North Carolina, this is the place for good, heart-warming, comfort food even if you have never eaten this type of cuisine.  With a fairly varied menu, from grits, to fried chicken, to fried green tomatoes, this has quickly risen to the top 3 on my lists of favorite places to have lunch.

I was fortunate enough to pay my first visit with my wife and a bunch of friends.  The benefit of this is that we were able to order a variety of items and share "family style".  For those who want to EAT, get the fried chicken plate and rinse it down with their often sold-out Bourbon Bread Pudding.  For those who are on a budget, I would strongly recommend the chicken tenderloin biscuit sandwich.  At $3.95 this is a fantastic bargain and comes with a side of country gravy that will ensure a full stomach and a smile on your face.

Biscuits and Gravy 

Oyster Po' Boy

Brunswick Stew w/Cheesy Grits

Shrimp and Grits

Fried Green Tomatoes

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Banana Pudding

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Restaurant Review (Manago Hotel Restaurant)

I'm lucky to have a job that allows me to travel to almost all the other islands in the Hawaiian chain.  While I go there for work, I do make sure that I make efficient use of my time to know where to eat and make sure it's worth the time and calories (believe it or not, I'm trying to lose weight).

Today, I found myself in Kealakekua, better known to foodies as Kona Coffee Central.  For me, being in Kealakekua means only two things (work notwithstanding), coffee and pork chops.  Today, I want to introduce some of you to the humble yet fabulous Manago Hotel. 

A landmark in this area, it was once a small overnight truck stop for truckers making the trip from Hilo to Kona hauling goods and assorted items.  Today, it's a small inn that has about 28 budget, no-frills rooms and one spectacular restaurant. The restaurant here, in my opinion, is what keeps this place afloat.  It's always bustling with locals with the occasional tourist on their way back from kayaking in the bay.  And while they have a pretty standard greasy spoon menu, any local foodie worth mentioning will tell you that there is only one thing you come here for, the pork chops.

In a throwback to days gone by every order of lunch comes with unlimited bowls of rice, veggies of the day, mac salads, and seaweed salads of the day.  Today, I was lucky to get a particularly delicious ogo salad, tossed with Maui onions and grape tomatoes.  So delectable was the seaweed salad that I asked for a second serving before my pork chops even arrived at the table.  What's I found amazing is that at $7/lb the salad is thrown in with all the other sides at no extra cost and you can eat as much as you like. 

As usual, I ordered the locally renowned pork chops.  At $9.25 you get two chops (about 4-6 oz each), pan fried with a little salt and pepper.  Today I also opted to get a side of grilled onions and a boat of brown gravy, which I ended up not needing because it camouflaged the taste of the pork too much.  What makes the pork chops so great is that the owners of the hotel are also owners of a pig farm on the island and therefore use their own product to supply to the restaurant.  This does not happen very often in Hawaii. 

While this is not a place that I can go to all the time, I am always grateful for the opportunity to eat here.  To me, the food is very reminiscent of the food my Grandmother used to serve me back in the mid-70's (particularly the ogo salad).  If you like simple, honest food and down-to-earth staff and cooks, please take the time to visit here if you can.  It's worth the trip up the mountain from the tourist traps of Kailua-Kona or the posh resort living of Waikoloa. 


Manago Hotel
82-6151 Mamalahoa Hwy
Captain Cook, HI 96704

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Restaurant Review (Pancakes & Waffles)

While there are a ton of breakfast places for one to eat in Honolulu, there are only a few that are noteworthy and even less that not overrun by hoards of tourists thinking they are eating where the "locals" eat because they found it on Yelp or TripAdvisor.  I will admit that these places (Eggs & Things, Cinnamons, Boots & Kimo, and Original Pancake House) are very good but, there is often a wait of no less than 30 minutes or as long as 2 hours just to eat breakfast (as a good friend of mine experienced recently).

Pancakes & Waffles opened a few months ago to moderate fanfare and is located in Palama which is an older part of town and off the beaten path and in between tourist sites.  What makes this place great is their ability to make generous portions of food for a fair price and high quality.  Noteworthy, is their Fried Chicken and Waffles ($8.25 or $9.25 to be covered with brown gravy).which makes it the reason to visit on your way to Pearl Harbor or the Swap Meet.

On my recent visit, I decided to try something different from my usual Portugese Sausage Omelette and ordered the Fried Rice Loco Moco ($7.25).  For the unfamiliar, this is a multi-layered feast starting with a base of ham fried rice, a homemade hamburger patty (1/3lb), two egg (over easy), and covered with brown gravy.  What I liked about this particular rendition of a Hawaii staple was the quality of the hamburger which was obviously made in-house and grilled to a hot, juicy perfection.

For the more dainty diners, all orders are served on paper plates with plastic cutlery., but tough it out and you will rewarded with a breakfast on par with the tourist spots but with very little wait.  For the local reference, think Koa Pancake House but one level higher.  

Pancakes & Waffles  
1284 Kalani Street Suite 100
Honolulu, HI 96817  
(808) 847-7770

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