Perils in paradise.

My trip to Hawaii definitely turned into something I didn't quite expect. This was not a trip with the specific intention of quality dining, instead I dove into the environment I was blessed to visit. I did  however have to eat as a result of all the physical activity, and the place that became a good friend during this trip was the Kailua-Kona farmers market. Let's just say I was impressed. The sheer abundance was incredible. When we see papayas in the grocery store, there are maybe like what? 5 or 6. Here there were literally hundreds, of many different varieties. The sweet strawberry papaya was decidedly my favorite, but the real showstopper were the avocados.

Went ahead and got my thumb in there for comparison

Look upon them, behold  their greatness. These are the largest avocados I've ever seen. I mean, cantaloupe sized avocados, I was in heaven. One could easily feed a family of 4 with one. I did eat a whole one by myself later in the week, and it was a challenge. Why, you may ask? couldn't take it on the plane, oh well.

These fries are God, treat them as such

papayas at farmers market

After being totally dazzled by the farmers market I was craving the product of these fruits. I wanted local, and I wanted it right then. On the way home from the gorgeous Pololu valley is the town of Hawi pop.938. In that town is Bamboo Restaurant. This place came highly recommended by locals, and it did not disappoint. We were famished after hiking up a steep cliff in the rain. We ordered quickly as they were about to close up. We got 2 local drafts from Kona brewing Co. ( don't worry, you'll be hearing all about that), the Vietnamese toss salad, a kalua pork sandwich, and I got the Bamboo burger. The greens for the salad were grown less than a mile away. They tasted of the soil. Volcanic soils make great flavor, I've found. The minerality was deep and complex. It was served with tempura fried tofu, rice noodles, tomatoes and a delightful chili vinaigrette, that was sweet and mild. The Asian influences in this dish made it somehow more distinctly Hawaiian than other meals had eaten on the island. This was no loco moco, and that was certain. The pork sandwich was what one would expect, and incredibly flavorful. My burger was perfect and cooked exactly how I had asked. This is a big deal for me. When I am asked how I would like something cooked, I expect it to be cooked that way when it gets to my table. It goes for eggs, steaks, burgers, and spice level if we're doing Thai. That was something I found to be quite impressive. Their waffle criss cut fries were so amazing. Crispy slightly spiced, they reminded me a lot of 3am binges on an extra large Jack in a box curly fry. I hate to make that comparison, but there is no other way to describe it.These were way better though. Then each sandwich had a side of green papaya coleslaw. It's one of those things you see everywhere. It's delicious, I don't even know why all slaws are not this way. Mainly the availability of papayas, but you catch my drift. If  this could be everywhere it would.

Local greens, too!

Kona brewing was a pretty awesome experience. That's an understatement. They really have set the bar a little higher when it comes to brewery food. I like breweries and craft beers, and let's face it, here in dago there is a heavy presence of these sort of eateries. I eat pub food a lot more than I should, but the pizzas at Kona brewing really reflected the island spirit. I had a half wild mushroom and half kohala pizza. The wild mushroom was delicious, garlicky, and brimming with tons of what I believe were locally sourced mushrooms. The Kohala half of the pizza contained Parmesan sausage, onions, whole garlic cloves and a sprinkling of mac nuts that made a crunch that was truly satisfying. Also I am quite pleased to say that I have now had every beer Kona brewing co. makes. My favorite would have to be a toss up between the Lava man Red, and the Koko brown ale. The Koko is a coconut infused brown that is so good it should be poured over ice cream and served as dessert. the Lavaman is just a damn tasty red, which is often hard to find. I also tried the big wave golden, which was great in the warm tropic temperatures.

the sampler was a delight

I also explored a couple plantations while I was here. Most notably Greenwell farms, which produces delicious Kona coffee. Their chocolate macadamia puts Lion kona to shame, and they also have a blended roast called Chameleon. Not kidding, but this coffee changes its flavor and texture as you drink it. It was their priciest blend, so I got myself some the the medium roast, which is what you generally think of when you think of kona coffee. It's easy drinking and velvety smooth.

Rugged and cute farmhands here

The Hamakua Macadamia nut company was also quite a treat. Their samples were divine. They had everything from honey roasted to spam flavored mac nuts ( yes they taste just like spam). Their wasabi macs were a treat as well. I escaped this macadamia vortex with a bag of kona coffee glazed mac nuts that are so good I'm scared to open the bag for fear that I wont be able to stop. Everyone there is super friendly and they have a window into the Roastery so you can watch the macalumpas

Another joy I found was the malasada. These donut like pastries of Portuguese origin are fairly popular Sunday food. The ones I enjoyed were from the Panalu'u bread company, famous for their sweet bread.i had guava and frosted lilikoi ( that's passionfruit for those unfamiliar) and they were good. The sweet bread was incredible as well, also something that is very Portuguese.

This is Zach. He's awesome.

I also explored the awa' root and the traditional tea made from it known as Kava. Kanaka Kava is a small Kava bar in the main shopping area of kailua-Kona. It is owned and operated by Zachary Gibson and his wife. The Kava is served from a traditional kava bowl, and ladled into coconut cups that are quite a portion. For 5 dollars you get a giant amount of kava compared to what you get here on the mainland. I've seen a similar portion for twice as much here in San Diego. This was different than any kava experience I had ever had before. I've never felt better, or more relaxed than that moment when I knocked back the last sip of kava from my coconut. Zach is an awesome host, and even provided us with some fresh pineapple to help with the muddy, chalky taste of the kava, for free. This definitely was not the mainland anymore. This highly cultural and stimulating experience did not prepare me for what happened next.

Now let's get into the meat. Yes, I ate a ridiculous amount of kalua pork, and i did have the bad fortune to go to a luau. Never again friends, never again. The food was good, not especially good though. The whole pig they dug up for our amusement was in hotel pans. that's not what I came to see kids. this tragic disappointment led to a few more Mai tais at the open bar. Then the show started and well, let's just say it wasn't very culturally accurate, or sensitive. People were laughing at the traditional dances of peoples that no longer exist. This made me so angry I started to cry. So, the whole experience felt quite cheap, and it made me feel bad for attending.

Mai tai at Don's Mai tai bar

traditional kava service device

This however, is Hawaii for some people. To them the leis are plastic and are great lead ins for sex jokes. The food is not to be consumed. The seek out the chains that they know well from their travels. You know what I mean, hard rock, or yard house, or moose mcgillicuttys. they call that Hawaiian. I know that tourism is no longer a choice for Hawaii. it has become something they must promote in order to survive, but tourism does not have to be cheap and plastic. It can be genuine, and the traveller can be respectful. A place is not a restaurant. It was not put there for the purpose of your entertainment. You are a guest in someones home and should act with the same grace and poise you would at your grandmother's home. To mock and laugh at the cultures of others in their land is unacceptable. So, I found refuge in the forest, and the waterfalls, the glow of Kilauea and the local products that keep the natives in Hawaii and bring new citizens to Hawaii. it is the beauty of the island that i most love, and the shining glory of their local economies that are growing. My investigation of the local foods of the island really showed me the potential Hawaii has as a locavorist state, and I can't wait to see where they head. The movement has been founded.

hey everyone guess what????

I finally managed to get a computer and get myself back on the internet!!! Expect some new blogs soon. I'll be heading to Hawai'i in just a couple weeks and hope to check out what has been called the "Foodie Mecca" of the Big Island, Waimea. You will most definitely see fresh fish and produce that I haven't ever seen before. Also, I plan on focusing heavily on sustainability as well, look for farmer's market reviews in the future as well. I've greatly missed writing to you all and sharing my experiences. I can't wait to get this going again

Have to get a computer that's at least as fast as my phone. Be on hiatus until the end of the month. Later. Eat drink and be merry.

Voyage to the Other California, Part 1: Wine, Friends and Epiphanies

It is no secret that I am a bay area native. There have years upon years of my life spent driving through the Napa Valley late on a summer's night and smelling Cabernet wafting through the air, one arm dangling lazily from the window, all the windows down, allowing the smells to fully encase my senses. On the other end of that spectrum, there have also been nights in the city, and when I say the city, I can only mean one city: San Francisco. The iconoclast of the bay. East coast city on the west coast. The home of progressive political ideology. Fine foods, the edge of the culinary world, not to mention the awesome shopping. After all the time I have spent in these places, why go back now, as a tourist? Perhaps I'm not so much a tourist, this place is my home after all, but I did discover things that were new to me, experiences I had yet to have as an adult in a place I associate predominantly with my youth.

Our first night was spent in my hometown. Now, granted it isn't much, but it is gorgeous. Just a sleepy little town of 28,000, one high school, one library, one police department, and one street that has anything going on and that street isn't more than a mile long. We still have 3 Starbucks though, which I find discouraging. This town is known as Benicia, founded by General Vallejo over 200 years ago, and named for the man's wife. It was the second capitol of California, and also was and still continues to be an active port though the scenery has changed a bit. First St. used to be lined with brothels, hotels and bars. Jack London often stayed at the Union Hotel, which like many buildings in the area is protected by the historical society. Why tell you all this? context.

First St. Cafe' is also a historical building, at one point both a bar and a brothel, the building itself is over 200 years old. This was my first true place of employment in the industry. This is the restaurant that took me from dishwasher to prep cook to server. This is the place that instilled the foundation I continue to build upon as I continue to learn and grow. This is where I learned of Humboldt fog, and 10/12 versus 20/22 count for the slicing of bacon. I learned Meritage, Pinotage, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Geyserville, Alexander Valley, Paso Robles and on and on and on. I learned eggs, basted, poached, over easy, medium, well, hard, soft-boiled. Everything I know I owe to them. That is why when I come home I always make sure I stop by and have a bite to eat.

Now of course I had to bring my dining partner with me. It's not a vacation if you can't share and reminisce about the experience. I also wanted to show him what I had been raving about all this time. We had the Crab and Artichoke dip with fresh Acme baguette for an appetizer, along with a bottle of Murphy Goode Fume' Blanc. Dungeness crab meat mixed with artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, white onion and Parmesan cheese, heated until lightly browned on the top and garnished with parsley. I love warm mayonnaise. Some people detest it, and maybe it's from 3 and 1/2 years of eating this stuff, but it's delicious and you can't stop me. The baguette is always awesome, if you have a chance to get to Acme you have to try it, but Acme will come back into play later. After we annihilated the dip we indulged in carbonara and the tortellini bolognese. Carbonara was perfect, mixed with raw egg and bacon, and fresh spring vegetables. The bolognese was exactly how I remember is, spicy linguica, creamy tomato sauce with cheese filled al-dente tortellini. It was like being 17 again with my tri-colored hair, taking a break at the bar before the rush hit. That calm in the restaurant, like the eye of the storm, nothing moving while everything swirls around you, but on to dessert. We had my personal favorite, the key lime pie, made with real key lime juice and the Jack Daniels pecan pie. Now granted these were not masterfully presented, but that's not really what owner Mark Krull wants. It's simple with good tastes, flavors that keep you coming back again and again.

Our accommodations for the night were at a dear friend of mine's. She is the Pastry Sous Chef at Five restaurant inside the Hotel Shattuck Plaza. This is one of Scott Howard's restaurants, classic American bistro, I suppose, unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to try the place. Next time, there's always a next time. We went back to the house after dinner, which is less of a house than you might think. It's located in the Benicia Arsenal. As home to the former capitol, there was a strong military presence there, which is now only  noted by the old military buildings. One of these buildings is the old officers' quarters, where quite a few of my friends live, as well as my chef best friend previously mentioned. That night was spent sharing experiences and things that had happened since the last time I had been up. Loves gained and lost. Life going on. Fortunately however, my friend had most of the weekend off, which led to the awesome events of the next day.

Day 2: Wine country, the smells, the splendor, and the change of heart.

I had scheduled us to do a wine tasting at Ehlers Estate in St.Helena. This is a boutique winery that was established originally in 1886. It has a staff of 18 people, they produce roughly 6,000 to 8,000 cases a year. To give you an idea, many wineries produce 30,000+. At the beginning of the tour, our guide, Dejan, poured us each a bit of the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc to drink as we strolled throughout the estate. The day was pure magic. A perfect temperature of about 75-80 degrees, clear sky, which brought out the incredible lushness of the valley, it almost appeared to glow. You could smell and taste the fertile lands that surrounded you, topped of with a sip of cool Sav blanc and I began to relax. All the stress built up in my body seemed to let go at that moment. Now I was truly on vacation. After telling us about the long history of Ehlers, Dejan told us about the bio dynamic farming methods used in the vineyard. Bio dynamic farming is very different than anything else, but it is almost an ancient art. Used in medieval times it is based largely on lunar cycles, legumes and other plants are planted between the rows of grapes to ensure soil fertility, and no, I repeat, no chemicals are used what so ever. This is different from organic farming in that organic farmers are allowed to use certain chemicals approved by the FDA. We strolled through their on site garden, that contains tomatoes and artichokes among others. I don't want to ruin the tour for others so I will move on.

In the cellar, we got to have a bit of the 2008 vintage, from the barrel, that has yet to be released. It was the 120/80, which is ideal, optimal blood pressure. This ties in, I swear I'll explain in a minute. The 120/80 is about 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent Cabernet franc. Now the tie in here is that when the owner of Ehlers passed away he left the estate to his foundation for cardiovascular research, the name escapes me, but now all the profit from the estate goes to this foundation. The logo even features hearts in it if you look close enough. The taste from the barrel was quite good considering it was still young. Almost tasted like a Beaujolais. Pretty amazing, it had this great smoothness which is a characteristic of the wines produced here. Soft tannins, or as I like to call them satin tannins, really burst in your mouth and create this great texture that is incomparable to anything else. After this we advanced to the salon for a tasting paired with some awesome little bites. A bit of beef with Himalayan salt and rosemary, a beet and bing cherry compote with rogue smoked bleu cheese and a lamb sausage with spring vegetable ratatouille. I forget the order, but there was their Cabernet Franc, Merlot and the 1886 which was incredible. I could drink bottles of it, but at 95 a bottle that could get a little pricey. Everything was great and Dejan sat a chatted with us for quite a while. Everyone there was very personable and amazingly gracious. We purchased a bottle of sauvignon blanc for the road.

On the road we had a light buzz, not our driver of course. We drove up a little further to Calistoga just to have a look around and then headed back toward our point of origin to have lunch. We went to the Rutherford Grill for your traditional wine country style cuisine. After a short wait, we had a table. I ordered a viognier, my dining partner had a nice glass of sav. My friend (and DD) had an Izze soda. We started with the Grilled Artichokes which were halved and seared and served with an aoili. This came at the recommendation of my friend, and I was not disappointed, they were exquisite. I'm going to grill my artichokes from now on. They were so tender. It turned me to putty. After that we had our main. The french dip with au jus and coleslaw, the burger, and I had bangors and mash, served with a spicy mustard. Everything was incredible, the bread on the french dip was perfect and absorbed just the right amount of jus. It was accompanied with a horseradish sauce that was amazing.The fries with the burger were crisp and thin. My bangors were plump and juicy, and the potatoes were full of chives and garlic, all in all an amazing lunch. So, amazing in fact that we skipped dinner.

The drive back to Benicia was quiet as we let our experiences sink in. I was experiencing a euphoria unlike any I have experienced before. Magnificent views of vineyards, turned into other agricultural lands with pumpkins and assorted vegetables to dry fields of wild grass, back into the urban sprawl once again all within 25 minutes. The closeness of things sets in. Southern California is so spread out. It can take hours to get places for a "staycation." Up there the world seems so far away, yet it is really just a short drive down the road.

The night was full of drink and old acquaintences, people I had been to high school with and hadn't talked to since, and it reminded me of something. I got out. I made it to a place where I could truly be happy, for as much nostalgia as that little town has for me, I could never truly return to stay. The bay area? surely the region is full of things to be desired, but for Benicia, I had done my time and now it is time to move on. After the bar, we turned in for the night in order to prepare for the next days travels. We were about to journey to our hotel room in Berkeley and then off to the city for some pre-pride festivities. We had no idea what joys were to come, but I assure you they almost trump what has been done thus far. Ehlers was amazing, the flavors I had experienced that day almost overloaded my senses and I began to realize that I was still a stranger in the land I spent most of my life. I was missing something all those years, or perhaps I just couldn't fully appreciate it yet. I felt a door in my heart open and I let everything in. I did not judge with the sharp blade of my criticism as I would usually, I was hypnotized. So much joy, so very impossible to leave, but the journey that lie ahead was so much more than I could ever imagine.

Sorry for the delay...

For the last week I have been sorting through photos and plotting my plan of attack to tell you all about my fabulous getaway to San Francisco, Napa and my hometown. Revisiting my roots proves to be quite beneficial, rejuvenating and enlightening. The first of two blog entries about my trip should be out before the end of the weekend, also coming up will be a new San Diego restaurant that sounds enticing. My friends are raving and I just have to go. Catch you later, if working 6 days through 4th of July weekend doesn't kill me.

Uh...Is this Kensington Grill?

I always love when a restaurant realizes it has been falling a little short of itself. That magical moment where a chef looks at his menu and says, " this is boring, time to change it up a bit." Well, Kensington Grill has more than just changed it up, they ripped it to shreds and started nearly from scratch. Some of the dishes were a bit intimidating in the sense that these were combinations I had never seen before. Hog bar? Truffle Tots? What is going on here?! It was like I had walked into a place I had never been , but I have been here, at least a few times. Truffle mac 'n' cheese, the burger, the duck, ahi, it had all grown really familiar. I could pick out what I would be having before I even entered the building, but not anymore. Much like its sister Cucina Urbana, Kensington Grill has embraced the concept of "smalls." These little appetizer type portions make it easier to try a lot of things and not spend way too much, or be uncomfortably full. I'm all about being full, but seriously guys, full is about comfort and overeating just sucks. The bloating and the uneasiness just make me sick to think about. However, I did eat a lot at Kensington Grill Monday night, and it was delicious.

We started with a nice dry California sauvignon blanc from Mendocino, the 2009 Elizabeth Spencer special cuvee. It went well with the evening, having been close to 80 degrees during the day, it really cooled us down. We moved onto the shrimp waffle and the truffle tots as appetizers. All I have to say right now is Fuck chicken and waffles, shrimp and waffles is way better. The waffle itself was made with jack and scallions and was thick and Belgian style, and it was topped with Fresno chiles, shallots and shrimp that had all been sauteed in creole butter. There was so much butter left on the plate when we were done I was tempted to drink it. I did dip one of my truffle tots in it though. It was one of those things that you aren't sure you are going to like, but once you try you begin to wonder what your life was like before the shrimp waffle. What was I doing eating waffles with syrup, or jam, all those years? Take my fucking Eggo, I love you shrimp waffle. The truffle tots were not at all what I expected. I was thinking like okay...tater tots drizzled with truffle oil, that's interesting, except these were not even remotely like the tots we have all become accustomed to. They were little mashed potato, goat cheese balls, infused with truffle that were lightly fried and served with a tangerine ketchup. Very refreshing and summery. Fried foods in the summer usually make me feel heavy, but the goat cheese in these really brought out a tartness that was only intensified by the sweet, almost marmalade like, tangerine ketchup. This was all so delicious we decided to have a mid course.....HOG BAR!!!!!

Yes that's right, hog bar, oh hell yes. I'm in love with it. I could go and just eat that. You see there is a little section on the menu titled, uh...anyone? Yes, hog bar! very good! Now, there are several items in the box, different kinds of bacon, pork rinds, sausage and these all range in price from about 1.50 to 3.50 and you have to choose at least 3. We selected the peppered bacon, candied bacon and the pork and olive sausage. I was only mildly excited when I ordered it, but when I saw it I wanted to jump up and down and scream like a school girl at a Jonas brothers concert. It came on a wooden pig shaped platter. Yeah, uh huh, Pig Shaped!! They served me pig on a pig! It came with a little container of stone ground mustard that was incredible. It was like a tri-colored mustard almost and it was bursting with flavor. It paired well with two of our choices, the peppered bacon and the sausage, but the candied was so sticky sweet that I didn't want to change it with the mustard. I did try a bit with it and it was good, but I almost wanted that bacon with the shrimp waffle, but alas, I had already defeated the shrimp waffle. Those two together would have the most awesome twist on "brinner," (breakfast for dinner), ever.

The Main Event!!

As entrees we ordered the Duroc Pork Chop and the Whiskey and Peppercorn Short rib. The Duroc was really good, served with cannellini beans, smoked bacon and Swiss chard. The pork chop itself was grilled perfectly, not overly cooked, or chewy. There was a bit of crispness from the char and the Swiss chard provided a freshness to the dish. In the past entrees at the ken have been really heavy, but I see a trend in their new menu for freshness, and I like it, especially as we get into the warmer months. Now how they freshed up the short rib was pretty awesome. It was served with a pan roasted potato and summer squash shavings. The meat was tender, as I always find with short rib, and it was savory without being over the top or having a thick gravy. It was absolutely delicious and oddly enough not the heaviest part of my meal. The buttery shrimp waffle and the hog bar really were the heavier part of my meal. So, when we got around to dessert, I decided to lighten things up. For dessert, we had the Ginger Beer float, made with my favorite ginger beer, Bundaberg. It also featured a strawberry gelato, candied ginger and fresh strawberries. This was also very crisp and fresh. Root beer has always felt too heavy to me, granted I love a root beer float, but usually I like it with a burger and french fries, at a diner, as close to nowhere as possible. It's a perfect summer time dessert, but as much as I have been raving about fresh, crisp and summer in this entry, I have to admit: I'm a sucker for an Irish coffee. They are creamy, delicious, caffeinated and Irished up with a bit of Jameson. So, we ordered a couple with dessert, but I have to say. I have had an Irish coffee or two, but these were just average. I love it when you do the hand whipped cream and just the right amount of coffee. Those are awesome. It was good nonetheless.

The hospitality also jumped up a notch. The manager personally came over twice to ask us how things were going. Our server called us her favorite table, which happens a lot to me. The reason for this being that I truly enjoy going out to eat and I like to spend. I don't want to piddle around with bullshit. I don't want to go out and just have a salad and a glass of wine, I want to have a meal. I can make salad and buy wine to have a home. I really want to eat. This is why people have a bad time when they go out. They don't utilize the tools they have been given. They've been given a table, a menu, and a full staff. The staff is there to interpret, recognize and offer you things that they love or, based on your other choices that they think you might like. When I find that people are having a bad time when myself or anyone else I find that they are craving something specific, but they go to a place that does not serve that. As I've said before I'm not here to fuck around. It kind of bothers me that there have to be favorites. Can't we all just go out when we are prepared to go out? Can't we let a meal lift us up to a place of euphoria and elation, instead of looking for the faults in service?

Well, Ken Grill I commend you on your awesome new menu. It's so exciting I might just happy hour there this evening. There is so much more I want to try. I do not know how I can possible eat in all. All I know is that I left wishing I could have stayed forever. That was really good, truly a step up from where the menu was. It went from good to must try! Though we were a little upset about the loss of our dear friend the truffle mac, but we asked and found out it can still be ordered that way. It's nice that not everything has changed. For as much as change is good, nostalgia is sometimes better. Even with the hog bar, which I have embraced with enthusiasm, there are occasions that I have only experienced at Kensington Grill. Good friends, good food, and creative cocktails always make an occasion for me and I'm glad that each time can be different and maybe even better. Food is about creativity and innovation, and I'm ecstatic that those forces went to work for you.

Update: I haven't been able to eat out..argh!

Just a quick update, I've been working my booty off to finance a trip to the bay area later this month, not much time for quality consumption. Many posts to follow that trip. Maybe one more before I go as well, thinking of Bleu Boheme, The Smoking Goat, or maybe the Oceanaire. Later kids.