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Aloha! Hey, I'm on dial-up here in Naperville for a few days.......we went to 112 and all I can say is RUN don't wait to dine there!!!!!! We ate almost everything on the entire menu and it was more than I could have ever expected. From the fennel marinated olives and sugar/spice almonds to start to the special caramel corn at the end which we took to the concert my tastebuds were reeling with delight! I will post photos when we finally get home. Everyone there was so nice and service was top drawer, the kitchen is so small and you can watch them enroute to the bathroom. DEFINATELY GO!!!!!!!!!!! It was packed but they were even with the pace and able to handle the crowd although the night of EJ those who just walked in were politely turned away, a few people sat at the small bar area hoping for some no-shows. What a lovely atmosphere, menu, staff, the whole magilla. A hui ho and by all means GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aloha - Chai's is always a good choice and a pretty setting, easy parking and on level terrain. I always vote for Mariposa - the too have easy parking (valet) and an elevator, the view is terrific and every time I eat lunch always there is a party of some type, birthday, shower. The Kahala Mandarin would be a nice choice too. Sounds like you are planning a nice event. Have fun - a hui ho!!! Whoops, I just noticed Kahala Mandarin on the list already although I do like their curry buffet lunch on the Veranda.

My friend starts as GM of Carneros Inn on Monday.

I am happy for Lee Hefter to be nominated once again, he is truly deserving. I would be so happy to see Rich Melman winning for Restranteur of the year from Waterford Wedgewood. I think all of his contributions make him a winner, he is in some great company of nominees! a hui ho

MA'O Farms only participates on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. a hui ho.......

Aloha! I'll be flying in to MN for the Elton John concert on 4/29 and have reservations for that night, apparently we were the second party to reserve for that reason. We are looking forward to a nice meal! Will report back on that and our meals around Naperville and hopefully one or two in the city. This place sounds REALLY GOOD!!!!!! A hui ho

Aloha! I have been to Dave's many times as my mother really enjoys their food, I too have become a fan. The sides are very good, there is something really unique with his french fries and I like his different sauces, I've even bought some to bring back here. The corn bread is pretty good, it kept my dad happy the last few months of his life when we'd bring him some to the home. The drunken apples are good and I like his beans very much. What I do enjoy is all the props and trappings of a cottage on a lake, this reminds me of childhood vacations. I think he's got a good product. A hui ho

What else can anyone tell about the Carneros Inn?

"Like so....." when he is doing something and says that.

Aloha! This is so interesting! I certainly sympathize with your plight of the termite damage! No matter what inspections take place the dreaded wall opening reaveals some nasty news! We have been through that very same thing last year, we had to have supports brought in to beam up the ceiling and rip out everything and re-build walls.........I can't even describe the headaches involved and the frustration and mess from the work! You are in my thoughts and keep going, you will be so happy in the end! Thanks for keeping us all updated! A hui ho

so what did you love?

Oh, I forgot and was just reminded - "hamburger gravy" as above white gravy with ground beef only ours was served over mashed potatoes.......colorless meal to be sure and flavorless as well. I do recall though that my mother made a killer whole duck stuffed with dried fruits that was so unbelievably delicious!!!!! She'd make one just for me at Christmas! That and she made some good fried shrimp, can't remember if they started out frozen but she'd make a big pile of them and I loved every one of them. a hui ho

Tuna Helper. Shake 'n Bake (both chicken and pork) Chef Boy R Dee box pizza mix Green Giant frozen veggies with the butter bag Buddig meats -those horrible thin pieces of old particle board all smelled and looked the same Swanson Frozen dinners Oddly enough we were some of the first people to eat things like Kiwi fruits

Sorry guys - I messed up the quote thing.......Someday I'll get it right. Anyway Chef Mavro won the James Beard award in 2003. What would be really great would be if you could just eat at every one of these places while you visit! a hui ho.........This years' nominees were Beverly Gannon of Hailiimaile General Store on Maui and Peter Merriman of Merriman's.

HANDS DOWN Roy's is my personal favorite.....probably because after dining there forever - since the door opened......I would suggest the flagship. However I would also say that Hoku's in the Kahala Mandarin would be an EXCELLENT choice as well. Also would be MARIPOSA in Neiman Marcus. You gotta love Chef Doug Lum's ( a local boy if there ever was one) execution of local ingredients with a passion for keeping it "local" within the corporate setting. That and the view at lunch or dinner (depending what time you dine) is a fabulous view of Ala Moana Park and Magic Island. If you go on a Friday night (I think there are fireworks still from the Hilton - there were when I rented my boss's yacht) so you would have a fabulous view.......I don't like to go out at night unless absolutely forced - but that's what I imagine.........I have enjoyed a meal on a night or two at Alan Wong's but don't think he's the 'most Hawaiian." which makes me ask the question "what is MOST HAWAIIAN" considering Sam Choy is from here, Roy grew up on Maui in a very prominant family for "localism" and of course Alan is part Hawaiian as well. I don't think we should dismess people not "from here". At Hoku's we are blessed to have Waye Hirabayashi at the helm of Hwaii's 5 star property.......I think it's a matter of what is really important. a hui ho........

Aloha! Thanks for your insight and history! We all know however that not only Honlulu but Hawaii in general is still a very small town! Anyone here has great examples of that I am most certain! a hui ho

I also had the Tom Yam Koong soup - this was a triumph as well. The article does not mention the cilantro foam which was a taste treat atop this fabulous creation. It really was a fun meal and I'd definately go back! He's so creative, I am glad he has a new home! Let us all hear about your meal! a hui ho

Here the highest calorie count plate lunch is chicken katsu an incredibly deep fried chicken piece that has been coated in panko and served with a katsu sauce which is always brown and tastes pretty much the same everywhere, when combined with the 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad your calorie count is at notches unknown. Also popular is breaded friend chicken piece "boneless with gravy allover" which Rainbow Drive-in does a good job of, that along with the aforementioned other items tops the scales. The spam musubi (a slab of spam atop a rectangle of rice about an inch or so thick wrapped with nori comes to mind as well, it has a teri type sauce to round out the mix. Delicious! a hui ho

Wow! Those pictures are making me drool wildly! Thanks for the report! Wish I had some right now! a hui ho

It was really cold and rainy yesterday with winds and general chill from the mountains so lucky I'd planned to make breaded pork chops with maple/bourbon/pepper pan gravy with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. Our friends came over and had made a luscious loaf of bread to go with it. We'd made a ginger carrot soup as well but that didn't make it to the mix so today I warmed some up and it was so DELICIOUS, as I write the leftover porkchops and gravy are re-heating for lunch. I sent our friends home with enough for a meal today as well so maybe it's in their oven as I write!

Sorry for the rave and if someone else mentioned this already I'll be shocked. Anyway we were ready to rip out our hair after hearing the MIL say "SCOLL - OPS" for the past 3 weeks

So about Hiroshi's...........As you enter and look to the left you will see the bar aglow with little white lights which set a soft mood next to the dark wood of the bar itself. As in the dining room there is a lovely swag of fabric that makes the wall look like it's floating, the color of the rooms are a light green which is quite inviting. A very welcoming environment. We started with a martini - a 3 week visit with the in-laws makes you realize there is not enough vodka in the world.......but I shall continue with the meal.........the majority of this was for 3 of us as one doesn't eat any of these lovely fish items. Sashimi of Kanpachi -unbelieveable flavors from the kalamata olive pickled wasabi, shaved parmesan and citrus/chili vinaigrette, the fish was thin and like velvet melting in your mouth. Duo of Poke - ahi and kanpachi, this was really really good too! This is served in little ramen soup spoons and makes a very pretty presentation as well. Shrimp Chawanmushi soup - this served in a demitasse cup with a little Italian phrase inside was great after coming in from a wet rainy night. There are vegetables, shrimp and Nalo micro mitsuba in a creamy yet not from cream broth. Seared sea scallops - bacon takana ragout, tobiko and kabayaki butter sauce, scallops so tasty from the sauce, cooked to perfection with a soft subtle texture. Sizzlin' Moi Carpaccio - Big island ginger, Hauula tomato, Mrs. Cheng's tofu and ponzu vinaigrette with truffled Nalo micro greens - whew!!!!! This is a triumph, just as tasty as it was at L'Uraku. I could eat a mountain of this! The little bits of tofu soak up the vinaigrette and are so tasty! Tempura of Chopped Shrimp with shiso & nori-pickled wasabi aioli - think 'popcorn shrimp' grows up with kicked up flavors and there you have it. Well I'd like to think so, we were not offered any by the non-fish eater, he seemed to wolf them down though. Pan roasted Filet Mignon - seared foie gras, Frankie's peppercorn, Nalo micro arugula and foie gras ponzu sauce - This piece of filet was so tender and like butter melting in your mouth (oh, I said that before about the kanpachi) I don't eat foie gras and asked could the seared piece be brought separately in foil so I could take it home to Manele and Koele, those 2 dogs loved it. Anyway the ponzu sauce was very good with the arugula great combination of flavors. The real highlight of this dish were the french fries artfully displayed that were so light and so crisp it was my idea of "dessert quality" potatoes which is the highest acclaim I give to potato preparation and doesn't happen very often, Roy's au gratin potatoes are such quality as well. Seared Kanpachi with Portuguese sausage potstickers and chervil clam jus - a night of Kanpachi, this was very good and an unusual combination with the potstickers. A winner. Moi, catch of the day & Manila clam "cioppino" - what a fun dish, crunchy sugar snap peas, scallions and shiitake mushrooms made for a really nice blend of textures and flavor, the broth was subtle enough to carry the flavors of the fish and clams without overpowering their individual strengths. I don't like clams but they were great in this. Oven roasted lamb "t-bone" with sansho peppercorn, scalloped potate and broccolini - again I have to guess this was good as was with the shrimp it did not fall into the concept of "shared plate." Dessert - there were a couple on the table but I don't like dessert so I don't remember what they were. I do remember having a nice port however. Everything was excellent, the one thing I would have liked would have been some sort of bread or small rolls to soak up the sauces and juices that were on the plates. You can see that of course his emphasis is upon local produce and fishes and the freshness shines through. Our pace was well set and the server did a great job of explaining things and attentive. Cheryle the manager was there and she takes time to work the room, chatting to guests, clearing table items, she treats you as if you were in her own home and takes obvious pride in her position and contributions, she told us she made the curtain swags in both Vino and Hiroshi's among other design elements. Chuck Furuya was back and forth between Vino and Hiroshi's and his wine knowledge and approachability makes ordering and learning about wine a treat. We also had the 2 different wine flights, a white and a red. The white has an Italian pinot banco, an Austrian gruner veltliner and a German riesling. The red was all pinot noir all very tasty and excellent with our foods. The flights are $8.95 with the pours being 2 oz. each. We got there at 7:30 and left probably around 10 or so. The room was crowded when we got there and stayed full throughout the night. I would definately make a reservation. Upcoming are some special events (his famous Kaiseki dinner is one of them) although just dining there is a special event - GO!!!!!!!!!!! a hui ho

At the KCC market you can get fresh honey from Manoa Valley, we just bought the Pele's Gold which is a blend of kiawe,eucalyptus,Christmas Berry, Koa Haole and other Hawaiian Flora, it is truly amazing. Also you can get sun evaporated salt from Kona (from waters 3000 feet deep) in both liquid spray form and a little bag of crystals. There used to be coffee plantations up on the north shore that had some good coffee but I don't know if they still produce, this was in Waialua. You should also try the fresh ginger ale and pick up a bottle of their syrup concentrate. We followed their suggestion and make some dynamite martini's with it. I've never in 20 years eaten at a shrimp truck, it just looks unappealing to me although the reviews by others make it sound good. When I go to Haleiwa - which isn't often - I'm with visiting in-laws and they like to eat at Jameson's which I do enjoy. They have a very good Portuegese Bean soup and a great mai tai, their calamari is good too, it's the steak type that is breaded in panko and then fried. I also like El Chollo up there in the Northshore Marketplace they have excellent fish tacos and great tamales. Most Long's drugstores carry the wahoo as well, they also carry lots of local type snacks and foods. Herald the triumphant return of the Won-Ton Chip from Maebo in Hilo! Definately get a bag or two of those delights! After a tragic fire they are now back in production! a hui ho

Oh Lord, I shudder to think.........Chicken of some sort ( help me this was 24 years ago.......) and I'll never forget the "champagne" toast with those banquet bowl glasses.......at least we shared the wealth and had a glass for everyone - don't you hate it when you go to weddings where only the head table has a glass of whatever it is (and fortunately I've been to not many.......) Help me again, our first dance was "The Rose" WHY???????????? So the best food I remember was that my dad was so worried about folks driving home drunk that he reserved the entire floor of the Skokie Hilton and it was turned into a flop house of debauchery and mayhem with the main party identified by the floral arrangements flanking his room of all places and people filtering in and out at will. We actually had drained the bar of beer, bourbon and vodka and they sent out employees for more for the reception and after party. So, with all these people spending the night and waking up at random hours in even more random conditions.......my dad had the restaurant serving brunch buffet have an open ticket for everyone and they were all welcome to filter in and eat, drink more and get their space together to make it through the Sunday afternoon. What a motley group.....No Vince Neil..... Suffice it to say I believe our 10th and 20th anniversaries were far better with food and libations and if anyone wants to know about those events I'd be happy to elaborate. Nothing like the 'sweets table' in Skokie............a hui ho

O.K., I don't really like the term "foodie" but this one got to me. I totally agree with this one!!!!! Having been on both sides of the fence on this issue it is definately better to be on the INVITED side than the side where everyone is checking you out. I was on the checking out side for Alan Wong in another lifetime and it was both fun and somewhat unnerving. So when I was invited to a mock dinner with my family when Roy's opened at Ko Olina we were kind, patient and also positive in our correction (cheers to them, hardly any was needed!!!!!! ) For us we plan our vacations/days around what we can eat and who can we meet to learn about their craft. Farmer's market day here is treasured to see what's happening, how our lousy windy weather is affecting crops, etc. For me my 3 times a week Pilates Reformer class finds me thinking about what I am going to cook later or go out for...........I am wacko enough that when my beloved old Dansko's finally gave out, still possessing little teeth marks from my now departed beloved basnbull Maggie they've been placed above the kitchen atop the cabinets in a place of honor to celebrate the countless hours I wore them on the job and cooked with her at my side here at home and at our former home a couple blocks away. BTW I just got some vanilla bean, extract, coffee, tea and lotion from the ONLY vanilla producer in the USA, Hawaiian Vanilla Company. Met the farmer/owner Jim Reddekop at our farmer's market yesterday, a testament to the dedicatin we have to support our farmers here in HI. That for me is a good definition of "foodie" to support as much as possible and eat as much possible of local food from those who dedicate their lives to it. A hui ho............ Oh- YAHOO!!!!!!! I feel so competent - I actually was able to use the quote feature......a big deal to me who is very un-technical!!!!!!