Atelier Casa de Comidas | Granada

Oyster with kiwi, jalapeno + samphire

PATATAS BRAVAS

Oxtail stuffed croissant with Béarnaise Sauce

Stewed red tuna cheek from Almadraba, smoked aubergines tahini, 

graprefruit + cold-macerated onion soup. 

Atelier Casa de Comidas - Michelin Star lunch in a calm, contemporary space with perfect service. Andalusian flavors using modern techniques, food that surprises + excites you.

Atelier Casa de Comidas

C. Sos del Rey Católico, nº7

18006 Granada, Spain

(interior photo source)

Honolulu | Eat + Drink

This recap includes the downtown city area of Honolulu which we ventured to twice, once for dinner at Sushi ii and once for lunch at Lucky Belly, as well as the posh city streets of Waikiki Beach. We found downtown Honolulu to be relatively quiet where as Waikiki was always bustling! 

We had our best meals of the trip on this leg of our Hawaiian journey; nowhere else overall compared to the restaurant and bar scene here. 

Mahina & Son's at The Surfjack Hotel + Swim Club 

[412 Lewers Street]

Surfjack Hotel is wonderfully hip. A retro Wish You Were Here tiled pool immediately invites you into the well manicured space. Mahina and Son's is an open concept that abuts hotel lounge and sun deck. 

We started with addicting, super spicy pickled peanuts with jalapenos. If you've never had pickled peanuts they are an absolute treat. I don't remember exactly what we drank but the cocktails were on par.

We hadn't yet tried Poi (taro root) which is a major Hawaiian crop / right of passage. It worked well in the Pa'a'ai Salad with pickled Akule (big eye scad), pohile (Hawaiian fiddlehead fern) and tomato. The first main was Monchong (Sickle Pomfret) with 'ulu (breadfruit), green bean, cherry tomato and chervil. The second was Opah (Moonfish) with savoy cabbage, purplette, u'ala (sweet potato) and a mustard-bacon broth. Dessert was the Dark Chocolate Butter Mochi with black sesame gelato and mango jam.

Sushi ii

[655 Keeaumoku St] 

An omakase menu is offered (go for it!) in this unassuming strip mall nook. A parade of impossibly fresh nigiri delights from Chef Hiro: lango, kinmedai, shima aji, toro, uni, hokkiado scallop, ikura, ama ebi...with a grand finale of miso soup!

Bar Leather Apron
[745 Fort Street Mall #127]

We ubered from Sushi ii to Bar Leather Apron for a night cap. This intimate cocktail den is located on the mezzanine level of the Topa Financial Center in downtown Honolulu. It is definitely a random, hidden location and it was a little tricky to find; part of the charm for sure. They have four old Fashioneds on the menu, naturally we each got one. 

Appetito

[150 Ka‘iulani Ave]

Appetito is a chic craft pizza and wine bar, which we chose on a whim. I took just one photo of this phenomenal pizza: KING CRAB SHISHITO with avocado, shishito peppers and arugula on a cream sauce drizzled with wasabi mayo. We had a really great time here, much in part to our amazing, personable bartender, who in hindsight I recognized as professional surfer Keala Kennelly. She totally made our night.

Queen Street Cafe + Grill
[99 Kauhale St, Aiea]

Queen St Café + Grill is actually located in Aiea - the town that Pearl Harbor is in. We had lunch time to fill between our morning arrival and our late afternoon tour of the USS Arizona, so we opted to venture off campus instead of hitting up the hot dog cart with everyone else. I'm so glad we did! (Pearl Harbor has no entrance fees or parking fees so it's easy to leave and come back in one day.) The Poke Bowl Lunch at this no frills café is easily one of the best I had. You can mix and match so I had tuna and beef with pasta salad and white rice, Bob had chicken and beef with potato salad and brown rice.

Lucky Belly
[50 N Hotel St]

We stopped in Chinatown for lunch after we checked out of The Alohilani and before we headed for the North Shore. Lucky Belly was host to a decent lunch hour crowd. We sat at the bar and sipped ice cold Asahi Beers alongside delicious food. Bob had Tempura Shrimp Tacos topped with asian slaw and yuzu mayo. As for me, you know I can't pass up a good bowl of Ramen (I think this was my third so far in Hawaii!) The Lucky Bowl with bean sprouts, soft egg, wakame, sesame seeds, green onion and ginger was excellent.

The Beach Bar @ Moana Surfrider Hotel
[2365 Kalakaua Ave]

Moana Surfrider is a Westin Resort & Spa right on Waikiki Beach. This was our favorite place for cocktails - the nicest bartenders, live music, hula dancing, and you are literally steps from the sand. 

We absolutely loved the food scene in Honolulu and would give all these spots our vote of approval. 

what's good | Amaro Montenegro, Posto Mobile + more

I am big on roundups and it has been awhile since I posted one! 

I like to highlight favorite spots I'm visiting again and again, or restaurants, dishes, drinks and brands that made a lasting impression. Enjoy!

 Acai Bowl @ Energize

True to its name this blog focuses on boozy drinks and indulgent food. But I am a big smoothie bowl and fresh squeezed juice fan, too! Energize in Oak Square, Brighton is my favorite neighborhood juice bar for a delicious, healthy and beautifully presented smoothie bowl. 

Juices + Smoothies @ Thirst Juice Co.

When I'm working downtown my go to juice bar is Thirst. Pictured is the Buddhabeet Juice made with beet, carrot, pear, pineapple + ginger. This is a perfect afternoon thirst quenching pick me up!

Fried Burrata @ Brighton Bodega

On our first visit to the new bodega the Fried Burrata took center stage - comforting, luscious, crispy and bathing in a savory tomato sauce. The other dishes were just so-so compared. On our second visit I was much more impressed with our dishes. With an on trend neighborhood vibe and a solid house cocktail list + 20 thoughtfully selected beers on draft, I am so thrilled Brighton Bodega has made a home in Brighton Center! Look for a full post on this place soon.

Negroni @ Townsman

...from healthy red juice to my favorite red cocktail! Townsman's Negroni or some variation of the classic usually graces their menu and always hits the spot. 

Thai Tuna Maki @ Hillstone 

Hillstone is an upscale chain restaurant in Faneuil Hall. I enjoyed hanging out at their polished subterranean bar and was surprised to see maki rolls on the menu. The Thai Tuna ($16) is eight squares with cubes of fresh tuna, avocado, a spicy thai sauce and macadamia nuts.

Amaro Montenegro @ Alibi

Amaro is an Italian herbal liquor that has for awhile been my go to digestif. I have been using it frequently to craft a delicious variation on the Manhattan. You probably drink amaro in cocktails all the time and don't even realize it! 

A collision of sharp sweetness blunted by potent alcohol, an understated bitterness, scents of flowers and spices, I love it so! There are lots of brands out there but Lucano, Averna and Montenegro are my three favorites. Alibi at The Liberty Hotel hosted an amazing evening last month called "Montenegro Nights" where they transformed the heat lamp lit patio into a Montenegro shrine and even had a tattoo artist giving (fake) Montenegro bottle tattoos, reaffirming my adoration for the brand!

Authentic Neopolitan Pizza @ Posto Mobile

I haven't featured a food truck in awhile but I eat lunch at them all the time. Posto Mobile wood fired pizza is ridiculously good. Pictured is the Soppressata - namesake spicy pork salumi, mozzarella, Tuscan peppers, oregano, parmesan + arugula.

House Featured Manhattan @ Troquet on South

This my friends is what a $17 Manhattan looks like. It is made with mad river burnt rock bourbon, sweet vermouth, barrel aged bitters + cherries. I love cozying up to the intimate + sophisticated French Bistro that is Troquet on South.

Where have you been eating + drinking lately? What are some dishes I must try around town?!

Saltie Girl

You guys!! I'm finally getting around to sharing my dinner at Saltie Girl - where one of the most talked about food trends - tinned seafood! reigns supreme. This was an impromptu dinner on a memorable summer night. We had just taken our engagement photos. I was wearing my late grandmother Julia Fenton's vintage party dress and feeling like a 1960's goddess as we gallivanted about our final shoot location on the Esplanade. 

We celebrated with fancy martini service at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen before Saltie Girl coaxed us in. Serving seasonally-inspired, fresh and tinned iterations of seafood, the intimate restaurant set in a regal brownstone at Dartmouth + Newbury affirmed one of my favorite evenings of the summer with fantastic food and wine. The Smoked Salmon Toast with Greek yogurt, truffle wildflower honey, and cured yolk on potato bread was a revelation. From the hyped, exceptionally curated menu of tinned fish the Tuna Filets in olive oil come with piquillo peppers, artisan bread, and hand churned butter on a handsome slate board. Tinned fish is much more expensive than I expected; it was very good though! We also shared Toasted Handmade Gnocchi with caviar, and absolutely could not pass up Saltie Girl's Fried Lobsters and Waffles with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup!

Saltie Girl

28 Dartmouth Street

Boston, MA 02116