North Shore Kauai Eats

Here's some insight into our dining experiences on North Shore of Kauai. For starters, a Mai Thai at The Nui is a must!

We had a great dinner at BarAcuda in Hanalei Town offering small plates sourced from Island Fisherman + local organic farmers. 

We ate Papas Ajo - fried marble potatoes tossed in fresh garlic with paprika aioli. These were basically the local version of my favorite tapas - Patatas Bravas! There were tender Banderillas - grilled flank steak skewers rubbed with ancho chili coffee spice and a chipotle honey sauce, and a beautiful piece of Hawaiian Ono with roasted corn puree, grilled summer squash, green coriander + True Leaf Farms sunflower sprouts. 

And a Lilikoi Cheesecake with graham macadamia nut crust and lilikoi curd for dessert!

It was so nice to have the gorgeous St.Regis luxury resort a ten minute walk from our Airbnb condo complex Hale Mole. We fell in love with their Macadamian Old Fashioned. It was one of the best cocktails on this trip! 

On our first night we were met with a super lively bar crowd. The whole place was dancing to a husband wife duo who played local instruments and fun cover songs. We grabbed a front row table and ordered dinner. The bar menu features Japanese plates; really good ceviche, maki rolls, miso soup, edamame and more. We were delighted with our first experience here and knew we'd be back. 

A couple days later we dined at the glamorous Makana Terrace. The views over Hanalei Bay are incredible, but that was about all. The menu was lacking - they were out of a lot of items we wanted to order and we were not overly impressed with the food or service. We got the sense our waitress didn't like us - never a good feeling on your honeymoon or at an exceptionally luxe venue. 

The bad experience at Makana didn't outweigh our love for the good vibes at the bar. We came back on our last night for a final round of Macadamian Old Fashioneds at sunset. 

Tahiti Nui or the Nui is the local Hanalei dive. Live music plays late into the evening and the Mai Thais are flowing. The food was decent. We had coconut shrimp (can't go wrong), beef poke (not my favorite) and a local fish and rice dish (average).

Piazza was a real treat and somewhat of a surprise! Serving local Italian cuisine in the Princeville Plaza (next to Foodland) this polished establishment served us well on our last night in Kauai. We sat at the bar where the staff was fun and attentive. The masterful Ahi Tuna Carpaccio with a deconstructed tapenade, lemon confit and black lava salt was one of my favorite plates in all of Hawaii. The wine list and cocktails were on point - my Vespa with Aperol, lychee puree and prosecco was the perfect blend of Italia meets Hawaii! The Kauai Shrimp Scampi with handmade squid ink linguine, garlic butter, tomato, lemon preserves and chili flakes was a terrific entrée. As was the gorgeous Tagliatelle Bolognese!

Overall, we had some pretty great food on Kauai's North Shore, but not without a couple misses in the mix. If you've visited this part of Hawaii, where are your must eats?!

Strip-T's | Watertown

 

rice "tots" ($13) - blue crab, battleship curry, nori 

Von Trap Helles Lager - Stowe, Vermont

okonomiyaki ($10) hot + sour squash, pickled ginger, lomo

Pinner Throwback IPA - Brevard, North Carolina

duck oyakadon ($20)  - egg, turnip, kimchi, hots, rice  

smoked miso ramen ($15) - chashu pork, menma, soy egg, greens, scallion

wild mushroom donburi ($18) - bean sprouts, bok choy, rice

cheesecake ($7) - raspberry jam, graham cracker crumble, mint

Strip T's had its heyday comeback in 2012 when Chef Tim Maslow returned home after several years in the kitchen at NYC's famed Momofuku; ready to up the ante incorporating Asian flavors, imaginative new dishes, and a dinner menu to his Dad's neighborhood lunch joint. Soon enough, the unassuming Watertown diner received rave reviews including tons of local praise and national recognition. 

These days, it feels like Strip T's is quietly doing their thing. On a recent Saturday night the counter is empty and a few tables slurp noodles and dive into rice bowls alongside our four-top. The food is still mesmerizing. We go for the wildly inventive starters - rice tots and okonomiyaki - and are handsomely rewarded. The battleship curry in the former is dazzling, not to mention the plating is a work of art; and the latter, a hot and sour fluffy squash pancake drizzled in luscious Asian sauces is unexpectedly brilliant.

The ramen is a bowl of rich, hearty, umami laden comfort thanks to the smoked miso broth and tender char-siu pork, and we loved the nontraditional add-in of collard greens. Both the wild mushroom donburi and duck oyakadon rice bowls are met with praise. And that beautiful cheesecake dessert is pretty much perfect. Our waiter is easy going and personable while his service remains polished and extremely knowledgeable. If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, or are looking for an excuse to get back, now's the time! Parking on School Street is ample and free. 

Strip-T's
93 School Street
Watertown, MA 02472

Coco Maya | Virgin Gorda

We cooked more at our cottage than we dined out - with a spot like that, why wouldn't you!? We found ourselves on a schedule of early to rise, early to bed. This is a daytime island and nightlife is slim. But Coco Maya gives you a taste. A chic, open air beachside lounge serves excellent maki rolls, ceviche and lots of shareable plates with a Caribbean Asian Fusion. 

What the four of us ate, pictured:
Spicy Calamari Salad ($16) | kimchee/mixed capsicum/dashi/cucumber ribbon/sesame oil
Spicy Salmon & Avocado Roll ($16) | salmon/avocado/sriracha/sesame oil
Spicy Tuna Roll ($17) | yellowfin tuna/sriracha/black tobiko
Sunset Roll ($14) | crispy salmon/avocado/mango purée
Scallop Ceviche ($17) | pickled red onion/zucchini ribbons/wasabi mayo/ponzu/micro fries/nori
Chocolate & Walnut Brownie ($9) | mint-choc-chip ice cream/coconut anglaise

Also devoured, not pictured:
Edamame ($9) | Japanese soybeans/chili butter/rock salt
Tom Yum Soup ($8) | shiitake mushroom/plum tomato/lemongrass/cilantro
Coco Maya House Ribs ($14) | sweet chili/honey/agave/garlic sauce
CFC Wings ($16) | kimchee/sambal/agave/honey sauce
Coco Maya Roll ($16) | tempura shrimp/avocado/spicy mayo/deep fried  
Dulche de Leche Cheesecake ($9) | salted caramel 

We followed up dinner with pineapple hookah in the sand around a charcoal firepit overlooking the turquoise waters of the Sir Frances Drake Channel. 

CocoMaya Beach Restaurant

Virgin Gorda, VG1150

British Virgin Islands

Russell House Tavern

The night before Pigalle there was Russell House Tavern. My Dad happened to be out and about in Harvard Square and invited my sister and I to dinner, letting us choose the place. Separately we each suggested Russell House, which is no surprise considering they are consistently excellent; we both knew the cocktails and food would serve to impress. Plus, the lively yet casual environment would aptly fit the impromptu mood. The fact that it happened to be restaurant week was an added bonus, and of course, we all had to participate after we were seated and gave the menu a run down. Leah and Dad ordered the same of each course. You can't go wrong with the RHT raw bar and as far as their entree goes, they remarked over again how fresh and well prepared the bass was. I thought their dessert was better than mine, and so did they.

1. RHT Raw Bar Sampler | 2 Duxbury Count Neck clams, 2 local oysters, 2 jumbo shrimp
2. Grilled Striped Sea Bass | escarole, borlotti beans, anchovy roasted carrots
3. Lemon Cheesecake | lavender honey

As for my meal, this was my first time eating lamb tartare! I will likely compare future lamb tartares to Chef Scelfo's intriguing and delicious preparation. My braised oxtails were incomparable as well, perhaps one of the best entrees I've had in recent memory. Every ingredient was complimentary and flawless. Dessert didn't blow my mind perhaps because the appetizer and entrée were a very tough act to follow. I had high expectations and the berry mousse didn't quite live up.1. American Lamb Tartar | anise cracker, orange & fennel, juniper honey
2. Sassafras Braised Archer Farms Oxtails | caraway spätzle roasted apples, spicy glazed onions

3. Berry Mousse | chocolate sauce

Russell House is a shining example of why I get excited for Restaurant Week. They continue to remain a reason alone to visit Harvard Square. Many thanks for treating us to dinner, Dad!

Russell House Tavern

14 John F. Kennedy St.

Cambridge, MA 02138

Finale Desserts

Last Tuesday I got my fix of sweet treats at yet another fantastic Finale Desserts tasting event. You may recall I attended the Craft Beer Tasting back in May and embraced the unique concept of pairing beer with pastries. This time around Nicole Cody - Finale's pastry chef extraordinaire paired five of her signature desserts with summer cocktails crafted by Tim Murphy of Horizon Beverage.Tonight I was joined by Mindy, Megan and Emily who were just as excited to have dessert for dinner as I was. The pairings flowed from cocktails and desserts that were light, fruity, creamy and custardy to ones that were rich and decadent with flavors of coffee and chocolate.

First up - the Tropical Sunset Cocktail blends X-Rated Fusion liqueur with pineapple juice, raspberry puree and a splash of soda water. This fruity libation was paired with a light and fluffy crust free version of Cheesecake that I unexpectedly adored. If this were a competition, cocktail versus dessert, the dessert wins this round hands down. The Lemon Tart in a handmade sugar dough shell complimented a Wild Berry Mojito with sweet mixed berry puree, brut cava, peach schnapps and a splash of sprite. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mojito - perhaps because it strayed too far from a typical rum based version with muddled mint and sugar. But the tart was pretty good - I'm sensing a trend....The third paring of a St. Germain Sparkler with with a traditional Creme Brulee was one of my overall favorites. A super sweet sip of the ever popular elderflower liqueur mixed with Nivole Moscato was balanced by a similar level of sweetness in the caramelized vanilla custard. The Chocolate Bliss Cocktail tasted like a grown up version of chocolate milk. The decadent blend of Godiva Caramel, Godiva Dark, Creme de Cacao and Finale Chocolate Ganache went with a classic Tiramisu, layering coffee soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone mousse and a dusting of Valhorona cocoa powder. Lastly, a rich flourless Chocolate Decadence cake was paired off with a strong blend of Svedka Vodka shaken with Godiva Dark, Kahlua and espresso for a non traditional espresso martini. Dessert for dinner? Definitely a good idea every once in awhile, especially when enjoyed with cocktails. This particular tasting will also take place on August 9th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Finale Coolidge Corner located at 1306 Beacon Street. My tasting was complimentary since I attended as a media guest, but at only $20 per person it is an inexpensive and fun way to switch up your summer after work routine!