Kapa'a | Kauai

Kapa'a is a funky little beach town on Kauai's east side. We stopped here on the drive North for a walk on Kealia Beach and the drive back for brunch at Nom Kauai and a treat at Wailua Shave Ice. 

Nom Kauai dishes local ingredients with southern roots and prides themselves on a motto to keep brunch weird. I really went for it and ordered the Cheeky Moco ($20) featuring Shoyu braised beef cheek served atop a fried coconut grit cake, smothered in house savory brown gravy + finished with a sunny egg. Bob sent it with - The Ultimate ($16) - a Belgian Waffle bun sandwiching buttermilk fried chicken, bacon + a sunny egg with pineapple bourbon butter, topped with maple syrup. These radical brunch creations are just two of many. I recommend a stop in Kapa'a to check this place out. All menu items are available all day and they've got a well rounded coffee and cocktail list.

After brunch we explored the main street with local gift shops and cute boutiques. Kiko + Hee Fat General Store both top my list! Around noon the food trucks opened up in the center of town - Wailua Shave Ice was a must try, we had the Lava Flow (strawberry + pineapple).

We had some time to kill before our flight to Oahu and Kapa'a was the perfect place for casual exploring, checking out local boutiques and for good eats! 

Shōjō | Chinatown

Shōjō is one of my favorite restaurants. A Chinatown mainstay dishing offbeat takes on modern Asian fare in a funky space painted with elaborate murals, you absolutely have to go and get all of the lust worthy dishes and Japanese cocktails you can manage!!

Originally I had Shōjō on the docket in my latest and greatest round up post but then, I've done that before! So that did not seem fair. I think doing favorites justice in a full post is too much (self-inflicted) pressure to write well. Deep breaths. Just show the food.

To drink Bob and I love the Yakuza Old Fashioned featuring Nikka coffee grain whiskey, bitter caramel + angostura.

Pork Belly Dumplings ($15) bathe in a sake hoisin with cilantro, radish, and jalapeno

The Shojinator ($7) is their burger! A hamburger patty with smoked bacon and kimcheese is sandwiched on a house steamed bun. Please note KIMCHEESE.

Chicken + Waffles v3.0 ($16) features juicy thighs on a Hong Kong waffle (so on point!) with five-spice butter and sizurrp. 

Suckling Pig Bao with smoked bbq sauce, kimchi and pickled cucumbers is tender, juicy, crispy + fluffy. A perfectly done bao!

In conclusion Fried Chicken + Waffles v 3.0 / The Shojinator / Dumplings / Bao / run to Chinatown, visit Shōjō and let me know if you love as much as Bob and I do!

Shōjō

9A Tyler Street

Boston, MA 02111

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

eats + drinks | Gracenote, Granary, Silvertone

Gracenote Coffee Roasters | Leather District

Lattes at Gracenote Coffee: This tiny espresso bar at 108 Lincoln Street is conveniently located right where the bus drops me off every morning. Even if you don't take a Mass Pike express bus into town this independent roaster is worth a visit. The finest beans sourced from for example: La Papaya Farm in Ecuador, Misty Valley, Ethiopia and Irati AB, Kenya are meticulously roasted. 

Strong and rich espresso with thick frothy milk, this is one of the best lattes I have ever had.  The barista art puts a smile on my face and makes them photo worthy, every time. (Yes, there are three different lattes pictured here. Give them a second glance and you can tell! So pretty!)

    Granary Tavern | Financial District

The New Guinness Nitro IPA alongside BBQ Pork Nachos ($12) and Fried Chicken + Waffles ($17) at Granary Tavern. The nachos are next level with house made potato chips, pickled onions, fresh cheese + avocado aioli. And with an ideal ratio of chicken to waffle to maple drizzle + honey butter, the latter dish is a home run.

Townsman | Edge of FiDi and Chinatown

A single cocktail at Townsman: the Green Girder ($12) with Beefeater Gin, fresh celery juice, smoke and salt. The cocktail was terrific and I love cocktails with a celery element! The fact that I haven't had a meal here yet and I work SO close is inexcusable. They are sweeping every publications best new restaurant category, pretty much every where you turn there's a positive buzz about Townsman. One of these days....

Silvertone | Downtown Crossing

Ultimate comfort food at Silvertone: Mac + Cheese ($10) topped with toasted buttered breadcrumbs + peas and Meatloaf + Mashed Potatoes ($12) with brown gravy + the vegetable of the day, bok choy.  

Where have you guys been eating + drinking lately? New hotspots? Old favorites?

5 Napkin Burger

5 Napkin Burger opened in Boston in March of 2011 - see my first post here. This Back Bay neighborhood spot had fallen off my radar. It was great to pay them a visit this winter at a media tasting and try some of the new menu items along with revisiting some of the classics. 

Edamame Hummus ($9.50) | miso tahini, sunflower seeds, sprouts & warm flatbread

Crispy Calamari | spicy peppers, marinara sauce

Pesto Flatbread | oven dried tomatoes

Bacon-Cheddar Burger ($15.75) | 8 oz. fresh ground beef, black label bacon, sharp cheddar, raw onion, lettuce, tomato, sesame brioche bun
Stack of Thick Cut Panko Onion Rings ($7.50) | asiago fondu

Chicken & Waffles | This was my entrée - I'm a sucker for this dish. The chicken was nicely seasoned and crispy, but there was an overwhelming amount of it. I'll happily take leftovers, but I found it hard to make my way to the waffle. Conceptually, I prefer when the chicken and waffles can strike a balance. The bourbon maple syrup was excellent and nicely tied the dish together.

Milkshakes! | We sampled: S'mores, Cookies n Cream and Salted Caramel. Do not leave 5 Napkin without trying one. These milkshakes are creamy, frothy and decadent. 

Read my friend Molly's recap of our evening on Pop.Bop.Shop.
And my friend Fiona's on A Boston Food Diary.

5 Napkin Burger
105 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115