Formaggio Grill
Weekends were meant for having fun! You can pig out at Taco Bell, eat eggo waffles, fill up on leftover Easter candy, or sometimes, on special occasions, you can even eat at a fancy yet elegantly casual restaurant like Formaggio’s! This is a story of one of those days.
My wife Bella and I were doing our thang on Saturday, that is, looking to score. Score some cheap library books at the Kailua library that is! (Yes, we are DAMNED COOL, don’t you forget it). Why don’t we BORROW books from the library you ask? Borrowing is for losers! Plus I always forget to return the books and the fines are HUGE at the library. HUGE.
So that’s how we ended up in the mean streets of Kailua, at the library, in the Friends of the Library room they have where books can be bought for something ridiculous like 25 cents. We bought tons of books! After all that book shopping, we loaded up the trunk and decided we should eat somewhere.
We had recently eaten at CPK, Morning Brew, and all the normal players in Kailua. We wanted something different!
“My love, why can’t we eat at Formaggios?” Bella asked.
“I don’t feel like eating at Formaggios, my dearest”, I replied.
“What about if I should pay?” Bella asked.
“Formaggios sounds like a great idea!” I swooned.
Formaggios is a great neighborhood place to eat. It isn’t cheap, but then again, neither am I. hah hah. We had never eaten there for lunch so it was a perfect opportunity to check them out.
Their Kailua location is located at 305 Hahani Street. Their phone number is 808-263-2633. Hours: Sun- 11am-11pm, Mon-Thurs 11:30am – 11pm, and Fri-Sat 11:30am – 1:00am. We arrived there just as they opened so were one of the first people there.
The restaurant is beautiful and cozy. They've managed to combine elements of sophistication while keeping it looking casual.
We couldn't resist ordering freshly brewed coffee. $2.79
I think I must have drank like 4 cups. Coffee is the best isn't it?
We decided to split two sandwiches. This one is the Three Kings Panini - $12.99. Pastrami, prosciutto, and Italian beechwood ham topped with whole grained mustard and gruyere cheese. OH BABY.
This sandwich is the Grilled Vegetable Panini $12.99. Zucchini, eggplant, red peppers, onions, havarti cheese, and pesto mayo.
Both sandwiches were INCREDIBLE! The bread is so delicious and everything had the right amount of flavor with that awesome cheesy gooeyness from being warm. The salads were also very fresh with a very delicious dressing.
It was everything I had hoped and dreamed it would be!
There's something about the presentation and lighting here that makes everything look so special and delicious. What a great lunch!!
Drop by Formaggio’s in Kailua someday, you won’t be disappointed! Their menu is pretty varied and has some things that are very expensive, but you can’t go wrong with the sandwiches. You can order them with side salads like we did, or instead get shoestring fries (which are also very delicious).
Don’t Mind My Peas and Q’s
I am on a quest, a quest to make the perfect pea salad.
Recently I went to Ryan’s in Ward Center, a restaurant I had not been to since, well, the 90’s. My friend said we should order the pea salad, which didn’t excite me too much. Even though it did have bacon. Wow! I guess now I know why their pea salad is one of their signature dishes. I could have eaten 10 plates of pea salad. It is so simple, so addicting. I mean, I thought it was so simple.
A google search for “pea salad and Ryan’s and Hawaii” will bring up a few questions seeking the recipe, some reviews, and even a few recipes that make reference to their pea salad. There are some recipes that call for rinsing the peas in hot water, and some that call for simply mixing the peas in frozen. Some use mayo, some use sour cream, some use a combination. One really interesting pea salad recipe called for rinsed Smokehouse almonds. One called for yellow curry. I knew that this was not getting me close to Ryan’s amazing pea salad. But I had to start somewhere.
This is my first attempt at pea salad. I thought this would be my baseline, super simple salad to which I could add small variables: one bag petite peas, half can waterchestnuts, 6 slices crispy, crumbled bacon, diced red onion, spoon of mayo, spoon of sour cream, salt, and pepper. So far I have made it three times and it has been gone in a mere matter of two days–for just me! I have not yet tried out the variables, except mixing in frozen or rinsing with water. So far, I like rinsing in cool water and draining. Though I’m holding off on conclusions, I’m guessing that there is simply something magical about bacon and mayo. Add anything to that, and it’s bound to be tasty.
Still, I am questing. Or maybe just wondering if anyone wants to go to Ryan’s to order 10 plates of pea salad.
Uahi Grill
Thursday NIGHT!! It was “meet with my parents” dinner night, and we wanted to go somewhere new and exciting!! But in Kailua….Hmmm…
I had remembered a place in Kailua that we had passed several times called Uahi Island Grill. It looked kind of gourmet looking somehow so we figured we’d give it a shot. So my wife Kalani, myself, and my parents found ourselves sitting on the small table they had inside. Most customers are takeout because they only have 2 or 3 tables at most.
They're located at 307 Uluniu Street in sunny Kailua, HI. Mon,Wed,Thur,Fri - 10:30am-8:00pm; Tue - 10:30am-2:30pm; Sat - 11:30am-7:00pm. Their phone number is 808-266-4646
I was pleasantly surprised at the menu! This was not your ordinary fast food plate lunch kinda place. They had stuff on their menu like seared ahi, grilled shrimp, kalua pork with kale, garlic ahi, red curry grilled fish, and tamarind tofu. Interesting.
Their menu board
Nice green interior and the place was spotless
They even had a motto on their menus which said “Our mission at Uahi Island Grill is to provide the Kailua community and beyond with fresh Island flavors using wholesome, house-made products. We will also strive to minimize our environmental impact by using locally grown produce whenever possible, and take out containers and utensils made from biodegradable plant fibers”. I like seeing places that take their existence seriously.
Here’s what we ended up getting.
Tamarind Tofu - Stir-fried tofu and vegetables in a sweet, tangy tamarind sauce - $8
Garlic Ahi - Fresh island ahi pan-fried with garlic flour served with teriyaki butter sauce. I think this was $10 but it says "Market Price" on the menu.
Black Bean Shrimp - Shrimp sauteed in a Chinese baclk bean sauce - $10
Seared Ahi with Ponzu Vinaigrette - $9
I got a little taste of everything and it was delicious! I had ordered the Seared Ahi and especially liked it, the pieces of ahi were very fresh and tender.
If you’re in the Kailua neighborhood, stop on by and try them out. You’ll pay more than a standard plate lunch, but what you get is fresh good tasting food that you won’t feel guilty about eating. I think it is worth it to pay a little extra for something special!
The Counter
Well, I’m gonna get at least one post out!! It was soon after the Counter had opened that we found ourselves on the night of February 20th anxiously in the mood to try them out. We were in the mood for something BEEFY, FRIED, and UNHEALTHY. Just the way my wife Bertha likes her men. You know what I’m talking about!! Oh you do? Then please explain because I have no idea.
The Counter is located at Kahala Mall at 4211 Waialae Avenue E-1. Their phone number is 808-739-5100 and their fax is 808-739-5102. They have a website at http://thecounterburger.com and an email address kahala@thecounterburger.com. Who ever thought that a restaurant had its own email address??
Their hours are Mon-Thurs – 11:00am – 10:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am – 11:00pm, and Sunday 11:00am – 9:00pm. I like those hours cause you never know when you’re going to be in the mood for a gourmet burger! I can totally see myself at 10pm going, “You know. I could really use a gourmet burger.”
We arrived to find the place PACKED with people.
Look at all these people waiting to get their hands on some beef!
I noticed people were grabbing clipboards and filling out something on a paper so I did as sheep do and got my own clipboard.
Let's see... Type of meat: cow of course! Size: 1 lb baby!! Choose a Cheese: Cheddar! Toppings: Dill Pickle Chips, Grilled Onions, Roasted Red Peppers, and Tomatoes. Choose a Sauce: Southwest Caesar. Bun: Hamburger Bun. And of course my name and email address.
I’m salivating like Pavlov’s dogs as I’m writing this post! Oh oh I can’t wait to describe the burger.
So after like a 10-15 minute wait, we were seated inside.
The inside was bustling with servers walking all over the place and families and couples all munching on burgers and french fries and other delicious things. They have a fully stocked bar and the place is nicely decorated. For a recent opening, the place really ran well and I could see that the servers were all trained well. They were cheerful and quick to ask if we needed anything.
A server came by and we gave them our checklist for the burger and ordered some french fries. Just as the waitress walked away I noticed some other servers carrying plates of half sweet potato fries/half regular fries. OH MY GOSH, I had to have it. We quickly flagged down another server and asked them if it was too late to change our order to a half/half order and they happily obliged.
In no time at all, a BIG plate of french fries/sweet potato fries arrived.
Look at that!! Doesn't it look delicious? They were AWESOME fries and were $5.50. Reminiscent of McDonald's french fries and the sweet potato fries were also crunchy, sweet, and delicious. They were a perfect match! It came with a side sauce that I thought was pretty good but I preferred mine with regular ketchup. The plate of fries was so big there was no way we were going to be able to finish it between the two fo us. NO WAY AT ALL.
Ahh who am I kidding. We killed all of it. I even scooped up the remaining little pieces AFTER this photo was taken.
Our burger arrived with a grand entrance. We had ordered the 1 lb burger and decided to split it. For some reason, they said they could not cut the burger themselves but they gave us a knife so we could cut it ourselves. To be honest, the burger looked a bit lonely all by itself on the plate. The burger was $13.95.
Here is half the burger. Cooked to perfection. COME TO DADDY. Does anyone else find it disurbing that my name is cowcow and I love hamburgers?
I got to tell you something and it is very important. Listen carefully. THIS BURGER WAS PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST BURGERS I’VE EVER HAD. I’ve had some good burgers in my time. Murder Burger in Northern California, Nation’s Giant Burger in Northern California, Fatburger, In-n-Out, etc. This burger was sooooooo goood. I think we picked the perfect toppings!! It definitely blew anything we’ve ever had in Hawaii in terms of burger comparisons.
I think the only thing we would’ve done differently is ordered two separate 1/4 pound burgers instead of splitting one 1 pound burger. Somehow eating half a burger, even a 1 lb burger makes you feel like you’re not getting your fair share! It’s like the person who is asked whether he wants his pizza sliced in 6 or 12 slices. “Oh 6 please, I couldn’t possibly eat 12 slices.” HAH HAH so poetically true, isn’t it? We were still slightly hungry after our visit, but truth be told, we’re almost always a little hungry.
Anyways, if you don’t mind spending a bit more money than usual on a burger, I’d definitely highly recommend The Counter. Bertha and I thoroughly LOVE-LOVE-LOVED it and we are looking forward to another visit!
Are we dead? Is it over? What’s going on?
I figured I should post a note to our loyal reader (hi mom!) and let you know that I’m still around and so is chewbawka and we’re eating up a storm but we’ve been busy!
I was away on a business trip in the mainland and now i’m studying for an exam but I got LOTS of stuff to post. I’d guess like 7 different places!
Just you wait! I hope to get some of these out in the next couple of weeks, so hang tight!
cowcow