Visit Hilo: Fairway Grill

I was pleasantly surprised with the food from Fairway Grill.  Apparently, the previous incarnation of the Hilo municipal golf course restaurant was not that great from what people have told me, but after finding out that it is now under new ownership, I thought we should give it a try.  

Back Spin

The Back Spin is a burger stuffed with your choice of cheese, and topped with crispy bacon.  My friend thought that both the burger and the Fade, a grilled mahi sandwich, were really good!

The Fade

Gimme

The Gimme is full of turkey, ham, cheese, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles.  I thought the way they cut the cheese into long strips was unusual, and my friend thought the onion ring slices were too thick, but it's a nice salad with all the good fixings.

Tree Shot Club

The Tree Shot Club was a tasty club sandwich filled with turkey, ham, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. It was a great club sandwich, and I loved the Twisted Fries (extra charge; you can also get onion rings, lattice fries, or BBQ chips on the side for extra).

Definitely looking forward to trying more things on the menu!

Fairway Grill Hilo
340 Haihai St.

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 731-4560

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Fresh Oysters and More at The Seaside

 

Happy hour just got better in Waikiki with the addition of The Seaside!  Located next door to Aloha Steakhouse in the Marine Surf Building on Seaside Ave, the Seaside is Hawaii’s newest oyster bar featuring fresh shucked oysters, fresh local seafood, great wines, and more.  

You'll definitely come here for the variety of fresh oysters, but if oysters are not your thing there are lots of other food options such as their delicious fresh New England clam chowder and an amazing Cioppino made with locally sourced Kauai shrimp, mahi mahi, crab, mussels and clams in a tomato bisque.  The cioppino was my favorite, but I wish it had a little more bisque.  

Cioppino

New England Clam Chowder in Sourdough bread bowl

We also enjoyed the house made taro chips with guacamole, which had a nice kick to it and we tried the spicy ahi poke and the local ahi poke.  The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday and Happy Hour is from 3pm to 6pm.  The Seaside has great energy making it a fun place to dine.  Our server was excellent and took great care of us the entire night. 

Taro Chips with guacamole

Spicy Ahi Poke

Local Ahi Poke

Find validated parking across the street at the Hyatt Centric. 

The Seaside 

364 Seaside Avenue

808-228-3352

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Visit Chicago: Kasama

We didn't have time to sit for a meal in the Michelin-starred Kasama while in Chicago, but I did make time to order some sweet treats!

Apple Hand Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookie

Brownie

Chocolate Croissant

Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart

Every single treat was divine!

If I had to choose a fave, it would be the Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart.  The sweet and salty combo was just amazing!  I could've eaten the entire tart my self!

I enjoyed the Cookies and the Brownie was indulgent.   I'm not much of a fan of pastries, but the Chocolate Croissant was so flaky and buttery, and the Apple Hand Pie was amazing!  I thought it would be my least favorite, but I'd put it right behind the tart - it had the perfect crust with such a sublime filling. 

Tip - order ahead online so you don't need to wait in the long line of people making take-out orders!

Kasama

1001 N Winchester Ave

Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 697-3790

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Visit Hilo: Millie's Deli & Snack Shop

I was looking online for healthy eats in Hilo per a friend's request, and came upon Millie's Deli & Snack Shop.  

Portuguese Sausage Chili Bowl

I ordered the Portuguese Sausage Chili Bowl.  I thought the Portuguese Sausage would be diced in the chili, and there would be more of it versus the beef, but I liked it overall.

Hummus Wrap

Chicken Wrap

My friend thought the wraps were just okay.  They looked nice, but the Chicken Wrap barely had any chicken, although they both had plenty of veggies.

Berries and Cream

The Berries and Cream smoothie was pretty sweet and tasty. 

Honeydew Smoothie

The Honeydew Smoothie was reminiscent of Melona bars, and also very sweet. 

We were hoping for more "fruit" versus "cream" smoothies, but they were still refreshing and satisfied my sweet tooth.

If I order from Millie's again, I'll definitely a sandwich!

Millie's Deli & Snack Shop
94 Kalanianaole Ave

Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 969-1241

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Visit Detroit: Buddy's Pizza

Buddy's Pizza is a must-visit in Michigan for Detroit-style pizza.  I first tried Detroit-style pizza at Pizza Mamo, and was immediately hooked, so I couldn't wait to try the original!

There are several Buddy's locations throughout Detroit.  We tried the one in Portage / Kalamazoo.

Minestrone Soup

Buddy Bread

BBQ Connant

Detroiter

Motown Museum

Cream Puff Sundae

Detroit-style Pizza is made using a special square pan and Wisconsin brick cheese that extends all the way to the edges.  The result is a crispy, yet chewy crust loaded with toppings.

The BBQ Connant is great if you love BBQ Chicken pizza -  Wisconsin brick cheese, grilled chicken, red onions, fresh cilantro, and Buddy’s BBQ sauce.

The Detroiter consisted of Wisconsin brick cheese, pepperoni, tomato basil sauce, Parmesan cheese, and Buddy’s Sicilian spice blend

The Motown Museum, my fave, was topped with a Motor City cheese blend, Old World pepperoni and bacon.  Simple ingredients, but so delish (and that cheesy crust!).

The signature pizzas come in 4 or 8 squares.  We made the mistake of ordering 3 pizzas in 8 squares each, which ended up to be way too much food.  Each square was pretty thick and huge, and very filling.  It did make for good leftovers for breakfast!

The Cream Puff Sundae is a signature dessert.  We only ordered one, and it turned out to be just enough.

For authentic Detroit-style pizza, be sure to visit Buddy's!

Buddy's Pizza
5314 S Westnedge Ave

Portage, MI 49002

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Edelweiss Air

During our trip to Europe I flew on some regional carriers for the first time.  One of them was Edelweiss Air.  

This Switzerland-based carrier is named after the regional flower that grows in Switzerland.

We booked a flight via United to Cagliari.  You can pay for your assigned seats ahead of time, or you can get them assigned at check-in (which is what we did).  

Thankfully, our flight was not completely full, as I anticipated getting stuck in the middle between my friend and a stranger, but no one sat next to me in the 3-3 configuration.  

What surprised me about the 1.5 hour flight was how they served both food and snacks!

We had a sandwich, as well as a cookie (they also offered drinks).

The staff both at the airport and onboard was friendly, and I wouldn't hesitate flying them again!

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Visit Hawai`i Island: What's Shakin'

A colleague told me about What's Shakin' on the Big Island.  It's a very popular spot that specializes in smoothies using frozen fruit and fruit juice (and certain other add-ons), with no ice or added sugar.

Mango Tango

Farmers Favorite

I had the Farmers Favorite, which consisted of Papaya, Banana, Organic Blueberries, Apple Juice & Coconut Milk.  It was refreshing, with a prevalent blueberry flavor (and color!).

My friend's Mango Tango consisted of Papaya, Banana, Mango, Pineapple & Apple Juice.  He enjoyed it.

At nearly $10 a smoothie, it is pricey, but they do try to use organic fruits whenever possible, as well as fruits from their very own farm.  

If you love smoothies, give What's Shakin' a try!

What's Shakin'
27-999 Mamalahoa Hwy

Pepeekeo, HI 96783
(808) 964-3080

 

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