WW: ROAR!

Photo taken at Pearlridge (Dinosaurs! Exhibit).

For more participants, visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom.

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Poke Stop-Mililani

I don't eat poke--I've never tried it, and probably never will, but one of my new favorite restaurants is Poke Stop.

I picked up food on Father's Day weekend, during which time they had a special for a 12 oz. Daddy's Ribeye Cut Encrusted with Blue Crabmeat.

DH ordered that special with Brown Rice and Mesclun Greens.

He really enjoyed it and ate the entire thing--no leftovers!

Since I don't eat poke and I rarely eat seafood, at first I thought about getting the one chicken dish they offered, Chicken Wings in a Taegu Sauce, but after I looked up what Taegu was, I decided to pass.

Then I decided to get the Tofu & Portabello w/Basil Pesto Sandwich. It comes with a choice of side, and I opted to get the Eggplant Fries.

That day they happened to be out of tofu, so they offered to make the sandwich with an extra portabello and cheese.

The sandwich was sooooo good. Even though there was no tofu, it was still so delicious.

And the Eggplant Fries (they were tempura-style) are REALLY good too (I just wish they gave more of the Remoulade Dipping Sauce).

Another special they had for the week was Snickers Cheesecake, which I decided to get for DH since he just loves Snickers.

He did let me have a bite, and although I like thicker, denser cheesecakes, the Snickers Cheesecake was still good.

And of course I had to get dessert for myself, so I ended up getting Bread Pudding.


It came with a syrup (it tasted like store-bought pancake syrup), but since I like my bread pudding with no syrup or sauce, I just ate it as is.

It was really good.

It was sweet, but not too sweet, and simply delicious.

The staff was really friendly, and I thought the prices at Poke Stop were reasonable (they offer a Facebook discount on Mondays).

You can even follow them Poke Stop on Twitter (which is how I found out about the specials).

I already can't wait to go back to eat the Portabello Sandwich again.

And the Eggplant Fries.

And whatever dessert(s) they're offering.

I never would've guessed that Poke Stop would become one of my favorite restaurants!

Poke Stop: 95-1840 Meheula Prkwy, Mililani, Hawaii 96789, 808-626-3400

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Tony Roma's-Aiea

On a recent Tuesday we decided to head to Tony Roma's in Aiea to take advantage of their "Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays" promotion.

Before heading down there, we called to make sure the promotion was still valid, and we also wanted to make sure it was valid for lunch, since I know some "kids eat free" promotions are valid only for dinner or specific hours.

When DH called Tony Roma's in the morning, the person who answered sounded wasn't positive if the promotion was valid for lunch, so I decided to call again right before we were to head down there.

This time the person who answered confirmed that the promotion was still valid, and valid all day on Tuesdays.

So, we headed down to Tony Roma's and got there just after it opened at 11am--we were actually the first guests to arrive.

The complimentary bread.

DS2 had the Kids Pizza. The kids meals come with a drink, a side, and cookies!

The pizza was okay--I tasted a piece and it tasted like frozen pizza.

DS1 had the Kids Grilled Cheese.

He didn't eat that much because the bread was just too thick.

I ordered the Southwestern Chicken.

I thought the portion was rather small, but overall the chicken itself was good. It came with a side of salsa, which also tasted store-bought.

The dish comes with two sides. I ordered French Fries and Roma Tomato Pesto Salad--I swear it was like pico de gallo. I could not find any pesto in it at all!

DH ordered the Baby Back Ribs.

He really enjoyed the ribs.

He ordered it with sides of Rice Pilaf and Garlic Green Beans, but obviously he didn't get the green beans.

Since it took a while for us to get our food, he just ate the broccoli instead of asking the server for the green beans instead since we didn't want to wait even longer...

Overall, the food was okay, and although our server was friendly, we always had to flag him down whenever we wanted more water, more napkins, and even our check.

Almost every time we've gone to Tony Roma's, we've found that the service was slow, but friendly.

Even though the Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays promotion is a great deal, I just wish the service was better.

We usually have a positive experience whenever we go to Tony Roma's, and hopefully the next time we go things will be much, much better.

Tony Roma's: 98-150 Kaonohi St., Aiea 96701, 808-487-9911

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V Lounge-Honolulu

DH and I recently met @nanigurl and @wehearthawaii for dinner at V-Lounge.

Before heading there, I read several reviews online, most of which raved about the kiawe wood- fired pizzas, but there were also a lot of negative comments about the service and atmosphere, all of which I discovered to be pretty accurate.

When we got there, the first thing I immediately noticed was how noisy it was. There were about 10 or so people at a table in the middle of the restaurant and they were quite loud; music was blaring; and several TVs were on.

One of the NBA Finals game had just finished that evening, so I'm not sure if it was just a coincidence that the place was noisy or if it's always like that.

By the time DH and I got there, @nanigurl and @wehearthawaii had already ordered pizzas.

@wehearthawaii ordered a Build Your Own Pizza with Hamakua Ali`i Mushrooms and Sopressatta.

I normally don't eat meat, but it looked really good and had to try it.

It turned out to be my favorite of the pizzas we ordered.

@nanigurl ordered the Prima.

The pizza was topped with a bunch of ingredients, including onions, mushrooms, pancetta, cheese, and herbs, and it's finished with a raw egg.

I did not want to try it because of the raw egg, but everyone else ate it up.

I ordered the Margherita--simply tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil.

It was a pretty basic pizza, and I thought it was pretty good.

DH wanted to try the Salsiccia, which is topped with Kukui Brand Italian Sausage, ricotta cheese, onions, and chili flakes.

I didn't try it because I don't care for sausage.

@nanigurl took one bite and said it was too spicy for her.

DH actually liked this pizza the best of all.

As far as the food goes--I thought it was pretty good. I loved how everything is made fresh and that the restaurant really supports local farmers. The pizza crust was a lot thinner and chewier than I would have preferred, but I thought overall the pizzas that I tried were good.

However, the service was not the greatest.

At one point, I had a menu on the table, but my arm was on it, and the server just yanked it out from under my arm, without even saying "excuse me" or asking me for the menu.

And after we asked for the remaining pizza slices to be wrapped up, another server came and took all of our waters away without even asking us if we were done.

Hopefully the service will get better because it'll be a shame if more people don't discover the V Lounge's pizzas...kiawe wood-fired, using fresh, local ingredients...YUM...

(Thank you to @nanigurl for taking the photos!)

V Lounge: 1344 Kona Street, Honolulu, HI - (808) 953-0007

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Pancakes and Waffles

When I heard there was a new breakfast eatery in town, I just had to check it out. Pancakes and Waffles is located in the City Square Shopping Center on Dillingham Blvd. We decided to check it out on a Sunday afternoon at 1 pm - one hour before closing.

When we arrived, every seat was taken. We were crossing our fingers that by the time our food came out (you place your order at the counter and they bring your order out to you), we will have found a table to sit on. Luck was on our side and we found a table minutes before the food arrived.

DH ordered the P & W Special omelette, which was recommended by the cashier as one of the most popular items on the menu. It had ham, portuguese sausage, bacon, tomato, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, potato, cheese, and hollandaise sauce. Basically, it is like the "supreme" omelette. DH liked it, although he said that the pieces of potato were too large. But otherwise, it was good.

My friend ordered the Vinha D'alhos (Portuguese meat dish) plate lunch ($7.95). The fried rice was $1.50 extra. I didn't try this, but DH said it was dry. I sampled some of the fried rice - it was ok but nothing special.
Our other friend ordered the Eggs Benedict ($7.50). I did not try this one either since I am not a big fan of eggs benedict, but my friend seemed to like it.

Here's what I came for - the fried chicken and waffle plate ($7.95). I had read in the paper that the owner got the idea from Roscoe's, a famous restaurant in Los Angeles known for their fried chicken and waffle combos. Luck was again on our side because we got the last order of fried chicken. I asked for the gravy on the side and ended up not even touching it. I like my fried chicken without gravy and my pancakes with just butter and syrup. This plate comes with 3 huge pieces of fried chicken - a generous serving for one person. The fried chicken was moist and crispy. The waffle was also tasty.

The menu at Pancakes and Waffles is extensive - choose between pancakes, omelettes, eggs benedicts, waffles, french toasts, crepes, meat & eggs, sandwiches, burgers, plate lunches, salads, and side orders (fried chicken is $1.95 per piece).

I will definitely head back there soon to try the waffle ice cream, pancakes, and the crepes.

Pancakes and Waffles

1284 Kalani Street

(808) 847-7770

Open daily 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up

Thanks to the US Family Guide and VEE Corporation, our family was able to watch Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up at the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall over the weekend.

Introducing Abby Cadabby! The newest Muppet on Sesame Street joins Elmo, Zoe, Rosita and all of her furry and feathered friends in asking, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' as they prepare for a pageant on Sesame Street. Get ready to sing cowboy songs, ride the rails and more with Sesame Street Live "When Elmo Grows Up." When Elmo and his Sesame Street Live friends think about growing up, it's a musical show-and-tell! as Bert dreams of becoming a forest ranger, Telly longs to be a cowboy and their newest friend, Abby Cadabby, wants to be a Fairy Godmother just like her mommy. Elmo thinks about becoming a 'weather monster,' but has a hard time predicting his own forecast-he wants to be anything and everything all at once! "When Elmo Grows Up" includes lessons on perseverance, teamwork and the power of imagination. Children learn that if they believe in themselves and are willing to try, the possibilities are endless.

Adults will hear music they'll recognize and enjoy sharing with children, such as "Home on the Range," "Down on the Corner" and "Give a Little Love." "When Elmo Grows Up " features nearly two dozen songs, including classics that children will love to sing along with such as "I Love Trash" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

The show started at 10:30am, and we wanted to get their in plenty of time in case there was traffic or any other delays. We got to the Neal Blaisdell Center at about 9:30am and lucked out and found street parking. Since it was a Sunday, we didn't have to feed the parking meter (otherwise parking is $3.00 on premises according to the Neal Blaisdell website).

We had a little ways to walk, so by the time we picked up our tickets in Will Call and found our seats, it was about 10:00am. We had great seats--right in the middle of the concert hall.

There are a limited number of booster seats available (you need to leave your ID), but we ended up not needing them and fortunately no one sat in front of us, although I'm not sure if the boys' view would've been impeded if someone did sit in front of us since the seats were staggered pretty well.

People started trickling in, and we saw a lot of kids with Elmo apparel (DS2 wore a cute hand-me-down Elmo shirt) and accessories, along with cool toys bought at the booths in the lobby. While we waited for the show to start we took a few pictures of the boys (cameras are allowed, but audio and video recording is prohibited).

At about 10:15 Big Bird's voice was heard over the speakers, announcing that the show would be starting soon. Shortly thereafter, Big bird gave a 3-minute warning before the show was to start.

Exactly 3 minutes later, the lights started to dim (the show started just 5 minutes late at 10:35 am) and out popped Big Bird and Elmo to start the show!

At first, both my boys were initially shocked and puzzled to see Big Bird and Elmo in person.

Then as more and more of the Muppets came out, the boys, and all the other kids in the hall, started screaming excitedly... "Ernie!" "Cookie Monster!" "Abby!"

I thought the production was appealing to both kids and adults. The live Sesame Street characters, the song and dance numbers, the audience participation, the sets, the magic (yes, magic too!) all resulted in "oohs" and "ahs," and lots of applause and laughter.

Adults will appreciate the lessons taught throughout the show, as well as the many songs they consider childhood favorites. I enjoyed how the show created appropriate lyrics to familiar pop songs, such as Vanessa Carlton's A Thousand Miles, into the show, and I also thought the Stomp-style performance was pretty cool.

The entire show is 90 minutes long with a 15 minute break halfway through.

At the intermission, vendors came into the hall with huge bundles of Elmo mylar balloons. It was quite a sight to see all of the balloons, and the entire hall went "Wow!" Each balloon cost $10, which I thought was pricey, so we didn't buy any. I thought it was nice how Big Bird announced to those who bought balloons to put them under their seats so other guests' views wouldn't be obstructed.

My favorite part of the show was right after the intermission, when Elmo's World started. As soon as the Elmo's World's theme song started playing, everyone got excited. It was so neat to see it being acted out live, and it was fun to see Mr. Noodle (I thought they could've done a better job with finding or costuming a Mr. Noodle that more closely resembled the Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street, but I think to the kids it may not have mattered), and even Computer telling Elmo he has mail!

DS1's favorite part of When Elmo Grows Up featured Roxie Marie, who wanted to be a train engineer, and a super cool-looking train. The Sesame Street gang sang I've Been Working on the Railroad, which is one of DS1's favorite songs, so he sang along.

DS2's favorite part of the show was when the gang was in the forest and sang Itsy Bitsy Spider--as everyone sang, DS2 would do Itsy Bitsy Spider hand motions. Although there were a few parts my boys started to seem to get disinterested--primarily when slow songs would be sung, and Little Music Man did get scared when confetti and streamers burst throughout the hall at the end, overall we all had a really great time at Sesame Street Live, and I could tell just about everyone else in attendance did too.

The show seemed to be just the right length, because when we got into the car, DS2 fell asleep on the way home.

Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up combined the lovable Sesame Street Characters with super fun songs, lively dancing, amazing sets, and important lessons into a really nice story that our entire family enjoyed!

Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up continues through June 20, 2010 at the Neal Blaisdell Center. Visit Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up for more information on tickets or to find a show near you!

Thank you to VEE Corporation and the US Family Guide for the review opportunity. The tickets were provided free of charge and I received no monetary compensation for thsi post. All opinions are my own.

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Black Angus Steak House (Cattle Company)-Pearl City

We recently dined at Black Angus Steak House (Cattle Company) in Pearl City.

The complimentary bread.

DS1 ordered the Kids Cheese Pizza.

The Kids Meals do not come with a drink, but they do come with Fries and Orange Slices (and dessert). DS1 ate all of his oranges first!

DS2 ordered the Kids Chicken Strips.

Since I love chicken I made sure to give this a taste. It was really good--it tasted a little like chicken katsu since it seemed to be panko-crusted.

Next time we go to Black Angus/Cattle Company we'll probably only order one kids meal and the two boys can share, because DS1 ate only 1 slice of pizza and DS2 only ate half of a chicken strip.

I ordered the Chicken, Avocado, and Bacon Sandwich.
The chicken seemed to be a little dry, but thank goodness for the avocado and bacon, which made the sandwich better (as I say--bacon makes everything better!).

DH ordered the Mushroom & Bleu Burger, which he ordered with Onion Ring-Topped Fries.
DH said the burger was very good. Usually when I ask him how his food is, he'll say "okay" or "good," and this was the first time in a long time I heard him say his food was "very good."

DH and I didn't have room for dessert, but the boys got to enjoy Ice Cream Sundaes that came with their Kids Meals.

Overall the food was good and our server was really nice. It did take a while for us to get our food though, but our server did acknowledge how slow things were taking, and she was very pro-active in making sure we were taken care of (e.g. she gave DH a refill of his soda even before he was half-way done with his drink since she knew she'd be busy with other tables). The restaurant itself wasn't too crowded, so I thought maybe they were short-staffed.

We had a really nice lunch and hopefully next time I'll remember to bring the coupons for the $9.50 lunch entrees (often in the newspaper or in ValPak)!

Black Angus Steak House (Cattle Company): 98-1262 Kaahumanu Street, Pearl City, 96782, (808) 487-0054

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50th State Fair

On Memorial Day we went to the 50th State Fair.

We went before 6pm so admission was just $3 for each adult, and since both boys are under 40" tall, they got in free.

The first thing we did when we got there was eat.

DS1 ate a pizza.

DS2 and I shared Fried Saimin.

DH ate a Cheeseburger and DS1's leftover pizza.

There's a lot of tables so people can sit down and eat, but they are sooooo filthy! It was so gross.

Fortunately I always carry lots of sanitizing wipes so I wiped down the table before and after we ate.

After dinner we walked around a bit so the boys could get used to all the sights and sounds.

There was a petting zoo, but we didn't go in it--I think it was $4.00 a person or something like that. I thought that was pretty expensive.

We watched a Pig Race.

And saw Iron Man.
Then the boys went on some rides.

DH took DS2 on the Super Slide (not sure if that's what they call the slide still).

He totally loved it.

DS1 went on the Merry-Go-Round...

and a race car ride.

He kept wanting to go on that fun house attraction, but he was too short.

Maybe next year.

And maybe next year we'll get wristbands since we're hoping the boys will ride more.

I haven't been to the 50th State Fair in years, and it was nice to go back as a family this time!

For more information on remaining dates, times, etc., visit the EK Fernandez 50th State Fair webpage.

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California Pizza Kitchen-Aiea

I think California Pizza Kitchen is DH's new favorite restaurant. We recently went to CPK at Pearlridge again after buying a new refrigerator.

DS2 had the Crispy Chicken again. It looked and tasted the same as the last time (it was good), and on this visit both DH and I tried new pizzas.

I ordered the BBQ Chicken with Applewood Smoked Bacon.

It was really, really good. I think this is my new favorite pizza.

DH ordered the Buffalo Chicken.

It didn't really look that appetizing, and both DH and I thought it was just "okay." The buffalo sauce, although not that spicy, was too overwhelming.

The service was still good (although it can't compare to how good it was on our previous visit), and the next time we visit CPK it looks DH will try another pizza, and I very well may order the BBQ Chicken with Applewood Smoked Bacon pizza again.

California Pizza Kitchen: 98-1005 Moanalua Rd # 554, Aiea, HI 96701-4718, (808) 487-7741

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Tilt-Pearlridge Uptown

Since we were at Pearlridge Uptown the other day, we decided to check out Tilt, an arcade that I haven't been to in years and years.

There aren't too many games overall, and there were very few games that little kiddies could play. The games are mostly for older kids and adults (and there were quite a few adults at Tilt when we went).

DH did try to find a game that he could play with DS1...

And in the end DS1 just kept playing this Wheel of Fortune game in which all he had to do was press a button.

He did end up with some tickets which could be redeemed for prizes.

There are other Tilt locations on Oahu, and I'm not sure if the games are minimal there as well, but I don't think we'll go back again until the kids are older.

Tilt: 98-1005 Moanalua Rd # 142F, Aiea, HI 96701-4701, (808) 486-3050

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