Visit Hilo: Cafe Pesto Take-Out

Although it was through take-out, I tried Cafe Pesto for the first time!

Blue Caesar

A friend has raved to me about the Caesar many times, and it was great.  The dressing and the fresh Hirabara greens really make the salad!

Mushroom Artichoke

Classico Marinara

The pizzas were great.  My friend enjoyed the Mushroom Artichoke, but I preferred the Classico Marinara, with Kaunamano pork sausage, pepperoni, and salami.  It's one of the tastiest pizzas I've had in Hilo!

Banh Mi Pork

Looking forward to dining in one day!

Cafe Pesto
308 Kamehameha Ave #101

Hilo, HI 96720

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Visit Big Island: Hualalai Trading Company

For grab-and-go eats, drinks, souvenirs, gifts, and more while staying at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the Hualalai Trading Company is a great option.  

We went there to pick up some breakfast, and we literally beat the crowd.  The lines were so long after we put in our order!

It's such a busy spot for coffee and quick and casual eats.  

Breakfast Croissant

Breakfast Burrito

As you can expect, the prices for the food are on the higher side, but quality-wise, the food was good and better than some other resort grab-and-go breakfast options I've tried.

I made an impulse purchase and bought a $6 cookie at the register, which turned out to be the best thing I ate during my stay at the Four Seasons. 

The cookie was chewy, moist, chocolaty - just delicious!  It was one of the best cookies I've ever had, and at $6, it was a steal IMO.  

If you want to skip the resort restaurants and just get something lighter and faster, check out Hualalai Trading Company!

Hualalai Trading Company
72-100 Ka'upulehu Dr. Kailua-Kona

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Visit Big Island: Residents' Beach House

Even though I've stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai a few times before, it wasn't until my recent stay did I try the Residents' Beach House.

Thai Chicken Salad

The Thai Chicken Salad included Hirabara greens, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, green papaya, mint, and a citrus peanut dressing.  The chicken was a little on the dry side, but the flavor was good. 

Garlic Parmesan Fries

It's hard to go wrong with Garlic Parmesan Fries!  They were delish!

Longboard Lager Battered Ono & Chips

We actually got served our food before we had any silverware, and had a very long wait for silverware, unfortunately.  We had to flag down our server as she nor the food runner didn't even notice our silverware was missing.  Other than that, service was overall fine.

The menu is pretty standard for a local resort, but the options were satisfying.

Residents' Beach House
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
72-100 Ka'upulehu Drive

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

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Visit Hilo: Kozmic Cones

It was my kids' first visit to Hilo (!), and naturally I took them somewhere to get a sweet treat - Kozmic Cones!

They all got Orbits, which were ice cream treats with mix-ins. 

M&M Orbits

Reese's Orbits

They all got small Orbits, which were plenty, IMO.  

They said they Orbits reminded them of a McFlurry!


Kozmic Cones

317 Waianuenue Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

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Visit Big Island: Teshima Restaurant

I've always wanted to try Teshima Restaurant, but I am hardly ever on that side of the Big Island.  But as luck would have it, we were invited to go there for breakfast one day while we were in the area.  

Teshima's is a mainstay in Kona.  This historical, family-run restaurant has a long legacy, offering local and Japanese comfort foods to guests.

Saimin and Hash Brown

Whenever I go to these types of restaurants, I order Saimin and French Fries with Gravy.  But there was no French Fries and Gravy on the breakfast menu, so I ordered the next best thing - a Hash Brown!

The saimin was comforting, and although not the best broth I've ever had, the saimin still hit the spot, and I loved the ample garnishes.

Japanese Breakfast

The Japanese Breakfast included Fried Fish, Egg, Fish Cake, Miso Soup, Tsukemono, Sunomono, and Japanese  Tea.

Service was warm and welcoming.

It was such a nice place to dine - you could really feel the aloha!

Teshima Restaurant
79-7251 Hawaiʻi Belt Rd

Kealakekua, HI 96750

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Visit Kailua-Kona: Walua Social

Walua Social, in my opinion, is the best restaurant in Kailua-Kona.  It's not a tourist trap.  It's not a place that adds local ingredients just to sell "Hawaii," and when they do incorporate local ingredients into the dishes, it just makes sense.  

And of course the food is delish!  Helmed by two very talented chefs - one with roots in Italy and the other with roots on the Big Island - you know the food is going to be authentic - no gimmicks needed.

We recently sat at the bar for a few bites. 

Carpaccio

House Focaccia

Chicken Wings

I'm not a huge chicken wings eater, but decided to try it, and I'm so glad I did, because the condiment on top - a chili oil with pistachios and green onion, was so addicting.  It had an initial kick of heat, but it wasn't overly spicy.  I loved the condiment so much I kept encouraging the team to jar it and sell it and I would buy a dozen.  And put it on everything.

Oysters 

The oysters were topped with a sea asparagus giardinier.

Budino

I had to have the Budino.  It's so rich and luscious and the addition of the Speculoos just makes it magical. 

Service was great!

And thanks to Chef Jeff for giving me some chili oil!

Walua Social
75-5864 Walua Rd

Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

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Visit Hilo: Breakfast Fairway Grill

I've been to Fairway Grill for lunch, dinner or pau hana and enjoyed the food, and recently went for breakfast for the first time.

O.B. - Fried Rice Bowl

I had misunderstood the menu when ordering the fried rice, and thought the SPAM, bacon, and Portuguese sausage would be inside the fried rice.  Instead, they were served on the side, and the fried rice itself was disappointing.  It was mushy and lacking a lot - flavor, meats, green onions, etc.  

The Scramble - BBQ Stack

The Scramble - BBQ Stack consisted of beef brisket and eggs on hash browns.  My friend did not like the BBQ sauce on the beef brisket, but it was otherwise good.

Although breakfast wasn't the best on this visit, the service was friendly, and I still think Fairway Grill is a decent spot in Hilo for dining out and would definitely try them again for a future breakfast (but I wouldn't order the fried rice again).


Fairway Grill Hilo
340 Haihai St.

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 731-4560

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Visit Big Island: Big Island Smokehouse

Big Island Smokehouse is a food truck specializing in smoked meats and sausage.

Mac & Cheese

The Mac & Cheese was great.  Cheesy, with lots of smoked meat (can also opt for smoked sausage or huli chicken), bacon bits, fried onions, and BBQ sauce.  All of the elements combined for an elevated, delicious bowl of comfort food.   The smoked meat was very tasty!

Banh Mi

The Banh Mi can also be made with smoked meat, smoked sausage, or huli chicken.  It comes with a signature mayo, which was a bit on the sweet side.  My friend did not like the signature mayo on the bahn mi, but he said all of the other ingredients worked well together and the huli chicken was good.

He did eat up the rest of my Mac & Cheese, and many other people at the truck were ordering that dish, so it's definitely a must-try!

Follow them on Instagram to find out where they'll be!

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Visit Big Island: Wyatt's Place

Wyatt's Place opened up in Mountain view a few months ago, and I've been wanting to try it based on all the rave reviews about the Pastrami & Cheese Sandwich. 

Pastrami & Cheese Sandwich

It was a great sandwich!  It was stuffed with grilled pastrami and Swiss, so it was very rich and filling (my friend said it was good too, but it was missing something acidic to cut through all the fat, which I agreed with).  The locally made bread was buttered and toasted perfectly.  It had the right amount of softness and crunchiness.  

Fries

The fries are hand-cut, and they were seasoned nicely!  They were not as crispy as frozen fries with modified starches, but still good! 

French Dip

My friend said the beef in the French Dip was tasty, and there was ample provolone, but he thought the au jus was too watered down. 

He really liked the Caesar.  The croutons were great, and the dressing complemented the salad nicely.

The service there was very warm and welcoming.  

What's cool is that you can turn any sandwich into a burrito or loaded fries!

Definitely look forward to returning to try more sandwiches (or loaded fries)!

Wyatt's Place
17-4003 Ahuahu Pl
Mountain View, HI 96771

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Visit Hilo: Luquin's 454

I finally checked out Luquin's 454.  I had visited the Pahoa location a while ago, and was eager to try out their location in Hilo, which opened up in 2023.

Complimentary Chips & Salsa

Your first basket of Chips & Salsa is complimentary.  I was a little disappointed in how they skimped on the chips (notice how much fuller the basket was in Pahoa), and they were lacking salt (thankfully there was salt on the table).  The salsa, was good, however,  It had bold flavors and spice.

Chicken Flauta

I got the Chicken Flauta.  I had the Steak Flauta the last time (since it's the closest thing to a Chimichanga), but there were too many chewy pieces, so I decided to stick with Chicken.  The flavors were great, and I was relieved that the chicken was moist (as some other places stuff their dishes with dried out, shredded chicken).  The beans and rice were also delicious!

Al Pastor Grilled Burrito

My friend had a special of the day - the Al Pastor Grilled Burrito.  He said the burrito was good, although he could've done without all the chunks of pineapple (he jokingly commented that there seemed to be more pineapple than there was meat).  He actually liked my Flauta better.

I'm glad I finally tried Luquin's in Hilo!  The Flauta was great, and the service was too!

Luquin's 454
454 Manono St

Hilo, HI 96720

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Big Island Top Dogs' Chantilly Brownies

Big Island Top Dogs is one of my favorite spots to do take-out in Hilo.  They offer more than just hot dogs - they have salads, plate lunches, and more.

And one of my faves - Chantilly Brownies!

It's just a simple, unpretentious dessert, but so familiar and just so reminiscent of the kinds of desserts I grew up eating.

I love chantilly, and combined with the fudgy, moist brownies - this dessert is just perfect!

Definitely satisfies my sweet tooth!

Big Island Top Dogs
811 Laukapu St #6
Hilo, HI 96720

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Visit Hilo: KTA Super Stores

KTA Super Stores is so much more than a grocery store.  Whenever I go to the Puainako location, I love looking at the bakery / deli section to see what kinds of treats they have.  

We went on Valentine's Day and I couldn't resist the festive donuts.

I also got a Chantilly Cocoa Puff, because I just love chantilly!  I didn't really care for this, however.  The flavor of the chantilly was off. 

I had no idea they had steamed manapua and pork hash, so I got some.  I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty both were.  Even my co-worker enjoyed it.

I of course couldn't leave without some Kelly Boy's cookies - perfect for omiyage!

KTA Super Stores

50 E Puainako St

Hilo, HI 96720

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Visit Hilo: Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe

Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe is one of my favorite spots for sandwiches in Hilo.

Their housemade focaccia and delicious fillings are sure to satisfy!

Classic

The Classic comes with capicola, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive tapenade, balsamic vinegar, and garlic olive oil.  All the flavors of the ingredients melded wonderfully together.

Chicken Bacon Ranch

Chicken Bacon Ranch is a popular combo, and if you love this combo too, you'll love this sandwich, full of chicken, bacon, romaine, red bell peppers, provolone, and a housemade ranch.  

I'm not one who really goes for trends, but I made an impromptu decision to buy the Viral Dubai Chocolate Bar.  I've seen the trend all over social media, and since I needed something to satisfy my sweet tooth, I decided to get one.

There was no price on the display case, so when the employee told me it was $14.61 ($13.95 pre tax) for the little bar of chocolate (you can see it's only a few inches big), I was a bit taken aback.  

However, I do know that if I pay a premium for something, I'm getting a premium something - or at least I better be getting something that is premium.

And in this case, I believe the price was worth the splurge, as it is made with quality ingredients - dark chocolate, tahini, pistachio butter, and kataifi (shredded phyllo, which gives it that wonderful crispiness), and is expertly crafted.

Even my co-worker, a renowned Chef who doesn't like sweets, said he loved it.

The bar was about a dollar to two less than the sandwiches ($15.05 and $15.95, respectively), so it is indeed pricey, comparatively speaking.  

It is also pricey compared to some of the amazing desserts I can get on Oahu at some of the best restaurants, but again, you get what you pay for, and if you appreciate quality ingredients and craftmanship, then you'll appreciate what you get for what you pay at Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe when it comes to their sandwiches and treats - including the Viral Dubai Chocolate Bar (example of "you get what you pay for" - I recently went to another, higher volume bakery, bought a treat for under $4, took one bite and threw the rest away.  It had a lackluster texture and it tasted like soap!).  

Short N Sweet has many other great sweet treats at lower price points.  

Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe
374 Kinoole St, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-4446

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Naʻau Hilo - Hawaiʻi's Seafood Bounty

This month's theme at Naʻau Hilo is Hawaiʻi's Seafood Bounty!  This tasting menu is available Fridays and Saturdays through Feb. 22.

Smoked Hawaiian Kanpachi Kama Terrine  

Menpachi ʻUlu Miso Soup

Abalone Sashimi

ʻŌpelu Caesar

Kauaʻi Shrimp Croquettes (Thai Curry served tableside)

Garlic Fried Rice accompanies the Mapo Tofu

Peppered Fish Mapo Tofu

Dulse Dark Chocolate Tart

 

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