The Old Spaghetti Factory

I finally went to The Old Spaghetti Factory at Aloha Tower - my first time to OSF since they moved! 

Sicilian Garlic Bread

Cotton Candy Limeade

Fried Calamari

OSF offers 3-course meals which come with bread, your choice of soup or salad, an entree, and spumoni or vanill ice cream. 

Bread

Green Salad

You can upgrade your salad to a Caesar for $3.99.  All the dressing are housemade.  I had the Creamy Pesto, which our server said was "like ranch," but I thought it was just okay and could've used more herbs.  

Minestrone

The price of the 3-course is based on your entree, but it's on average $25.

Meat Lover's Treat

The Meat Lover's Treat came with Sicilian Meatballs, Italian Sausage, and Spaghetti with Rich Meat Sauce.

SPAM 'n Clam

I'm assuming this was a Hawaii-only special.

Jumbo Lobster & Crab Ravioli

Chicken Piccata

I had the Chicken Piccata, which was good, but I've had better elsewhere.  It came with the Mizithra Cheese & Browned Butter Angel Hair Pasta.  I always thought the Mizithra Cheese was too salty for my taste.  

Fettuccine Alfredo

We all chose the Spumoni for dessert, which is chocolate, cherry, and pistachio ice cream.  Delish!  

Spumoni (plus a cupcake made by @cake.noms)

We had a large party of 12, and our server was great.  It was chaotic and she was busy with other tables (and the restaurant itself was super busy), but she had great energy.  

It was a nice family meal!

The Old Spaghetti Factory

3 Aloha Tower Dr 1106

Honolulu, HI 96813
 

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Atlantis Adventures' Majestic Whale Watching Experience

It's that time of year - whale-watching season!  I was fortunate to have been invited on the Majestic Whale Watching Experience with Atlantis Adventures.

Now through April 2, you can experience a whale watch cruise as well aboard the 150-foot Majestic.

Check-in is at Pier 6 at Aloha Tower.

The Majestic offers two air-conditioned decks with large, clear windows, as well as an open-air top deck.

You are free to move between decks as you please, with the exception of when an announcement is made to stay seated (e.g. when the Captain turns the boat).

Once onboard, we were given safety instructions, then enjoyed a deli-style lunch, which included rolls, meats, cheeses, pasta salad, fruits, chips, and cookies.

Water, coffee, and soft drinks were provided, and cocktails and other beverages were available for purchase.

As guests ate and we set out for the open ocean, an on-board naturalist discussed whale behavior and biology.

We headed out towards Diamond Head, and were treated to some spectacular views along the way.

Fortunately, we did see a whale (if the naturalist does not see a whale during the cruise, guests are given a complimentary return whale-watching cruise).  Unfortunately, I was way too slow with my camera to take a photo of it.  We saw a single whale do a round out/penduncle arch, and several minutes later that same whale spouted.  

We waited around for the whale to resurface again, but it didn't, so we eventually headed out towards the airport to see if we could spot more whales.  

We didn't see any other whales, but we still had a great time enjoying the views (and eating more cookies!).

Onboard you'll find live entertainment, educational displays, and books and toys for the little ones.

It was very windy on the day of our cruise, and there were times it was very difficult to walk around because of how rocky it was, but the Majestic uses Seakeeper technology to help with boat stability, so thankfully for the most part the cruise was steady (I am prone to motion sickness, but I took some ginger candy, and I was fine!).

We had a fantastic time aboard the Majestic!

Cost of the Whale Watching Experience Cruise is $87 for adults and $50.50 for children (ages 7-12). Children age 6 and under are free.

To coincide with their 30th anniversary, Atlantis Adventures is offering Hawaii residents $30 adult rates and $15 child rates for their daily whale watch cruises (valid January 1 through April 8, 2018).

For reservations and information, visit AtlantisAdventures.com or call (808) 973-1311.

Our cruise was sponsored.

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Views from the Aloha Tower Observation Deck

Although I frequently drive pass Aloha Tower, or walk past it when I'm at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, I've only been up it twice.

Most recently we took our kids up to the 10th floor observation deck of the tower,

The small observation areas give a great view of Downtown Honolulu and Honolulu Harbor.

This popular landmark, which was once the tallest building in Hawaii for decades after it was built in 1926, still welcomes cruise ships.

It is now the centerpiece of the Aloha Tower Marketplace, which is home to a few retailers and restaurants, and is in the process of being revitalized.

Aloha Tower
155 Ala Moana Blvd

Honolulu, HI 96813

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