Big Island | one week
A few weeks ago, I got the email that I love to receive - a friend asking me to come visit her in Hawaii! Heck yeah I want to escape the San Francisco summer fog! So after a sheepish ask to the husband (who was fully supportive that I leave him for a week), I bought the ticket and started packing.
NOTE: United now flies non-stop once a day SFO & LAX > KOA
I have sworn-off EVER flying United, but had to make an exception and the flight over was surprisingly pleasant (for a United flight), so I felt compelled to tell one of the flight attendants that it was the best United flight I'd been on in a long time. (Actually it was the ONLY United flight I'd been on in a long time). He smiled at me and said that the crew was all Continental. Ah, that's why!
That great Continental crew landed us early and my friend was at the curb. We headed straight up to the Hualalai Resort's hualalairesort.com Resident's Beach House restaurant (808) 325-8510 for Fish tacos and a Mai Tai that I could literally drown in, if I passed out face down in it. This casual beach side restaurant is open to visitors for lunch an pupus, but I hear is open for dinner exclusively to homeowners of the luxury villas on the property. Never mind that, go for lunch or an afternoon cocktail and enjoy the views and white sand beach. It's such a low-key, hidden gem. If you go, don't tell anyone about it!
Good thing I arrived on Tuesday - we met a group of her friends at the Seafood Bar & Grill seafoodbarandgrill.com in Kawauhae for their weekly Kiawe Smoked Prime Rib special. Started off with a Passion fruit Margarita, the glass tipped with a spicy chile powder. Then the prime rib, a huge piece served with horseradish cream, mashed potatoes and vegetables. The locals know that this is where to go on Tuesdays, as friends from around the island stopped by the table to say Aloha. They say you have to go early because Prime Rib Tuesday is so popular they often sell out!
Wednesday we woke up and decided that after last night's prime rib orgy, we needed some vegetables. Fortunately Waimea has two weekly farmers markets, so we headed up to the one at Pukalani Stables paniolopreservation.org to get some that are island grown. This is a small farmers market (open approx 9 am-3 pm) located on the grounds of the preservation center, so the bonus is you can walk through the little cowboy museum and appreciate all of the real Hawaiian cowboys who rode the land. While we were there, we had lunch at the Lotus Cafe's thelotuscafe.com "Fresh Express" food truck. Mostly Thai and really delicious, I could tell the woman who cooked our green curry was legit and she was genuinely interested if we liked our food and if it was too spicy. I suggest medium, I think her version of hot would have ripped my head off.
Needed a day at the beach, so Thursday afternoon we headed to the Mauna Kea princeresortshawaii.com. This is such a groovy hotel, opened in 1965 and apparently was one of the first open-lobby architecture hotels built. The beach is great but you can't enjoy the beach lounges and sun umbrellas (pretty much a necessity) unless you are a hotel guest or a club member. Thankfully, my friend is the latter, so we rolled up to the cabana for our orange towels and plunked down under an umbrella. After a long float in the waves, we headed up to the beach side bar for their signature drink, the Fredrico. I assume Fredrico was some handsome Hawaiian bartender who invented the drink for a 60s starlet (or Cougar Mom?) and I haven't researched it's origins because I just don't really care that much. It's a damn good drink and they go down too easy, so be forewarned. We spent the afternoon floating with Fredricos and were the last ones on the beach lounges, watching the many families dressed in matching Aloha-wear or white polos have their annual holiday photos taken at sunset. A perfect day.
Stayed on to have burgers at the Kauna'oa Bar & Grill at the Manua Kea. They aren't even worth a mention. I'd be really bummed to stay at that great hotel and be forced to eat the food there. On past visits I've eaten at the golf club's restaurant which was equally as forgettable and expensive. What a shame.
I couldn't leave the Big Island without lunch at Da Fish House Lunch Wagon 613665 Akoni Pule Hwy at Kawaihae. Have been to lunch there several times and it's always great. It looks pretty scary, I'll admit, but if you know (the real) Hawaii, you know it will be awesome and you just gotta go with it. The cook lady looks alot like my hoarder neighbor, but she is really nice and can cook a fish perfectly. We always order the fish special ( but tend to skip the Ahi just because it can get fibrous if it's not cut properly) and I am never disappointed.
We were out of vegetables again by Saturday, so headed back up to the bigger Waimea Farmer's Market Highway 19 at 55 Mile Marker. Every time I've been here it's been sprinkling to light rain, so toss a sweater in the car, and bring your reusable bags. Unlike the competitive shopping at the farmers markets on Kauai, this one is full of Aloha and seems to have a good selection of local fruit, veggies, Big Island products and even cut flowers and plants. Just bought produce this time, but in the past I've found great locally roasted Kona coffee and awesome Kiawe smoked Hawaiian salt.
Headed off-island after a few great days and I'm already looking forward to my next sunset and Fredrico.
