dining

Dining Outside the Home: Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 

Dining Outside the Home: Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina!  Nestled along the waterfront, on the banks of Skull Creek bordering the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, sits a landmark restaurant known for its ultimate Seafood Extravaganza! You name it, it’s there: snow crab legs, shrimp, mussels, clams, and shellfish. But that’s not all. Fresh seafood is featured daily. Don’t take my word for it. You may have already recognized Skull Creek Boathouse from its exposure on the Food Network, the Travel Channel, or National Geographic’s televised programming. Magnificent oak trees dripping in Spanish moss along the marina create a charming backdrop for casual outdoor dining and live music. Whether it’s a sunset dinner or midday meal, one visit and you’ll understand this “Boathouse State of Mind.”

Dining Outside the Home: Duke’s Canoe Club on Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Duke’s Canoe Club on Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, Kauai.  Sometimes the biggest challenge of being on vacation can be resisting all those tempting foods that lead us away from our daily diet. No worries here. Duke’s Canoe Club has included gluten-free menu items that satisfy those vacation cravings. Take, for example, the Caramelized Beet Salad loaded with savory roasted beets, pickled red onion, crumbled goat cheese, and farm-fresh arugula. It’s topped off with a macadamia nut brittle that is out of this world. Not only is the salad bursting with flavor, it comes with that rewarding feeling at the end of the meal. You know what I’m talking about; the one where you can still slip into that bathing suit afterwards and walk the beach like a seasoned athlete. Well done, Duke’s Canoe Club!

Dining Outside the Home: Bubba Burgers in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Bubba Burgers in Kapaa, Kauai!  The sign at the cash register says, “We Cheat Tourists, Drunks, and Attorneys.” Now you know there’s a story to be told. But that’s not why hoards of people stop by this burger shack in Old Kapaa Town to sit on the front porch and gape at the flurry of activity with an unbelievable ocean view. The fresh-ground “grass fed” beef, from cattle ranches on Kauai, produces the best and juiciest, chin-wiping burgers around. Perhaps that is why they’re known as the Slopper or Double Slopper, on a menu that features everything from a Big Bubba to Chili Fries. Go crazy. Add a thick Chocolate Milkshake made with real cream. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you walk away hungry, it’s your own fault.

Dining Outside the Home: JO2 Natural Cuisine in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: JO2 Natural Cuisine in Kapaa, Kauai!  Step across the threshold of this clean, crisp restaurant and you will find the atmosphere extraordinary. Peruse the specialized menu. There is little doubt the French chef will create anything less than a masterpiece, using nature’s freshest ingredients arranged on a plate. Your eyes will feast on the artistic presentation before a forkful of food ever touches your lips. Take it slow to appreciate every bite. Linger between Appetizer and Entrée, giving yourself time for quiet conversation over signature cocktails. Perhaps you’ll share a nibble of super sweet Baby Corn grown exclusively on the island. Or a taste of Mushroom Risotto lashed into perfection with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sea salted French butter. Do you see where I’m going with this? Make dining at JO2 an experience to remember. After all, the colorful palette is designed especially for you. Bon Appétit!

Dining Outside the Home: Pietro’s Pizza in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Pietro’s Pizza in Lihue, Kauai!  What does a pastor do when he needs a hobby? He opens a Neapolitan-style pizza parlor with an Italian flare, in honor of his ancestors. The traditional imported flour from Italy adds passion to the freshly handmade dough. One bite reveals a world of difference. The authentic brick oven, from Naples, requires turning the pizza pie the entire time it’s baked in temperatures around 900°. The results? Unbelievable! One could almost describe its success as “heaven sent”, which wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows the time, effort, faith, and perseverance that has been poured into making Pietro’s Pizza the best Kauai has to offer. The legacy continues. Carry on!

Dining Outside the Home: Tortilla Republic in Poipu, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Tortilla Republic in Poipu, Kauai!  There’s something about a cantina-like patio setting where sea breezes and warm sunshine are as therapeutic as the bartender’s handcrafted jalapeño margarita on the rocks. The salty corn tortilla chips compliment the salsa de mesa, for starters. The menu is spot on with organic produce and fresh ingredients. It’s easy to choose the bold favorites of pork carnitas in a bowl of kale, black beans, and rice. The tropical atmosphere partners well with Mexican classics. Hola Aloha!

Dining Outside the Home: Murrieta’s Bar & Grill in Calgary, Canada 

Dining Outside the Home: Murrieta’s Bar & Grill in Calgary, Canada! Are you searching for adventure? Do you have a passion for life? If so, you may have something in common with this restaurant’s namesake located in downtown Calgary. Joaquin Murrieta, a gold rush Robin Hood-like outlaw, was the subject of western fantasy, raiding gold from the rich and sharing with the poor. Still somewhat of an urban legend, his myth lives on within the walls of the renovated Alberta Hotel. Enter on the side street, ascend a winding staircase, and slide onto a seat outside on the second-story terrace overlooking the street activity that seems nonstop. Whether you take a “Happy Hour” mid-day break, meet friends for an early dinner, or dance to the music of late-night bands, it is impossible not to be consumed by the rustic surroundings of Old World tradition. 

Dining Outside the Home: Milestones in Calgary, Canada

Dining Outside the Home: Milestones in Calgary, Canada! Try a trendy new dining experience for Date Night with your favorite squeeze or Girls Night Out to unwind. Get started with a vegetarian appetizer or a signature dish. No matter the choice, they’re all shareable. Rustic sandwiches pair aged garlic cheese with freshly grilled meats and honey sriracha slaw for savior-faire. Or perhaps a pasta bowl of sesame ginger beef and shiitake coconut rice is more to your liking. The choices seem unlimited. And the food photos in the menu have you drooling before the sun dips below the horizon. Sit back, settle in, and wile the night away. Leisure is made for Milestones. 

Dining Outside the Home: The Fireweed Grill in Kananaskis Village, Canada 

Dining Outside the Home: The Fireweed Grill in Kananaskis Village, Canada! With an stunning view of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, it’s not too difficult to appreciate a traditional breakfast of Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. Outside the temperature may be around freezing, but the warm sunlight casting shadows over the natural beauty intensifies every adventure, especially dining. An impressive menu features personalized service at the International Breakfast Buffet or from the a-la-carte menu instead. Not an early riser? No worries. The Fireweed Grill offers unforgettable dinner options as well. Think about adding a wilderness back-country retreat to your already lengthy delicious Bucket List.