kauai

JJ’s Broiler in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: JJ’s Broiler in Lihue, Kauai. Even if you’re not a sport enthusiast, you can still get a healthy meal with an oceanfront view of Kalapaki Bay. Portions are generous, so sharing is encouraged. Order several menu items for a taste explosion of flavor. For starters, Crispy Won Tons with two dipping sauces is amazing: salty soy or hot mustard. Double-dipping allowed, as long as your partner doesn’t mind. The Cobb Salad is practically a vegetable garden on a platter. Crispy romaine lettuce provides a bed for chunks of turkey, ham, and bacon. Add avocado slices, chopped tomatoes, sliced eggs, and bleu cheese crumbles. Now you’re talking. Smother it with salad dressing, toss, and eat. Life doesn’t get any better than this.

Coconut’s Fish Café in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Coconut’s Fish Café in Kapaa, Kauai. Anyone who likes coconut shrimp will absolutely flip over this Happy Hour appetizer: Half price Coconut Shrimp with a fiery sweet chili pineapple dipping sauce. A generous portion count of six batter fried fan-tailed shrimp is enough to share or make a substantial meal for one. Don’t judge me. Another winner is the Ahi Poke: raw tuna chunks marinated in soy, garlic, and green onions. Try not to drool. Long story short, if you like to save money and don’t mind a late lunch or early supper, spend more time at the beach and then head over to Coconut’s Fish Café for a great taste of seafood.

Lilikoi Bar and Grill in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Lilikoi Bar and Grill in Lihue, Kauai. Happy Hour let’s you start the night off right. The drinks go down easy and the Kalua Pork Nachos are the ultimate in taste. Pulled pork is tender, a bit smoky, and seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt. Add it to layers of of crispy-fried corn tortilla chips, gooey cheddar cheese, and spicy-kicked jalapeños for the best platter of specialty nachos you’ve ever eaten. Lilikoi Bar and Grill not only offers an all-star menu, the unparalleled view of the ocean sets the tone for a truly satisfying dining experience. Grab a cozy seat, sit back, and watch the surfers “catch a wave”.

Kauaiian-Rub Pork Medallions

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Kauaiian-Rub Pork Medallions! Natural Pacific sea salt, combined with herbs and spices, lock in flavor for the most tender cut of grilled pork you’ve ever tasted. Don’t scrimp on the cut; it’s worth a little extra cost since there is no fat, no bones, and absolutely no waste.

KAUAIIAN-RUB PORK MEDALLIONS

Ingredients:

2-3 pound Pork Filet Mignon, sliced in 3/4″ portions

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons soybean seasoning sauce

1-2 tablespoons Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Rub*

Instructions:

Marinate at room temperature sliced medallions in a shallow dish with olive oil, soybean seasoning sauce, and gourmet rub on both sides of the pork. Preheat the outdoor gas grill to 500°. Place the tenderloins on the non-stick grate and lower the lid. The temperature should remain around 450°. After 4-5 minutes, turn medallions over, close lid, and grill for 5 minutes longer. To check for doneness, the internal temperature will register at 150°. Remove medallions and let them rest for 5 minutes in order for the juices to draw back inside.

*Available through Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts. (I receive no recompense for promoting their product.)

Dining Outside the Home: Coconut’s Fish Café in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Coconut’s Fish Café in Kapaa, Kauai. Even if you never plan to ride a surfboard, you can still enjoy the spirit of Aloha every time you visit Coconut’s Fish Cafe. Surfboard table tops encourage a “Hang Loose” attitude while filling the room with positive energy and healthy food. Top a mixed green salad with the grilled shrimp duo and a seared plank of blackened ahi, smeared with wasabi sauce. Also, might I suggest the papaya dressing? It’s amazing. All sauces and dressings are made from scratch. Order the coconut shrimp to have beforehand or with the meal. It sets the stage for a fabulous meal.

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai. Across a footbridge over a cool mountain stream, the dusty road becomes a well trodden path where the festive flavors of Mexico blend into a warm, inviting atmosphere. Hola, amigos. Please have a seat for open-air dining. The family-owned and family-run restaurant originated years ago in San Diego. Now on the island of Kauai since 1992, Mariachi’s not only offers a free ocean view, but the menu options come highly recommended as well. Think about what to order while sipping on a classic lime margarita, salted rim optional. Take things slow and easy. In time, you may come to see why the family chose a new life in paradise serving authentic Mexican food.

Dining Outside the Home: Piazza in Princeville, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Piazza in Princeville, Kauai. How does a French chef off the island of Madagascar find his way to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, you wonder. It really makes little difference once you taste his flare for Italian food. Chef Christophe is the master, hands down, at creating out-of-this-world culinary creations designed to seduce the palate at Piazza on the North Shore. Every dish is uniquely designed from oven-roasted tomatoes on the wood-fired oven pizza to the hand-seasoned croutons on the Caesar salad. For the adventure enthusiast, might I suggest the log cabin stacked polenta fries? Nothing but the best of local, organic ingredients are carefully crafted for your enjoyment. My fav? The Seared Ahi Niçoise Salad. I see it in your future, too.

Dining Outside the Home: Hukilau Lanai in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Hukilau Lanai in Kapaa, Kauai. On an island surrounded by water in the middle of the Pacific, people are still known to step away from fresh seafood in search of a prime cut of beef. The chefs at Hukilau Lanai understand that craving and aim to please. Their dinner menu offers a main course of perfectly tender Prime Rib au Jus seasoned in Hawaiian sea salt and spices. Whether it’s sliced pink and rare or medium-well, it does not disappoint. A small portion of fat around the edge adds amazing flavor to the beef while it’s cooking. Slice it off or indulge yourself. Drizzle or dip the simple pan sauce (au jus) made from natural juices and slather with a dab of horseradish. Mmmm. If you get the craving, remember to go early. Because prime rib must be roasted slowly, once it’s cut and served, it’s gone for the night.

Dining Outside the Home: Island Taco in Poipu, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Island Taco in Poipu, Kauai. The handwritten sign on the counter said, “Aloha! Please try our homemade cinnamon crisp. Yum!” An inviting basket nearby was overflowing with crunchy sugar-coated flour tortilla strips. OMG! Within seconds Elise, a quirky illusion of a mermaid with ocean blue hair, appeared to take our order for lunch. Since all the tortillas are handmade, Island Taco didn’t stop there. Tacos that turn on, Burritos that beat all, Quesadillas that are quazy-good, plus much more. The chef at Island Taco goes on to create tropical choices like Kalua Smoked Pork, Seared Cajun Ahi, Blackened Mahi Mahi, Papaya Shrimp. Are you getting my drift? Refried beans and dirty rice are always a good idea. Generous servings are spot on! It’s a quick bite because, after all, you’re in paradise and the island lifestyle keeps you moving on. Hang loose. Shaka Mahalo.