Living on the island of Oahu afforded me the  time to discover the hidden treasures of the island. I enjoyed three years of exploring the island and made time to discover some favorite places.

One of my favorite places on Oahu is on the north shore in the town of Haleiwa. Coffee Gallery is where I spent many sundays enjoying organic breakfasts and smoothies. This local cafe has an outdoor screened patio with art on the ceiling. It also has a laid back, fun atmophere where visitors can enjoy Hawaiian coffee, organic foods, and freshly baked cookies, brownies and other baked goods.

Along with Coffee Gallery in Haleiwa I also love spending time in a beautiful shop called Global Creations & Interiors, just down the road. I discovered Global Creations & Interiors in 1996 and have enjoyed shopping there ever since. Every visit I make to the island of Oahu brings a visit to Global Creations & Interiors. It’s a shop filled with Hawaiian art, jewelery, fabrics and all things Hawaiian.  The staff is friendly and you’ll enjoy the time you spend there.

Visiting the North Shore Beaches is a necessity. This area hosts the annual professional surf competions. In Haliewa you can visit Sunset Beach, but there are so many wonderful beach stops along the North Shore so be sure to make several stops and really feel the  sun, surf and waves of the North Shore.

Photo Credit: Baxterclaus

What I love is when a recommended restaurant lives up to the recommendation. I’ve been hearing about P.F. Chang’s China Bistro for a while now…in t.v. shows, from friends, from family.  The nearest location to home is well over two hours away.  So, on a recent trip to Phoenix, I was happy to finally have a meal at P.F. Chang’s.  We visited the mothership location in Scottsdale, and there was nothing disappointing about the experience.

Our meal started with the very popular Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  Then, we sampled two meals served family style with white or brown rice.  The two entrees were Chang’s Spicy Chicken (P.F. Chang’s take on General Tso’s Chicken) and Orange Peel Chicken. Both were spiced to both our tastes and there was adequate not only  for dinner but for lunch the following day!  Delicious meal. Two thumbs up for both entrees AND the lettuce wraps!

Of note is the large number of gluten free items on the menu, including a recently added gluten free beer. Service is spectacular. Ambience is warm.

Visit P.F. Chang’s website to find locations, see the menu, make reservations, order take-out, see the new line of P.F Chang entrees in your grocery’s freezer section.

Photo credit: wolfgrins

As a rule, I don’t tout chain restaurants.  There’s too much room for inconsistency from store to store.  I believe I’ve found an exception.  I recently had the opportunity to dine at Texas Roadhouse in two different states.   The quality was consistent.  It was fun…unlimited peanuts in the shell and an invite to drop those shells to the floor (warning to those with peanut allergies).  The food was fresh and delish — I had pulled pork once and a remarkably tender and perfectly prepared sirloin on the other occasion.   The service was great — friendly, attentive wait staff, and a quality check at the end of the meal.

Above and beyond  the dining amenities, a notable plus for the budget wise is the list of 10 meals offered for 7.99 during the week for early diners. Hours vary by location.

All-in-all Texas Roadhouse is an enjoyable dining experience.  I have no complaints and look forward to my next visit, no matter where I may be.

Photo credit: BKM_BR

We all love dining out on vacation, but who has an unlimited budget?  Here’s how to spend less on your full-flavored vacation fare.

Lunch

Lunch is usually more affordable than dinner. Make the noon meal your splurge and grab an in-room snack for dinner.

Bring the Kids

Many restaurants offer free dining for young children. Research these ahead of time to save big.

Street Snacks

Stroll popular tourist areas to soak up culture and eat from cheap food stalls.

Dining out on vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. Use these tips to save big.

Photo Credit: Discover DuPage

Recently, my sister and I went to Florida to celebrate her birthday.  We have a 92-year-old uncle who lives there, and any trip to Florida includes a visit to Uncle Frank.  Similarly, any visit with Uncle Frank includes a meal out.  This time was no different.  I did not know there was a robust Amish community in Sarasota, but there is.  Having grown up in Northeastern Ohio, I know a little something about Amish.  I know they know how to cook!

After dinner at the nearby Dutch Heritage House, we went down the street to Yoder’s and waited in line for the opportunity to indulge in a piece of Yoder’s pie.  It was worth the wait.  Regina and I split a piece of chocolate pecan pie.  It was amazing, and one piece was adequate for the both of us, because the slice was huge!  I’ll bet they don’t get more than five pieces out of one pie.

Dessert isn’t the only thing on the menu at Yoder’s, but if dessert is on your mind and you’re in Sarasota, don’t take that appetite anywhere else.

Photo credit:  TheSeafarer

Krongut Bornstedt By: GertrudK Flickr Creative Commons

Along with the restaurant and garden are a row of cobbler style shops where you can hand dip your own candles, watch a loom weaver, see hand blown glass pieces created and so much more. It’s a day trip to savor in all seasons. I particularly enjoyed the Krongut Weihnachtsmarkt held every Wednesday through Sunday from Nov 27th until  December 26th. The Weihnachtsmarkt has  many wonderful European creations and German treasures for purchase. While you shop you can listen to groups singing Christmas carols, take a photo near the oversized Christmas tree or pause for a moment at the manger scene. Along with treasures, music and festivities you will find food, beer and spiced cider a plenty. My sweetest memory of Krongut Bornstedt is of eating German sausages and drinking spiced cider in freezing temperatures as snow fell around us and seeing everyone celebrating the season with laughter and fun. It is a magical place and enfolds visitors in the spirit of European Christmas. 

Krongut Bornstedt also offers outdoor activities to enjoy with friends and family during the warm, sunny summer months. This years  Krongut Bornstedt  Summer Concerts Series will include the Philharmonic Orchestra perfoming Pink Floyd rock music,  an outdoor performance of the stage play Carmen and a performance of Nabucco  accompanied by a 100 person choir and the orchestra.

I grew up in the northeast corner of Ohio, and Sunday drives were part and parcel of that growing up. Several times a year, we’d end up in Amish country.  Our sole purpose was to pick up fudge made with goat’s milk, a remarkable treat if you’ve never had it.  Anyway, I’ve never forgotten the fudge nor those rides.  Recently, my sister and I celebrated her birthday in Florida.  Our 92-year-old uncle, who lives in Sarasota, took us to dinner, as is the tradition when one visits Uncle Frank.

The Dutch Heritage House buffet provided one of the best home-cooked meals I’ve had away from home.   Although there is a pretty robust menu, the buffet won my attention hands down. Fresh roasted pork and broasted chicken, real mashed potatoes,  fresh vegetables, home made noodles and dressing, a salad bar, home baked bread, and a really interesting peanut butter at the end of the buffet.  If you are a fan of this nutty delight, do NOT pass on a least a little of this on your dinner plate!  I don’t know what makes it different, but it most definitely is…

If you are anywhere near Sarasota, hungry, and wanting a solid taste of home cooking, go to Dutch Heritage House.

Photo credit: stevendepolo

Where you can you find a heavy dose of rustic, old-world elegance with a shining view of a snow-capped volcano, complete with practically perfect weather all year round?

 Believe it or not, in northern Ecuador, just a couple of hours out of Quito. The place? Hosteria La Cienega. This charming antique hacienda turned hotel and restaurant has been in the same family since the seventeenth century.

Also near Cotapaxi National Park, this hotel and restaurant makes a wonderful retreat from the city for quiet relaxation. Offering casual breakfasts al fresco as well as more formal indoor seating with a full menu, the atmosphere was (in this writer’s humble opinion) exquisite. Glitzy? No. Understatedly elegant? Absolutely. 

After exploring the interior courtyard’s formal garden and on-sight chapel built into the hacienda itself, we sat down to enjoy grilled fish and steak with rounds of spirit-infused consume, homemade bread and house wine.

Needing to walk off lunch and delighted that the establishment’s management encouraged full facility exploration, we strolled the grounds and explored various suites and communal sitting rooms.

We feel comfortable recommending this hotel and restaurant to those people interested in paying from $12 – $20 USD per plate and $60 – $180 USD per night for accommodation.

Photo Credits: Trek Hound

This article was submitted to the February 3, 2010 edition of Wanderlust and Lipstick’s Wanderfood Wednesday.

On a recent trip to Ecuador, we took a day trip to the world-famous Otavalo market. When the subject arose as to where to have lunch, a friend told us this place was a must to try. Want to know how we made out? Read on.

Hacienda Pinsaqui is also a hosteria, offering a full menu of elegant meal options in addition to quaint rooms, horseback riding and gorgeous period common rooms for curling up with a good book. We enjoyed mushroom pasta and grilled fish for lunch, followed by a stroll around the grounds and a couple of recon peeks inside empty rooms. The grounds are outside of the hustle and bustle, allowing you to enjoy the countryside and lounge by the fences while observing grazing llamas after your meal.

They even have a pair of peacocks on the grounds that are very comfortable with up close photo shooting. For those travelers wanting to get out of Quito for a bit, this place is a piece of historically authentic heaven. You will need a car, however, as it is a bit out of town.

Photo Credit: Trek Hound

This post was submitted to the January27, 2010 edition of Wanderfood Wednesday.

Just outside of Quito in the suburb of Cumbaya is a quaint and welcoming restaurant called the Cactus Café. We had a chance to try out the menu on recent trip there. Read on to find out about our experience and reactions.

Cactus Café offers an international menu in a casually elegant setting. A wood fire oven for pizza and open area for Friday jazz nights are just a couple of the extra touches you’ll notice. We had a chance to meet the owner, Stefano, and his wife Janine. We sat down with them to enjoy a special tasting menu. Here’s what we had.

• Beef ravioli with a mushroom cream sauce.
• Prosciutto wood fire thin crust pizza
• Grilled salmon
• Salad
• Red and white house wines
• Tiramisu
• Cheesecake
• Cappuccino

We enjoyed everything we had and found the ravioli with mushroom cream sauce to be particularly fantastic, as was the tiramisu. The atmosphere at Cactus Café is both relaxing and elegant. Apparently, others agree as the owners have started franchising it at several locations across Quito, with a second smaller satellite restaurant in Cumbaya as well.

While I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, I think it would be particularly attractive to expats and tourists looking for a relaxing break from the rigors of travel or an international move. For more information on the Cactus Café, check out the web site of this international restaurant.

Image Credit: Neeta Lind

This post was submitted to the January 20, 2010 edition of Wanderfood Wednesday.