This is a guest post from my husband, Michael, who travels the world and brings home stories of his many culinary adventures.

When traveling to even familiar places it’s nice to know a local. My friend Donn has lived in Hawaii all his life and when I asked him about the Rainbow Drive-In his face broke out in a grin as he chuckled, “It’s not very touristy.” In Honolulu with all the visitors, crowds, and overhype something like this simple drive-in has a certain appeal.

The Rainbow Drive-In is not easy to find, set back from the road and concealed by a mob of cars out front, and you really have to keep an eye out for it. It’s just past the zoo, in an older part of town. We parked on the street and carefully made our way across the busy road. The building is basically square with the kitchen in the back. Diners place and pick-up orders in the the front and there are about six stainless steel tables under an overhang on the side. A short cinder block wall separates the seating from the parking lot just high enough to block the cars. There are no windows but you don’t need them in Hawaii.

Even though it was just after 11 am the place was mobbed. The line moves quickly, so much so that if you are unfamiliar with the options it’s better to stand off to the side and glance over at the board of selections. Everyone I saw paid in cash, and the menu is about as cheap as you can get for quality fair, particularly for Hawaii. Although there is a continual flow of patrons through the drive-in the entire area is amazingly clean, including the rest room.

I heard they made a great Loco Moco so I ordered that along with a cherry slush float. The menu offers a choice between a plate or a bowl with the bowl being a regular single serving and the plate a double serving. I ordered the plate but later regretted it as I could have been easily satisfied by the single Loco Moco. We took our orders and sat down at one of the steel topped tables firmly attached to the ground. When a rookie pops the lid of what appears to be medium sized pizza box they’ll wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into—a bit of breakfast and a bit of lunch fused together. The steam and aroma will set you at ease as it tickles your nose. This is definitely plastic fork and knife eating at its best.

So what is a Loco Moco? At the base is a large scoop of white rice topped by a quarter pound hamburger, then they pour on a ladle of brown gravy over both and top it off with an egg cooked to order, I recommend over easy. A Loco Moco plate is two of these dressed on the side with a large scoop of macaroni salad. The macaroni salad is done classical-style with elbows and a hint of chopped vegetables, all liberally coated in mayo.

What comes to mind with the first bite is that this combination of tastes somehow works, even with the macaroni salad. On a hot day the cherry slush with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream is a great chaser. The drink takes me back to my childhood growing up in the Midwest, and once again the flavors work, particularly if they sit for a while and the slush melts into the ice cream. It was sweet heaven for me.

I left this experience very full and not wanting food for the rest of the day. At a little more than ten bucks this lunch is one of the best deals in town, but for most people, save the extremely hungry, the single Loco Moco in a cup should satisfy.

Getting There

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815-4214
(808) 737-0177.

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This short jaunt to Germany has been so much fun, and I have to say one of the highlights was visiting the Stuttgart Markthalle, an historic market in the old part of Stuttgart. A vegetable market has been in this location since 1864, and the building was constructed between 1911 and 1914. The building was reconstructed after receiving heavy damage during World War II and the interior underwent extensive renovations after a 1993 fire. The building has been noted as a cultural monument since 1974.

Located near the Altes Schloss, or Old Castle, the 95-year-old market has many stalls of beautiful foods, including fresh produce, wines, cheeses, meats, and local specialties such as breads and sausages. You can find foods from Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Austria, and other countries. The Markthalle also houses a Merz & Benzing, an espresso bar, tapas bar, and a cafe serving traditional Swabian cuisine.

The selection of foods is spectacular. It was fun to wander the aisles and take in all the sights and smells of some of my favorite foods, such as these Italian hams. Each of the Italian delicatessens—there is more than one—had beautiful displays of prosciutto and other Italian meats.

The Spanish delicatessen had a corner display devoted to Serrano hams. Note the paella pans hanging above the counters.

I also found a couple spice shops with a wide array of spices from all over the world.

I was hungry for lunch before I got to the Markthalle, and after seeing all that delicious food I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to eat there. For lunch I noshed on a focaccia caprese from one of the Italian delis, grilled up panini style, while I sat outdoors in the sunshine and watched the people come and go or stop to eat at one of the cafes outside the Markthalle. I also found one of our favorite German breads, laugenbrötchen (pretzel rolls), at one of the bakeries and brought a few back to the hotel for us to share, then immediately set off to figure out how to make them at home.

I had such a good time at the Markthalle and highly recommend it for anyone visiting Stuttgart, especially if you have a passion for good food and great markets.

[I purchased items myself and received no compensation of any kind for writing this article.]

Getting there: Via S-Bahn, all lines (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6). Get off at Stadtmitte, one stop away from the Hauptbahnhoff (main train station). Follow the signs to Königstraße, turning left, then turn right on  Stiftstraße, left on Kirchstraße, and right on Dorotheenstraße. The market is on the southwest corner of the Altes Schloss (Old Castle), now the Würrtemberg State Museum.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 7 am to 6:30 pm; Saturday 7 am to 4 pm

Website: http://www.maerkte-stuttgart.de/markthalle (in German)

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The restaurant features traditional hearty Swabian favorites and they have both German and English menus available, though I had fun trying to dust off my high school German from years ago translating the menu for Michael. They serve breakfast daily lunch specials (Mittags) including drink from 11:00 am to 5 pm, dinner after 5 pm, and a Sunday all you can eat brunch from 10 am to 4 pm. The daily lunch specials are very reasonable at just €6,50 with soup and salad extra at just €1,80. The Sunday brunch sounds like a good value at €8,80 per person, with children under 6 eating free and children 6 to 12 eating at half price. I spotted a Frühstück (breakfast) list tucked into the main menu, though a note on the website mentions that they do not currently serve breakfast.

We went for dinner and had beers, salads, and entrees. Michael ordered the braumeisterbier, the house beer, which he enjoyed; I had the Helles hefeweizen, also good. Both were €2,80 per glass or €12,90 per pitcher. The side salad (€2,50), which tasted very good, consisted of a bed of German style potato salad with a vinaigrette and some slaw, then greens, shredded carrots, and tomato wedges on top.

For his meal, Michael ordered the Braumeister-Schmaus (€11,80), a combination plate with Fleischkäse (a baked sausage meatloaf), Maultasche (meat wrapped in a wide flat noodle), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and Bratensauce (a dark gravy). His favorites were the Maultasche and the Käsespätzle.

I had the Stuttgarter Pfännle (€14,80), a meal served in one of their traditional pfannen (pans) with pork medallions, mushroom cream sauce, and homemade spätzle (noodles) on the side. The pork and noodles tasted great with the mushroom sauce.

Both meals were large and though we liked them were didn’t have enough room to finish, let alone any room for dessert, though it would be worth a trip back to try some of their appetizers and desserts.

[We purchased the meal and received no compensation of any kind for writing this article.]

Getting there: Via S-Bahn, all lines (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6). Get off at Stadtmitte one stop away from the Hauptbahnhoff (main train station). Walk to Rotebühlplatz, then Calwer Strasse.

Website: www.calwereck.de (in German), www.calwereck.de (in English)

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This is a guest post from my husband, Michael, who travels the world and promised me a story about one of his many culinary experiences. Future posts will have photos from his trips.

We ventured across the world’s busiest intersection, the rush hour crowd absorbing us as if we weren’t there.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

A mustached smile gleamed back at me, “A Mongolian barbecue where we can eat and drink all we want for 4000 yen (about $28).”

I shook my head in disbelief.

My friend chuckled after reading my expression. “Oh yeah, and we’ve got to finish in ninety minutes.”

Eight of us weaved through the packs of businessmen, young professionals, and school girls down one of the dozen or so side streets. We turned a corner and stepped down to a pair of wooden doors with metal handles shaped like a snowman. We entered and sat on stools arranged on either side of a short wooden table with metal holes in which concrete urns containing white hot blocks of charcoal were placed. The server laid curved grills on top, and provided bowls of mixed vegetables which included bean spouts, sliced pumpkin, green pepper, thin shavings of carrots, and broccoli. Next to this were nuggets of thinly sliced lamb and cubes of fat which we placed on top of the grill to coat it.

They provided our first drinks, our choices were iced liter mugs of beer, sake, or wine. The table split into factions of each. The server showed us the clock and we were off. The beers went down quickly, the sake less so—the heavy, sweet liquid almost daring you to consume it.

The vegetables and lamb sizzled and popped for a couple of minutes over the heat before we picked it off. The meat was delicate not like the lamb we have back in the states. The beers and drinks were replenished swiftly along with the food as we worked through our feast. After ninety minutes we had had our fill. We each passed in our 4000 yen, collected our group and returned to the busy streets, stopping down the road at a shop for purple sweet potato ice cream to top off our evening before making our way back to the hotel.

Tokyo is a wonderful city, and if you ever get a chance to visit make a point of stopping in for a 90 minute feast of your own. According to the expats I was with these are popular throughout the city. I recommend the place we ate, www.kita-yukidaruma.com. The service was excellent and the beer ice cold, but beware of the sake, otherwise you might not remember the experience unless your friends can fill in the gaps.

Resources

www.kita-yukidaruma.com

Bento.com – Tokyo Food Page Restaurant List, Shibuya

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Part of our annual trek to the Adirondacks includes a pilgrimage to Donuts & More in Speculator, New York. It’s a tradition for us to have these delicious donuts at least once during the trip, but some years we indulge a few times. The shop has been there for many years and is now owned by Gwen and Mark Crary, who bought it in Fall 2007 and officially reopened in May. The previous owners, Marie and James, ran the shop for a number of years. Sadly, Marie passed away in March, but Gwen and Mark are doing a fine job keeping the tradition going.

I don’t know their secret, but this little place makes the best donuts I’ve ever tasted anywhere. They have a delicious fluffy crumb and aren’t the least bit greasy. The shop sells eight varieties; mostly cake, but they also have a few yeast donuts with cream or jelly filling. My favorite is the cinnamon and sugar cake donuts (in the photo above), though I will happily eat any of the varieties they sell! Mark arrives at 4 am to start the donuts and then continues to make them fresh throughout the morning based on demand, and it’s quite a treat to walk into the shop and see the fresh donuts lined up in the case.

The lines can be quite long in the mornings, especially on the weekends, so plan ahead and get there early. One dozen donuts costs $7.00, and they are absolutely worth it.

Details

Donuts & More

Location: Speculator, New York at the intersection of Routes 30 and 8; The Lane Emporium in the Charlie John’s Store parking lot

Open: Memorial Day to mid-October

Hours: 7 am to 12 pm, Thursday through Monday (Summer), 7 am to 12 pm, Saturday and Sunday (after Labor Day)

More information: Speculator Chamber of Commerce, Town of Lake Pleasant, Wikipedia – Speculator, NY

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I wandered around taking photos of some of the produce stands. The boys were very excited by all the fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when they got to help purchase the items and helped Grandma and Papa carry the bags.

I thought these donut peaches had a beautiful color and fun shape.

Corn is now in season, and we bought a bunch of ears of the popular bicolored butter & sugar variety. This is a good variety for home gardens, with just 75 days to harvest.

We’d never seen Ishtar squash before, and had to ask about it. The vendor told us it’s similar to zucchini squash, only sweeter. We’re already scouring online trying to find seeds for next year.

Carrots and beets and other root vegetables are starting to come in. I really liked the colorful varieties in this display.

The flowers were especially pretty this time.

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For some, sand and surf are the first things that come to mind when thinking about Hawaii, for us it is shave ice.  We’re not talking about snow cones, that’s totally different. With shave ice (not “shaved ice”), the ice comes out in fine flakes which absorbs the syrup flavors better and melts like snow in your mouth. On a hot day, there is nothing better in the world.

We did the research before our trip, so we knew that the North Shore was the place to go for the best shave ice; specifically, Matsumoto Shave Ice or Aoki’s Shave Ice, both in Haleiwa. The directions we got from the hotel were not the best and we went past the turn off for quite a ways before we figured out we had to go back. If you are approaching Haleiwa from the south via 99 coming from Honolulu/Pearl City, watch for the brown sign indicating a left turn into historic Haleiwa. If you are approaching from the north via 83, look for a similar sign indicating a right turn. Both shops are on the main drag on the same side of the road, separated by a church and parking lot.

Because this was vacation and we knew we would have shave ice on multiple occasions, we decided it was vital that we sample from both stores so we could make an informed decision on which one we thought was the best. This is important stuff, you know, and we were as scientific as possible, but in the end we thought weighing the ice and measuring the size of the flakes would be a bit of overkill and probably not endear us to the proprietors or other customers. We just watched closely while they made our ices and sampled several flavors. This is vacation, after all.

The machines in each store differ slightly, though both appear to create a flake ice of the same consistency. Both stores offer ice in a paper cone with the option to purchase a separate plastic holder (US$0.25) that helps keep drips in check. We used the holder one time and agreed that it’s really not necessary for adults, but helpful for kids. In each store you can choose either a small (US$1.75) or large cone (US$2.00), and the large is huge. Order smalls for kids and large for adults if you are really hot and thirsty. For a little extra money, you can order ice cream or sweet azuki beans to go into the bottom of the cone. For purposes of keeping our samples unsullied by outside influences, we decided to do just the syrup flavors, no extras. (We know we sound pretty geeky.)

Both stores claim to make their own syrups, though I don’t know if that means they make the syrups from scratch with real fruit flavors or if they buy premade condensed flavors and mix the syrups in house. Either way, we thought the flavors were pretty good. Both stores let you choose up to three flavors for each ice and pour loads of syrup on so there is no lack of flavor. Our favorite was the Tropical Mix from Aoki’s (photo at top), which is a combination of Blue Hawaiian, mango, and guava. The banana syrup was our least favorite.

Our Verdict: The choice of which shave ice is the best came down to ice consistency and staying power, and we think Aoki’s wins by a couple flakes. The Aoki’s shave ice stayed nice and flaky for a little while longer than Matsumoto’s, and we concluded that chilling the syrups makes the difference. Aoki’s leaves the syrup bottles in ice water, while Matsumoto’s keeps the syrups on the counter at room temperature. As soon as the room temperature syrup gets poured on, the ice begins to coagulate much like a snow cone, losing the flaky consistency and causing the syrup to pool in the bottom faster than Aoki’s. We did not bring out a stopwatch to measure time in milliseconds or anything like that, it was just a casual observation.

Of course now that we have been to shave ice Shangri-La, we must figure out how to make it at home because flying to Hawaii just to get the world’s best shave ice will get really darn expensive.

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Saturday morning we woke up very early and hiked up Diamond Head. The park opens at 6 am, and I highly recommend going early to beat the heat and the crowds. The early part of the hike is on concrete walkway and very easy, but the last part is like doing a StairMaster workout (271 steps!) and everyone was panting as we hit the top. The only person who didn’t seem bothered by the workout was the female athlete who ran to the top! I felt inspired, but was still trying to catch my breath. I was sweating like a race horse and the breeze felt so good!

Kapiolani Community College is located right on the road to Diamond Head, and we noticed they had a farmers’ market going as we passed by, so after our hike we stopped by to check it out. There was lots of great local produce and food to sample as well as gorgeous flowers.

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I’m trying to stay on East Coast time, so we’ve been going to bed early and waking up really early. At 4 am it’s still dark outside and we can’t see the ocean even though we are almost right on the beach, but I can hear it as I’m writing this near the hotel balcony. We’re staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu and have a beautiful view of the ocean from our 11th floor room.

After arriving at the airport, Michael took me to get some lunch at Big Kahuna’s Pizza, which has moved from it’s old location in the shack on Pu’uloa Road to the strip mall at 550 Paiea St. near the airport. We had the barbecued pork sandwich which is served on a huge round bun and cut in half. Good stuff! I forgot to snap a photo, but you can get an idea of what it looks like by viewing the photo of the sub on ‘Ono Kine Grindz.

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