Texas State Fair 2011

Check us out at the fair this year.  125 years of deep fried excellence!

Tiano's Restaurant in Lihue, HI...Again?

The fact that we have to create another entry for Tiano's should tell you just how much we like this spot...it just that good!

One of the many gems that we found on the garden island of Kauai was Tiano's Restaurant (formerly the Oki Diner)  Tiano's was a short drive from our place, the Lawai Beach Resort, in the city of Lihue, HI.   Let me also take this moment to interject one of the great features of this island: it's small...so you can get anywhere on the island in a relatively short amount of time.

Remember this?

At Tiano's, Executive Chef Joel Navasca was on his game mixing great Polynesian and Filipino dishes while offering traditional American fare for those who are not that adventurous.  Everything we had was "off the chain!" and pricing was comparable to the other location in the area.

TIP:  Always search out the spots where the locals eat, you can get really authentic food at the best prices!

Tiano's Kalua Omelette...Do you see the pork busting out of this thing!  I had pork all over this island at just about every chance I got, this was the best portion size I had in a week.

Adobo Fried Rice and Eggs...Here's some of that Filipino influence: fried rice for breakfast?  Tiano's makes it work.

Michele had the French Toast Deluxe made with Hawaiian sweet bread, and more portuguese sausage...You ARE indeed my resolution sweetie! (see Michele's t-shirt)

When you are in Kauai you gotta check these guys out.  You can't miss them...they are just a short drive from the airport, so you have no excuses!  Mahalo!

Tiano's Restaurant

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

4479 Rice Street

Lihue, HI 96766

808-245-6909

www.tianosrestaurant.com

The DeFries Lunch Wagon

We met some great people during our time in Kauai, Hawaii, and the DeFries family is right at the top of the list.  Mrs. Sandy and her family hooked us up when we stopped by to try their famous "shaved ice.  Due to their tremendous hospitality, we left the Anahola Fairgrounds with a plate of DeFries chicken, roasted pork, veggies and mac salad for dinner!   THANKS Mrs. Sandy!  You guys are truly "Da Best!"

Allure of the Seas

Have you ever been on a cruise?

I know every time I ask this question I get a varied list of answers:

• "I'm afraid to get on a boat"
• "You know I would love to go but I don't have anyone to go with me"
• "I have always thought about going but just have not had a chance"

You know what my answer always is…"You've just got to go!"

We love cruising. Our first cruise was on our honeymoon 12 years ago, and we have been hooked ever since.  Why?  It's one of the best values and ways to see and do the most stuff while on vacation, or you can relax and do nothing...it really is your choice.

Chillin in Haiti

When you get on the ship (not boat), you don't have to worry about where to eat, transportation, or about what to do next.  Cruise ships have multiple restaurants, casinos, spas, jazz clubs, dance clubs, movie theaters, rock climbing, basketball courts, ice skating, surfing, mini golf,...should I keep going?  I am sure you get the point, there is something for everyone.  To add icing to the cake, you can do all these things as you visit great ports of call like: the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Hawaii….the possibilities are endless.

Scuba in Mexico

We are great fans of Royal Caribbean (RC).  We've been on four cruises with RC and they have gotten better each time. 

When we heard the largest cruise ship in the world would be sailing out of Port Everglades, Florida we knew we had to get on it.  Welcome Allure of the Seas!  Our itinerary was Cozumel- Mexico, Labadee - Haiti, and Falmouth - Jamaica.

1970's Parade

We made it to the port and entered the ship with much anticipation.  We entered on Deck 5 - The Royal Promenade, a huge area in the middle of the ship filled with shops, clubs, sidewalk dining, bars, lounges, shopping and people walking around as if you are at your neighborhood mall...a very big neighborhood mall.  They actually have two character (themed) parades.


After seeing this, we could not wait to see what the stateroom would look like, and we were pleasantly surprised.  Since we have earned Gold status with Royal Caribbean, we were upgraded to a stateroom with a view of Central Park!

The room was tight but very functional, We had a queen size bed, sofa with coffee table, 32" flatscreen TV and wait…is that a veranda?  The most beautiful view of Royal Caribbean's Central Park neighborhood.  As we stepped onto the veranda, which is separated from the stateroom next to us with tall privacy walls, we saw trees and park benches and people strolling in and out of more restaurants and shops.

View from our state room 

We quickly got out of our stateroom and headed down to the Ice Skating Rink on the 4th floor…yes I said the ice skating rink, one of the locations where reservations could be made for the myriad of shows being featured that week on the ship.  The Oasis class ships are the first cruise ships to offer actual Broadway shows at sea.  All cruise lines conduct "Broadway-style" shows of their own, but Royal Caribbean has changed the game by offering actual Broadway productions.

The ship was filled with activities that David and I enjoyed.  If I could not find David I knew exactly where to go:  The FlowRider, this spot became his second home for the next seven days. 

I zip lined across the ship nine decks high, we saw shows, rode the Carousel, ate hot dogs and ice cream in freshly made waffle cones on the Boardwalk...remember we are on the ship, not ashore at one of the ports of call!  We participated in the parades, danced, enjoyed comedy shows, toured the islands and ate food that would rival any five star restaurant.  The destinations were unique and showed us the beauty of the Caribbean and its wonderful people.

The Smith List top 5 reasons you should cruise:

5. Year round availability - Cruise any time of the year!  The Caribbean is the destination of most cruise lines, and it's always warm and sunny down there so even when it's 30 degrees in the states, it's 80 degrees in the Bahamas, Mexico, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Puerto Rico or many of the other great ports of call.

4. See the world - literally!  With ports of call in the Mediterranean, Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe and so much more. You decide where you want to go and what you want to see.

3. Something for the whole family - kids want to go to the Boardwalk and get their faces painted and you want to go to the Casino?  Yeah you can do that, and the kids club can take them for you!

2. Simplicity: Easy to book either through a travel agent, a Royal Caribbean agent, or online.

1. Bang for your buck

Fine dining at it's best, the most affordable way to see the world, great accommodations, friendly staff and attention to detail at less than $100.00 a day, per person.  You can't beat a cruise with a stick!

Tell us about your cruise experience!

Guantanamera, NYC

What can I say about New York City...what an incredible place!   What a blessing to have the opportunity to visit and experience the wonders it has to offer!  On a recent trip to the "Apple" Michele and I were looking for great places to eat and stumbled across Guantanamera!

939 Eighth Avenue

NYC is a food lovers dream...if you can think it, it’s here: Trinidadian, Korean, Italian, Greek, Asian, Persian, Ethiopian, Indonesian, Pakistani, Jewish, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Russian...are you catching my drift...it defies description, but I will do my best to articulate the wonder for you.  Today we are off to Cuba...passport and governmental approval not required.

After suffering through the brutal Texas summer where we broke records for consecutive triple digit temperature days, the brisk fall east coast weather was a welcomed respite.  It was not cold, it was fall on the east coast, you need a light jacket, scarf, fashionable head gear, and you’re good.  We take the Q train north bound from the Stoute Hotel (the in-laws house) in Brooklyn and make our way into Manhattan.

The Rents

Guantanamera is located on 8th Ave. between 55th and 56th street...just a few block south of Columbus Circle.  After a little site seeing and people watching we worked up an appetite and made our way downtown.  The in-laws met us at the door, as they were not going to let us out-do them...they like to eat too.

The venue was “traditional NYC intimate” (meaning rather small).  It sat approximately 60 people in a long rectangular footprint.  Many locations in NYC are in store fronts that offer a narrow yet deep floor plan...this is one of them.  The bar is the first thing you see, it’s immediately to your right as you enter the venue.  There was a small stage for a 3 or 4 piece band in the back.  Twin bongos emblazened with the Cuban flag sat poised ready for action...I kinda expected Ricky Ricardo to come out and sing Babalou.

Murals of Cubano culture and heritage adorn the walls with vibrant colors and cultural depictions of life making you feel as if you are driving through Havana for the first time.  We started off with Sangria, which came in two varieties: red and white...I regret that we did not try any of the appetizers, as a waiter with a plate of Empanadas walked by...I thought “what the hell were we thinking?”  I guess we were so hungry we just went straight to the entrees. 

Sangria

The Sangria was excellent, just how I like them, sweet and fruity with a mild alcohol taste in the background...I know it may sound weird to you drinkers out there, but Michele and I don’t enjoy the taste of hard liquor alone, we need it masked with juice and fruit: a la the Pina Colada, Mojito, etc... As we enjoyed both the red and white Sangria the food began making it’s way to the table.

Service was "a si a si, mas o menos” (so so, more or less) our waiter was not very friendly or engaging, just kind of matter of fact service.  He was efficient in taking our orders but was too transactional.  It was early in the dinner cycle 4:30pm or so it was not busy - he could have enhanced our experience by making some suggestions, describing the dishes, or telling us about his favorite, so...they will get dinged on service when I finish this.

Lechon Asado

I chose Lechon Asado (suckling pork) for the second day in a row, remember the pork shank at Centrico.  Fall off the bone tender is becoming a cliche` but there no better way to describe it!  It was fall off the bone tender accompanied with steamed cassava, both covered in a clear garlic broth with a side of Congri (black beans and rice).

Rabo Encedido

Michele had the oxtails with mashed sweet plantains.  What a simple yet effective way to serve plantains!  Served like mashed potatoes and just as “buttery”, they provided a tremendous counter balance to the spicy/savory red wine reduction.  Selecting and cooking oxtails is an art...everybody can’t cook oxtails.  Sometimes you get fatty oxtails, that are tough, too small, with little meat on them.  My mother-in-law says the trick is to add ice to the stew as you are cooking :-) These were selected and prepared correctly, slow cooked/stewed in a tomato base with Cubano spices...tasting these bad boys I emphatically said: Ole`!  

Shrimp Paella

Uncle Arthur had the Shrimp Paella.  Just look at it...Nuff said!  Hands down the best presentation of the four dishes.  Seafood Paella served in a bowl creatively fashioned from a banana leaf and topped with pan seared shrimp.  Both the Shrimp and Veggie Paella dishes were replete with flavor.  Every region of my tongue was excited by the flavors in this dish...salty, sweet, savory, earthy, spicy...It was amazingly light and refreshing, while being grounded and palpable.  I was compelled to eat it!  As soon as I finished a mouthful, I was reaching for the bowl...I was almost shoveling the food into my mouth and it wasn’t even my plate!  As good as my dish was, I had buyers remorse, or plate envy...whatever you wanna call it, but the power of this dish made me regret doing the pork...it was that good!  Luckily for me Coconuts had virtually the same dish and couldn’t finish it all, so I got the best of mine and hers!

Paella Valencia

Coconuts chose the Veggie Paella.  After the nice presentations of the aforementioned dishes, the veggie dish was very under-whelming.  Outside of the cast iron personalized skillet, the presentation left much to be desired.  Luckily the presentation did not affect the taste!  It was excellent...per Coconuts (My Mother-in-law a.k.a Barbara Stoute) it was very flavorful, but on the salty side and had no ginger...which she puts in everything...and I mean EVERYTHING!

We left Guantanamera richer for the experience!   Holla back, tell us about your experiences in Cuba or any part of the world.