Surfer Sands @ Long Beach, WA

My affair with Surfer Sands didn't last very long, but was a memorable one at that. A cute little shack in Long Beach, WA that makes amazing Sandwiches where the bread is homemade and the fillings are out of this world. If you want a quick lunch, then this is the place to go. One orders at the window and eats at one of the picnic tables outside, in the shade.

It all started with the smell. The smell of grilled Sandwiches. If you are a Sandwich lover like me, you will know what I am talking about. While the smell made me stagger to the window to place my order, one bite and I was blown away. They have killer vegetarian options to tantalize the tastebuds of even the most finickiest eater.  We ordered the Shark Attack - Grilled tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, pineapples, cashews, raisins and provolone cheese.

 

  

First time I have had nuts and raisins in my Sandwich and I must say I am nuts about it! While they make innovative Sandwiches, it would be nice to have a choice of bread. The hoagie bun kind of bread is not very appealing. At $7.42 plus tax it is a bit spendy but then they make gourmet Sandwiches. And one could ask for any Sandwich to be made into a Salad! Add a smoothie or chips and make it a meal! I recommend giving this place a try. You will love it!

  

 

Duke's Canoe Club @ Lihue

We are a big fan of Duke's here at Alki Beach and love the Duke's at Waikiki and were thrilled to have a Duke's right where we stayed, at Mariott Beach Club in Lihue. It was our regular hangout for a late night drink while strolling the beach in the wee hours.
Why this place was perfect? Well, for one, it was on the beach. Second, it was on the beach. Third, it was on the beach! You could listen to the waves, go in bare foot, sit outdoors and just have a ball! There were big screen TVs for the TV junkies. The waitresses were friendly and very attentive and it's always packed. Heck, everyone wants to hang out at Duke's.

We had lunch on one day. The Grilled portabello mushroom sandwich. - ciabatta bun with pesto-goat cheese, grilled tomato and roasted red balsamic red onion

And the waitress offered to make a veggie version of the Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich with Avocado, green sprouts, tomato, Swiss Cheese, Watercress, honey mustard sauce on a multigrain bread. Both came with crispy waffle fries.

They never go wrong with their creations. The friendly service and the laid back atmosphere along with scrumptious food makes one want to eat here again and again!

Mermaid's Cafe @ Kapaa

It's official. This hole in the wall is a Wrap heaven. Or a Sandwich heaven. Oh alright, it is heaven indeed! I love these teeny tiny shacks that make humble efforts to serve up vegetarian/vegan foods.

Mermaid's Café

You order at the window, sit at a table (if you are lucky to get one) on the roadside, pay by cash only, pick up your food from the window and dig through it. You are free to BYOB. They even have high chairs for kids. Service can be a little casual and laid back, but hey, you are in Kauai! Just chill.

This is the kitchen where the wraps and sandwiches materialize.

The menu is on the wall.

We got the Tofu Satay Wrap - Tofu wrapped in tortilla with rice, peanut satay sauce, ginger soy sauce, and a light crunchy salad of mungbean sprouts, green onion and cilantro with a fresh squeeze of lime.

Tofu Satay Wrap @ Mermaid's Café

Mmmmmmmmmm yum.yum.yum! I probably had an O face while eating. You know, like on Food Network when someone tastes the food and go "Ooooooooh yeah! This is soooooo good!", it looks like they are faking it, but now I know. It was foodgasm. I could taste all the ingredients distinctly.

Then came the Focaccia Sandwich - Avocado served on a freshly baked focaccia with pesto aioli, tomato, cucumber, organic greens and red onions.
Very fresh and packed with flavors! The combination of the various ingredients and the sauces is like a match made in heaven. Couldn't go wrong! Must.Try.

Focaccia Sandwich @ Mermaid's Café

Giugni's @ St.Helena

After a wine tasting tour at the Robert Mondavi Winery, we were hungry. It was close to 1 pm and we hadn't even had a proper breakfast. After fumbling with the smart phone for sometime, we found a Deli/Grocery in a small town called St.Helena, that had good rating. We wanted a really quick lunch, because there were tons of other Wineries to explore. So, Giugni's it was.

They don't have a Website, but here's what they have on the menu :

Breads- Sourdough, Whole Wheat, Light Rye, Dark Rye, Dutch Crunch, Sweet French, Sour French, Hard Sour, Onion, Wheat Roll, Seeded, Rosemary, Cheese and Jalapeno and Croissant.

Extras- Avocado, Roasted Red Pepper, Pickle, Cranberry Sauce, Cucumber, Pepperoncini, Bacon, Sauerkraut and Pesto Spread

Cheeses- American, Bleu Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Provolone, Cream Cheese, Jack, Peppered Jack, Garlic Jack, Muenster, Mozzarella, Smoked Mozzarella, Swiss, Smoked Swiss, Havarti, Dill Havarti, Fresh Mozzarella, Tillamook Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar and Horseradish Cheddar

Salads - Potato, Macaroni, Pasta, Tortellini, 3-Bean, Cole Slaw, Artichoke Hearts, Marinated Tomato & Cucumber.

And, of course, a boat load of meat options.

There was a long line when we got there. It's like any other Sandwich shop - pick your bread, cheese, veggies, meat etc. They don't have the option of toasting it. But they will heat it in the microwave if you want it hot. We got the Vegetarian Sandwich - Cheese and Jalapeno bread, Garlic Jack cheese, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Sprouts, Avocado, Cucumber, Horseradish and Giugni Juice. The thing that I love about this place is that they cut open a fresh Avocado for each order. We also got a bag of chips on the side.

The Sandwich was so delicious. There was nothing exotic about it, but the taste was out of this world. So fresh. It is one of those best $ meals I have had during my travels. If you are touring the Napa Valley, I highly recommend stopping by this Deli for a quick, scrumptious lunch!

News Cafe @ South Beach

News Cafe in SoBe, is a cafe, bar and a newsstand, all in one. How cool is that? As cool as their fab outdoor seating, right on the sidewalk, under the shade of a huge tree. They have retained their ancientness and you will know it when you take a look at the tables and chairs. It has a very rugged and beachy feel.

This is a casual restaurant where you can have breakfast at 6 pm and dinner at 10 am. It is open 24 hours and offers full menu at all times :). It comes upon as a traditional restaurant that has been around for a hundred years and still serves great food and is frequented by many, both regulars and newbies like us.
After a long day at the beach, we hopped in for a quick bite, and returned later at night for dessert.

We split their hot sandwich - Grilled Portobello, Mozzarella, Tomato, Roasted Pepper on French Bread. We had a choice of Rice, Cajun Fries, Sweet Potato Fries or Potato Salad, and we picked Sweet Potato Fries. The food arrived hot and yummy. Just right for a quick bite in the evening.

We eyed their desserts and they had a Chocolate Fondue for two with either Pastry or Fruits for $13.95. That's a good price for a Fondue for two, specially when the same costs a bomb at Melting Pot. Of course, the ambience is much better at MP, but on a casual day, who cares? So we trotted back for dessert at around 9 pm. There were still people around, enjoying the cool breeze and digging into a dessert or two.

The Fondue was called for and arrived at our table, bubbling and hot. The strawberries and banana taste so good when dipped in melted chocolate.

It was rich and fantastic. We were so stuffed and had to walk up and down the beach to digest it. News Cafe will be fondly remembered as "The place where I had Chocolate Fondue."

Georgetown Liquor Company

I heard about GLC from some collegues at work. They told me that the food there is one of a kind. I had never heard of Georgetown before. So, after a tiring day of tubing at Snoqualmie, we were voraciously hungry and headed to GLC for some scrumptious dinner, hoping that we will not be disappointed, and we were not!

The neighborhood was kind of abandoned on a Saturday night. The restaurant was more like a sports bar and had a very unpretentious decor. A few booths, a few wobbling tables, an old juke box, some video games and a small bar. I had second thoughts about the restaurant, and wondered how the food would be, when I sat on a chair and the table did a little dance. Eventually, we moved to a booth. But I am glad that the food was to die for. They have the best sandwiches on earth and all of them 100% vegetarian.

We ordered the Tycho - Garlic roasted portobello mushroom was juicy; together with the melted mozarella cheese, grilled red onions and roasted tomato aioli toasted on Ciabatta, it was ultimate. It came with soup/salad/chips n salsa. We chose the split pea soup. We also ordered the Wild Mushroom Tamales - Two housemade tamales filled with beer-simmered wild mushrooms, topped with housemade Spanish red sauce and queso fresco, served with Forbidden Rice, and housemade salsa and a house salad. Both the entrees were excellent! It was quite interesting to see a veggie tamale. The forbidden rice was perfectly cooked. And there was salad on the side too.

For the curious foodies, forbidden rice is a type of black rice that turns purple when cooked. And, it may have gotten its name because only emperors in ancient China were allowed to eat it, due to its rarity and high nutritional value.

Anyhoo, they have a lot more interesting entrees and we will go back for more. I love love love Tycho and I love love love GLC!