Kauai Pasta @ Lihue

What a find! Our last dinner in Kauai was at this cozy little Italian restaurant in Lihue. They have another location in Kapaa but this was closer to where we stayed. This somewhat smallish place is usually packed for dinner. Tourists, you see? And locals as well. The dark, warm, cozy interior is typical of any gourmet Italian restaurant.The food was great and at the same time not too spendy.

For starters we got the Garlic Buttered Grilled Sweet Corn - with garlic aioli, parmesan and crushed chiles. The corn was very juicy and grilled to perfection. The flavor was out of this world. It was quite filling too.

Grilled Corn @ Kauai Pasta

We got a side of the Kalani Farm Field Greens - Kauai fresh farm tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and balsamic vinaigrette. Fresh, nutty and crunchy!




Salad Greens @ Kauai Pasta

Pesto Pasta was called for. Fettucini tossed in Kauai basil & Italian parsley,  blended with macadamia nut, Parmesan and Olive oil. I twirled my fork through the pasta, took a bite and instantly knew I was in an authentic Italian restaurant where they take food seriously.

Pesto Pasta @ Kauai Pasta

Most of the pastas can be made vegetarian. The waiter was friendly and catered to our needs promptly. He offered to split the pasta for us into two plates and the picture above is just one of the plates. That shows the portions are big!

On the whole, Kauai Pasta is a great little authentic Italian restaurant on the Island. It is a must-try if you are craving Italian!

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!

New York Street Food Scene

Aloo Puri Cart @ 39th st & Avenue of the Americas

An Indian family travels all the way from NJ everyday and sets up this cart at 39th st & Avenue of the Americas. They are open Mon - Fri 9am to 5 pm. They serve indian veg and non-veg platters for $6 /$7. My favorite is their Aloo Puri. The lady rolls out the puri stuffed with daal and fries it upon order. It comes with a side of two subzis (veggies) - aloo (potato) gravy and channa (garbanzo beans) masala and a lahsun (garlic) chutney. At 2 for $3 or 4 for $5, it is dirt cheap! The puris are fresh, hot, fluffy and delicious. The gravies were okay, could be better. The chutney was fantastic and was more than enough to eat with!

Somewhere near the ferry terminal to Staten Island we came across this Falafel Biryani cart! Made a perfect spicy lunch on the go!

And a mobile Frozen Yogurt truck! Only in NYC you get to see all you that wish existed, I tell you.

In Little Italy there was this Cannoli cart that had a wide variety of fillings in the holy cannolis! We tried the Pistachio. Yummy!!

Traveler's Thali House @ Seattle

Sometimes it's Bastoncini Noisette.....other times it is a nice big Thali laden with ramekins containing various colorful, delectable dishes to feel all's well with the world. Thali is very popular in the Indian subcontinent and the contents vary from region to region. The most popular is the unlimited Rajasthani Thali at Rajadhani.

When words reached my ears about this Vegetarian Thali place atop Beacon Hill, a trip to the south side of the town was mandatory. We trekked up the hill to the purple house that houses the restaurant only to see it closed. It's noon, isn't it? Darn! The wait staff was courteous in letting us in while the kitchen was still being set up. The floor had food strewn hither tither. The table was worthy of a wipe. The high chair was dirty. Obviously, they had just opened and were yet to clean the place. I wanted to make an about turn and head out. The wait staff was cool about the mess and cleared it all as though it was a no biggie.

Okay, to the food.

We ordered a Deluxe Thali ($20). They have Thalis in different sizes. The contents are a pre-fixe, though. The Thali menu changes once a month. With the Deluxe comes a Soda / Chai. A ordered Soda. Water was all I wanted, but again, the waiter brought me a complimentary Chai to cheer me up. May be he knew I was a little grumpy with the messy surroundings.

While we waited for the food, we looked around. It was a bright day and they were laying tables out on the lawn. One side of the cafe was for selling tea bags, basmati rice, incense sticks, cook books et al. Somehow, the place screamed Dalai Lama. All I needed was my yoga mat and a "Om Om" music in the background to get me started with my meditation. We decided to pacify the rumbling stomach with a plate of Samosa. Served with a mint chutney and a sweet chutney, they were uber delicious.

The Thali catwalked to the table at about the same time. With it came papad and roti / naan.

While the contents of the Thali were fantastic, the roti / naan wasn't very fresh. For one, they are not made in house. They are frozen and heated up upon order. So, it kinda lacks the fresh Tandoor taste. The aloo gobi, malai kofta and daal were out of this world. Very homey food. The kind that will never bother your stomach how much ever you eat! Here's a picture of the menu that describes the Thali -

Then came the dessert - Saffron Kheer and a couple of milk sweets.

Oh, did I mention that it is an all vegetarian place? If you are in the area, this is a must - try! Just for the amazing Thali!

Harissa Mediterranean Cuisine in Seattle

Harissa is a warm, vegetarian friendly, inviting restaurant in a small neighborhood, serving Lebanese food at its best. With excellent service and amazing food, this is a show stopper! There is a nice little bar as you enter and a quaint dining space with table linens, potted plants, et al.

It happened to be a bright and sunny day and we were escorted by the man in black to the beautiful patio. The clear blue skies above us, the wooden decor of the patio and the Arabic music playing in the background transported us to the Mediterranean land.

Walid brought us menus and water. Not a huge menu, but they have interesting options like Stews, and Lebanese Tomato Salsa .We asked for Walid's Combination plate - A generous portion of the four most delicious appetizers of Harissa; Hummus, Eggplant Salad, Labneh and Walid’s Tomato Salad.

Walid's Combination Plate

The Eggplant Salad was off the charts. It was more chunkier than Baba Ganouj and paired well with the rustic pita bread. The pita bread was soft at the right places and crisp at the edges, very similar to the tandoori naan.The hummus was a little grainy as opposed to the creamy ones I have had at other restaurants. Lots of garlic in everything. The labneh was so creamy that my eleven month old smacked her lips and asked for more! I mean, who can resist herbed cream cheese? Walid's tomato salad was like a Lebanese Salsa with crunchy walnuts. The plate was polished off in no time. The pita was a little inadequate, though. For the price, it would be nice to have the pitas coming. Just because they were so nice.

Next was the Spanakopita - Oven baked fillo dough stuffed with fresh spinach, chopped onions and feta cheese served with tzatziki sauce.

Spanakopita @ Harissa Mediterranean Cuisine

It came with a very flavorful Lebanese Pilaf and Fatoush (Lebanese Salad) on the side. The entire plate was topped with garlic sauce. I must make a note to ask for more garlic sauce on the side the next time. It was fantastic. The salad was fresh, the rice was flavorful, tzatziki sauce was cool and refreshing and the spanakopita was out of this world. I wish they had a buffet lunch on weekends; I could then devour endless Spanakopitas.

It is a little pricey but the food justifies the cost.We were so stuffed we couldn't order desserts We are so going back to try their Stews. And the Spanakopita! I highly recommend this place to other Mediterranean food lovers like me. And hey, this place is very kid friendly. So is Walid :)

Lombardi's Pizza @ New York City

One cannot go to NYC and not eat the famous NY style Pizza at the hundred year old America's First Pizzeria. No kidding, Lombardi's was established in 1905 and is the First Pizzeria in the whole freaking country! It has been the best Pizzeria in the US for more than hundred years now!

The restaurant looked small from outside, but when we ventured in it was quite roomy. There were two floors and we were escorted to the basement floor. Of course we had to wait for half hour before we were seated. Long, long lines. The tables were packed so close to one another like blueberries in a plastic carton. Naturally, no high chair here either. We were used to it by now. Baby on lap was the only way to eat at this ancient Pizzeria. But that didn't stop us.

They only make two Pizzas. The White Pizza - Mozzarella, Ricotta, Romana cheese and oregano, basil, black pepper and garlic infused oil. and the Original Pizza - Fresh mozzarella, san marzano tomato sauce and topped with romano and fresh basil. One can add any number of toppings for $3.00 each. We ordered a half and half of the White Pizza and the Original Pizza.

 

The Pizza came out in a snap and at the same time it wasn't too hot to burn my tongue. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful in both the Pizzas. The crust was neither too thin nor too thick, the typical chewy NY style. The Original Pizza was more lighter than the White Pizza. The ricotta cheese was a little too heavy for me. While the Pizza was great, it was not outstanding. I mean, we could get this in other cities too. But of course, this is the first Pizzeria in the US. So the credit goes to them!

 

Szechuan Gourmet @ New York City

Ooh la la! Hot hot hot!! On our last day in NYC we were looking for some place near our hotel for a quick lunch and thus ended up at Szechuan Gourmet. The food is as lip numbing, spicy and greasy as Szechuan food should be and we thoroughly enjoyed indulging in the above mentioned threesome.

A nice casual lunch spot in Midtown Manhanttan, that's always bustling with people, mostly Asians! That's a good sign, what? The waiter could speak good English and we had no trouble in communicating our vegetarian, no meat instructions. The decor is plain. Well, I was looking for a quick lunch and didn't care too much about the decor.

For starters we got the Steamed Vegetable Dumplings. Very tasty!

Steamed vegetable dumplings @ Szechuan Gourmet

Spicy spring bamboo shoots - Whoa! Watch out for this one. Very spicy. Very very spicy. It is eaten cold like a salad. The seasame oil, ginger, soy sauce and other spices impart such great flavor.

The Dan Dan noodle was not listed on the menu. But all the reviewers on yelp recommended trying it. We asked the waiter if they have Dan Dan Noodle and he said "Of course and it is vegetarian!" A bowl of hot steaming noodles in a spicy broth was brought over right away! I could have one bowl now.

Dan Dan Noodle @ Szechuan Gourmet

For the main course we got the Veggie trio in spicy garlic sauce - String beans, asparagus and eggplant tossed in spicy garlic sauce. Ordered a rice on the side and dug into the greasy goodness.

Veggie tripo in spicy garlic sauce @ Szechuan Gourmet

Everything we ordered was fantastic and there are tons of vegetarian options to choose from. The ones with a delicate stomach are better off requesting a milder spice level. The service was quick and efficient. If you are craving Szechuan food, this is the place to go to!