House Without A Key

Girls night! The House Without a Key. From the name of this restaurant I assume that the feeling I am gonna get when I walk in the door will be very welcoming. Well, it almost was. Let me explain. We had a party of 18 and 6 of them were going to be late. We had a feeling that they may not be able to get our entire party together, but the hostesses got really hot and bothered about it, and we didn't even complain. My advice to you, hostesses, is to take a deep breath, smile and politely say, "I will do my best to get everyone in your party together, but if for any reason in the next hour every seat in this restaurant is taken, I apologize in advance." Why make us feel bad? We have brought 18 people and are gonna all spend money! Thank goodness our waiter Guy understood. Besides Guy, the music and the view were the most welcoming parts of House Without a Key. He immediately let us know that he would help us out. He was fantastic, adding tables and chairs as we went along, and he separated all the checks perfectly. Everybody ordered at different times, and Guy still handled it very well!The food was definitely good. The only complaint was that the Bride-to-Be's Caesar salad was dry, but mine was great, so, just a little inconsistency. I would go back just for another piece of coconut cake. The coconut prawns and chicken entree I tried were also delicious. There were quite  a few items on the menu that I would like to try if I go back to Waikiki. Their isn't a menu online and I can't think of the names of them. I guess I'll have to take better notes next time :0) Aw well, I was on vacation !!

House Without a Key this is my advice to you:

1. Talk to your hostesses, make it the welcoming first impression your restaurant title deserves.
2. Keep Guy. He's great with larger parties. He's definitely a multi-tasker.
3. The nightly music, hula dancers, the amazing view and the menu are all reasons to come back. Thank you!

http://www.halekulani.com/dining/house_without_a_key

Mountainside

Mountainside is my neighborhood restaurant and I frequent there often. In fact, all of my friends and family know about Mountainside. They have either already been there, or can't wait to go. If I mention Mountainside to either my sister Kristin from Texas, or my good friend Addie from California, they both would say, "MM MM Cheesy Barrels." So let's start there.

The cheesy barrels are a must. They are potatoes and cheese fried up into bites. The best, but I haven't had anything on the menu that I don't like, so try it all! From breakfast to late night munchies, Mountainside is always on my mind.
For breakfast you can get all the usuals: omelets, pancakes, eggs any style, hash browns (and not potato fries actual hash browns), etc. etc., but what I like most is the coffee. :) It comes in what I would think is a hot chocolate mug, short and stout, you wanna double hand it up to your mouth, let the steam warm your face and let it be the best part of wakin up. The lunch and dinner menu can satisfy any taste bud from enchiladas, great salads, traditional burgers and everything in between, like wings, wraps, pasta and pizza. My husband loves the Colossal Corn Dog with Sriracha ketchup and always orders the cheesy barrels instead of fries.

When it comes to attention to detail, Mountainside gets a check, because of the variety of places to enjoy a meal. You can either sit at the bar, enjoy the smoke-free dining, or impress visitors with an unobstructed view of the strip dining on the patio. They have big screen TVs, comfy booths, and fireplaces to make you cozy and comfortable.

As far as customer service it is always usually great. There is one lady that has been working there for at least 3 years, and I can't remember her name, but she is either hit or miss. She can either be the nicest person, or she can be a total "Bleep!" There is a certain bartender that always remembers my husband and I when we come in, which makes us feel at home.

Bottom line is, Mountainside is "the Bomb!" and if you find yourself looking at your other-half asking the dreaded question, "What do you feel like for dinner tonight?" Just stop there and go to Mountainside, because unless you get Blondy I mentioned earlier on a bad day, your gonna leave full and happy!

Three checks!!! And check out my Favorite's section.... Yes, it's there! Ya gotta go.

Morimoto's Waikiki

I had high expectations for what I believed was a once in a lifetime experience to eat at one of Masaharu Morimotos' restaurants. My husband and I made the reservations for an outside table in advance expecting a busy Saturday night. I gloated about it to all of our family and friends up until we walked the short distance from the Ilikai condos to our awaited evening. Just in case you don't know who Masaharu Morimoto is, he is an Iron Chef on Iron Chef America on the Food Network. He actually came over to be on Iron Chef America from the original Iron Chef. I've been watching the Food Network since I was a teenager, and owe part of my knowledge and passion for food to the network. As we walked up to the hostesses bar to announce our reservation I was full of giddiness and excitement. Unfortonately, it all went down from there.

In the restaurant business, "First impressions are everything!" We didn't receive a lot of smiles or eye contact. The hostess at the computer told us, "We don't have anything right now, but your more than willing to wait, but it could be awhile." "You could sit at the bar, or take an inside table." Even with a reservation I don't mind waiting a mere 5 to 10 minutes, but to tell us that we have a reservation but it may not work out, to me, is silly and defeats the purpose of a reservation! We waited. We were taken out to be seated at a table outside near the exit where a family of 8 had there arms outstretched along an L shaped couch. Their arms literally dangled over the table we would have sat at. We politely declined and waited for a better table. Once we did get seated our service was less than satisfactory. 

We specifically dined at the restaurant for sushi and after explaining to the waiter to bring it out in sections so we weren't eating it all at once, we were served all of the 5-6 different sushi combinations we ordered. We never got asked if we wanted more drinks. The sushi was very fresh, but it was hard to enjoy because we already felt so discouraged. I hate to feel judged when I go to a nice restaurant. I would hate to think that Morimito's labeled my husband and I as "young adults without much money" or "not that important." It sure felt exactly like that. We were so bummed out we didn't want dessert. We waited 20 minutes for the check, and another 10 for him to run the card. We thought about talking to management, but were so sick to our stomachs we left with our heads down.

I had to recount this experience to all the friends and family I gloated to. That was the worse part, reliving it.

Morimoto's this is my advice to you:

1. Your owner and head chef is world renowned and the food reflects that, but your service needs to be parallel with this expectation. The service was pathetic and drastically needs improvement.
2. Don't take reservations unless you commit to keeping them for your guests.
3. Don't judge people, and always make a positive impression. If we had gotten the right service we easily would have trippled our bill. 
4. The bartenders were great, informative and passionate about the job. No problems with them.

Good Food, Crappy Service, Attention to Detail in your food and presentation, but overlooks Customer Service.

morimotowaikiki.com

KOA Pancake House

On the outside of the KOA Pancake House it reads, "Best Breakfast in Hawaii," so I thought, "ok, I gotta go!" It was 6:30 am in the morning and we had just arrived off of the red eye flight  into Honolulu, HI. On a side note, if you ever have the opportunity to fly an airbus plane, take it, its like the Cadillac of airplanes! Back to breakfast. 

Restaurant was clean, employees were friendly and the food was really good. It was the best breakfast I had in my 5 day stay in Hawaii. I got some insight too on what to expect on most menus on the island... rice! They have rice as a menu side for almost everything, and soy sauce on most tables you sit at. I stuck to the basics, a veggie omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese with a side of wheat toast. It was delicious, fresh and it wasn't made with too much cheese or butter. 

I eat at home a lot and am always watching my butter, salt, fat, etc etc intake :) My stomach does not tolerate overly greasy or frozen to fried food very well, especially at breakfast. KOA Pancake House settled in my tummy with ease and gave me the energy I needed for a day at the Arizona Memorial and the Dole Plantation. So far, I can't wait to visit more restaurants in Hawaii.

KOA Pancake house gets 3 checks from me! Good food, good service, and good attention to detail. 

http://www.koapancakehouse.com

Anna Miller's

After site seeing around the island, we decided to eat again :) Most of our group hadn't had breakfast so we stopped by Anna Miller's restaurant which serves breakfast 24 hours a day, and is located just a few miles from Pearl Harbor. The restaurant reminded me of a Marie Callendar's, because they had tons of homemade pies to drool over when you first walked in and a homey cafe feel that rings "comfort food".  Plus, you know it's got a local feel when you have Spam and eggs on the menu!  Everyone at the table ordered something different, and my husband and I got lunch instead of breakfast. My girlfriend Kelsie was the only person that didn't dive into her food so I could get a picture. Thanks Kels! It looks delicious. My husband and I shared a chicken sandwich which was really good, and the rest of the table had no complaints about their eggs benidicts, omelets, and pancakes.

Three checks! Decent service, good food, attention to detail!


http://www.annamillersrestaurant.com/

StAcK

My family and I celebrated my brother's wedding reception at Stack last night in the Mirage Hotel and Casino, and boy do I feel like the luckiest gal in town. Usually my dinner reservations are limited to restaurants that when you order an entree it comes with all the fixins, if you know what I mean. On this special night, thank you Dad ;o), we didn't worry about prices and enjoyed favorites from each section of the menu.

Our party of ten was large, but with 3 servers (Thank you Yolee, Trevor and Sven) and a busser we didn't have to wait long for trays of appetizers to arrive including; Lobster Tacos, Buffalo Style wings, Ahi Tuna Tar tare, and thinly sliced sirloin cooked at the table on a Hot Rock. I could have eaten a dozen orders of the Lobster Tacos!! The sirloin hot rock was fun and mouthwatering, and I rarely eat red meat. I crave Buffalo wings at least once a month, and if it were realistic I would only get them from Stack. Our waiter was also kind enough to share gluten free information about the appetizers since my Mom is allergic to wheat. Lucky for her, she could eat almost all of them.

My mom sister and I each ordered a different martini. Stack pours their cocktails to the top, Genius!, and garnishes them well. I especially liked mine. It had a cinnamon rim. :0) Perfect balance of ingredients and a lick your lips finish after every sip.

Everyone ordered something different for dinner, and we passed around our entrees family style. From the Kobe stacked burger to the Sea Bass, forks passed and our eyes rolled in the back of our heads in complete satisfaction. We ate as much as we could, and finished the meal with cups of coffee and Jelly Doughnut "munchkin" Holes. Need I say more?

Overall my 5 star experience at Stack was a definite Home Run. Other restaurants, from small franchises to mom and pops should take some notes from the staff and creators behind Stack, because they are 3 for 3. Great Food, Great Staff, and Lots Attention to Detail!! 

Stack this is my advice for you:

1. I only have one complaint, and its more of a suggestion. On the menu please clarify that the chicken is bone in ;o)

2.  Stack up on more locations and put one a half a mile away so I can walk there and back to burn all the calories I consume, and create the best budget friendly Happy Hour menu in town so I can come at least once a week!

Stack is 3/3 Great Food, Great Staff,  and Lots Attention to Detail!!!

Photography by Maria Randolph  http://web.me.com/mariarandolph/Photo_Me_Photography/Welcome.html 

Boardhouse Sandwiches

Mmmmm. Sandwiches. I've been to Boardhouse plenty of times in the last couple of years. When they first opened, their service was spot on, the sandwiches excellent, and it was very clean. My husband and I came by yesterday and I brought my friend from out of town along with us. 


Every menu item I have tried is delicious. The bread is soft, the portions are spot on, and all the sandwiches taste fresh. By the way, thank you for serving brown gravy with the Woody. It's what Capriotti's leftover Thanksgiving sandwich, the Bobby, is missing. My girlfriend and I ordered the Chicken Bruschetta. Nom nom nom! It's A-Mazing! 


My complaints here are small, an improvement in service and my favorite, attention to detail :0) So, Boardhouse, here is my advice to you:

1. The staff has definately lost their over the top good attitude that I had once experienced.
2. The table we sat at was dirty and the salt and pepper shakers looked like they hadn't been wiped down in ages.
3. Keep the Dirty brand chips.
4. The salad needs a little love. Some more thought like carved chicken breast instead of cubed, and croutons!
5. Continue the punch cards!

If anyone would like to visit boardhouse check Groupon sometimes they have a deal!


http://boardhouse.com/