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.