tulips500 "i'm chubbie"

this is our go-to tapas place. decently priced tapas that are quite tasty. the white sangria is always a winner— very refreshing, and the dishes come out fast. be careful about going during fri/sat nite when it can get crowded – wait times can easily run 1-2 hrs.

i came here for the first time for an early dinner, to catch the oceanviews and sunset over the weekend after spending the day at the getty villa. the restaurant is enormous and sits right on the shore, giving excellent views of the Pacific. having dined at a handful of places in oahu, the atmosphere at duke’s is very much remniscent of hawaii. the parking is mandatory valet ($4).

Duke’s has 2 parts — a festive Barefoot bar area and a quieter, larger sit-down dining area. We sat in the dining area, in one of their cushy booths facing the ocean. Our server was casual, brisk yet professional. Our dishes came out similarly lickety quick…which raised an eyebrow or two about freshness, but overall, wasn’t terrible but nothing to write home about. The portion sizes are large and I definitely made 2 meals out of my fish plate although my husband finished his rib plate without problem. If you’re looking for a light, healthy dinner, this isn’t the place to go. I don’t think I would come back for dinner just because the food quality is mediocre given the prices, but I would like to come back to try brunch and enjoy a tropical drink or two with the relaxing oceanviews.

i’ve walked down san vicente many times on my way to the Farmers Market, but never took note of this unassuming restaurant.

it’s a small, charming restaurant offering a cozy casual elegant dining experience. you’ll find chic italian food momentos everywhere you look, from the italian pasta boxes lining the shelves to the large vino bottles adorning the counters, and the modest bakery-style window display enticing you with sweet italian desserts. pizzicotto feels about as homey italian as you can get, almost akin to a trattoria but a touch upscale. the dim lighting also helps.

the relaxed ambiance combined with the authentic, myriad dish options and friendly, professional service make pizzicotto a definite italian gem.

i’ve been to sor tino down the street, and i prefer pizzicotto. the dishes are tastier, the service is friendlier, and the ambiance is more warming.

dish prices run the gamut, average being about $15.

will definitely be returning again.

i stopped by for the 1st time on a sunday evening after dinner, and the place was packed. (the line was even longer when i left.) the prices are hefty for their beautifully presented and deftly baked desserts. there’s a nice covered outdoor patio (w/heat lamps) and a pleasant cafe interior for couples or large groups. you order at the counter and receive a number, then someone brings you your desserts.

the desserts were delicious, not too sweet or heavy…it’s just the prices that are a mild deterrent.

they only offer 2 frozen yogurt flavors, but the ‘yogurt’ taste is strong and quite refreshing & delicious as it’s real yogurt. it’s not like other frozen yogurts that just taste sweet and sugary. i think i actually prefer red mango over golden spoon (and i’m a huge golden spoon fan). it’s a small store w/a couple booths and seats inside (very trendy), and a small patio outside.

so it’s a total tourist trap, but i have to say lounging at the beach bar isn’t a bad way to spend your evenings if you’re looking to relax and sip tropical drinks. sitting right on the sand, you have the beautiful moanasurfrider hotel on one side and waikiki beach on the other. i enjoyed being here so much that i came back multiple times at night during my short vacation to oahu. they also have a live band play hawaiian music and other audience requests. the food & drinks are expensive, but you don’t really come here for that.

we arrived on a late night flight into honolulu and not being too familiar with the area, asked around what would be open near our hotel. we were starving and wailana coffee house was just a 5 min walk away.

when i first stepped inside, i felt like i was 10 years old again…visiting hawaii for the first time back in the late 1980s, what with all the wood panelling and gold trim, the once cushy now worn down booths, and the colorful faded flower print carpeting everywhere. it was actually a little nostalgic. like any other diner though, the saturation of grease in the air was at maximum potential and we were eager to scarf down some good hawaiian diner chow.

the menu is what you might expect from a diner kind of place (extensive variety) with affordable prices and the service to match (less than friendly let’s say). the food is mediocre at best, and i’d almost say you might enjoy a meal at IHOP’s or Denny’s more, but where else can you order a side of Spam or Hawaiian fast food staple like the loco moco at 3am in the morning?

somewhat tucked away right off the 5 freeway, this japanese fusion restaurant offered a nice variety of your standard rolls as well as their ‘specialty’, fun rolls (in addition to other fusion dishes, which i didn’t pay too much attention to). i came here w/my family for a friday night dinner, and had an overall great time. the service was friendly and accommodating, the ambiance relaxed, but still flashy enough to make it comfortable and/or intimate. it’s a 3-story building w/a theme for each floor— don’t forget to check out turtle pond on the 1st floor!

this is a no-frills pizza parlor tucked in the Vons plaza. drawn by its ‘voted best pizza’ in mammoth lakes, we gave the place a try for dinner one night after hitting the slopes. we ordered multiple pizzas, which were good all-around— nothing flashy or amazing, but just solid. service was friendly, but takeout/delivery is probably the way to go as ambiance seemed to be less than enticing.

the variety at yummy cupcakes is huge. the numerous flavors of the cupcakes themselves as well as the different toppings combos possible overwhelmed me when i first walked in. the cupcakes are good hefty size for the $3 bucks you end up spending (i guess that’s the going rate for most upscale cupcakes), and i have to agree w/wabbie that the cupcakes are super sweet. tasty, but very sweet. my teeth hurt afterwards.