American

Bob’s B-B-Q

The prices here are easy on the pocketbook–you can order a burger and fries for under $6 and walk away full. But cheap fare aside, the food that comes out of the walk-up kitchen is stick-to-your-ribs good food. The portions are big, the food is fresh and there’s something for everyone. Bob’s will even give you a breakfast better than most restaurants in town. Don’t visit Bob’s for ambience–eat here because you like good food with a semi-Southern flair. Eat here because you’re hungry.

Downtown

The bright and spare cafeteria-like eatery on the ground floor of the Hawai’i State Art Museum is the most necessary addition to the downtown lunch-scape. It promises fresh, locally grown, no-frills fare; and it delivers. Quiches, antipasti and panini are the building blocks for ultra-fresh plate lunches that come served to go in earth-friendly take-out containers that are guaranteed to break down naturally within 80 days. Talk about guilt-free eating–not only are you satisfying your hunger with bright orange-carrot hummus, you’re supporting a movement to save the Earth. Who knew you were so aware?

Duc’s Bistro

The little restaurant on Maunakea Street is as unassuming as it is surprising. Duc himself is the gracious host that greets and seats you. Start with the Kobe beef tartar, a tender mound of pink beef minced with lemon, onions and capers and served with toast and a trio of condiments–diced tomatoes, onions and capers–to spoon onto the build-it-yourself open-faced triangles. The throwback to the simple French preparation is a welcome deviation from the over-the-top treatment we’re used to giving seafood. Classicism is the common thread for the remainder of the menu, where French and Vietnamese dishes co-exist, but don’t commingle. The Vietnamese dishes are clean, fresh and fragrant. The French dishes are hearty and rich, like the seafood Feuillete Joinville, a decadent blend of prawns, scallops and morels tossed in a crawfish sauce and served in a flaky puff pastry.

‘Elua Restaurant and Wine Bar

‘Elua, the Hawaiian word for “two,” is the theme of the culinary collaboration between Donato Loperfido and Philippe Padovani. The two opt for a dual menu in which one part–the part with the French-inspired dishes–belongs to Padovani and the other to Donato, where his Italian heritage is splashed all over the page. Here, the experience is in eating as much as it is in the food itself, which means that you should allow a few hours for a meal. The servers don’t rush the courses–they want you to sit, sip and eat. Slowly. All the comfort and familiarity of gasthaus food, with the delicacy of a French gourmet.

Food for Thought

For the owners and patrons of Food for Thought, being green means more than just organic, local ingredients–it also means handmade, homemade and slow-made. Along with delicious food, this wagon offers 100 percent biodegradable and compostable packaging, made from renewable resources such as corn, potato and sugarcane. The falafel pita wrap is especially satisfying–light and crispy on the outside, steamy and savory on the inside. The Ho Farms cherry tomatoes make several dishes pop with juicy joy and as one patron says, “These sprouts are so good, they make me want to laugh.”

Giovanni Pastrami

With its Peruvian glass tiles, concrete bar and golden-toned banquettes, the place looks more like a modern mid-scale Italian trattoria than a deli, pizza parlor or sports bar. There are a few reasons to visit, the first being its roast brisket and jack cheese grilled sandwich. Giovanni Pastrami takes a bit of a deli detour with a full breakfast menu that is served all day until midnight. The restaurant’s signature crab cake eggs benedict has the potential for a good twist on an old classic. Your best bet is to choose something you can’t get elsewhere–it’ll make it worth the trip to the strip.

Hank’s Haute Dogs

We’re talking good, solid, all-beef franks that are no more harmful than your hoity-toity slices of say, mortadella. The menu is all hot dogs, with a few sides like French fries (bistro-thin and twice-cooked to perfection) and onion rings, made with sweet Maui onions. His classic dog (the Chicago) anchors the menu, and is made with Vienna brand all-beef franks. Gourmet dogs run the gamut from meat-on-meat to no meat at all (”No Dog,” an all-veggie sandwich).

Ige’s 19th Puka Restaurant & Tavern

Although the tavern has a honky-tonk feel with live bands belting out tunes and line dancing diners, the family dining area is filled with all ages and groups. The dinner menu offers four different daily entrees with the choice of two sides. In particular, the saimin deluxe has a taste to die for. The 1940s original broth is taste-fortified with different flavors of pork, kamaboko, mustard greens and shredded cabbage topped with green onions. Good food, good music and a very friendly staff with good service–it’s the place to go to and relax in the ‘ohana spirit.

Keoni By Keo’s

While Keoni serves American and Thai cuisine for lunch and dinner, the true star is its breakfast with egg yolks, fluffy rice, succulent ham and enough vegetarian options to keep the angriest of the granola crowd satisfied. The menu has all the standard local and mainland favorites–loco moco, Denver omelette, pancakes and bacon–as well a few surprises. Offering a rare combination of superior service, good food and reasonable prices with an atmosphere that can’t be beat, Keoni’s knows how to put a smile on any face.

Kiawe Kitchen

Kiawe Kitchen’s menu morphs daily, with Executive Chef Jonah Van Gieson’s signature infusion of improvisational wizardry and experimentation concluding in the gustatory experience of your life. Van Gieson seeks to take Kiawe Kitchen to a “greener” place, as he works intimately with local vendors and the farming community. For fish lovers, the uku, or gray snapper, has resulted in a new special: steamed uku in the Kitchen’s wood-fired oven seared with shallots and leeks, truffle oil, almond basmati rice and spicy macadamia nuts. As Van Gieson says, “It’s a keeper.”

Kona Brewing Company

Stick around for dessert and your faith in beer as an ingredient might be renewed. The desserts–beer-infused offerings such as mango bread pudding with pale ale caramel sauce and Tahitian vanilla bean ice-cream with Black Sand Porter sauce–do a much better job of showcasing the beers and what they can do for food. When it comes to locally made brews, there’s really no competition. Add to those hand-tossed pizzas and there’s all the reason you need to choose Kona Brewing Company over Outback.