Honolulu Weekly

American

Bob’s B-B-Q

1366 Dillingham Blvd. (842-3663). Daily 6am-10pm. Entrees: $2.50-$13.25. MC, V.

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.

– Kawehi Haug (6/6/07)

Downtown

Hawai’i State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St. (536-5900) Mon.-Sat. 11am-2pm. Entrees: $9.50-$14.95. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

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 ultrafresh 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?

–K. H. (8/8/07)

Duc’s Bistro

1188 Maunakea St. (531-6325) Mon.-Sat. 5am-10pm. Entrees: $20-$32.95. AmEx, MC, V.

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 tartare, a tender mound of pink beef minced with lemon, onions and capers served with toast and a trio of condiments 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.

–K. H. (10/3/07)

‘Elua Restaurant and Wine Bar

1341 Kapi’olani Blvd., (955-ELUA) Lunch Mon.-Fri. 11:30am-2pm, Dinner Daily 6pm-10pm. Entrees: $12-$38. AmEx,Disc, MC, V.

‘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.

– K. H. (8/15/07)

Giovanni Pastrami

227. Lewers St., Ste. 118, (923-2100) Daily 7am-Midnight. Entree: From $7.95-$14.95. AmEx,Disc, MC, V.

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.

– K. H. (9/5/07)

Hank’s Haute Dogs

324 Coral Ave., (532-4265) Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun. 11am-5pm. Cash only.

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).

– K. H. (8/22/07)

Kona Brewing Company

7192 Kalaniana’ole Hwy. (394-5662). Mon.-Fri. 11am-11pm, kitchen closes at 9pm, bar closes at 10 pm. Entrees: $13-$19. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

Stick around for dessert and your faith in beer as an ingredient might be renewed. The deserts–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 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 the hand-tossed pizzas and there’s all the reason you need to choose Kona Brewing Company over Outback.

– K. H. (5/16/07)

Cafe & Deli

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli

750 Kailua Rd. (262-DELI) Mon.-Thu. & Sun. 6am-9pm, Sat. & Sun. 6am-10pm. Entrees: $12.95-$14.95. AmEx, MC, V.

Sitting right off of Kailua’s main drag, between KFC and Arby’s, Kalapawai Cafe & Deli is a cute, charming and quaint surprise. Part country cafe, part saloon-style eatery, it’s this island’s equivalent to Maui’s Hali’imaile General Store. The mostly southern-European-inspired flavors can be mixed and matched at whim, and always with rewarding results. The portions are kept in check–you won’t get mountains of food or family-sized platters. The better to have some of everything. Who says you can’t have your steak Ö and fish and pizza and pasta Ö and eat it, too?

– K. H. (5/30/07)

Mix Cafe

35 S. Beretania St. (537-1191) Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm. Entrees: $4.75-$8.90. AmEx, Disc, MC, V.

The bustle and din at Mix Cafe belies its smallness. Six tables for two and one table for six turn the long narrow space into a cafe that, at capacity seats fewer diners than most people here have family members. The full staff–warm, friendly and charming–is always at your beck and call. Order the sandwiches with a side of country salad, potatoes and roasted veggies tossed with oil, vinegar and salt and pepper and you won’t miss the fried starch that we normally pair with our sandwiches. These aren’t your typical New York-style sammies. These are simpler and purer. Bread, meat, cheese and maybe a few veggies. Choose from three housemade sauces: spicy crab, creamy Portobello or sausage. Its breakfast menu is also certainly worth waking up for. The amazing waffles are in good company with Bruno’s signature omelette, a fritatta-like dish that’s chock-full of fresh veggies and the most surprising breakfast sandwiches that threaten to make an addict out of anyone who discovers them.

–K. H. (10/17/07)