808 Bistro

I Great breakfast spot with a relaxed atmosphere and really tasty food.

I ordered the crab cake benedict, my fella opted for the original benedict and we shared a slice of the banana nut bread french toast. I'm not the biggest fan of banana nut bread but this was a nice dish and not overly sweet. The crab cake benedict was great. It had a spicy kick and the hollandaise wasn't overly rich or runny. 

It is BYOB, so if you're craving mimosas with breakfast, that's an option. The servers were friendly and personable and generous with the refills.

Items sampled: crab cake benedict, eggs  benedict, banana nut bread french toast

Location: 2511 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753

Gazebo Restaurant

This is a great little restaurant with a view to die for. When walking up there was a short line, which was only about a 10 minute wait. The line got crazy after we arrived, so we were lucky to get there at the perfect time. 

We finally for a seat and enjoyed the beautiful ocean view while we decided what we wanted for breakfast. 

My fella and I decided to share the fried rice omelette and a combination pancake with bananas, macademia nuts and coconut. The pancakes were fluffy and very tasty. The fried ride was solid. Not the best fried rice I've ever had, but everything tastes better with an amazing view like that. Portions were extremely generous and even with a small order of pancakes and a half order of the fried rice, we had a lot leftover to take back to the hotel with us.

The service was friendly and attentive, making our meal all the more enjoyable. Definitely worth the trek. They even have umbrellas for those waiting in the sunny line for a table. 

Location: 5315 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761

Items sampled: fried rice omelette and combination pancakes

Lyfe Kitchen

I had read and heard many mixed reviews about Lyfe Kitchen, but I came to try them for myself.

The restaurant is modern and clean. I enjoy the entire concept of this restaurant. Healthy food, that is more incentive and tasty than other restaurants of its kind in town. 

My friends and I were able to sample a good amount of items and enjoyed just about every item we ordered. 

The food was fresh and I, for one, found everything to be delicious and that was the consensus around the table. I was entirely impressed that they were able to showcase all the flavors of the food and still keep the calories down. My friend raved about the buffalo chicken, and even put in a second order because it was so good.

My chia and cucumber drink was really great and I look forward to coming back and trying the assortment of all the different smoothies and drinks they have available.

They have several menus catering to different dietary needs and programs, which is helpful. I look forward to coming back soon.

Items sampled: Brussel sprouts with butternut squash, barramundi noodle bowl

Location: 140 S Green Valley Pkwy, Ste 142, Henderson, NV 89012

Ka'ana Kitchen

A celebration deserves a great restaurant. When we were in Maui, I was given a list of possible places for our meal and I wasn't really feeling any of them. Ka'ana Kitchen was on this list and although the food looked great in all the pictures, I wasn't sure what to expect. 

I gave in and decided to give this place a go and couldn't be happier that I did. 

Our planner made reservations and although we arrived a little early, we were seated immediately at a beautiful outdoor table overlooking their bar and the water. It was a beautiful view and the restaurant was gorgeous as well. 

Our servers were all so attentive and helpful with their suggestions. We ordered several dishes to share and were absolutely thrilled with all our selections.

We started with the octopus and pork belly which were both delicious in their own right. The pork belly was sweet and spicy with a great kick to it. The octopus was perfectly cooked and the goat cheese really complemented the Flavors in the dish. 

Next we shared the abalone risotto and snapper. The fish was cooked so well and it was a very subtle, yet well-executed dish. The abalone risotto was the star of the show. Creamy, cheesy and extremely decadent.

We favored every item we ordered and finished with a chocolate dessert that was probably the only part of the meal that I didn't love, but it did not put a damper on our meal, it just wasn't a stand out. 

Everything was very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity of the food and drink we received. I was tempted to come here twice while we were on Maui, but decided against repeats. I would definitely come back the next time I visit and recommend it to anyone who was planning a trip.

Location: 3550 Wailea Alanui Dr, Kihei, HI 96753

Items sampled: octopus, pork belly snapper, abalone risotto 

Joe's Italian Ice

I've had Joe's on my radar for a few years and I finally made the time to stop by during our recent visit to Disneyland. 

I ordered the sour blue raspberry and my fella ordered a gelati. Mine was intensively sour, just the way I like it and despite its bright blue color that dyed my entire mouth blue, it had a very natural flavor. The gelati was smooth and creamy. Just the way I like it.

They have a cute little outdoor area to enjoy their creations, but they also have a little indoor area, which is where we ended up so we could escape the heat and enjoy the air conditioning. 

I'll be back next time I'm in the area!

Location: 12302 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840

Items sampled: blue raspberry Italian ice, galati

Monkeypod by Merriman

In the mood for happy hour, we headed to Monkeypod on a drizzly weekday afternoon.

The restaurant is located on the second floor in a strip mall. They were busy, but they were able to seat us quickly with a good view of the TV that was airing the game. 

The happy hour consist of 50% any of the non-seafood appetizers and discounts on most of their cocktails, beers and wines. We weren't in the mood to drink, but we decided to share two pizzas. We got the truffle mushroom pizza and the Maui gold, which was kalua pork and pineapple. 

The pizzas were very basic and a little on the soggier side. Flavors were ok, but I preferred the truffle mushroom over the Maui gold since it was more savory. 

Service was standard, albeit slow because of how busy the restaurant was. There wasn't much that stood out about Monkeypod, so I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to give them a try.

Location: 10 Wailea Gateway Pl, Ste B-201, Kihei, HI 96753

Items sampled: Maui Gold and Truffle Mushroom Pizzas.

Spaghetty Western

Any time I meet my OG for dinner it's always great fun, even better when he's treating me to celebrate my birthday! We were debating where to eat and he randomly mentioned spaghetti western in another context not realizing it was the name of a restaurant in town. We took that as a sign from the food gods that it was time for pasta.

The restaurant is very small, good for takeout and they have a very small dining room where we took a seat and perused the menu. I ordered the pappardelle and my friend ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. 

The pasta was perfectly cooked and al dente. The flavors were balanced and I enjoyed every bite of my dish. We both scraped our plates clean.

If Spaghetty Western was anywhere near where I live I would be there regularly. Despite the distance, I will be back!

Location: 10690 Southern Highlands Pkwy, Ste 103, Las Vegas, NV 89141

Items sampled: pappardelle with speck, peas and tomatoes and the spaghetti and meatballs.