Today we are at “Up Country Downtown Cafe” in Kailua-Kona on The Big Island also called The Island of Hawai’i. The place looks great, very green, organic, “crunchy”, with a relaxed feel. We are quite excited to review this cafe because we recently discovered the original Up Country Bakery & Cafe down south in Captain Cook. We love their Baked goods and the organic Bebo coffee which they serve is quite nice. It is definitely one of the better Kona coffees I have tried recently. This location is quite small. It’s 2/3 filled with 14 people and starting to feel a little crowded. We look forward to them expanding with more seating. This place is hopping. Great upbeat techno music. I love it.

Leise ordered for us. For me she ordered the veggie omelet with mozzarella cheese and the Bagel egg sandwich for herself.

The food arrives. First off, the thick cut potatoes are great. The veggie omelet is delicious!!! It tastes very fresh and very satiating. The veggies include spinach, tomatoes, sweet red onions, and sweet yellow and orange bell peppers. I love their hand written chalk sign which states “We PROUDLY support organic and local farmers.” The only thing I would add to this meal is the availability of sea salt. To add a little of any processed salt would be sacrilegious. The bread is a honey wheat nut bread which is divine. The music is now a slower, funky, jazzy, cafe groove. Yeaaaaaaah.

Leise loved her breakfast egg bagel. It had a wonderful garlic spread with Canadian bacon, scrambled eggs and avocado. I try a bite of Leise’s open face bagel. The garlic explodes in your mouth from the very first bite and is working its way up the back of my throat, invigorating my nasal passages. What a neat experience. I might order this next time.

We shared a Witches’ Brew fresh fruit smoothie. It was a delicious blend of strawberry, banana, apple juice, & spirulina. OMG this is so good. I am ordering an iced coffee to go.

This great restaurant has an eclectic draw. Old tanned couples, young couples holding hands, a group of elder women, and every Asia-Pacific lineage you can find are all here enjoying the vibe. “Good grinds and a good groove.” This is the place. Congratulations to the owners and creators of this cafe experience. You got it right.

For ambience I give “Up Country Downtown Cafe” 4 out of 5 surfboards. For food quality I give 5 out of 5 surfboards. For service I give 5 out of 5 surfboards. Overall I give it a 5 surfboards.

Mahalo,

James Christopher

ThruJimsEyes.com

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/ThruJimsEyes

Today we are at Pine Tree Cafe on the corner of Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and Hulikoa Drive Road at the north end of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. We have heard great things about this joint from the locals. Upon walking in the door the smells hitting us are wonderful, like better quality and freshly prepared ingredients. Somedays that is a big plus. The time is just before 11am and this place is very busy with an eclectic rainbow of people. Having a cross cultural draw is usually a good sign. This joint has a good vibe.

We ordered the hot pastrami sandwich and the Reuben sandwich. With a tossed salad and tuna macaroni salad. Both came with thick french fries. The wait seems long, but it is lunch time so we expect this. At first bite the fries are good. The Mac salad is uninspired. The pastrami sandwich is good, but not amazing. The reuben sandwich is WOW!!!  I offer to trade my pastrami for Leise’s Reuben. She laughs and says, “No way.” The Reuben still had good fat on the meat. This just made the flavor superb as the sandwich melts in your mouth. As I settle into my pastrami I notice the subtleties of the sautéed onions and mushrooms. I am intent on enjoying my sandwich and try to forget the Rueben.

With the somewhat loud pop music and the reflecting room acoustics, the ambience has a high school cafeteria feel but the vibe is different from Genki Sushi and thus it’s tolerable. For ambience I give Pine Tree Cafe 2.5 out of 5 surfboards. For food quality I give 3.5 out of 5 surfboards. For service I give 4 out of 5 surfboards. Overall I give it a 3 surfboards. The best things this place has going for it is the convenience and the reputation among the locals. Because the Reuben was so fantastic we will be back.

Mahalo,  James Christopher

ThruJimsEyes.com

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/ThruJimsEyes

The Rueben (first photo)