I recently enjoyed the food and ambience of Lava Lava Beach Club Restaurant on the sands of Anaeho’omalu Bay in beautiful Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii. My wife and I arrived at sunset, which is the absolute best time to be here. The ambience and scenery is amazing. For those who desire a reservation there is seating near the bar. I prefer to be center stage and have the best seat in the house regardless of where I am. So we chose to sit at the chairs and tables on the sand. There is no waiting in this section. You just grab any available seats. If there is nothing available then you make new friends as you ask to join people who have some empty chairs.

This was our second time here and we wanted to see how the food compared with the previous time. I ordered the Kalua Pork Nachos. My wife ordered the Waygu Beef Hamburger. The first time we had eaten there my nachos were fantastic and my wife’s medium rare burger came out well done. I loved the ambience so much, because it is truly spectacular and we really wanted this place to be great. This time the pork was a bit too salty in the nachos but my wife’s burger was great. She ordered it rare… still bleeding rare. It came to the table medium rare. Just the way she likes it.

I have heard other people comment that their food experience was not the best. This still surprises us all, because Lava Lava is owned by the same people who own Huggo’s  in Kona, just 26 miles south. That too has a spectacular location and their food is always great. We hope they get the food here sorted out soon, because we love this location. We will try it again and hope it’s not the last time. I give Lava Lava Beach Club Restaurant a 5 star rating for ambience, but a 3 star rating for the food and average rating if 3.5 stars.

Aloha,  James Christopher

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I am about to try my first bite of pizza from the restaurant Pau in Waimea, Hawaii. I ordered the pesto, artichoke, mozzarella. This little slice of heaven has already captivated me with its’ aroma. Enough of this blogging. I must get to the eating!!!

My observations are as follows: Thin crust allowing full focus on the flavorful toppings. Crust is tasty. Perfect crispness. Artichokes have a good sweet bold flavor reminiscent of California Pizza Kitchen but infinitely more fresh.  There is no hint of mass production. The next bite brings a strong flavor of mozzarella with a hint of the artichoke with pesto dancing on the fringe of my taste buds. I already know I will be back to enjoy more of their foods… And I am only 1 bite into my second slice.

Deep breathe… Sigh of relief… They got it right. If you have ever been to Sedona, Arizona and eaten pizza at Picazzo’s then you understand the quality of which I speak. Not the Flagstaff restaurant. It has to be the Sedona site. The Flagstaff restaurant never got it right. But even if you have been to the Sedona site, it is better, lighter, and fresher than that. These are truly made 1 at a time. When you order the Slice of Italy you receive 3 slices of amazing pizza and a lite Waldorf salad. The salad is arugula, apple, blue cheese, walnuts, and vinaigrette dressing. It looks quite wonderful. Once I finish the 3rd slice I will share with you my impressions of the salad. Yes, once I finish the 3rd slice. No, my wife does not get any of this. You know I will usually share my great finds with her… But not this time. I will tell her about it and bring her back here later this week.

One of the guys that works here said I have to try the desert. I was looking at it. It is one of my favorites: Carrot Cake. But first, the salad. The salad is on par with the pizza. All the ingredients are crisp and fresh and tasty good. The decision is made. I must progress to the carrot cake. I pick the specific slice carrot cake with much anticipation. The guy who suggested it said its not just carrot. It’s also mango, and papaya, and more. So here we go. It’s sweet. Not like sugary sweet of cheap frosting and dried out cake. The cake is moist. The frosting has a passion fruit sweetness which lingers on your tongue long after you finished the bite. It is the type of flavor that makes you hungry to savor the next bite even as you are still savoring the last. I get a bite with more mango chunks in it. This is such a nice surprise and interesting twist. The cake is triple layer. (thank you for not skimping). I stop. I clear my palette and prepare for the next onslaught of flavor.
They use local produce wherever they can.  It shows. This is definitely a place I recommend searching out.

Thank Pau for getting right. I give Pau 5 stars for quality of food, flavor, and local relaxed ambience.

Aloha,
James Christopher

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As we relax upstairs on the oversized lanai or atrium I look out to the blue-green of Anaeho’omalu Bay (A-Bay) and the ocean which surrounds the island called Hawai’i. We are reclining, feet up, relaxed, after just enjoying the breakfast buffet at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The trade winds blow lightly through the open common areas and you can see the palm trees blowing in the breeze. The wind is blowing strong enough for a kite boarding lesson to be taught on the beach. As we peaceably rest after the buffet I note to self, I must come back here again. The air temperature is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. In the sun it’s closer to the mid 80s.

The setting is perfect. The food was quite wonderful. There is an omelet station where the chef will make you a fresh omelet with any or all the fixings in it. As I look out over the beautiful different shades and hues of green from the plant life to the amazing shades and hues of the blue ocean I recall the standards of bacon, link sausage, pancakes, waffles, melon fruits, orange juice, etc. Then I remember I am in Hawaii as I see the fresh pineapple and portuguese sausage and POG (passion fruit, orange, guava) juice. Then I recall I am in an international destination as I see the Scottish Bangers, and the rice.

My wife relaxes in a food coma as I write this blog. I think she has drifted into full sleep. She is so cute. As the birds fly around us in this open atrium I wonder what we will do today, snorkeling, kite boarding, photography, work on our books, go hiking? There are so many possibilities. As I listen to Brother Iz singing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” on the sound system I know one thing I will definitely do in the future is come back here for breakfast buffet. Good food, amazing setting and ambience.

Aloha,   James Christopher

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