Neil Wolkodoff is a golf and travel writer from Denver, Colorado. He covers golf, dining, activities and accommodations from the luxury and unique perspective. He has even been golfing with goats.
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10 Comments
I have been Hawaii once and I really love it. I really like the fish there.I have never had an experience like that! The restaurants are fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Hawaii is just such a good destination for fresh natural foods – seafood straight from the ocean, fruit straight from the harvest. Superfoods and healthy eating! The Red Water Cafe sounds excellent as I’m a massive fan of sushi. Yummy chocolate candies? Tell me more, who doesn’t love chocolate! Putting that on my visit list for my next trip.
If I visited Hawaii I think it would be fascinating to chat to all of the locals of the area – I bet their way of life is so very far from mine! Plant-based comfort food sounds perfect to me, I bet Hawaii has a great selection of Vegan delights. Reading about the grilled tofu and fruits is making my mouth water – what a wonderful place
Jen, they are really trying to ramp up local food production and be more self-sustainable. Depending upon the climate zone, some things grow well others don’t. So, my experience is it depends where you are on the island. It appears many of the chefs opening these smaller, focused restaurants have extensive culinary training, so food choices tend to be unique and well thought out.
I always ask the taxi driver when I arrive somewhere new where the best locals places to eat are. They are always better than the tourist areas and generally cheaper prices too. The Tap Room looks fun!
Interesting article, *but* i would not classify these places as “Local”. For real local food try Cafe 100, Kens, & Hawaiian Style Cafe in Hilo, and Big Island Diner in Kona.
Norm, thanks for your comment. In surveying numerous locals, I received quite a diversity of suggestions of where to go. No one restaurant or bar was equally suggested by all the people I interviewed. As usual, any list of that sort is subject to personal interpreation and preference.
Please note that local food was part of the criteria, yet just as important was did locals dine or drink at that location. Ken’s was covered in another article, and interestingly enough, Big Island Grill was not one of the top suggestions from the interviews. I might have talked to the wrong people but Cafe 100 did not get any mentions. Mind you, I only talked to 20-25 people, so not an exhaustive interview process, yet enough to steer us in some directions.
Hawaii is such a great location for food. All of these places look brilliant. I’ll have to check out the foodie scene, next time I go to Hawaii. Bongo Ben looks like a great place to go with an amazing view.
I am currently looking into Hawaii for our honeymoon after we get married next year I have always wanted to go and getting to done like a local is totally the kind of thing we adore when it comes to travelling. I love experiencing real delicacy.
I have been Hawaii once and I really love it. I really like the fish there.I have never had an experience like that! The restaurants are fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Hawaii is just such a good destination for fresh natural foods – seafood straight from the ocean, fruit straight from the harvest. Superfoods and healthy eating! The Red Water Cafe sounds excellent as I’m a massive fan of sushi. Yummy chocolate candies? Tell me more, who doesn’t love chocolate! Putting that on my visit list for my next trip.
If I visited Hawaii I think it would be fascinating to chat to all of the locals of the area – I bet their way of life is so very far from mine! Plant-based comfort food sounds perfect to me, I bet Hawaii has a great selection of Vegan delights. Reading about the grilled tofu and fruits is making my mouth water – what a wonderful place
Jen, they are really trying to ramp up local food production and be more self-sustainable. Depending upon the climate zone, some things grow well others don’t. So, my experience is it depends where you are on the island. It appears many of the chefs opening these smaller, focused restaurants have extensive culinary training, so food choices tend to be unique and well thought out.
I always ask the taxi driver when I arrive somewhere new where the best locals places to eat are. They are always better than the tourist areas and generally cheaper prices too. The Tap Room looks fun!
Al these were suggested by locals for different reasons. On the Big Island, it’s so large that part of the decision is based upon proximity!
Interesting article, *but* i would not classify these places as “Local”. For real local food try Cafe 100, Kens, & Hawaiian Style Cafe in Hilo, and Big Island Diner in Kona.
Norm, thanks for your comment. In surveying numerous locals, I received quite a diversity of suggestions of where to go. No one restaurant or bar was equally suggested by all the people I interviewed. As usual, any list of that sort is subject to personal interpreation and preference.
Please note that local food was part of the criteria, yet just as important was did locals dine or drink at that location. Ken’s was covered in another article, and interestingly enough, Big Island Grill was not one of the top suggestions from the interviews. I might have talked to the wrong people but Cafe 100 did not get any mentions. Mind you, I only talked to 20-25 people, so not an exhaustive interview process, yet enough to steer us in some directions.
Hawaii is such a great location for food. All of these places look brilliant. I’ll have to check out the foodie scene, next time I go to Hawaii. Bongo Ben looks like a great place to go with an amazing view.
I am currently looking into Hawaii for our honeymoon after we get married next year I have always wanted to go and getting to done like a local is totally the kind of thing we adore when it comes to travelling. I love experiencing real delicacy.