Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [462]
Monolithic Dome B&B (651-7009; r $129; ) Located near the Menehune Ditch, this place has got all the modern conveniences you wouldn’t associate with a monolithic dome. The bathroom has frescoes on the walls, the queen bed has memory foam and high-thread count sheets, plus there’s also wi-fi throughout. It’s roughly 2 miles behind Big Save on the mauka side of the road, but you must call in advance. The cleaning fee is $75.
Eating
Obsessions Café (338-1110; 9875 Waimea Rd; breakfast & lunch $6-7; 8am-2pm) A much-revered local-style breakfast indulgence – the loco moco ($6.95) – is served up here the way it should be: smothered in gravy. Normally a hamburger patty with eggs, the ‘ultimate’ version here also has Portuguese sausage, cheddar cheese, onions and mushrooms. Lighter fare includes the Chinese chicken salad ($6), but sedation-inducing sandwiches such as the Reuben – with corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese ($6.75) are the specialty.
Shrimp Station (338-1242; 9652 Kaumuali′i Hwy; dishes $6-15; 11am-5pm) If you don’t happen to remember that scene in Forrest Gump where Bubba rattles off a list of ways to fix shrimp, the menu here might jog your memory. Sauteéd scampi-style, beer battered, coconut-flake grilled, in taco form or ground up into a ‘shrimp burger’ and coupled with papaya-ginger tartar sauce and fries – it’s the spot for shrimp. It also stocks ice cream and desserts such as push-up rainbow pops and Neapolitan sandwiches.
Da Booze Shop BBQ & Grill (338-9953; 9883 Waimea Rd; box lunch $7.95, keiki menu $2.40; 10:30-9pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun) While Da Booze Shop has plate lunches like many other local-style outlets, it’s the hickory-smoked BBQ rib specials ($8.50), which combine typical, mainland US meat-eater grinds with Westside flair, that appeal. Try the sandwich platter with chicken and pork, rice, macnut salad (of course) and the homemade BBQ sauce, or the thriftier BBQ burger deluxe ($4.50).
Kaua′i Granola (338-0121; 9633 Kaumuali′i Hwy; www.kauaigranola.com/GranolaHome.html; granola $8; 10am-5pm) This former piecrust creator for Aunty Lilikoi has found her niche. And you can find sugarcane-sweetened ‘sugar cane snax,’ tropical trail mixes and dried fruits – ideal for when you’re heading up to the canyon. Around Christmas time, don’t miss out on her aloha-shirt-clad and hula-skirted gingerbread men and women – they make adorable, edible gifts.
Ishihara Market (338-1751; 9894 Kaumuali′i Hwy; plate lunch $8.75; 6am-8:30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-8:30pm Sat & Sun) It’s an ad hoc lesson in local cuisine perusing this market, which is easily the island’s most local eatery. It also has sushi bentō, daily specials and marinated ready-to-go meats for those wanting to barbecue. Parking is kind of crazy, so be patient or park on the street and walk the half-block.
Pacific Pizza & Deli (338-1020; 9850 Kaumuali′i Hwy; pizza $9.35-25; 11am-9pm Mon-Sat) While the hapa-haole (half-Caucasian) pizza or calzone is a hands-down favourite, with its pesto sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, zucchini and pineapple, the supreme still offers some island influence (it includes Portuguese sausage). The Mexican pizza (refried beans, sour cream, cheese) shouldn’t disappoint vegetarians with a craving for abundantly topped slices.
Wrangler’s Steakhouse (338-1218; 9852 Kaumuali′i Hwy; dinner mains $17-25; 11am-9pm Mon-Fri, 4-9pm Sat) Try it local style: grab a plantation lunch (which starts from $9) in a kaukau tin full of shrimp tempura, teriyaki, and BBQ meat, along with rice and kimchi. Included in that price is soup and salad. The restaurant also has a little gift shop where you can buy kaukau tins ($30), stackable food containers with three compartments for meat, veg etc – a nice souvenir for local-culture enthusiasts.
Drinking & Entertainment
Waimea Brewing Company (338-9733; www.waimea-plantation.com/brew; Waimea Plantation Cottages, 9400 Kaumuali′i Hwy;11am-10pm Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat) Tiki torches, live music and an inviting plantation-style architecture beckons, as does a long rotating