Yet I am still training. We went for an ocean swim on Saturday. The ocean is hard work. I think I’ll be doing a lot of breaststroke during the race, the better to breathe and see. It’s a good thing I’m not going for the win, because I’m going to be slow, slow, slow with the breaststroke.
Tragic Sandwich
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The Scent of Red Mango
Today I stopped by Red Mango in Westwood. This is far superior to Mr. Snowberry; the big clue is that I’ll actually go back to Red Mango.
It’s not exactly like Pinkberry. The yogurt seems creamier, and it’s not quite as tart. However, it’s still distinct from ice cream. And the pineapple was fantastic.
Their website tells me that one of the stores is coming to a strip mall near me. That’s good news.
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More Eats on Kauai
I need to catch up on our Kauai eats.
First, more on garlic shrimp. Savage Shrimp, on the corner of Lawai Road and Hoonani Road in Poipu, is housed in a lunch truck. It may move in the next two years, depending on what happens with the shopping center that is supposed to be built across the road–but for now, the truck can be found mid-day, with Susan dishing up freshly cooked shrimp in a handful of preparations. We had the Garlic Scampi and the Bahia Scampi, both of which were delicious. It’s worth noting that the prices are a tiny bit higher than indicated in the Roadfood.com review, but only by a dollar or two. Portions are generous and flavorful.
Next, Hamura Saimin. This is a small place on shabby Kress Street in Lihue, but it’s good for a cheap bite. The menu is small, but the Special Saimin is quite good. Try the lilikoi pie–light and fluffy. At one end of the restaurant is Halo Halo Shave Ice. Their hours are limited, but the shave ice is vastly superior to the mainland Sno-Cone and its kin. We had it plain, without ice cream at the bottom, and found it very refreshing–just the thing for a hot day. The serving was big enough for both of us, so keep that in mind when ordering.
The Camp House Grill in Kalaheo offers enormous, messy breakfasts with spicy-but-not-too-hot gravy in the morning and big, tasty burgers in the afternoon and evening. Be sure to have pie. They excel at pie.
If you’re in Hanalei (and why wouldn’t you be? It’s delightful), try Polynesia Cafe. Their plate lunches and fish sandwiches are quite good, and they’ll provide you with fuel for hiking (at least part of) the 11-mile Kalalau Trail, which begins at Ke’e Beach and provides cliffside views of the Na Pali coast. Even if you only make it to the first overlook, you’ll have worked off your lunch and seen truly spectacular scenery.
That’s it for Kauai, unless I remember something else that I just have to share. Eat hearty.
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Fine Dining in Poipu
When in Kauai, our favorite restaurant for a nice dinner is Plantation Gardens, in Poipu.
My parents came here in the early/mid 1970s and loved it, and we had a terrific meal at the same place during our honeymoon. This time, we started with the tempura plate and moved on to surf’n’turf and the fish of the day, which in this case was a pan-roasted ono. Everything was cooked perfectly, and the sauces for each dish were fantastic.
Plantation Gardens is in the Kiahuna Plantation Resort, and is definitely worth a visit–no matter where you’re staying on the island.
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Burritos
If you’re in Kapaa, why not stop at Burritohead? We went because it’s owned by a friend of a friend, but we’re talking about going back because of the food. As you might guess, they have burritos–as well as tacos, flautas, and quesadillas. These come with pork, chicken, or beef, and are all in the $7-9 range, or fish for $2 more. We had a pork quesadilla and fish tacos, and everything was really good.
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Shrimp, Glorious Shrimp
In the town of Waimea, on the south shore of Kauai, is a roadside restaurant called Shrimp Station. Actually, “restaurant” is a generous term–it’s basically a cookstand with a patio. But no matter how basic the setup is, the outcome is fantastic. The sauteed garlic shrimp are to die for, and the beer-battered shrimp are crisp and light. Please, sir, I want some more.
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BBQ in the Valley
Last night we made our second trip to the Bear Pit. It’s not my favorite BBQ spot in the San Fernando Valley, but it’s a nice family place that is clearly a local favorite. I found the chicken and spare ribs a bit dry, but the beef ribs are good–as is the ham sandwich.
Another option, which I enjoyed on my one trip there (so far) is Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ. Both are on Sepulveda, but the Bear Pit is in the shadow of the 118 (literally), while Dr. Hogly Wogly’s is just south of Roscoe. On the whole, I think Dr. Hogly Wogly’s has better ribs and more tender meat (and brisket, which the Bear Pit does not offer–maybe brisket isn’t “Missouri style”).
But they both have great names.
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Seriously
Enough. I’m tired of swimming individual lengths, and want to string them together into laps. On the other hand, at least I’m covering the minimum distance I’ll need to swim in the actual triathlon. Just, you know, not all at once. Worst case scenario, I swim out past the breakers and bob around in my wetsuit for a while before finishing the swim. But, really, that seems kind of embarrassing. I think I’d rather swim nonstop.
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And You, Sir, are No Pinkberry
I was walking up Westwood Boulevard today and spotted Mr. Snowberry, on Weyburn. It’s on the north side of the street, just east of Westwood Blvd. And the verdict? Pass on it. The yogurt is chalky and just not good. Yoku Yoku, at Palms and Sepulveda, does it better if you want tangy yogurt that isn’t Pinkberry.
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Australian Crawl
Okay, seriously. What is it with me and freestyle? Last night I couldn’t finish my first lap of that stroke. I wound up having to break laps into lengths, with breaks on each end of the pool. It helped, because I covered more distance (500 m total) than I would have otherwise. But I need to be stringing laps together, not breaking them down. This is very frustrating.
And I didn’t get to the gym today, because I had a vendor meeting, and then they said, “Hey, let’s go to lunch now!”