Oahu, hawaii

World Class Beaches and food:  oahu

Seriously, what’s not to like about the Hawaiian Islands?  I was fortunate enough to have spent 10 days on Oahu with my husband during the cold, bleary, desolate month of February.  As North easterners know, there is a very fine line between sanity and madness during the early months of every year.  Regardless of the snow accumulation, the grey matter is something to be feared.  To avoid this unavoidable tunnel of doom my husband and I have decided to make a habit of traveling somewhere at least for a weekend, just to get out of our house, our town, our impending fall into the bottom of a liquor bottle (for warmth, you know?).  We usually travel to places we can drive, Montreal, Boston, Stowe, but this year we decided to hit Vegas for a few days with some friends to see Elton John and then I realized that while we were already on the other side of the country why not really do it up and fly to Honolulu. So we did. And now I will forever be in debt to the beautiful land and people of the island of Oahu, because Wow, what a cool place.  Not only is the weather amazing so is the food and of course, the beaches!  I’ve traveled pretty extensively in the Caribbean and there really is no comparing the two.  Hawaii smells better, the people are nicer, the beaches are cleaner and the food is waaaay better.  No offense Caribbean, I love you for other reasons! That being said, here is a list of places to eat and super amazing beaches for your lounging or swimming purposes.

Duke’s - waikiki

A total tourist trap but also a Hawaiian landmark.  This place is nestled among the hotels in Waikiki beach.  We stumbled upon it looking for food and cocktails after landing and we were skeptical, however, the food was really good and the drinks were really really good.

What to order:  Korean Steak Street Tacos

What to drink:  Mai Tais (this will be a recurring theme)

                              Tropical Itch - which comes with a free backscratcher…. in it.  I’m not lying. 

Buzz’s – Kailua Beach

Just across the street from one of the best beaches, Buzz’s may be the closest thing to a tiki bar outside of Waikiki and it’s not actually on the beach…  but we love it due to proximity and because of its good food and drinks for a reasonable price. 

What to order: Teriyaki Chicken Burger

What to drink: Mai Tais – Brace yourself- their house mai tai has NO fruit juice

                             BFMT – A mai tai in a really tall glass with juice – still a lot of rum

Roy’s – Turtle Bay

The restaurant is usually reserved for people actually staying at the resort so belly up to the bar which has a better view anyway!   Roy’s has a legitimate wine and cocktail list and some crazy looking concoction in a water cooler on the bar.  The menu is a little on the high end price wise for the island but worth every penny!

What to order: Ahi poke bowl, North Shore shrimp cocktail

What to drink: Sauvignon Blanc - I didn’t try their Mai Tai…  what?

Haleiwa Beach House

 Haleiwa Beach – This place is beautiful! Open and airy, I was most impressed by their cocktail list and they had some interesting items on the lunch menu, too.  I bet this place would be excellent for dinner. 

What to order: Thai Chicken Sandwich with slaw on a taro root bun

What to drink:  Any of their cocktails!!! Their list is legit and it's really hard to choose one! All cocktails made with homemade mixers.  So yummy. 

We were unable to make it to "The Pig and the Lady" but we heard it is dynamite! 

We did have dinner at "Town" in Honolulu, which got great reviews, but we were absolutely disappointed!  I'm not sure why my Ahi was smothered in brown butter but it was and it was not advertised on the menu.  It's a great way to ruin perfectly good fresh veggies and Ahi,        in my opinion. 

My top 3 favorite beaches:

1. Kailua Beach Park - easy parking (get there early-ish) pristine, soft sand, calm surf, good for kids, clear water, close to Buzz's for lunch

2. Sandy Beach Park - easy parking, food trucks, insane beach break, not good for kids, good for floating in the waves beyond the beach break (if you can get out there)

3. Hale'iwa - this beach is protected with lots of vegetation if you need shade! Swimming can be iffy since there are lots of rocks with urchins but the turtles hang out there and it's a great place to watch the surfers, you can also take surfing lessons.