Columbus
Don S
Is There Traffic in Hawaii
The population of Kauai as of July 2022 is 73,810, compared with Oahu's population of 995,638 as of July 2022. I've lived on Oahu for many years and only moved back to Kauai because of my job transfer for the time being. I've seen pockets of traffic during certain times of the day. I was returning from Lihue to home on the west side when I was stuck in 17-minute bumper-to-bumper traffic at about 5:00 pm - 5:17 pm from Puhi in front of Kauai Community College to the Humane Society.
Finding Good Eateries on the Island
During one of my meetings, one of the icebreaker questions was, “Where is your favorite place to eat on Kauai?” I know many older eateries but don’t know the most recent restaurants. I’ve written about two of them already, but still not sure about the many other eateries on the island. Here is what I remembered from the times I visited the island.
How Do You Solve the Homeless Problem
I wasn't surprised when I saw a news article from Hawaii News Now about how Alaska solves its homeless problems. As a resident of any state, I don't think anyone wants to see another state's issues become a problem for the state. With the cost of living and shortage of affordable housing, some will inevitably be homeless. Now imagine the homeless issues are compounded by more people coming to the islands because other states send their homeless population to other states.
Anyone for Prime Rib at the Airport
I usually don’t pay attention or remember the name of the restaurant I go to at the airport, but on my way to Kauai, I ate at Lahaina Chicken Company. I knew what I wanted because the prime rib looked delicious. I found food at airport restaurants to be okay, but I had to admit, the prime rib was tasty. I noticed the prices were a little more costly than other restaurants not at the airport.
My Next Stop Is No. 1
I was born and raised on Garden Island but spent 36 years on Oahu. I still own a place on Oahu. Since my work took me here for the time being, I took the time to eat at a restaurant I’ve eaten at many times. This restaurant is a good place because of the food and convenience.
Another Chick fil A Opened Today
Today was the opening of Chick-fil-A in Makiki. Street lanes were coned this morning in anticipation of the early crowds to be the restaurant's first customers. I know there was drive through, and I also saw walk-up windows with what looked like an eating area. A drive-through and walk-up window with an eating area outside is a good idea. It feels more like a dine-out restaurant with a walk-up window.
The Next Stop Is the Garden Island
I’ve been to Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant many times. They serve many of the island favorites. You can either order a la carte or a plate lunch. I usually go there with family and out-of-town guests. Here are a few items on the list.
Good Italian Restaurants on the Island
There are three restaurants that I haven't been to in a while. I've been to all three, but I last ate there a while ago. I used to go to The Old Spaghetti Factory when they were at the Ward Avenue location, but I have never gone there at their new site at Aloha Towers. They have always had good food. I remember this restaurant because I worked there for nine months in college.
The Restaurants That Withstood the Challenging Times
I originally published a similar article on Medium on March 30, 2023. The title and article were updated and edited for this piece. As I looked for some of the eateries I had dined at for many years, I thought of one place with good saimin. Dillingham Saimin had delicious saimin. Dillingham Saimin was one of the restaurants affected by the lockdowns in 2020. They were not able to continue due to the lockdown. According to the Chamber of Commerce, 99.9% of businesses are small businesses.
Get Your Huli Huli Chicken Plate Today
I was on my way to Leeward Drive Inn because it's been a while since I ate there. I don't usually go to Waipahu, so I'm not too familiar with the area, but I know enough to know the location of Leeward Drive Inn. As I was driving there for lunch, I looked to my right and saw a food truck with the sign Huli Huli Chicken. I immediately turned right into the food truck's shopping center.
This Small Store Makes Good Macadamia Snacks
I was on Kauai in May and came across this small store that sells Macadamia snacks you don't see in other stores. I would never have found it because the store is where many tourists visit. Residents also visit there, but I only sometimes go there. However, on the second to the last day there, I visited there with out-of-town family visiting for the weekend.
Are Public School Lunches Healthy
Many of us who grew up and went to a public school know that the school lunch on some days was not delicious. I remember passing on lunch on some days and waiting for a home, while on other days, I rushed to the cafeteria because they served baked chicken with rice or mashed potato and gravy, bread with milk as the drink.
Affordable Housing by the Numbers
With the Governor's announcement of the Emergency Housing Proclamation on Monday, I wanted to look at affordable housing by the numbers. All numbers are from the Honolulu Board of Realtors and the Government Census. I also used the mortgage calculator from Bankrate and the paycheck calculator from Smart Asset.
Where Can You Find Good Hawaiian Food
There are so many great eateries on Oahu. I've visited as many eateries as possible before I move to a neighboring island at the end of the month. Some of the eateries I've tried from my previous visits and reviewed, while some I've visited recently and reviewed them.
Here Is Another Option for Air Travel
Note: I originally published this article on Medium on June 27, 2022. The title and article were updated and edited for this piece. For a long time, the only way to travel within the islands in Hawaii was through airplanes. In the later 2000s, the introduction of the Superferry was another way people could travel from island to island. It abruptly ended, leaving people with only one mode of travel within the islands. I always believed having more choices for people to make is always better for the consumer. I thought the Superferry had a chance to do well; unfortunately, that was not the case.
They Turned Their Business Into a Success
I was doing some banking at the Kaimuki Shopping Center yesterday and saw the Cookie Corner several doors down from my bank. I don’t usually eat cookies, but I haven’t eaten their chocolate chip cookies with walnuts in a while, so I stopped by and got myself two chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. Since I didn’t eat them in a while, they were filling and delicious.
The Chicken Fajita Pita Was Really Good
The best part of living on Oahu is the 24 drive-through fast food restaurants. I didn’t want to eat something too heavy, so I went to the 24-hour drive-through Jack in the Box. I thought I tried almost everything on the menu because I usually go to Jack in the Box whenever I need to pick up something at night after 9 pm. However, I searched the menu the other night and found that they serve Chicken Fajita Pita. I had my second Chicken Fajita Pita at Jack in the Box tonight.
This Saimin Place Serves Good Saimin
Since I started writing and blogging, Palace Saimin has kept popping up in all the comments. I’ve passed their location many times before but never thought about it. Their website says they’ve been around since 1946. Many places on the island serve good saimin, so I wanted to see how Palace Saimin compares to the other places I’ve tried.
Don S
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I write about politics, restaurants, businesses in Hawaii, comfort foods, and anything that affects Hawaii. I also write about anything I find interesting.
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