i’m finally coming to the end of my 2019 Hawaii trip reports. As I sorted through all of our amazing big island culinary experiences that did not already fit into other posts, I realized that there is just too much, so I’m making it a two-parter.

Eating on the big island of Hawaii is certainly not inexpensive and we found ourselves happy to have a rental car, as we often drove outside of the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, to find cheaper and more interesting food options.

Our first meal of the vacation came about an hour after got our rental car. A Jeep is the must-have rental vehicle for Hawaiian adventures. We upgraded to a four-door, so that it would be easier for the kids.

We drove to a local Walmart ( near to a Costco for those with memberships) where we loaded up on bottled water, sunblock, and room snacks. Walmart is very close the airport and on our way to the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Near Walmart, we found a small sushi restaurant called Sakura Sushi and Grill. Sakura Sushi and Grill was surprisingly good value. Dan and I love sushi and luckily it is a type of cuisine that the kids always enjoy as well. Admittedly, the decor seemed a bit more Chinese than Japanse, but the sushi was tasty.

In the same general area, we found a Denny’s. I realize that Denny’s is a chain-restaurant, but my stepson Felix loves it and he doesn’t live in the US, so it is quite a treat for him. We went for breakfast during the middle of our trip. As far as food quality and offerings, it’s like any other Denny’s in the USA, but this one was located on a hill with spectacular ocean views.

But the best part was seeing a pair of mongeese decend on an uncleared table and devour the leftovers. They are adorable. Mongeese are not native to Hawaii, but they were brought over to take care of the rats in the sugarcane fields. It became a problem when the population of mongeese exploded and native Hawaiian species were impacted. They also didn’t help much with the rat problem, since mongeese are diurnal and rats are nocturnal.

I can appreciate that they are now a pest, but they sure are cute! I was so busy watching them, that I barely touched my eggs.

One of our best food finds was a casual pizza restaurant called Pau, located up in Waimea ( about thirty minutes north of our hotel). Pau was the perfect place for family dining- who doesn’t love pizza? We ate at Pau twice during our vacation and if it had been closer to our hotel, we would have visited more.

Pau is located in an agricultural area and they use ingredients that are fresh and locally sourced. They proudly list the names of their suppliers.

Dan and Zoe shared a pizza, Felix ordered pasta, and I enjoyed the special that included three “slices of the day” and a salad. This was the first time I had tried marinated artichokes on pizza and it was amazing.

We shared a cheesecake with guava sauce for dessert. Pau is an excellent local restaurant with reasonable prices and friendly service. It was one of our best finds on the big island and worth the drive.

Another restaurant where we dined twice was the Kona Canoe Club in the historic Kailua Kona town. The Kona Canoe Club has strong cocktails, juicy cheeseburgers, and a patio with ocean views. It is exactly the type of restaurant that reminds me of childhood vacations on Maui.

We ended our meal with a local dessert: Kona coffee mudd pie. Along with Pog juice and Kalua pork, Kona coffee mudd pie is a taste that immediately brings me back to the islands.

Another sweet treat located in Historic Kailua Kona Town is Scandinavian Shave Ice. I have no idea what makes it Scandinavian, but naturally we had to take my Swedish step-kids there. The kids had already tried shave ice at the Hapuna Beach snack-shack, but the experience at Scandinavian Shave Ice was vastly superior.

The flavor selection was enormous and the options included condensed milk or ice cream. The ice at Scandinavian Shave Ice was shaved finer and the syrups were a higher quality. The staff friendlier and the shop cuter. Of course, this also meant the wait was longer and the prices were higher, but it was well worth the experience.

Please stay tuned to my blog for part two of my “Big Island Eats” series.

One of our longest and most exciting days of the trip was our adventure to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We woke up before sunrise to begin our nearly two hour drive across to the other side of the island.

It was a very full day and since so many things happened, I’m going to break this day up into several posts, beginning with what happened on the drive to the National Park.

The first big event happened in the middle of a field. We felt like we were in an isolated area in the center of the big island, but it turned out to be bursting with activity. We drove right down the road that held protestors. We had heard about the protest on the news, the native Hawaiians and their supporters were protesting an international scientific effort to build a massive telescope on the top of Mauna Kea, the tallest volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a sacred place for many Hawaiians.

We drove right in the middle of the protest and later learned that Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” had been there. As much as I support the efforts of scientists, I recognize that this is a very sensitive issue. Hawaii is a state that I spent many summer vacations as a child, however, I did not realize the way that the US took the Hawaiian Islands until I was an adult. It’s horrific and sadly, not surprising. I can understand how this protest is both about preserving a sacred place, but also just not allowing any more grabbing of their land. I believe this fight over the telescope still continues without resolution.

On a lighter note, we saw a Ne’Ne crossing sign! The Ne’Ne Goose is native to the Hawaiian islands. I’ve seen them on Maui. Adorable.

Close to the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we stopped for breakfast at the most delightful restaurant: Dimple Cheek Cafe.

The owner of the restaurant ( named after her beautiful dimpled cheeks) both served and cooked our food. She was so kind and welcoming. We learned that she is the mother of many children, which made since, as she treated us with a mother’s touch.

The food was one of the best meals on our vacation. I had eggs with rice and soy sauce, which made me wonder why I had not eaten this before??? So yummy and filling. Dan had a Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco, which is a beef patty in gravy. The kids had waffles. The food was good, hearty, and great value. We wished that Dimple Cheek cafe was on “our side” of the island!

We took a picture with the owner. If you’re visiting the big island, make sure to eat at Dimple Cheek Cafe. I can’t say enough great things about this restaurant and its owner. I really hope that her business survived the pandemic.

On the way out, we stopped to admire the plants and flowers for sale. Dimple Cheek is not only a cafe, but also a small market place. I love tropical flowers.

In my next post, I will share pictures from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!

Hawaii 2019- Big Island Eats: Part One

Hawaii 2019: Telescope Protest and Dimple Cheek Cafe