Sandwich Island Fever (Part 4)

Aloha, Readers!

If you were not aware, these blog posts about Hawai'i have been thoroughly enjoyable for me, not only in the experiences had trying sandwiches in our 50th state, but in the memories brought up by reminiscing about them.

For example, this week's sandwich may not have been the best one I've ever tasted, but the memories of hiking prior to dinner made the day, and this memory all the better.

One of the main stops we wanted to make during our stay on The Big Island was to Volcanoes National Park. Situated at the southern end of the island, this massive park provides a ton of fantastic hikes, beautiful scenery, and the chance to see cooled lava flows and the devastation left behind.

It's really a fascinating experience, and one that we didn't think would take an entire day, but it did. We left the park around five in the evening to find a place to eat before we returned to see the lava glow at Kilauea at nightfall.

There are not many places to stop at in the areas around the park, but we did happen to find one spot that drew us in, not far from the park and off of the main road.

Situated in a densely tree-lined road, Lava Rock Cafe called out to us with its glowing neon in the fading sunlight. The inside was a cozy, cabin-like setting filled up with locals and other hikers from the park. Settling down with a menu, local flavors again caught my eye but in the end I ordered a burger solely because its added ingredients interested me.

The Magma Burger is a local grass-fed all-beef patty with taco seasoning mixed in, topped with salsa and Muenster cheese. With our mindblowing experience at Volcanoes all day, this burger had a lot to live up to, and sadly did not.

The patty was nothing substantial, which I had been looking forward to after a day of hiking. There was a mild flavor, but the taco seasoning definitely did not stand out. The Muenster cheese on top was melted well but only provided a little bit of its sharp flavor. The salsa added a cool contrast with a little bit of spice, but overall this burger did not live up to the high expectations I had hoped for.

Besides the food though, this was a great stop to rest after a day of touring, with a mostly quiet atmosphere and occasional evening music provided by local musicians. Service was excellent and they have quite a few local beers on tap, mainly Kona Brewing though. If there was a better meal or sandwich on this menu, it might have gotten a higher rating. As far as places in the area of Volcanoes National Park though, you could definitely do much worse than the Lava Rock.

Maybe next time I'm there, I'll give it another chance.

Next week, I wrap up my week long stay in Hawai'i with what could potentially be the best sandwich of the five.

Until then, Readers...



Magma Burger
*** Stars
Lava Rock cafe
19-3972 Volcano Rd.
Volcano, HI 96785
http://www.volcanoslavarockcafe.com/

Sandwich Island Fever (Part 3)

Greetings, Readers!

While vacationing in Hawai'i, we split our time between the islands of Oahu and Hawai'i. Two very different locations despite being a short flight between each other.

Oahu is much more populated and has a much bigger allure for tourists. The Big Island though can be much more rural in spots, especially in a town on the windward side of the island called Hilo.

Hilo is the type of town where everyone knows each other, all the shops close around 8PM and there's a breathtaking view of the ocean and a volcano no matter where you look.

Walking through downtown Hilo one afternoon, we stopped at a little place called Cafe Pesto. The menu looked fantastic, and I almost ordered something not on the sandwich menu, and then I almost ordered a burger since it was so well reviewed. On considering my lunch options though, I realized that I should pick something more pertinent to my trip to the islands: seafood.

Kalua pork is a staple, and Spam is also a huge hit, but with so much ocean around them, it hadn't occurred to me until I was in Hilo that seafood would be an excellent choice. As long as I could find a good sandwich with it as the showcase item.

Keeping this idea in mind, I noticed a sandwich called Miloli'i, an open-faced sandwich topped with garlic basted shrimp, Pacific crab meat, sliced mushrooms and a blend of cheeses on French Bread.  The blend of cheeses weren't listed but definitely included Mozzarella and Parmesan, along with another one I couldn't quite place. The combination led to a very umami flavor of the sandwich, smoky, smooth and all delicious.

The garlic shrimp cut through the smooth flavors of the cheese with just enough kick to stand out. The shrimp were tender, plentiful and cooked long enough to bring out their flavor but still allow for a pop in your mouth with each bite. The crab meat was mixed in between each of the shrimp and provided a smooth, slightly seafood flavor.

The sliced mushrooms, while not adding much flavor compared to the other ingredients, were cooked just right.

The French bread was toasted to a crisp outside while still having a soft inside, providing a great contrast to the rest of the sandwich. Overall, this was an excellent example of a seafood sandwich from a great location.

The third stop on my trip to Hawai'i was a resounding success, and if you ever find yourself on The Big Island, specifically Hilo, I'd highly recommend you stop by Cafe Pesto and take in the much more relaxing pace of the town.

Until next week, Readers...


Miloli'i
**** Stars
Cafe Pesto
308 Kamehameha Ave, Ste. 1
Hilo, HI 96720

Sandwich Island Fever (Part 2)

Greetings, Readers!

As the temperatures spike here in Los Angeles, it is beginning to remind me even more of the fun adventure I recently had in the Hawaiian Islands.

Though it is considerably less humid here.

 While still on Oahu, we spent a long, beautiful morning at Hanauma Bay, a former volcanic crater which had been fillled with sea water over the years. After hours of snorkeling among the shallow reefs, and before heading to North Shore, we decided to stop and have something to eat to recover from our morning outing.

Above Hanauma Bay, near the standard gift shop, is a snack bar. This isn't a place that I would normally point out as a place to stop unless you're already at the bay for snorkeling, as there are plenty of other places on Oahu to visit for a sandwich. But if you're already here, I would have to recommend you stop for the Kalua Pork sandwich with a side salad.

Kalua is a traditional way of cooking in Hawaii in which you end up roasting in an imu, an underground oven. More than likely, the roast pork in this sandwich was not cooked in an underground oven and is probably Kalua in name only, but we won't judge it on that.

Besides the layer of pulled barbecue pork, the sandwich also had sliced tomatoes and spinach between two lightly toasted slices of white bread.

The pulled pork was decent, but not too heavily flavored. It actually felt like it was almost hidden from the flavors of the tomatoes and spinach, which don't have much flavor by themselves for the most part anyway. It worked at the time because the sandwich had a light taste which may have been more enjoyable due to the temperature outside of the time, but in the end was not a standout sandwich in the least.

I had lots of Kalua pork in the islands, most notable at an amazing luau, and this would have to be the least flavorful and enjoyable of the bunch.

That being said, when not compared to standout Hawaiian pulled pork, this was still a decent pulled pork sandwich.

I've had a few people ask me if I had any Spam sandwiches in Hawaii, and I must admit now that i did not. The Waikiki Spam Jam was held this past weekend, a whole week after I had already left Oahu. But while most people know of Hawaiians' affinity for that processed meat in a can, I would like to help further promote the deliciousness of their pulled pork.

Anytime you can try it, I highly suggest it.

Until next week...

Sandwich Island Fever (Part 1)

Greetings, Readers!

How have you been? Have you been sandwiching in my absence? Last week, I spent my honeymoon in Hawaii, but have no fear, I still had plenty of time to be sandwiching on the islands of our 50th state.

There were plenty of options for burgers and other sandwiches that I've had on the mainland, but while I was in a new state for myself, why not try something inspired by the tastes of the islands.

Did you know that at one point, the Hawaiian Islands were called The Sandwich Islands, named after John Montagu, the legendary creator of the sandwich? How fitting then that I would have so many to review after my trip.

I've got five sandwiches to review for the blog here over the next few weeks, so let's get started with the sandwich I had only a few short hours after landing in Honolulu.

After we checked into the Outrigger Reef in Waikiki Beach, we headed down to the Shore Bird, a restaurant/bar on the main floor of the hotel overlooking the beach.

Wanting to just unwind, we ordered some beer form Kona Brewing, a delicious pale ale called Fire Rock. To accompany this slightly bitter beer, we added some of the pork sliders with mango salsa. The pork itself had been slow cooked and yet was still moist and delicious. Each bite melted in your mouth.

The slightly savory flavor of the pork was paired with the slightly sweet flavor of the mango salsa, which wasn't overpowering but still shined through the delicious pork. The small, sweet buns that encased this delicious pork (one of many times i'd eat slow roasted pork this past week in the 5-0) were delicious and easily held everything in until the end.

This wasn't the best sandwich of the week (so many other fantastic ones), but it definitely was a great late night eat, paired with a delicious beer, for the first night in Hawaii. The beach location didn't hurt either.

Until next week, Readers...


Mango Pork Sliders
**** Stars
Shore Bird Restaurant (inside of the Outrigger Reef)
2169 Kalia Road
Waikiki, Oahu
Hawaii 96815

Attack of the Burger Monster!

Greetings, Readers!

Something you may not know about me, unless you follow me on twitter here, is that besides sandwiches I also enjoy reading comic books.

So, in order to fill my love of Iron Man, Hellboy, Spider-Man, Batman, etc, I tend to visit a few comic conventions a year. I've done Comic Con before, Comikaze and a number of other ones, but this past weekend was one of my favorites: Wondercon in Anaheim.

After a day of wandering aisles with friends, looking at trades, art, and numerous things that would fall under the subject of pop culture, we left the Anaheim Convention Center at the end of the day to be greeted with a number of  fantastically smelling food trucks.

Inspecting each of the trucks available, and trying not to decide just with my stomach, I ended up picking Burger Monster. Their burger selections seemed fantastic, and their logo cracked me up. For a true burger lover though, these guys take an obsession to a whole new level.

Their menu itself isn't large, but the sandwiches sure are. Scrolling down the small list of sandwiches, I settled upon the Pigzilla, which seemed to be a special for the day.

A burger topped with Sriracha-marinated pulled pork (yes!), Swiss cheese, coleslaw, a thick slice of tomato, Burger Monster BBQ sauce, and ranch all between two sides of a brioche bun.

The main problem I had with this sandwich happened to be that I didn't exactly know how to eat it. It's a very messy sandwich and not wanting to look like a five-year old after eating spaghetti-o's, this presented a real problem.

Luckily though, with the skills I have gained in eating sandwiches the past few years, I managed to escape without so much as a drop of red sauce on my clothes. The spicy and smoky pulled pork was delicious. It had a bit of tangy punch to it and was soaked with the BBQ sauce and Sriracha marinade. The Swiss cheese added a gooey texture with smoky flavor and the cole slaw added a slightly sweet crunch.

The most impressive part of this sandwich was the brioche bun. Compared to the other ingredients it didn't really add too much flavor or shine through because of the spicy, tangy, smoky barbecue flavor, but what it did do was hold together until the end. That is an accomplishment in itself for how much sauce is on this sandwich.

What made it even better is that there was some bun left over to soak up the remaining sauce.

Overall, this was an excellent follow-up to a great day at a comic book convention. If you can find the Burger Monster truck while around Los Angeles and Orange County, I highly suggest you try them. Even if Pigzilla isn't on the menu that day, the rest of their burgers sound equally delicious.

They even have a vegetarian option for you non-meat eaters who might be interested. So, really, you don't have an excuse to miss this truck.

So, next week I'll be in Hawaii, so I won't exactly have a sandwich review for you (sorry!) but make sure you tune in the following week as I will start the first of a few reviews from the 50th state.

Until next time, Readers...


Pigzilla
**** 1/2 Stars
The Burger Monster
http://burgermonster.net/

Viva, Las Vegas

Greetings, Readers!

Of all of the places I've visited over the past few years of working on this blog, one of the closest and most notable places that I've missed has been Las Vegas.

Years ago I had an interesting experience in Vegas while stuck in town after missing my connecting flight back to Los Angeles. It's a time I laugh about, but has no place here in a food blog as something terrible happened.

I ate at McDonalds.

I know, I know! But I was stuck in a terrible motel off of the Strip and needed something to eat while waiting for my flight in the morning. Forgive me!

This time around though, the visit was much better. Joining me were a number of friends for bachelor weekend and for Saturday lunch we headed to a place on the strip called Twin Peaks.

In the same vein as Hooters, I'm sure you can now figure out why the place is called Twin Peaks, this place serves up a lot of 'man-food' which amounts to hearty pub-style sandwiches and dishes.

Wanted to kick the day off with a full stomach, I went for the Hangover Burger, a thick all-beef patty topped with a fried egg, American cheese, bacon, red onions, mayo, lettuce and tomatoes. This burger may scream out breakfast to you, but really it's a great sandwich for any time of day. As I've said in some previous burger posts, I've become a huge fan of fried eggs on top of a burger. The change in flavor as well as texture is a welcome addition to the burger.

Topping this off with the fresh flavors of crisp lettuce, tomatoes and red onions was a nice contrast to the meaty patty, thick cut bacon and the the greasy fried egg. All combined though with the thick burger bun, this is definitely a sandwich that can fill you up or get you back into fighting shape after a night of drinking in Vegas.

My main complain here is the American cheese. We really need to have to move past this cheese as an option on a standout sandwich. It's nearly flavorless compared to many of its dairy brethren. A cheddar cheese would have worked much better here and provided an added flavor that would have been much appreciated.

Overall, this time my experience was significantly better in Vegas than last. I have this burger and plenty of friends to thank for that.

Until next week, Readers...


The Hangover Burger
**** Stars
Twin Peaks
3717 Las Vegas Blvd.
Ste. 285
Las Vegas, NV 89109

I Got That Summertime, Summertime Sandwich

Greetings, Readers!

I hope this latest blog finds you well and full of sandwiches. The past week has seen the start of the new Baseball season, which is officially the start of spring, not some random day in late March.

And with the start of the Baseball season, comes the return of ballpark-inspired foods, and I'd like to talk about one of my favorites today (besides the classic hot dog).

Pulled Pork.

A pulled pork sandwich is one of life's great treats. You could have it spicy, sweet, or smoky. You could have it on a bun, or saddled up next to some potato salad on a plate. You could even just take a fork of it straight from the pot to your mouth.

Any way you shred it, it's a great way to prepare pork for the summer time. Especially paired with a crisp summery beer.

I've done a lot of research of finding the perfect way to make pulled pork and I've certainly tried a few styles, but today I'd like to share with you a recipe I've recently come across that makes excellent pulled pork. You'll need a slow cooker (one of my favorite inventions of all time!) for this one, and the good part of a day to make this.

You'll want to start with a five pound cut of pork. I've used pork shoulder both times I've cooked this. Start by cutting up two medium sized yellow onions into thin slices and four cloves of garlic (more if you want it really garlicky). Line the bottom of the crock pot with this mixture. Pour in one cup of chicken stock so you have the beginnings of a delicious hot tub for your pork to rest in.

In a small bowl, combine one tablespoon of dark brown sugar, one tablespoon of chili powder, one tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Mix this up well and then rum this mixture onto the entire pork shoulder. When you're done, place it in the slow cooker and set on high for six to eight hours. Shred and remove any bones or fat.

I've also added a cup of the liquid in the pot to the final shredded pork for some extra flavor.

The resulting pork has a little bit of smoke flavor, and a noticeable sweet kick to it that brings out the natural pork flavor as well. By getting sweet slider buns, I've made mini sandwiches out of the mixture which are easy to consume with one hand while holding a light colored beer in the other.

If you wanted to counteract the sweetness and add a little crunch to your slider, i'd suggest making a jalapeno slaw (regular cole slaw would be too sweet), or for fun add some potato chips for a saltier addition. Barbecue sauce is also a good ingredient to use, port-cooking, in order to add a smokier/tangier flavor.

Anyway, if you try this out, let me know what you created and added to the pulled pork sliders. I'd love to hear your ideas.

Until next week, Readers...