Hawaiian Eats

I was lucky enough to spend the days surrounding New Year's Eve in Honolulu and it was amazing. It was a week of warm breezes, frozen drinks, and lots of good eats... like this Mediterranean Salad:

This was my first meal in Hawaii, and I got it right in my hotel. At the Hyatt Regency's casual Terrace Grill to be exact. Comprised of fluffy couscous, tart red onions, sweet cranberries, and just enough veggies and almonds, it's a real winner. It (and a daiquiri or three) definitely helped get me acclimated to my new, tropical, surroundings. I could have lounged on the open air terrace for the entire vacation actually.... but there was a town to explore!

One of the best places I found for vegan food in Honolulu was Peace Cafe. I ADORE this place. So homey and welcoming, this little bistro serves up some seriously good (and all vegan!) food. They are mainly a lunch restaurant, heavy and the salads and sandwiches, but they also serve up fresh vegan baked goods and delicious coffees and teas as well. I really loved my Caesar Salad (above). The crisp lettuce held up beautifully to the cashew cream dressing and crumbled nut "cheese." A few slices of toasted garlic bread drizzled with fruity olive oil completed the plate nicely.

And then there was this bad boy - The Popeye. This sandwich of miso-tahini spinach and tofu is outstanding. First of all, the bread is perfection. Super soft and able to soak in the tahini without getting soggy. But the flavors were what really got me. Everything was so fresh and

there was obviously so much care that went into making this sandwich. If everyone ate this food all the time, I really think there would be a little more peace in the world. I'll be back Peace Cafe!

After lunch there we decided to walk down the street to what I thought was a small health food store so I could see if they carried kombucha, and so we could get some snacks for the beach. Well, not only does Down to Earth have kombucha and all the snacks you could ever want, this huge all vegetarian grocery store also has a salad bar, deli, vegan pizza and baked goods, and just about anything else your heart could desire. We decided to come back for lunch another day so I could make myself a mean salad at the salad bar and my husband could have this wonderful creation:

That is DTE's mock chicken sandwich and it is awesome (well, the one bite I was allowed before my hand was swatted away was awesome)! Crispy breaded "chicken" is served up with all the fixin's on a toasted bun. Down to Earth has tons of made-to-order items like this on their menu and if we'd had more time in Honolulu, and if it wasn't a $10 cab ride each way from our hotel, we would have eaten there a lot more often. Next trip for sure. :)

Okay that's all I have the energy for right now. Is it just me, or is this week a lot more crazy than it should be? Where does the time go? In any case, keep eating well and I'll be back with more Hawaiian eats soon.....