That cake.

When I am planning a trip I love to read and learn about my future destination. I'll search and read Trip Advisor and when I start to read the same thing over and over I start to believe it.

Like this time I read about coconut cake at Waikiki Beach. This cake reference and these cake pictures kept popping up. It wasn't long before "find that coconut cake" was short-listed on my must-do list at Waikiki Beach.

Truth be told, that when travel plans shortened our trip, I scratched "hike Diamond Head" off the list and kept "find coconut cake."  (Feel like you know me a bit better now? Hahaha.)

So... this cake. It is from Halekulani Resort. It's a stunning, exclusive, 5 star kind of place. But if you're not wearing sandy flip flops and you mind your manners, you can get the cake... to go. Which is what I did.

I seem to remember the slice of cake being about $15 and thinking, "this better be good cake."

It came in its own clear display box, with a fresh orchid as garnish, and was handed to me in a signature Halekulani cloth shopping bag.  So, that was impressive.

When I got back to my hotel room, I first took pictures of the cake. (Isn't that what all bloggers do when they get their food and it looks amazing?)

I was almost nervous to take a bite.

Sure enough..... AMAZING. The best way to describe it would be to say I think this is what
I think clouds taste like. Heavenly clouds!

The cake is so light, and nearly flavourless, but in a good way. You reach for another bite just to let your tastebuds at it again. There is a gentle, fresh coconut flavour that starts to emerge, but overall you just taste 'cloud.' It's pretty freaking amazing.

They are kind enough to publish the signature recipe on-line. Someday I will tackle this recipe in hopes I can come close to recreating it.

The cake is so popular, Google has it right atop their links when you start typing "coconut cake H..."

Have you ever gone out of your way to track down a meal, or a particular treat that you'd read about or seen on Food Network?
Do post your finds in the comments. I'd love to hear about them.

Lunch at 59th & Lex

Did you know that Bloomingdales Department Store has a cafe?

We stumbled upon the cafe and outdoor patio at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach, California. They had lunch and happy hour specials that were priced to rival any cookie-cutter chain restaurant, but their meals were out-of-this-world elegant and delicious.  I was completely delighted with our decision to stop and have raved about it since.

My lunch included a glass of wine, entree and dessert slice for under $20.

It was one of those delicious and memorable travel moments that happened because we were open to try new things and be spontaneous rather than sticking to a rigid schedule and pre-planned events.

Kids' meal chicken strips with fruit salad

Salmon Nicoise

Raspberry frozen yogurt and pink lemonade included with the kids' meal.

Fast Five Travel Notes: The memorable meals of 2014

When I travel, I love trying regional cuisine. I stay away from chain restaurants and look for the gems. I look for recommendations from hotel staff, other guests and on-line blogs too.

Here are a few of the great treats I enjoyed on the road this year:

1. Fish Chowder from the Fairmont Southampton, in Bermuda. It was a thin, spicy fish soup, topped with a float of sherry. It had lots of flavour and with a cocktail and a slice of crusty bread, it was perfect.

2.  Lobster roll, a spicy lobster caesar and chilled lobster tails were fabulous at Rock Lobster restaurant on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. They had several locations and have been featured on the TV show "You Gotta Eat Here"

3. Absolutely everything at Giada's at the Cromwell in Las Vegas, was fabulous. I can't wait to go back!










4.  Hemingways Restaurant in Orlando Florida delivered a memorable and gorgeous meal.  It was fresh, flavourful and easy on the calorie count. I loved every bite.

5. Cheeseburger from Tastee's. They are just so damn good. I probably ate 50 this year!












Honourable Mention:  Best $12 hot dog ever, was at the Toronto Blue Jay's game. We were having fun and geez, when you're at the ball park, you NEED to have ball park food. And seriously, where else are you getting a $12 hot dog?

Our Amazing Adventure: Part 8 The Food

I have a rule when I travel. No chain restaurants if at all possible. Oh, but I know that's a major challenge when travelling with children.... someone always wants the comfort or familiarity of Subway, and they ARE on every corner in every town. But it IS possible.

I simply feel you have a more "local" and authentic travel experience when you think outside the chain. I was very proud of my son for not even asking for a mc-something at all on this trip.

In Quebec City he chose a place called "Les Trois Garcon" for breakfast. It was great! I loved their decor. We did our best to order in French. I believe, translated directly, my son asked for "an egg of the chicken, a small pig and bread that is blank." Charming, in a grade 6 french class kind of way.

Rue Saint Jean becomes a pedestrian only street each evening.

My favourite memory from the trip was our sunset dinner on Rue Saint Jean at Sapristi. It was simply the moment. My son and I laughed and debriefed the events of the day. We had no time constraints and were just hanging out. Hanging out with fabulous food, on a fabulous summer night, on a patio in a fabulous city! Our server was a warm and gracious host. We ordered dessert just to linger in the moment. Our own little french postcard memory, if you will.

I won't pretend to be a foodie or tell you what to eat. My only advice is to budget 20% more for dining than you normally would. Not because food is more expensive in Quebec, but because you will want the moment to last. You'll splurge on dessert and another drink just so you can stay a while longer.  And you'll be so glad you did!

Bermuda: The Fish Chowder

There are two dishes that stand out in the authentic Bermudian culinary experience. One is their fish chowder, the other is Sunday cod and boiled potatoes.

This photo is of the fish chowder served in The Jasmine Lounge of the Fairmont Southampton. The fish chowder is NOT a creamy potato and clam blend like that of New England. It's not a clam chowder at all. Nothing like that!

It is dark brown, is thin, tomato based, spicy and not particularly "fishy" tasting. If you look closely in the photo the soup looks as if it has separated, but that's not the case at all. In Bermuda your soup is served, and then it is drizzled with sherry pepper sauce and dark rum at the table.

I eagerly dug into this gorgeous soup and was anything but disappointed. It was such a rich blend of spices and flavours, I can say that no two spoonfuls were the same. At times, I really couldn't tell if it was the temperature, or the delicious spice that was setting my tongue on fire.

The soup was just $11 and was served with a sweet Johnny Cake and butter.  I found it quite filling and positively satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I did not get a chance to experience traditional Sunday brunch, though I do understand it is as much about faith, family and community as it is the food. It has brought people together in churches and homes as a way to feed and nourish all, especially the needy. The tradition has continued and Sunday is known as the day to gather and enjoy cod, boiled potatoes, onion, avocado and bananas. It sound interesting, if not appealing. Logically, it is the food most plentiful in the region and has been for generations.

The history of the land, the people and their faith are often told through cuisine. You can learn a great deal about a culture from experiencing the food and respecting the manners in which it is prepared and served.

If you are interested in trying these dishes at home, recipes are plentiful on the Internet.

Disney Cruise: Part 3... The Tastes

The food on a Disney Cruise is certainly above average. And, Disney knows just what your family likes!

There's a tried and true kids' menu with chicken fingers, mac 'n cheese, and mini burgers. And every night the kids' menu has a different Disney theme and colouring projects to keep them busy. Of course, meal service is so quick, they'll hardly have time to colour!

On board the Wonder, there are three sit-down dinner restaurants that you are assigned to. With your cabin assignment you are also given a dinner rotation and a seating time. You will have the same server and assistants every evening.

You will also dine with the same table mates. Our table of 8, was made up of a Texas Grandma and her two delightful grand daughters, plus a Polish couple and their sweet 7 year old girl. Add my son and me, that equals 8.

Our servers Lito and Marcel got to know us and our preferences pretty quickly and knew before the second dinner that Kamryn liked lots of ketchup with her chicken fingers and I liked a cappuccino after the meal, and with my 2 or 3 desserts!

The three restaurants on the Wonder are: Tritons - (most formal); Animator's Palate (most unique) and Parrot Cay (most Caribbean & casual). There are numerous theme menus, ranging from Pirate Night to Captain's Dinner. The Captain's Dinner serves lobster, and was my favourite.

Chilled salmon salad.

There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from every night. Your children may also order any item they wish off the adult menu, and my son often did. He LOVED the seafood pasta, and the traditional turkey dinner, and tried many of the fresh salads too.

Lemon tofu with couscous. 

I found some menu items very salty. Some, I found a little stingy, and others were simply perfect. With so many options, everyone will find something to suit their tastes. There are vegetarian options, and gluten free dishes on every menu. They take dietary needs seriously and were very accommodating of requests.

Meals are included with your cruise fare, as are non-alcoholic fountain beverages, milk and iced tea. Fancy kids' drinks (which they try to sell you every day and night) are extra, as is wine, and liquor.  Even specialty coffees, like cappuccino (non-alcoholic) are an additional charge.

There is one adult-only, fine dining restaurant on each ship. On the Wonder it is called Palo. It requires reservations and meal charges range from $35 & up. I didn't get a chance to experience Palo, as my "date" for the week was 8 years old!

There is one formal night, where guests are expected to wear their finest suits and dresses. There is also a semi-formal night in a 7 night cruise. On every Disney cruise there is a pirate night where you dress up as much or as little as you like in the theme.  Otherwise, "cruise casual" is the expected attire. Think.... golf course. Tank tops and shorts are not permitted at dinner.

There are also numerous casual places to grab a bite on the ships. Buffets, hot dogs and a late-night pizza station satisfy hunger quite capably. Of course, there is also room service 24 hours a day. That too is included in your fare, however, cash gratuities are expected for room service each time.

Self serve beverage station.

There is a 24 hour self-serve beverage station where you can get a soda, milk, coffee or tea any time you like.

Must try treats on the ship are Mickey Bars (ice cream bar on a stick shaped like a Mickey Mouse head), the banana bread in Parrot Cay, and the lobster.

Dining is one of the signatures of a cruise. I would encourage you to try new things and enjoy the variety.

Fresh tomato & cheese appetizer tart

That's a plate of spaghetti!

Sometimes on an trip the food is memorable. In this case, it certainly was!

On a visit to the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas, we ate at a restaurant in the Marina Villiage called Carmine's. It was an Italian, Family Style restaurant.

Carmine's served everything "family style" meaning one large serving platter with enough for everyone at the table.

Unbelievable! It took the waitress two hands to hold this platter.

We laughed and I invited the busboys to join us. There was no way the four of us could eat that much spaghetti. Plus, we had a Caesar salad with it that was likely made with four whole heads of lettuce. Crazy!

Crazy but fun! We would totally go back. And we'd go back prepared... we'd run a marathon, climb mountains and starve all day. THEN we'd go for dinner at Carmine's and eat like kings.