Just A Kauai Road Trip . . .

So I got this "blue book" about Kauai and yadda yadda yadda; it recommended the Kauai Bakery and I decided that was where we were going to eat breakfast for day 2 of our vacation.

Easier said than done.

As this is my first time on Kauai maybe, just maybe, I should have paid for GPS in the rental car.

We leave the hotel at 9am for what should be a short drive to mile marker 3 on Highway 50.   This would guarantee that the Kauai Bakery would not run out of their apple turnovers which allegedly happens by 11am daily according to the "blue book."

Well up and down Highway 50 we drove.  Mile marker 1 to mile marker 7 and back and I could not find the Kauai Bakery.

At the point that I was about to give up I pulled out the trusty iPhone and typed in the address only to find that we are so far from where we were supposed to be.

We eventually found the Kauai Bakery inside the Kulkui Grove Shopping Center and fortunately they still had many tasty treats to buy.  I got the giant Cinnamon roll above and a bag of Toasted Cinnamon Roll slices.

After breakfast we were off to find the town of Po'ipu for guess what?   Lunch!

But on the way to Po'ipu I made a wrong turn which led us on a rental car off road adventure.  We had reached the end of the paved street and I remembered reading in the "blue book" about a great beach area off a dirt road.  The road included the counting of telephone poles to make sure we were headed in the right direction.

Eventually we found an area with several parked cars called Maha'ulepu Beach.

Just Mom and I, although totally not dressed appropriately for a hike, set out into the brush to find the beach.  I was wearing my new JCrew shoes and Mom was wearing her nice sandals.

I am sure the beach is just over this ridge.  I can hear it I swear!

We found it!

Seriously how gorgeous is this place?

After walking up and down the beach it was time to hike back through the brush to where we left the car.

And you may be asking yourself, where was Just Dad through all of this?

Oh see, he was sitting in the car the whole time reading the infamous "blue book."

After our beach adventure we still needed to find the Po'ipu Shopping Village to get a Puka Dog.  Loyal Readers may remember my love/hate relationship with Puka Dog from four years ago when my friend Wendy and I flew from the Big Island to Oahu so that we could get one of those famous hot dogs featured on the travel channel.

My review from before pretty much still holds true and I still think the best part about the Puka Dog is the Banana Relish.

After strolling the rest of the Po'ipu Shopping Village it was back to the car to find Port Allen.

In Port Allen we visited the Red Dirt Factory Outlet Store as featured on the TV show Dirty Jobs.

Wait.  What is that across the street?  A candy store?
Of course I had to try some tropical chocolate from the Kauai Chocolate store.

On the way back to the resort we pulled off the road to take pictures of the beautiful landscape.

So to sum up day two on Kauai...he was eatin' he was eatin' he was eatin'!

Just Jon's First Day On Kauai . . .

So if you didn't figure it out in the last post Loyal Readers; Surprise!  I am blogging to you from the beautiful Island Hawaii!

That's right my friends, I am on vacation and could not be more excited to start my time away from the City by the Bay on The Garden Island of Kauai.

This is my first trip to Kauai and let me tell you how happy I was when I buckled my seat belt on the plane and discovered that the two seats next to me were empty!  Five hours on a plane with a whole row to myself?  Yes please!

The Advil PM I took quickly kicked in and when I awoke to the shriek of a child several rows back I discovered that my row had been invaded by a man who decided he did not want to sit next to his wife for five hours.  At least I still had one seat next to me that was still empty.

I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep and missed two passes of the drink cart but was pleased when I awoke just in time for Alaska Airlines' third pass which included a complimentary Mai Thai!  Does it get any better than this?

Well, not so fast, with about an hour left of the flight the stewardess came on the loud speaker to inform us that "we had used a lot of water on this flight and there was no more water for the sinks in the bathroom."  Can we say EWW!

After we landed I had a little over two hours to kill in the Lihue Airport before for my partners in crime (a.k.a. Just Mom and Just Dad) arrived from Los Angeles.

Mistake #1

I did not realize just how small the Lihue Airport was and while the plan was to get something to eat while I waited, I stepped through one to many doors and found myself beyond the point of no return.  I was in baggage claim and there were no food vending machines and all "restaurants" were "inside" the airport "terminal" which I was now not allowed back into.

I talked to two airport employees who first confirmed that there are no food vending machines in any of the baggage claim areas and whose best suggestion was for me was to catch the "Marriott" shuttle bus and get something to eat there.

Ummmmm....No.

I pouted for about thirty minutes on a bench outside the baggage claim while three chickens seemed to mock my hunger by eating pieces of candy left on the ground.  Then divine intervention struck... I decided I should go pick up the rental car so that when Just Mom and Just Dad arrived we could head straight to the nearest restaurant and chow down.  Brilliant!

The revised plan worked well.

I got the rental car and scoped out the area for a place to eat.  Then went back to the airport just in time to pick up the parents.

Just Mom bravely stands on a log while the ocean waves crash against the shore.

Just Jon ain't getting on that log.

I will kick it on a swing though!

Shaved Ice?  YUM!

Night falls on our first day on Kauai!

Just Kauai . . .

Well, I can now say that Lihue Airport in Hawaii has the least amount of frills of all the Hawaiian Islands I have been to.

No joke, the three "employees" working baggage claim B are chickens!  Their cock-a-doodle-do had me doing a double take.  Did I really just see three chickens running around the baggage carousel?

Yes. Yes I did!

Just Another Food Truck Spot . . .

Last September I shared with you Loyal Readers my first experience at Off The Grid; a food truck culinary extravaganza held Friday evenings at Fort Mason.

In what I would equate to the millennium's answer to the mall food court; there is a new contender in town.

Located at corner of 11th and Bryant Street across from the Costco parking garage is the semi-permanent SOMA STREATFOOD PARK.

What was missing at the Fort Mason's traveling food fest is more than compensated for at this location.  SOMA StreatFood Park has a covered seating area with a giant projection screen for watching sporting events!

While the truck options on the day that I visited were limited at best, I have driven past this place when some of the more well known and followed trucks were serving their creations.

On my visit I ate at the Slider Shack.

I got the Choice Of 2 Sliders for $7.00 and a side of Cader Tots for $3.00.

My first slider was the Kalua Pork Slider which is "slow cooked a minimum of 12 hours with Hawaiian Alaea salt for a distinctively smoky Hawaiian imu flavor, dressed with Slider Shack's spicy Polynesian green sauce, and topped with more BBQ sauce if you like."

Mine was not topped with more BBQ sauce and I found this slider to be a bit on the dry side.

My second slider was the Original Slider which was made with "Marin Sun Farms 100% grass fed beef, infused with Slider Shack's unique marinade for 24 hours.  Pepper jack cheese and pickles complete this masterpiece."

My palate was quite pleased with the Original Slider as it had a nice kick.

To finish off my meal I tried SF Delights Thai Coffee Tiramisu.  While I would give the presentation an A+ the taste satisfaction was just OK.

 I look forward to visiting SOMA StreatFood Park again in the future and trying other truck food creations.

Just San Francisco Pride Parade 2012 . . .

This weekend marked the 42nd Annual San Francisco Gay Pride Celebration and Parade.   Following are some pictures from this years festivities.

Celebrity Grand Marshal Dot Marie Jones who plays Coach Beiste on Glee.

Celebrity Grand Marshal Carmen Carrera from RuPaul's Drag Race.

My friend Shagun performed with the Sambaxe dance troupe for the parade.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.

Celebrity Grand Marshal - Comedienne Sarah Silverman

Singer and Celebrity Apprentice contestant Aubrey O'Day

Just America's Future . . .

Playing Words With Friends against anonymous opponents has given me more reason to fear the future of America if this is an example of a product of the American education system.

Just Old Skool Cafe . . .

If you want to have a meal that will not only feed your body but also feed your soul than you need to make a reservation at Cora Jean's Old Skool Cafe in Bayview.

Old Skool Cafe is a youth-run supper club that provides "employment opportunities and training for youth as apprentice chefs, waiters and entertainers."

Upon entering the club, you are immediately transported back in time as you are greeted by the host who is dressed in 1920's elegance.  Your host leads you up to the tufted banquette seating while a jazz singer and piano player croon away on the main floor.

The food is served tapas style small plates.

I ordered the Grexican Burgers which consist of three flame-grilled slider burgers with feta cheese, oregano, pickled red onion, grilled poblano chile, tomatillo salsa and chipotle aioli.  I loved it!

I also ordered Abu's West African Peanut Butter Stew.  The dish originated in Sierra Leone and has chunky chicken, creamy coconut milk, topped with fresh herbs and garlic chips.  Delicious!

Throughout the evening the servers rotate taking turns on the main floor sharing their personal stories, performing spoken word poems, or singing a song.  While the stories will break your heart you can't help but root for these kids to succeed.

The restaurant is located in Mendell Plaza which is at the heart of Bayview.  Though the neighborhood has a history of poverty and crime; Old Skool is just one of several new businesses that have opened in the community in the last year.

To learn more about the incredible work Old Skool Cafe is doing for the youth of the community please watch this short film.