Hawaii Day 8: Visiting Friends on Red Hill

img_3899.jpgimg_3901.jpgWe all had breakfast and then Damien and Hoku were off to school and daycare, Billy was off to the office, Ka’eo went to his daycare, and Ging was working from home.

img_3906.jpgimg_3907.jpgimg_3910.jpgimg_3904.jpgimg_3908.jpgI took Makai down to the beach so he could see how close it was. And so I could see how beautiful I remembered it to be!

img_3920.jpgFor lunch we went to this plate lunch spot in Kailua called Fatboy’s. I wasn’t sure how it would be, but we really liked it. Dallas got a the BBQ mix plate that included teri chicken, kalbi and teriyaki beef. I got the garlic chicken, which is their most popular item. It’s boneless crispy chicken that you dip into garlic sauce. Really good. We sat outside and Makai ate food from both of us.

img_3923.jpgDallas looked up a liquor store near Fatboy’s and quick stopped in and then we were off to BJ and Nalani’s house. I’d forgotten how beautiful the drive on H3 can be.

img_3937.jpgimg_3945.jpgFullSizeRender-2FullSizeRender-3BJ and Nalani have a really nice townhouse on Red Hill, near the Moanalua neighborhood of Honolulu. We went over to watch the NFL draft with BJ and his Uncle Buzzy. Nalani was at work and Aunty Sally was also there to help mind Kanehoa, who we got to meet for the first time. Makai and Kanehoa had a great time playing all afternoon! Kanehoa is just over a year old.

img_3969.jpgAunty and Uncle both left just before Nalani arrived home from work. We went outside to enjoy the weather and bbq. BJ grilled stak and bacon wrapped mushrooms. Makai and Kanehoa sat in the wagon and got pulled around.

img_3961.jpgWhile we were outside I noticed these strange trees. At first I thought they were painted, but on closer look they were all kinds of colorful bark. Nalani told me they’re called Rainbow Eucalyptus.  So pretty!

Here are some of the beers I drank that day:  img_3958.jpgPrimo, now an old favorite. New can.

img_3966.jpgMana Wheat by Maui Brewing Co. It’s brewed with pineapple juice. It’s not super strong, but I could only drink one.

img_3975.jpgColdfoot Pilsner by Silver Gulch Brewing. BJ got this in Alaska and you can’t get it anywhere else.

img_3977.jpg At dinner we were talking about BJ’s new slippers. They’re Oofos. Made in Korea. Turns out that Nalani knew a guy, Kuni, from a class below their class that sold them. She texted him and he came over with a bunch of shoes and we each bought a pair! I got these mocha ones. They’re unbelievable comfortable.

img_3974.jpg Makai and Kanehoa – BFFs!

Isobar Holiday Party at Prime & Provisions

IMG_0663_edit
Rachelle & Dallas

IMG_0666_edit
Rachelle & Aimee (so happy she could fly in, even if it meant her first night away from Charleston!)

IMG_0727_edit
Left: Chris, Ujval, Becky, Jen, Rachelle, Romi. Right: Rachelle, Becky, Megan, Katie.

This year the Isobar holiday party was at Prime & Provisions, a new(ish) steakhouse in The Loop. Amanda came down from Milwaukee to babysit, so we could stay out as late as we wanted 🙂 . I’d never been to Prime & Provisions. It was really nice. The second we entered and checked our coats we were offered the signature drink of the night – something with gin. There was an upstairs room where there was a whiskey tasting from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. I tried the Japanese one, but I’m not a huge whiskey person. There was also a photo booth upstairs. Downstairs was the main bar with a DJ and the food – filet mignon, chicken, salmon, as well as a ton of sides and salad. We all sat in the dining room of the restaurant to eat.

IMG_0752_editAJ, Scott, Megan, Jessie, Katie (photo via Isobar)

IMG_0751_editDallas, Rachelle, Sydney, Chris, Jessie, Katie (photo via Isobar)

IMG_0753_editAndrew and Britt (photo via Isobar)

IMG_0754_editGeoff and Tony announcing award winners. (photo via Isobar)

The big excitement of the night was when three of my teammates that I work very closely with, Becky, Romi and Chris, won awards. My team took home three of five awards! Whoo hooo! Even though I didn’t personally win, I was happy to be on such a great team. The awards were handed out at dinner and from then on it was wine, wine, wine, wine, photobooth, wine. I loved the Prime & Provision space. It was very condusive to mingling and fun. I talked with so many people, new friends and old. And Dallas got to catch up with people he knew from other events and also meet some new ones. By now this is our eighth year attending a Roundarch Roundarch Isobar Isobar holiday party, and I thought it was one of the most fun of them all! Big ups to Heidi for planning everything!

2014isobarholidayparty
2014: Pump Room
2013isobarholidayparty
2013: Siena Tavern
2012isobarholidayparty
2012: W City Center
2011isobarholidayparty
2011: ZED 451
2010isobarholidayparty
2010: Epic
2009isobarholidayparty
2009: Griffin Lounge
2008isobarholidayparty
2008: Blue Water Grill

More From Arizona

Some more random photos from our trip to Arizona:

IMG_0001.jpg

IMG_0004.jpg

Makai was pretty good in the airport. He was really excited to see the airplanes and wanted to run around a lot, but I was ok with him getting his energy out. We ate a meal before both of our flights so we didn’t really need all the snacks I packed. On the plane Makai was really good. He mostly watched cartoons or played games on the iPhone and iPad. We also had some new books for him to read.

IMG_7888.JPG
Makai swam in the pool almost every day and sometimes twice a day. He also loved that there were four dogs. His favorite was Ralphie, who used to live with Dallas’s parents, but was too old to make the trip back to Hawaii, so now he lives with Caroline and Jose.

IMG_0010.jpg
Early-morning coloring with grandpa.

IMG_0056.jpg
Chillin’ in Gracie’s custom-made chair that Uncle Jose brought back from Africa.

(null)
Fancy dinner at Fleming’s to celebrate George’s birthday and Caroline and Jose’s wedding anniversary (Makai was born on their wedding day!). The kids meal included a small filet and some apples with caramel dippy.

IMG_7887.JPG
As for Makai’s birthday, we celebrated with cake, which is all he really knows about birthdays: You get birthday cake.

IMG_0092.jpg

IMG_0074.jpg

IMG_0077.JPG
In-N-Out: Makai approves. He did thumbs up all on his own!

IMG_0080.jpg
Caroline has a piano that Makai discovered and liked to play.

IMG_0090.jpg
(null)
Fun at a huge and awesome splash pad on a hot day!

IMG_0085.jpg
Back at O’Hare, while we were gone, they replaced the country flags with breast cancer awareness flags.

Nineteen Years and Just Like It Was Yesterday!

20131005-215102.jpg

On Friday, Dallas and I met up with Dallas’s friend Matt, who he had not seen for NINETEEN years! Ever since graduation parties after they graduated high school. For most people, if you hadn’t seen someone for nineteen years, you wouldn’t even bother, but if there’s one thing I learned about Kamehameha Schools, it’s that everyone who went there is friends for life. Especially those who boarded together, away from their friends and families, for years.

Dallas has told me stories of Matt and his wife, who was also in their class at Kamehameha Schools, so it was nice to finally meet him. We met up for dinner at Chicago Cut, one of Dallas’s favorite Chicago steakhouses, for a nice dinner. .. probably my last splurge meal before the baby is born. Matt still hangs out with a lot of Hawaiians where he lives in Portland and I could tell right away because of his pidgin, but by the time we ordered our appetizers, Dallas was right there too.

After dinner, I sleepily headed home with an overstuffed belly, but Dallas and Matt met up with friends downtown for a late night of drinking and reminiscing. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Matt and his wife again next year at their 20 year Kamehameha Schools high school reunion! If not, I’m hoping that it will not be another 19 years before we see Matt again!

Excited for Summer and Fall Openings Logan Square

radler
1. The Radler is going to be a Bavarian beer hall and restaurant that uses locally sourced meat and produce. They plan to bring the cooking traditions of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic to the 21st century. They will serve fresh locally-made Bavarian styles of craft beer, as well as aged beer.

tht
2. The Harding Tavern is a new restaurant/bar slated to open this summer. The owner is Esam Hani, who also runs the Latin American restaurant Cafe Con Leche in Logan Square. Photo courtesy of Ed.

logan_square_distillery
3. I’ve seen this guy a few days in a row painting over the Theissen Printing sign on the building. This is where Chicago Distilling Company is opening up. Spirits like vodka, whiskey and amaro will be produced on site and tours will be given on the distillation process. There will also be a bar and a retail area to sell their different products.

In addition to these three, there are many other confirmed and rumored places coming to Logan Square, within walking distance of my condo, in the next several months:

4. The guys from Scofflaw are opening something in the old Bonny’s space.

5 & 6. Russ Grant from Boiler Room is opening two new places! A burger spot called Parts and Labor will open on Milwaukee just north of the square. He’s also opening a speakeasy-style bar called Prindiville in the building of the old mental health clinic that was shut down on Milwaukee Avenue.

7. Daddy Cool’s was open for about 3 seconds before it closed. In its space, the guys from Innjoy will be opening Madison Public House. They say this place will be pretty similar to Innjoy, which has been a popular Wicker Park bar for .. ? .. ever?

8. Las Islas Marinas closed recently and they say that the guys at Violet Hour will be opening something here. Ohh, Whistler, you better watch out!

9. Ronny’s has been shut down for quite some time and finally someone is opening something in the space. Land and Sea Dept. (who do Longman & Eagle, Empty Bottle and Parson’s Chicken and Fish) are said to be opening California Point, which will have a Bavarian theme and will serve sausages and soft pretzels. Can Logan Square handle TWO new Bavarian restaurants?

10. I only visited Rewster’s Cafe on Kedzie/Diversey once, but I really liked it and was a little bummed when it shut down. The Logan Square tapas restauarant Azucar is rumored to be working on a new spot to take the place of Rewster’s.

11. Reportedly, the owners of El Souk, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in the Gold Coast, are opening a Middle Eastern restaurant in Logan Square. It will be on the first floor, below Suite 25 and next to Rocking Horse on Milwaukee Avenue. I thought it might be open by now, but I can’t even figure out the name of it.

In addition to these 11 (!!!!), there were a few places that opened this spring that we’re already frequenting! As well, there is at least one storefront getting worked on that I can’t figure out anything about. Anyone know anything about the spot next to Chicago Diner?

parsons_chicken_and_fish_1
12. Parson’s Chicken and Fish is just around the corner and we’ve been there THREE weekends in a row already to hang out on the patio and sip cool drinks while indulging in the fried fish and grilled chicken, which we prefer over the fried chicken. Parson’s came to us from the Land and Sea Dept., mentioned above (#9). Since it’s opening in mid-May, Parson’s has become a real hot spot, even though it’s kind of out of the way on Armitage/Humboldt.

13. Intelligentsia opened just north of the square at the end of April. I visited with Jess once, and don’t get me wrong, I love Intelligentsia, but I don’t think I’ll go that often.. just because I pretty much have to walk past 5 other coffee shops to get there. I think I will still walk out of the way sometimes, though! I think it’s funny that the Intelligentsia says the reason they wanted to open in Logan Square is because it’s where their employees live and where they like to hang out.

14. Polanco, a Latino steakhouse opened in the old Real Tenochtitlan spot. The Reader says there are some hits and misses, but I feel like we need to check it out for ourselves one day!

Loving living in Logan Square!! Anything that I’m missing in this list?