Brunch at LJs

When I found out that some friends of mine hadn’t eaten at LJs, I couldn’t help suggesting that we try them next time we do brunch, especially when I heard that one of them was a self-declared pulled pork fiend. She even went so far as to describe the food as “one of the best things humans ever came up with”. So when Sunday rolled around, LJs was the plan.

I love, love the Big Mess: potatoes, pulled pork, poached eggs and BBQ tinged hollandaise. Throw some hot sauce on top and dig right in. The BBQ and hollandaise and egg mix together with the pork… oh my gawd. Delicious.

The Modern Diner introduced me to the idea of pulled pork with eggs with one of their specials, a pulled pork omelette – but LJs homemade pulled pork, BBQ sauce and hollandaise just takes it all to the next delectable level. So much so that three out of the four of us got the Big Mess and loved it.

The other at our table – my wife – got another amazing staple, the LJs Benedict. Almost like the Big Mess, but with a few welcome additions: poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise over pulled pork and grilled cornbread with a side of homefries.

The atmosphere is a little Southern inspired for sure, but still feels down home in New England. The tables are covered in that standard red gingham that lets you know you are eating BBQ, and instead of napkins there’s a big roll of paper towel on the table. Dig in!

It should be noted that we have tried other things on the menu, but these two dishes keep us coming back. Their cornbread pancakes with bacon bits cooked in are amazing – they make pancakes savory again. Their sweet potato pancakes are also really good, and if you can’t choose, get the pancake sampler: one buttermilk, one corn cake, and one sweet potato. The Power Tool is great – chili and cheese with homefries – and their sides of grits are delicious. All around, I don’t think you can really go wrong with brunch – or dinner – at LJs.

Malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery, Hawaii

Another local food attraction we found while on the islands was Leonard’s Bakery, located on one of the main roads out of Waikiki and into the hills nearby. Leonard’s is a locally owner family establishment that opened in 1952, serving local varieties of pastries, breads, and desserts. What most people from out of town come to eat are the Malasadas, made world-famous by Leonard’s and their staff.

3 custard and 3 Haupia (coconut) malasadas

Simply put, a malasada is a traditional Portuguese puff pastry most like a filled-donut. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Hawaiian establishment without putting their own twist on a traditional favorite. So, they can come sugar-dusted and filled with the traditional custard, or they can come cinnamon-dusted and filled with Haupia, a coconut concoction or dobash, another Hawaiian twist on a Hungarian Dobos torte. In Hawaii, dobash means chocolate chiffon cake with a pudding-like chocolate icing/filling and/or Chantilly cream filling and perhaps a dusting of cake crumbs. For Leaonard’s it’s a fluffy chocolate pudding filling. They even feature more exotic filling flavors during some months of the year, like banana, mango, pineapple or Lillikoi.

Delicious and easy to eat for New Englander’s like ourselves, these local donuts were hot from the oven, dusted with sugar and full of fresh creamy custard. Years of eating Dunkin’ Donuts trained us for this moment, and luckily the addition of the exotic location and the new coconut flavor made the breakfast extra special. The line was long but pretty quick, and the box of goodies was well-worth the wait. So much so that we did what a lot of families were doing, pulled up a piece of curb and dug right in.

While we first saw Leonard’s on Man Vs. Food, it wouldn’’t have been hard to stumble across this place either. Our concierge at the hotel made it a point to draw their location on a map and suggest if we want a snack to give them a try. Indeed, they made a wonderful but filling breakfast before we went and conquered Diamondhead, a former military base turned mountaineering trail for lightweights like us. Stunning views and a full belly of home-baked goodness.

Hukilau Cafe, Oahu, HI

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had, hands down. Let me back up…

While on vacation in Hawaii, we took a few roadtrips to find some interesting food. Twice on our trip, Adam Richman and Man vs. Food steered us towards a winner. In this case, it was because of an amazing idea for a burger: 1/4 beef patty topped with a fried egg and thin slices of marinated teriyaki beef, finished with cheese, tomato, lettuce and grilled onions. Oh ma gawd, it was great.

The Hukilau Cafe in Hukilau, about an hour north of Honolulu and Waikiki on Oahu was a down-to-earth local restaurant with unassuming decor, unassuming people and amazing prices. The people who say it is expensive to eat in Hawaii don’t venture too much further than the tourist strip with their beautiful views, expensive cocktails, and mediocre tourist food. This place has plate lunches, burgers, and grilled or fried seafood that just tasted so fresh. Beth and I walked out of there for about 20 bucks, and she had leftovers for later.

After the lunch left out bellies quite full, we ventured a little further up the road – not much further, actually – to Hukilau Beach, a public (state park?) beach that was mostly deserted with cool water, decent surf that wasn’t full of scary waves, and just a beautiful crescent of beach with great views. We were maybe 2 of the seven people on the entire mile long stretch of beach. It’s well worth a drive up for an amazing burger and a nap on the beach.