Franklin Fountain, Philly, PA

Later on, the day after our brunch at Silver Diner, we pointed the good ole GPS to Philiadelphia, which we were embarrassed to learn was a mere five miles over a bridge from the hotel. We were embarrassed only because on our previous trip to Monster Mania, we neglected to stray too far from Cherry Hill (yes, there was a previous trip).

Adam Richman and Man Vs Food has led us to some pretty great places in the past, namely the HukilauCafe and Helena’s, both while we honeymooned in Hawaii. Given the opportunity to retrace more of his steps while on a little mini-vacation was something that we couldn’t pass up.

The interior of Franklin Fountain

My wife decided that she wanted ice cream and Franklin Fountain was going to hit the spot. Started by some Philly entrepreneurs, the ice cream shop is more like a shoppe, and they say on the website that it is more like 1911 than 2011. It’s true, too… we wondered about how original the place was, as it felt like they merely kept an old place going for the past hundred years. The tin ceilings, marble counters, apothecary-style oak cabinetry, ornate old-timey register and even the uniforms – all the details take you back in time. The flavors sort of do, too, with mostly classic no-frills flavors steeped in history, and even a few local favorites, like teaberry. Other sundries available for purchase, like the candy, postcards, bottled sodas and such enhance the old general store feel. Candy cigarettes! Bubble gum cigars! Licorice pipes! Fun small batch sodas with strange flavors and great-looking labels! Home made chocolates!

The ice cream menu is extensive, but not overwhelming, We opted for their specialty sundae, the Mount Vesuvius, a heap of vanilla bean ice cream, topped with warm chunks of home made brownies, home made hot fudge, home made whipped cream and sprinkled with malt powder. It was plenty for the two of us, as the ice cream isn’t your light and fluffy grocery store variety, but rather a thicker, rich and creamy variety with a smooth consistency. It actually tasted like milk and cream – imagine that! The hot fudge was thick and sticky, The brownie chunks were just plain awesome… fudgey, warm, and pleasantly square. The whipped cream was great, too, and I appreciated the malt powder as well. It added to the old-timey feel and kept everything from becoming too sweet. .

In short, next time we are anywhere near Philly, we will be back to the Fountain for another decadent ice cream selection, whether it be ice cream weather or not.

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.

Moco Loco at Rainbow Drive In

When my wife and I get to travel – in fact, whenever we get to travel – eating is a big part of the experience. Most people make lists of historic or cultural attractions, and we do some of that as well, but equal or maybe more preparation goes into setting a food itinerary. We research where the locals eat, not just the touristy restaurants on the strip. We watch Travel Channel shows on where we are heading to try to get a lay of the land. At lot of it is by the seat of our pants as well once we arrive, but even a mediocre food adventure is still an adventure, and hey, you gotta eat, right?

Loco Moco, a starchy plate lunch most Hawaiians eat to start their day

When on the island of Oahu for our honeymoon, we started in Waikiki, just off the beach. The strip there was a series of high-end shops that felt like a tropical Fifth Avenue – Coach, Fendi, Tiffany, Louis Vitton, etc… – and a series of typical American restaurant fare, catering mostly to the Japanese tourists. I mean, c’mon, Denny’s? Why would I want to go to Denny’s? There were at least one of every chain restaurant you could think of, alongside many typical tropical/touristy theme restaurants that were Mexican or Japanese steakhouse, or what have you. We were looking for what the locals ate, and it was surprising hard to find.

Without going into the reasons why that might be the case, we were armed with a few insights gleaned from the internet and Man v. Food. So within the first day, we made it a point to find the Rainbow Drive-In.

The Rainbow is an old local establishment that’s been dishing out simple Hawaiian soul food in the open air for the past 50 years. Don’t let the moniker “drive-in” fool you…  there are no car hops or rollerskates – merely a place to park, get out of the car, and walk up to a window to place an order for a “plate lunch”. Plate lunch is simple, and usually consists of rice and a protein from chicken, to hamburg steak, to fish. We were there to try the Loco Moco, a favorite among the local and visitors alike.

The dish is scary in its simplicity and sounds like a heart-attack waiting to happen – a bed of white rice, two hamburger patties topped with brown gravy and two eggs to order. We got them over easy, which made the dish even richer, with that yellow ooze mixing with the brown gravy and soaking the rice. The dish was about $7.00 and was plenty for both of us to split. Whoever says it’s expensive to eat in Hawaii is correct, but only if you stick to the chain or tourist restaurants.

While it may sound like a heart-attack special, it didn’t sit in my stomach like a brick until the end. The fluffy rice helped make each bite less of a rich, dense mess and more like a spongy, layered forkful of complimentary textures and flavors. The hamburg was soft and juicy with the gravy, the egg was rich and complimented the burger well, and the rice just drew them both together even more. It was really, really good and was not the last Loco Moco we tried while on the islands.

In short, when you travel, try to wander down the side streets, away from the tourist districts. There are plenty of surprises to try when you’re in a new place with an exciting mix of cultures and influences. And a little research never hurts.