Kauai Paradise for 3 Weeks

Friday evening seafood buffet - $49.95/person plus your beverages. Make reservations. If you like to dine early (6-ish), ask for outside seating to enjoy the magnificent view of Hanalei Bay at sunset. The cold seafood was fabulous. Sashimi, the best I have ever had. Oysters, mussels, seared ahi and marlin rolls, clams, shrimp, seafood salads, sushi rolls. Warm included beef and salmon encrusted in filo dough and stuffed with spinach. Soup, baked fish (ono, I think), salad, bread, etc. The desserts were pretty good too, if you had room. Nice setting and attentive service.

I enjoyed the cold seafood the most; the rest was good caliber buffet food.

CJ’s in Princeville used to be called Chuck’s Steakhouse. We used to have a couple of these in Northern California, and dinner was always good. Since they changed to CJ’s, they lightened the place up, with newer décor and really friendly service. Make reservations - we called a couple of hours before dinner (8pm reservation), and when we arrived, the folks ahead of us had a 30-minute wait while we walked right in.

The food is straightforward. Always beef, steaks, and prime rib (unless they run out). Fresh Island fish is my choice, even though I love a good steak. The dinners include an all-you-can-eat salad bar that is pretty nice for Kauai. We all had ono (fish) - two had it prepared with garlic and wine sauce and one had blackened Cajun style. You get a large baked potato (most places charge you extra for a potato) and a boatload of fixin’s: bacon bits, sour cream, chives, butter. Excellent preparation and large portions for hungry tourists.

So if you need a salad fix and a great main course, try CJ’s in Princeville. In the Princeville shopping center near the Chevron station.

A chain restaurant in Kauai?? There is a new Pizzeta restaurant in Kappa. We were pleased to see this, since it is much closer to Princeville than Koloa town. I think the most popular item is pizza, but they also have calzones, salads, and dinners (fish, pasta). Both locations have a bar within the restaurant.

We tried the Kapaa location first, and were very pleased with the service, atmosphere, and food. They will be adding outside seating on a back deck. Calzones were good, as was the pasta, with lots of garlic and chicken. Salads are a little pricey. Several local beers on tap.

Our last week, we tried the Koloa location (we’ve eaten there many times in the past). The food was good, but the service was iffy, and the place just did not look great. We were overcharged for a salad that was ordered as part of a dinner and the server acted as if we ordered the wrong salad. We mentioned that we’d ordered the same in Kapaa and were informed that there are different owners for that restaurant (at least more owners than Koloa), even though the menu is the same. They resolved the charge, but just dropped the new check at the table and did not say anything further. I guess the Koloa location already does good business and does not have to try as hard as the new location in Kapaa. We’ll go back to Kapaa, but I think we’ll skip the Koloa location for the next several times.

Good and relatively (Kauai standards) cheap for a sit-down and service meal. You can roll in off the beach!

Sabella’s of Tiburon and Mill Valley, the sign inside said?? (It used to be The Beamreach.) We know there has been a Sabella’s at Fisherman’s Wharf for years, but Tiburon? Well, I guess it closed, and now the Kauai location has that lovely neon sign inside. We heard really good things from two parties that had eaten there. A fairly small, intimate restaurant; make reservations.

The server was fairly incompetent. The hostess did not remove the extra place setting, and the server did not tell us about the specials, screwed up the salads, and did not refill bread or ice unless we asked. Then he served the main dish on very hot plates – great, except they had not cleared the salad plates yet. The fish dishes we mixed up, and the fish was overcooked. So the server removed the fish dishes, but left my Chicken Saltimbocca. After a few minutes, he did ask if I wanted them to keep my meal warm so we could all eat together. So, when all was said and done, the main dishes were pretty tasty, but by then we were all fairly frustrated. This one is a toss-up - I guess it depends on the server and the night you show up.

We hear the Oki Diner is a local favorite. You choose your meal mostly by the picture. Older-style coffee-shop atmosphere, but don’t be scared. Some things on the menu we did not know, ie, Loco Moco, noodle dishes, etc. I overheard the spunky (70ish) waitress suggest to a young man that what he ordered was so-so and strongly suggested he try something else.

The breakfast was great, pancakes especially. The move the creamer and syrup from one table to another. The macadamia nut pancakes are delightful. The syrups are homemade: coconut, vanilla, and strawberry, no maple – so you’ll live. My husband had a fish (mahi-mahi) sandwich, which was also good. The Oki Diner does not accept credit cards (I don’t know about traveler’s checks), so it's best to have cash.

If you’re chicken, there is a McDonalds next door, but I would give the mac nut pancakes a try. Be brave and try a Kauai original.

Keoki’s – always one of our favorites. Fair warning--the food is NOT stacked. Fresh island fish, beef, chicken, lobster, and shrimp. The fish is the best. You pick your fish, then pick your preparation. Ahi encrusted in mac nuts and baked with herbs (still rare), Ono Keoki-style. The have maybe six different types of fish and, I believe, four or five preparations. Want garlic mashed potatoes (oh sooooo good) instead of rice? No problem. All the dinners come with a Caesar salad and bread (good warm rolls and these little spice muffins). The second time (yes, twice in one week so you know I liked it), we had coconut chicken--only because we had been eating fish for 3 weeks and were "fished out". The chicken was outstanding--real coconut (you could see and taste it), more mashed potatoes, and then we had to pack. That was ugly.

The portions are excellent for the hungry tourist (I don’t know why I get so hungry just relaxing on the beach), and the restaurant is indoor/outdoor. Make a reservation, as it is always packed. Ask for a table near the water, there is a pond below the bar and a little waterfall. The servers have always been friendly, accommodating, and efficient. Get there a little early--the parking at this center can be tough.

Oh yeah, dessert--they have several, but the only thing we’ve ever tried is their Hula Pie. Serves two to three. Yum, yum. They also have some seating in the bar with a less expensive bar menu, though I've never tried it yet. Live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Don’t miss this one. (I would definitely pick his over Roy’s unless you really like "stacked" cuisine.)

The breathtaking Napali coast. Don’t miss this sight, even if you use another company or choose a Zodiac tour (lots of fun too, but bouncier and a little rough on the bones). Don’t miss the Napali. If you get seasick, take the motion-sickness pills and tough it out. There is no other site on Kauai that is as unique and gorgeous as this coastline. You will never tire of the view.

We have been sailing with Capt. Andy for many years. We tease them that we need a frequent-sailing card. We have sailed numerous times with Capt. Rick, Capt. Mark, and this year with Capt. Trent. They run two great catamarans, the Sprit of Kauai and the Alikolani (I may have butchered that name). Both are roomy and comfortable. The crews have always been friendly and helpful.

You can choose to sit in the lower portion of the boat and avoid getting wet, but you came to smell the salt, feel the ocean mist, enjoy the view, and snorkel, didn’t you? The front trampolines are usually the wettest and bounciest, while the back of the boat rides fairly smooth. Very cool to be on the trampolines when you are running with the dolphins. We usually choose the 1pm snorkel/dinner tour. (My group are not morning people.) Five and a half hours that includes the scenic ride, snacks, snorkeling (includes gear), a dinner buffet, and open bar while sailing. We’ve seen turtles, dolphins, had great snorkeling, and met fun folks. Oh yeah, you get to enjoy a marvelous sunset too.

The dinner hasn’t changed much over the years - chicken thighs and beef, a nice salad, rice pilaf, bread, dessert. Sneaky Tikis, beer, wine, soda.

I have to say, we enjoy this so much, one year we had to go twice due to changing guests over the time we were visiting. We did not want either person to miss out, and they weren’t here at the same time. We could not let them go alone - oh shame!

If you book direct online, you can get a free T-shirt. If you do a timeshare presentation, maybe you can get a 2-for-1 or better. Either way, go and enjoy and relax and marvel at the unbelievable coastline. And don’t forget to take lots of pictures.

Kayak the Hanalei. I guess you can take a kayaking tour, but how hard is it to paddle? We have been kayaking on both the Hanalei and Wailua Rivers (spelling doesn’t count). You used to just rent your kayak, tie it to the car and go. I believe you still can. As far as I know you can kayak any river in Kauai. There are currently a bunch of tours being offered but it seems a little goofy. For a while the only way you could kayak the Wailua was with a tour, I am not sure if that is still the case. I know there is a trail to a lovely waterfall that can be hiked at the end of, I think, the right fork of the Wailua River.

Okay, the Hanalai River, drive through Princeville to Hanalei. After you pass the Hanalai Dolphine Restaurant and fish market, look for a green building on the right side behind the Bike store. You can rent a kayak there and they launch you directly into the river. We enjoy the convenience. We have never made reservations, we just go in the morning and pay them directly. The rental is for 24 hours, we make a day of it. Three kayaks for $90ish is a deal for an all-day adventure. Bring your lunch in a cooler (or I think you can rent one), towels, bug juice, and sunscreen. You can rent a huge dry bag for $3. You get a kayak, life vest, backrest, and, most important, a paddle. You can get a double (how romantic) or single kayak. I like to have control, so we all get singles. Strap your cooler and dry bag on, and off you go. Check with them regarding the conditions in Hanalei Bay.

We paddled to the Bay first and played in a few waves. We beached at the Princeville Hotel Beach (public)--you can snorkel there if you like, so bring your gear. We had a beverage and a swim (in the ocean, not the pool) and then headed back towards the river. We paddled up the river to the end, you reach a shallow area and if you drag your kayak a little ways up there was a nice spot for lunch on the right. You cannot get lost, the river is one way up and one way down. Just pay attention when you come out of the little arm where they launch you, so you know where to return. I think they close at 5pm, check before you leave. You can swim in the river, very refreshing. Of course, check the conditions--the last week we were there this summer, the paper reported approximately 5-7 inches of rain in Hanalei for one night.

Kayaking is fun, and you don’t have to be athletic. My husband is in great shape, my sister is 56 and had a great time, and I am, well, you read the dining reviews. You might be a little sore the next day, but you can’t just sit on the beach everyday!