Favorite. Breakfast by the Sea.

Oh man oh man do I enjoy breakfast. Get some sun in the morning, take in the fresh air. Only thing better is being next to the ocean, enjoying the scene and consuming some morning grub. My Better Half and I decided to try out this place for breakfast/brunch. The Gazebo. I do not recall the exact time we got there but we ended up waiting a good ... 30 minutes or so but I think if they had a large location (not in the back of a hotel), then they would be able to seat more people. The cooks and waitresses were just going at it, non-stop, dish after dish. Busy bees they were. We loved this place, it's worth the 30-45 minute wait, I think. Nice people, nice breeze, good food, big portions. Loved it. I think we came here twice during our trip. We wanted to go again but there were just a lot of other places to try. Next time we're in Maui, we'll be here.

French Toast. I like French Toast a lot. Their French Toast something you must get if you're remotely interested in the dish. Not soggy, not too sweet, great with the regular Maple Syrup and great with their Coconut Syrup. I didn't have too much of the Coconut Syrup to be honest because I don't like coconuts that much. Haha. Oh this was good, my mouth is salivating just staring at the picture.

Fried Rice with Spam. Okay, this definitely is not a normal breakfast or brunch dish but I saw a couple other people order this. It's massive (and this is the half order). Big enough to feed four normal people with normal appetites. Was it good? Yes! Nice and dry but still moist because wet fried rice would just be awful. I wish there was more egg chunks mixed in except for being on top but that's fine, presentation is a little better. Taste, not too strong in anything to be honest. Everything was faint except the pepper, that was distinct. After adding a couple dashes of salt throughout, a lot of the flavors were brought out. I suspect they refrained from excess salt and just leave the sodium compensation up to the Spam so it's fine but you know how there's times when you won't always get a piece of Spam on your spoon.

Got this for my Better Half for the side. Their country hash was pretty good. We opted for the sausage patties because we tried the links last time and they're good but why not try other things? Patty had a more robust burnt in taste. You know when fat & flavor get burned onto the outside? Yeah the good "cancerous" stuff. The one where you look at and debate whether you want the awesome flavor or risk getting bad things into your body. Either way, sausage is good. ("That's what she said"). Yes yes laugh it off. Anyway, about this, my Better Half lots to cut up parts of the sausage, cuts up a part of the French Toast/Pancake, dips a little into some maple syrup and then indulges. Mmmm, she has long since converted me. Before I used to just pick up the syrup and let the sugary goodness flow on top of those fresh warm surfaces. Then I just let gobble everything up like a beast from the trash can.

Man ... I want this right now. If you're in Maui, definitely stop by. Awesome people with an awesome view served with a side of great food. I wish the place was bigger but I'm sure they're keeping it small for a reason I love small places like these. By the way, I don't think it matters if you go a bit earlier or later (unless you're the first ones there) because there will be a wait. Enjoy!

Gazebo Restaurant
5315 Lower Honoapiilani Rd.
Lahaina, HI 96761
808-669-5621

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Coffee. Breakfast. More Coffee.

I obviously haven't written anything so I figure the best way to start is with a restaurant I frequent weekly. Unfortunately, for some strange reason I only have a couple pictures of entrees. I'll start off from the best thing there. Coffee and service. The majority of the staff knows their beans and they want to spill it. They want to give you any information you want to ask about coffee. If you're a fan of Starbucks, you'll come here thinking a few of the following:

a) where is my cream/half & half/milk
b) where is my sugar
c) are there frappuccinos
d) why isn't my latte loaded with sugar and sweetener

I'll be honest. Starbucks is crap. I refuse to pay for that rubbish anymore; however, I do get some Starbucks gift cards on occasion and always hand 'em to coworkers or friends who get Starbucks because it's around the corner, down the street, in your nose, under your foot, and surprisingly there's a location hidden in the darkest regions of your pants. I didn't know anything about coffee but I realized my taste buds have grown a likely to a lot of different things. Coffee is one of them. I didn't know much about coffee, only that good coffee should be tasted without anything ... heck it's the purest form and you should be able to taste the beans. Intelligista Beans to be exactly. When I first started going to Sugar Rush they were carrying Intelligista Beans from New Guinea. Oh, light in acidity, slight sweetness, smooth going down. Since then there's been a lot of beans I've enjoyed. Whenever I pick up a cup of coffee I want some good pastries to go along with it. No pastries here though. Anyway, most recently they have the usual Black Cat, House Blend, and Ecuador. Ecuador is very good, I'd have to describe it as having a stronger acidity and hint of citrus. This Cafe has great coffee and if you're willing to give it a try in its raw form you might find you enjoy it and love it to death. If  not, just ask for soy milk/half & half/milk/cream/tofu paste whatever you like to put in there. The greatest part is they serve your coffee table side.

Here's a picture of their latte. Owner was nice enough to let me snap some shots. Very nice, social person. First photo is the shot of coffee that goes into the concoction

Here's after the milk & love is added.

Very nice. Everyone there takes pride in their "joe."

So the food. This place is open from 8AM-4PM and they serve breakfast all day. My favorite meal is breakfast so being able to get it late is great. I enjoy their french toast (not using the cinnamon toast). I've tried both and while the cinnamon toast is good, I guess it gets overly sweet after awhile. French toast doesn't get consumed in a barbaric manner as with other entrees. A side of sausage is enjoyed with the toast so I like to get the fresh fruit syrup on the side so I can dip the sausage and toast together. This starts a nice party in my mouth. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of the pork sausages but they're decently sized (about inch in diameter and five inches in length), not too salty, have a slight crispness on the outside skin is tender and oozing with juices once you bite in. Yes, read that last line again then get the filth out of your mind. LoL. Besides that, I like the omelet that you get to choose with three toppings.

What else do I enjoy here? The Club is huge with fries piled high. But I haven't personally tried it nor the Roast Beef. I have tried the Chicken Spinach Melt and I enjoy it. My better half loves it. Spinach isn't that great cold but the sandwich is still good cold. Had it cold on a flight to Taiwan before and it was still really good ... way better than airplane food. Little salty, I'd assume it'd be the enhanced flavor from the chicken seasoning and the provolone cheese melting on it. Anyway, I'll just hurry up to what I have a picture of: BBQ Rush Burger (I forgot the name)

Probably my favorite lunch item. Very reasonable in price. $8.75 I think. Butter lettuce, lightly toasted buns, tomatoes, provolone, grilled onions & mushrooms, and a gentle squeeze of BBQ sauce. What I enjoy the most about this sauce is that it's not obnoxious in the sense that it's too sweet, tangy, or spicy. It's mild in sweetness, not much tang, and no spice. It just compliments the burger very very well. Can't go wrong with this. Their regular Bacon & Avocado Burger is good too but I enjoy this much more. Here's a picture of their Chicken Caesar with Bacon. I'm not a huge fan of Caesar salads but the dressing is a little tangy for my taste so I don't enjoy it that much but I hear a lot of patrons order it.

That's about all I have to rant about. When I go back I'll try and remember to bring my camera. One of the coolest things about the place is the free WiFi. You can relax like it's some coffee joint but there's food. I could imagine it cuts into their profits and it makes some customers angry because they have to wait but I think if you have the patience the staff will deliver you some pretty good food, great coffee, awesome service and a smile.

Sugar Rush Cafe
3900 Valley Blvd., Suite A
Walnut, CA 91789
909-869-7969

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