Hawaii Day 4 5/21/2013 3.5 Forks

Big Island Brewhaus 64-1066 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743

You'd think that in Hawaii there wouldn't be good Mexican food, but surprisingly I had gotten a few recommendations from friends that there was this one decent place in the middle of Big Island.  Deanna and I thought it was worth checking out and it turned out to actually be part of the Big Island Brewery which just happened to also offer tons of Mexican food inside as well.  As you can see, the menu is huge.  It has almost every kind of Mexican food you can think of: nachos, quesadillas, burritos, tacos, fajitas, chile relleno, and enchiladas with all sorts of ingredients (chicken, beef, pork, etc).  It was also incredibly veggie friendly with lots of tofu, veggie and fake meat options.  Deanna and I were starving and started with the a half order (love that they have a half order option) of the vegetarian nachos:  house made tortilla chips with black beans, topped with melted Monterey jack cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and fresh salsa ($6.50).  It completely and totally hit the spot.  The chips were nice and crisp (not soggy despite all the toppings on it) and the cheese was perfectly melted.  The problem was that I ate so much of it, that by the time my fish burrito came (I am in Hawaii so I felt like I had to still get fish) I took about 3 bites of it and couldn't eat anymore of it.  The burrito was made with the grilled fish of the day (ono) cheese, guacamole, shredded cabbage, Mexican rice and black beans and salsa ($10.95).  Everything was super fresh and the salsa was actually some of the freshest salsa I've had anywhere.  I ended up just wrapping up the majority of my burrito and having it for breakfast (I know that sounds kind of gross) the next day before I boarded my plane.  I was surprised at how well everything held up the next day and the tortilla shell was still very soft and moist.  I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a fun casual place that's away from the main tourist areas and something that's not Hawaiian food either.  I tried one of their custom brews and it was super strong and completely kicked my ass, so if you also like microbrews, it's a fun place to check out as well.   Total bill: $19/pp not including tip.

Merriman's 65-1227 Opelo Rd., Kamuela, HI 96743

Compared to the other Hawaiian islands, the Big Island is super quiet and most of the nicer restaurants are located inside the large resorts.  Probably the only higher end non-resort restaurant is Merriman's which is located in Waimea.  After a long day of driving, Deanna and I wanted a nice relaxing dinner but the problem was that most places on the island close pretty early for dinner.  We were able to get a last minute 9pm reservation at Merriman's but that was the last seating they had for the night so we had to high tail back to Waimea 20 minutes after getting back to our hotel.   When we entered the restaurant, it definitely had a more serious, high end feel to it.  The crowd here was more formal (everyone was dressed up and there's no way you could go here in flip flops and shorts) and older.   The menu was on the higher end with entrees ranging in the $30-40 price point.  I was torn between the mixed plate which consisted of a sampling of the ahi tuna, mahi mahi, and the filet mignon ($49) or just the ahi tuna.  I ended up going for the wok charred ahi ($39) since it was more affordable and I wanted to have a full plate of a good fish vs. a few bites of a lot of things.  We also ordered the fresh island corn sauteed in basil butter ($8) for the table.  I really really loved the tuna.  It was perfectly rare in the middle (sashimi grade) and it literally melted in my mouth.  I also enjoyed the white rice and "forbidden" black rice and shredded cabbage and corn it was served with.  I felt super healthy after finishing this dish.  Although after thinking about it, $39 for less than a pound of tuna is totally crazy.  However, I was disappointed with the fresh island corn in basil butter.  I thought I was going to be blown away by its freshness since it's fresh picked on the island and deliciousness of basil flavored butter.   But it was just ok.  I mean it was fine, but I didn't want to leap out of my chair in love with it.  There weren't a lot of veggie options on the menu, so they kindly made Deanna a veggie lasagna but she felt like it wasn't that great.  There wasn't any pasta, the layers were made out of zucchini and it was covered in marinara sauce.  I feel like since it was late and they don't typically make it, it just wasn't a strong suit for them.  We ended the meal with the pineapple flan ($12) which I thought was way too sweet and we barely finished it.  By the time we were done with our meal, they were clearly clearing the restaurant and ready to go home.  I checked my watch and it was only 10:15pm.  In NYC, the place would have been packed and bustling.  I guess that's the difference between island and city life.  All in all, I really liked my tuna dish but did think it was a bit overpriced and the atmosphere was a bit stuffy for Hawaii.  Maybe since it wasn't by the water, it didn't really have this fun island feel to it.  But I will say that the quality of the food was most definitely top notch and if you are looking for something a bit more formal, besides the restaurants inside the Four Seasons or Fairmont, this is probably your best bet.  Total bill:  $120 for two with tax and tip.