Teddy’s Bigger Burgers Expanding on the Mainland

Photo by Jennifer MartinezHawaii based Teddy’s Bigger Burgers is set to open several new franchise locations on Oahu, as well as in Southern California, Seattle and Iowa City. The ’50s themed burger joint will be seen across the nation in 2013.

Co-owner Ted Tsakiris is excited about the new U.S. franchise ventures.

“The expansion plans for Teddy’s Bigger Burgers throughout the U.S. continues on track with our newest franchisees, planning store openings in Seattle, Iowa and Southern California,” Tsakiris said. “Our planned openings are coming on the heels of both corporate and franchised store openings in Hawaii. We can’t be more excited about our growth and to be welcoming the newest members of our franchisee family.”

Teddy’s Bigger Burgers started in Hawaii in 1998 and reaches thousands of people on the island of Oahu with its quality burgers and shakes each month. The new franchise locations in Hawaii include Kapiolani Blvd., which will open mid-April, and company-owned stores in Kaneohe and Ewa, expected to open May 10 and May 31st respectively.

Teddy’s Bigger Burger already has an international location with a restaurant in Tokyo located between Harajuku and Shibuya.

As for the continental U.S., Teddy’s just signed their first franchisee in Southern California and and second franchise agreement in Seattle, and are currently looking for the perfect location for their restaurants. The brand new Iowa City location has started construction and will open in June of this year.

The Teddy’s brand is built on the premise of a fun, 50’s style, high-energy burger joint that features 100 percent ground chuck flame-broiled burgers, old-fashioned extra thick shakes, excellent customer service and unique local flavors and custom concoctions in every franchise.

All territories domestically and internationally are available to qualified prospects. Please visit teddysbiggerburgers.com for information about opening a franchise in your neighborhood.

Photo by Jennifer Martinez/Flickr.

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Made Healthier

Made Healthier PhotoMeet Lori of Made Healthier, the latest addition to our roster of Hawaii food blogs. Although she loves to travel, and daydreams about scenic, snowy vistas like those in Switzerland, Austria, and Canada, she’s lived her entire life in Hawaii.

With Made Healthier, Lori shares recipes (broken down into categories like beef recipes, pasta recipes, and breakfast recipes) as well as reviews of Honolulu restaurants, especially Japanese restaurants.

“I figure that if I eat healthy on most nights of the week, I can splurge on plate lunches, Japanese teishokus, and delicious desserts on the other nights,” she writes. “Anyway, that’s my logic.”

On her site, you’ll also find food product reviews, a travel journal, and even a fishing trip journal.

“When I’m not at work or traveling, look for me on the beach,” Lori writes. “You will most likely find me there with a fishing pole in hand…and with any luck a fish in the cooler.”

Check out her site at MadeHealthier.com!

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Feeding My Ohana

Shabu Shabu - From 'Feeding My Ohana' on FacebookCheck out Feeding My Ohana by Laurie.

Laurie grew up in Hawaii, went to school in New England, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay area. She’s building an evolving collection of easy-to-make recipes that celebrates “American” food, but seasoned with her cosmopolitan background. So you’ll find all manner of Asian, Yankee, Italian, French, Jewish, Portuguese, Russian, German, Mexican, Persian and Greek food.

“The vibe I always aim for is one that welcomes and celebrates everyone — the casual feeling of a potluck garage party or Ala Moana Park picnic,” she writes. ”Non-Hawaii people like the Hawaii-food recipes, and people who are on the site that are actually in Hawaii trust me that the not-Hawaii recipes and restaurants will be good.”

To support the larger community in a food-related way, Feeding My Ohana has also sponsored annual virtual food drives to support the local Second Harvest Food Bank. This past year, the Feeding My Ohana ohana donated over $2,000 in two months.

To learn more, visit FeedingMyOhana.com. You can also follow Feeding My Ohana on Twitter at @FeedingMyOhana or on Facebook.

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Celebrity Chef Tour at Mauna Lani Bay

Oxley IndochineLast weekend, guests celebrated at Hawaii’s third annual Celebrity Chef Tour benefiting the James Beard Foundation at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows.

On Saturday night, former chef and now international award-winning cocktail mixologist, Manny Hinojosa, prepared a selection of exclusively designed cocktails using Hawaii’s bountiful fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs including the Oxley Indochine.

The signature cocktail made with Oxley Gin, Martini, Rossi Bianco, Kalamansi and Thai Basil was perfectly paired to complement the flavors of an unforgettable six-course dinner prepared by celebrity chef’s including Jonathan Waxman, Aaron Sanchez, Nancy Silverton, Bruce Bromberg & Mauna Lani’s own Clayton Arakawa & Allen Hess.

Oxley Indochine

  • 1 ½ parts Oxley Gin
  • ¾ part Martini & Rossi Bianco vermouth
  • ½ part of Island sugar cane syrup
  • 1 kalamansi, muddled
  • 1 sprig of Thai basil, muddled

Shake and serve over the rocks, garnish with Kalamansi peel and Thai basil.

Courtesy Amy Fuller, PMKBNC.

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Maui Preserved Hits Local Store Shelves

Maui Preserved products on sale at Whole Foods Market in Kahala. Photo courtesy Kerry Wilkins.

“Our whole mission to use grown on Maui produce and spices and craft pantry items both traditional and new,” says Kerry Wilkins of Haiku-based Maui Preserved. “We are working hard to bridge the gap between farmer’s and consumers to make our state more sustainable.”

Just listed as being among the “Best of Hawaii” by Hawaii Magazine, their products are now being sold at Whole Foods Market stores in Kahala and Kailua on Oahu, as well as the Whole Foods Market in Kahului on Maui.

As part of Maui Preserved’s local launch, company co-founder Anthony LaBua-Keiser will be doing a demo at Whole Foods in Kahala this Saturday, October 20, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

From Kerry Wilkins, Maui Preserved:

Photo courtesy Kerry Wilkins/Maui Preserved.

With green tea in our pickled beets and pineapple steeped in Hawaiian chile pepper syrup, Maui Preserved bottles our dynamic food culture here in Maui.

Maui Preserved is rooted in the idea that eating locally, Maui grown fruits and vegetables is not only good for our health and community but intensely delicious. Rich volcanic soils, afternoon mists and year round sunshine yield a variety of produce. Tourists and locals alike vie for a taste of the island’s delectable tropical fruits and in season vegetables. Maui Preserved savors these beautiful harvests jar by jar by producing jams, pickles, sauces syrups, and vanilla beans.

Timing is everything. How long does it take for a shipment to arrive from the mainland to the islands? Our cucumbers don’t take a boat ride! Starting with the highest-quality local produce, our products capture flavor at the peak of freshness for your enjoyment year round.

The mission of Maui Preserved is to deliver farm fresh produce into your pantries while
protecting Maui’s ability to grow and eat locally. Maui Preserved allows our farmers to sell their produce reliably while maintaining stride to make Hawaii more sustainable. We are preserving our island’s food culture one jar at a time. Our products start and finish in Maui, giving a dependable excellence to our customers.

Maui Preserved was started in June 2010 by Maleta Van Loan and Anthony LaBua.

Maleta Van Loan graduated from The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, New York in 2005. Starting as a line chef at Pure Food and Wine, Maleta evolved to manage not only restaurant finances but also their premier raw food snack line One Lucky Duck. Excelling in restaurant and food management, she continued her education at Baruch College, New York in 2008 pursuing professional studies in finance.

Anthony LaBua worked throughout New York City, from Smith Street in Brooklyn to Olives in the W Hotel New York in Union Square, before becoming the Executive Sous Chef at the Fine dining restaurant Pure Food and Wine in 2006. While working Anthony also volunteered at the James Beard House in the West Village, and attended the Institute of Culinary Education while moonlighting there as a stagiare. He graduated with a degree in Culinary Management in 2008.

Maleta and Anthony both obtained Certificates of Food Protection from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene of New York. Considered one of the most stringent courses on Food Safety in the Nation, the certification enables them to manage their kitchen and food production to the highest of standards.

Maui Preserved is hand packed in Haiku, Maui. For more information please send us an email at kerry@mauipreserved.com.

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Madre Chocolate Takes Silver at International Chocolate Awards

Madre Chocolate, based in part in Kailua, announced today that it has won the World Silver Medal for their Triple Cacao bar in the International Chocolate Awards in England.

Madre was one of only four American companies to win world final medals, and the youngest company to win. Madre Chocolates is only two years old.

This same bar had recently won the US Gold medal and Americas Silver medal in the International Chocolate Awards flavored dark chocolate category and the NW Chocolate Festival Inclusions Silver medal.

The Triple Cacao bar is the only bar in the world that incorporates the tangy, lychee-tasting fruit of the cacao pod as well as nutty, crunchy nibs and smooth, rich dark chocolate to give you a taste of three flavors and textures all from cacao. This bar, and Madre’s full line up of Hawaiian and Latin American chocolates, are showing the world that we can make world-class chocolate right here in Hawaii creating a great market for the new but rapidly growing cacao crop in the Islands.

Madre Chocolate’s cofounders David Elliott and Nat Bletter said they were elated and proud of the worldwide recognition of their hard work and social mission to support cacao growing communities throughout the tropics, but only rested briefly to relish the award from the lengthy work of selecting, sorting, roasting, cracking, winnowing, grinding, tempering, and wrapping their chocolate from cacao bean to bar.

“We’ve got to get back to making more of these delicious bars to meet the imminent surge in demand locally and from halfway across the globe,” said Madre flavormeister Bletter, and then returned to his task of making sure each cacao nib for the Triple Cacao bar was exactly 1.5 mm wide with a digital caliper and a quadriflux confocal laser microscope.

Elliott, Madre’s expert chocolate maker, could not give further comment as he was already off in a cloud of cocoa powder to conche another batch of chocolate for this award-winning bar.

Madre Chocolate bars, bean-to-bar chocolate making kits, and Cinnamon Daddy Mactella are available in their online store, and in stores throughout Hawaii, the US mainland, and across Europe in Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Sweden.

Submitted by Nat Bletter of Madre Chocolate.

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Via Gelato by Melissa Bow

Via Gelato by Melissa Bow

Melissa Bow moved back to Hawaii from New York this summer to start Via Gelato. She writes:

Ahhhh home in Hawaii! Pretty scents of pikake and plumeria during morning walks in the neighborhood, brilliant and deep greens driving through rain scented valleys, sweet tart lilikoi you can taste the sun in each one picked off the vine. This is where I create new flavors of gelato fusing the natural beauty of our Island flavors with the techniques and flavors from my travels. New flavors like delicate floral pikake with earthy sweet Mexican horchata–rice milk infused with cinnamon, or the comforting taste of matcha green tea in smooth creamy coconut haupia and spicy fragrant ginger tamed by sweet creamy Island milk. Each velvety scoop is flavored with the love, sun and colors of our Islands.

In the September 2012 issue of Hawaii Business, blogger Catherine Toth asks, “How much does it cost to start up a business?” Among the entrepreneurs profiled was Bow.

Toth also interviewed Bow for her “Cat Chat” video series:

Want more? Check out Melissa Chang’s writeup for Nonstop Honolulu last month, this profile by Martha Cheng in Honolulu Magazine from July.

Follow Via Gelato on Twitter at @VIAGelato, on Facebook, or check out the blog.

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Rice Fest Returns on Sept. 29

Photo by Lali Masriera/visualpanic on TwitterThe third-annual Rice Fest will be held Saturday, Sept. 29 at Ward Centers. This year, the free all-day event is sponsored by Hawaii Pacific Entertainment, VH07V, and Common Grains.

Rice Fest will offer activities, entertainment, and of course food, all inspired by rice, “a cultural cornerstone to so many in Hawaii.”

Last year, organizers built the world’s largest Spam musubi, as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. It was created with 320 cups of rice, 26 cans of spam, and more than 120 sheets of nori, and weighed in at 286 pounds.

The plan is to go even bigger next month.

“Getting our name in the global record books last year was a pretty exciting thing, and we’re going to surpass our own record on September 29,” said Rice Fest founder Ed Sugimoto in a prepared statement. “September is National Rice Month, and it just made sense to create and break the record here, where both rice and SPAM are such regular staples. We’d like to keep the record in Hawaii. ”

There will also be a Spam musubi eating contest, a “riceipe” cooking contest, professional chef demonstration, and an all-ages scavenger hunt. Entertainment will include Jody Kamisato and Ukulele Hale, taiko drumming by Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko.

And participants are encouraged to donate rice to Lanakila Pacific’s “Meals on Wheels,” a volunteer-run nonprofit program that provides island-wide meal service for needy seniors.

Other sponsors include the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Vacations Hawaii, One Hundred Thirty Plus Zero, Yelp Hawaii and Channel808.TV.

The 3rd Annual Rice Fest runs from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29, 2012 at Ward Centers. For more information, visit www.ricefest.comfollow @ricefest on Twitter, or ‘Like’ the event on Facebook at facebook.com/ricefesthawaii.

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Uncle Clay’s Launches Shave Ice ‘Pay-It-Forward’ Campaign

HOPAUncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha, widely known as “HOPA,” is commemorating their one year anniversary on Saturday, June 9, 2012. In celebration of this event, the “Share-HOPA-Forward” campaign launched this past Saturday. The campaign is designed to aid in sharing pure aloha and shave ice with visitors and the community at large.

HOPA’s goal with this campaign is to raise enough funds before the end of the year to share 2,012 shave ice.

The “Share-HOPA-Forward” campaign uses a “pay-it-forward” system, which is the concept of asking that a good deed be repaid by passing it on to others. By donating to the “Share-HOPA-Forward” campaign, a person is helping to spread pure aloha, one shave ice at a time.

Though donations in any amount and form are welcomed, it will cost HOPA $3.00 to make one “Share-HOPA-Forward” shave ice. Donations can be made in person at HOPA’s Aina Haina location or through their IndieGoGo webpage. To kick off the campaign, HOPA will donate one shave ice ($3) for every shave ice sold during their anniversary celebration on Saturday.

Upon reaching their goal of $6,036, HOPA will host “Sharing Days” where the collected donations will be shared-forward through the service of free all-natural shave ice. These “Sharing Days” will be held at “pop-up” locations throughout the island and will provide shave ice paid for in advance by the campaign. During a “Sharing Day,” patrons can simply enjoy the shave ice free of charge or continue the pay-it-forward notion with a donation for another person to be gifted a future shave ice.

Not only will “Sharing Day” recipients receive a shave ice, but also a personalized note from someone who contributed to the “Share-HOPA-Forward” campaign. By allowing donors to share their support of the campaign, HOPA hopes to encourage others to participate in the growing deed by sharing HOPA forward.

You can donate by going to HOPA’s IndieGoGo webpage at www.indiegogo.com/ShareHOPAForward or by visiting their shop in Aina Haina. For more information on HOPA, please visit www.houseofpurealoha.com or email HOPA@houseofpurealoha.com.

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Hawaii Restaurants Among Best for Outdoor Dining

Capische | www.capische.comHawaii is home to 16 of the Top 100 restaurants for outdoor dining, and nine of those are on the island of Maui, according to online restaurant reservations service OpenTable.

The 2012 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in the United States reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In addition to the Aloha State, California’s great outdoors is clearly great for dining, with 36 winning restaurants in the state, including 11 in the Los Angeles area, eight each in Palm Desert-Palm Springs and San Diego, and five in the Bay Area. Florida restaurants claimed 30 spots on the list, with an impressive 17 in the Miami area and nine wins in the city of Naples alone. Arizona and New York boast four wins apiece, followed by three in Texas, and two in both Louisiana and Virginia. Other states represented include Colorado, Illinois, and Nevada.

“Dining al fresco makes a meal feel more special – and more social,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer. “Whether you’re enjoying a table with a view, terrific weather, or engaging in a bit of people watching, outdoor dining is an event in and of itself. And, the fabulous food at these winning restaurants complements the entire experience, making these tables some of the most coveted reservations.”

The Diners’ Choice Awards for the Best 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining is generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between May 1, 2011 and April 30, 2012. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which “outdoor dining” was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed online.

Hawaii Restaurants in the Top 100 for Outdoor Dining

  • Capische – Wailea, Hawaii
  • Duke’s Beach House – Lahaina, Hawaii
  • Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante – Wailea, Hawaii
  • Five Palms Beach Grill – Kihei, Hawaii
  • Gannon’s – Wailea, Hawaii
  • Gaylord’s at Kilohana – Lihue, Hawaii
  • Hau Tree Lanai – Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Hula Grill-Kaanapali – Maui – Hawaii
  • Japengo – Lahaina, Hawaii
  • Nick’s Fishmarket – Wailea, Hawaii
  • Plantation Gardens – Koloa, Hawaii
  • Plumeria Beach House – Kahala, Hawaii
  • Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
  • Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant & Bar – Kihei, Hawaii

The remaining Diners’ Choice Award Winners for the Best 100 Outdoor Dining Restaurants in the U.S. for 2012:

  • A Fish Called Avalon – Miami Beach, Florida
  • Adobe Grill @ La Quinta Resort – La Quinta, California
  • Alexander’s – Naples, Florida
  • BALEENnaples – Naples, Florida
  • Barbatella – Naples, Florida
  • Beachcomber Cafe-Crystal Cove – Newport Coast, California
  • Bimini Boatyard – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • Blue Agave Club – Pleasanton, California
  • Blue Coyote Bar & Grill – Palm Springs, California
  • Blue Moon Fish Co. – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • Bridge House Tavern – Chicago, Illinois
  • Brockton Villa – San Diego, California
  • Cafe Amelie – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Cafe Luna – Naples, Florida
  • Cafe Malaga – McKinney, Texas
  • Cafe Pinot – Los Angeles, California
  • Cafe Sambal-Mandarin Oriental Miami – Miami, Florida
  • Cafe Santorini – Los Angeles, California
  • Caffe Riace – Palo Alto, California
  • Campiello – Naples, Florida
  • Chart House Restaurant – Miami, Florida
  • Chautauqua Dining Hall – Boulder, Colorado
  • Dada – Delray Beach, Florida
  • Deck 84 – Delray Beach, Florida
  • Edendale – Hollywood, California
  • El Chorro – Paradise Valley, Arizona
  • Geoffrey’s Restaurant – Malibu, California
  • George’s Ocean Terrace – La Jolla, California
  • GG’s Waterfront Bar & Grill – Hollywood, Florida
  • Gigino at Wagner Park – New York, New York
  • Handsome Harry’s Third Street Bistro – Naples, Florida
  • The House at Secret Garden – Phoenix, Arizona
  • House of Tricks – Tempe, Arizona
  • Blue Dragon Restaurant – Kamuela, Hawaii
  • Brown’s Beach House-The Fairmont Orchid – Kohala Coast, Hawaii
  • Jackalope Ranch – Palm Springs, California
  • Jake’s – Palm Springs, California
  • JB’s On the Beach – Miami, Florida
  • JRDN Restaurant – San Diego, California
  • Katsuya-Glendale-SBE – Los Angeles, California
  • La Bottega – New York, New York
  • Latitudes – Key West, Florida
  • Lavendar Bistro – La Quinta, California
  • Lon’s at The Hermosa – Paradise Valley, Arizona
  • Marche Bacchus – Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Martinique Bistro – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Max’s Grille – Boca Raton, Florida
  • Metro Lafayette – Lafayette, California
  • Milagros – Redwood City, California
  • MiraMare – Naples, Florida
  • Nine One Five – Key West, Florida
  • Novo Restaurant – San Luis Obispo, California
  • Oceans 234 – Deerfield Beach, Florida
  • Olive and June – Austin, Texas
  • Ophelia’s on the Bay – Sarasota, Florida
  • Ovations at Wolf Trap – Vienna, Virginia
  • Paradise Cove Beach Cafe – Los Angeles, California
  • Perch LA – Los Angeles, California
  • Pier 23 Cafe – San Francisco, California
  • Pier 45 – Rochester, New York
  • Portico Restaurant – Richmond, Virginia
  • Poseidon – Del Mar, California
  • Purple Palm Restaurant – Palm Springs, California
  • Red Fish Grill – Miami, Florida
  • Renato’s – Miami, Florida
  • The Restaurant at Ponte – Temecula, California
  • RESTAURANT at Sunset Marquis – West Hollywood, California
  • Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar – Boca Raton, Florida
  • Sapphire Laguna – Laguna Beach, California
  • Sheerwater Restaurant at the Hotel Del Coronado – Coronado, California
  • Sonoma Wine Garden – Santa Monica, California
  • Spencer’s Restaurant – Palm Springs, California
  • Splashes at Surf & Sand Resort – Laguna Beach, California
  • Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido, California
  • Sundowners on The Bay – Key Largo, Florida
  • Sundy House – Delray Beach, Florida
  • Sunset Cove – Tarrytown, New York
  • Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant & Bar – Naples, Florida
  • Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant & Bar – Palm Desert, California
  • Trio On The Bay – North Bay Village, Florida
  • The Turtle Club – Naples, Florida
  • Veranda Fireside Lounge & Restaurant – San Diego, California
  • Vic and Angelo’s – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • Villa Sorriso – Pasadena, California
  • Wilshire – Santa Monica, California
  • Woodshed Smokehouse – Fort Worth, Texas

Diners can also read more about the Diners’ Choice Awards for the top restaurants for outdoor dining in the U.S. by visiting OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter’s “Dining Check” blog.

About OpenTable Reviews

Originally launched in November 2008, the OpenTable Reviews program helps diners find restaurants that best fit their dining occasions. Diners who recently honored an OpenTable reservation are invited via email to submit restaurant feedback using an online form. Visitors to OpenTable.com can access reviews for thousands of OpenTable restaurant partners across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The OpenTable Reviews program has generated more than 15 million reviews by verified diners, establishing OpenTable.com as one of the largest and most trusted sources for restaurant reviews.

About OpenTable, Inc.

OpenTable is a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants. The OpenTable network delivers the convenience of online restaurant reservations to diners and the operational benefits of a computerized reservation book to restaurants. OpenTable has more than 25,000 restaurant customers, and, since its inception in 1998, has seated more than 325 million diners around the world. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and the OpenTable service is available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. OpenTable also owns and operates toptable.com, a leading restaurant reservation site in the United Kingdom.

Source: PR Newswire/Capische.com

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