Travel Log: Maui (The Gazebo)

The morning after we arrived in Maui, we had breakfast at The Gazebo at the Napili Shores resort.
Neither of us had heard anything about this place before our Yelp search. They had us at  macadamia nut/pineapple/banana pancakes and coconut syrup. Though I'm not a huge pancake fan, I ❤ anything coconut.

A quick drive from the resort, when we arrived, it was pouring rain. I've decided that I need  to carry a lightweight rain jacket with a hood on vacations. SO much more practical than carrying an umbrella.

Anyhoo, there isn't much parking, but we lucked up on a spot without waiting too long. You have to walk a little way to get o the Gazebo. When we arrived, despite the rain, there was a line. The line was about 15 people deep - all under umbrellas supplied by the restaurant. The family in front of us said that the food was definitely worth the wait. They gave us great information on dining on Maui.

 We waited about 40 minutes. Yep, 40 minutes. The great thing is the view was spectacular. The rain finally stopped and I decided to see what was just on the other side of the pool area. Mind you, the pool area wasn't anything to write home about, but the view - OMG!

The black rock against the crystal blue water was stunning. This - this is what I envisioned.

We were finally seating in a spot with a great view. The Gazebo is just what it name says - a gazebo. It's an open air restaurant. The staff  makes you feel like a regular. The smiles at this place abound.


On to the food! SPAM is a huge hit in Hawaii. I'm probably dating myself, but I remember my mama frying up SPAM and scrambling eggs when I was a little girl. I just thought it was the worst thing ever - sans liver. We ordered the fried rice (seems to be a staple for breakfast on Maui) which had just about everything a good stir fry had in it. Yes, there were cubes of SPAM mixed in. What the heck, Imma give it a try. It was simply delicious. I'm not saying I'll be frying up a slab of SPAM anytime soon, but the next time I'm in Hawaii......

This small plate of fried rice with two scrambled eggs on time was more than enough to serve two.
Still we HAD to order the macadamia nut/pineapple/banana pancakes with COCONUT syrup. OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious. Like I said I am not a huge pancake fan, but these were out of this world delicious (did I already say that? 😍).  Has big as the pancakes were, they were fluffy and full of banana goodness. Add the coconut syrup on top and you have a bit of heaven.

I am not sure if Guy Fieri  from Triple D has been to The Gazebo or not, but he should definitely feature them on his show.


Aloha!

Tasty Tuesday: Rosie's Place

A few weeks ago, we decided to try a local eatery in Zionsville, Indiana - Rosie's Place.

Zionsville is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Indy. The town is full of one of a kind shopping, restaurants, galleries featuring local artists and beautiful homes. I love the quaintness of the town especially Main Street. The cobblestone street is a step back in time. Zionsville is also home to Serenity - a restaurant where my annual High Tea was held for a few years.

Rosie's Place sits on the corner of 10th and Main. One walk inside and we were in love….. THE BAKERY greeted us as soon as we walked in the door.  Muffins, cookies, granola and more sitting just within our reach! Let's not forget the gigantic coconut macaroons and the butter cookies. We  had the coconut macaroon and lemon bar - as a take home. Apparently, we need to get the infamous Rosie's Place butter cookie. Guess we will just have to go back soon.

There was pretty good crowd there for a non-holiday Friday, but we were seated as soon as we walked in the door (after they pried us away from the bakery). 

I love the huge windows in the restaurant. It was a super sunny morning and it was beautiful! Not great for my picture taking, but oh, well. 

 After ordering our standard coffee and green tea, we both decided on breakfast. Ken had the oatmeal - which he loved. I ordered from the Eggy Store section of the menu - ordering mine Rosie Style. Rosie Style included two fresh eggs, toast or biscuit, applewood smoked bacon and the most delicious potatoes. Oh, and a huge pancake.  I'm not one for sweet breakfast, but hubby likes pancakes or French toast.  So, Rosie  Style it was….

Doesn't this look amazing? The best - it tasted just as good.  Our server was very attentive without being overly so. Oh, and she loved my white nails! You get a big tip - lol.

If you are in the area, be sure to make a visit to Rosie's Place. There is also a location in Noblesville, Indiana.

Bon Apetit!

Tulip Noir

One of my favorite  things to do on Saturday morning is breakfast with my husband.  We like visiting some of our favorite restaurants for breakfast, but we also really enjoy staying at home and eating breakfast. About a year ago, we took our Little (Big Brother/Big Sister program) to breakfast at Tulip Noir in Indianapolis. Tulip Noir is located at 1224 West 86th Street - just behind the Dunkin Donuts restaurant. The menu changes every season  - not just the food, but also the coffees and teas. They use the freshest herbs, fruits, veggies and juices. Every meal is made fresh for each guest. A big plus is that they are "green". They use french presses for their coffee and beautiful clear teapots for their coffee to eliminate any waste. Dina M. Romay-Sipe and Jeff Sipe are the owners of Tulip Noir. Believe me when I tell you the staff is AMAZING. They truly care about their guests. We have always been made to feel welcome when we dine there. We've only eaten there for breakfast on the weekend. Our favorites are the veggie hash and eggs and pancakeys. The veggie hash and eggs are carrots, potatoes, red bell pepper and onion hash on a bed of spinach topped with a fried farm fresh egg.  DELISH!  The pancakeys are made with organic flour topped with bananas, sliced almonds, cinnamon, powdered sugar and honey. Five pancakeys come to an order.
I love the clear crisp decor of the restaurant. The walls are an inviting light green with white and black accents and the dinnerware is white. Love it.
If you live in Indy or are planning to visit soon, you should definitely make a stop here. You will not be disappointed.
Tulip Noir
1224 West 86th Street
Indianapolis, IN
317.848.5252
Tuesday - Friday 7:00- 2:30PM
Saturday- Sunday 8:00- 1:00PM

Photo Credit: Urbanspoon website