"Local first, organic whenever possible, and with Aloha always" is the mantra upon which this unpretentious neighborhood bistro was founded. With a menu that changes daily to reflect the freshest market ingredients, Town features hand-cut pastas and gnocchi, slow-braised meats, fresh local seafood, a wine list of small artisan producers, and hand-crafted cocktails. Drawing inspiration from classic recipes of the Mediterranean, Town's cuisine is best described as Contemporary American with an Italian sensibility, where the ingredients are allowed to shine and nothing is wasted. With bar and "dog-friendly" patio seating reserved for walk-in guests, the restaurant has become a favorite for casual impromptu dining as well as for special occasions. Town is located in hip Kaimuki, just minutes from Waikiki, and is loved by locals and visitors alike. Go to Town.
A laid-back, open atmosphere based on tastefully appointed, modern-contemporary design brings to mind a hot pan over fire. Steel tabletops, dark wooden chairs, snowflake-snowball lamps and a lengthy cantaloupe bench form an inviting layout accommodating Town's cozy, eclectic crowd.
The staff resembles a garage band. The kitchen crew pumps out solidly tuned dishes backed up by no-attitude, mellow, urban-girl waitresses. However, I noticed service wobbling at the end of meals. As the buzz gets hectic, I lost waitresses before dessert and coffee, like pals who wander off at a club.
I could see them from afar as I waited for my bill, but dishes weren't always cleared promptly and water wasn't refilled. It was like sitting through a movie that lasts a tad too long — the dining experience should wrap up quicker so squirming in your seat isn't an option.
Town's menu features well-priced, down-to-earth dishes with pizzazz enough to evoke a "Wow!" Although there are some standard dishes, the menu and prices change daily according to the freshest ingredients they can purchase, so customers are continually enticed to return. Kenney promotes the cuisine as "contemporary American with an Italian sensibility." But this is the sort of straightforward, not-too-fancy stuff in glitzy, gourmet food magazines. It's what you crave but rarely encounter while eating out unless you shell out some bucks or prepare it at home.
The cuisine has a simple dreamy, fragrant quality I fantasize about, except it's real. The kitchen uses ingredients hardly ever combined in local eateries. Textures and layers of flavors abound. The lemonade is a prime example, containing acid-lemon-sweet with a grassy bass note from the parsley.
Flavors are bold without being brash, as in the succulent half-chicken, torn bread, roasted grapes, tatsoi, pancetta, verjus preparation ($13 at lunch minus tatsoi, $16.50 at dinner). Tender, sautÚed tatsoi greens, the grapes' musky sweetness and the smoky pancetta enlivened the plump poultry. Friends looked at me as if I'd lost my marbles when selecting the dish. Why chicken, with fresh fish and oh-so-soft pork cheeks, available? But, after tasting, they declared it the best grilled chicken they'd ever eaten. The torn bread chunks are absolute heaven for stuffing lovers, an exciting change from usual starches.
Town 3435 Waialae Avenue #103
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 735-5900
http://www.townkaimuki.com
Breakfast: Monday - Saturday: 6:30am - 11:00am
Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm
For more videos like this, visit http://www.hawaiiangrowntv.com
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Dis guy is entertaining. Hey, I live in Haleiwa- when is your show on and what channel?
boobtuber06 4 months ago
Interesting place and inspiring philosophy that is actually being practiced! Good wishes for success.
grassSamurai 2 years ago