To get out of our food rut, Not Jersey suggested we make a list of the eateries in Hilo. "Next time we're hungry, we'll draw a name from the list," he said.
Cute idea, right? So, I made a list. Turns out there are approximately 105 dining options in Hilo. These are not all restaurants. They are also lunch shops, food trucks, pop ups, and drive-in's.
Tonight we chose our first option from the list. We used a random number generator (RNG for short) because apparently dice are not an equitable way to get to all 105 numbers (the way I numbered the list, as in, like a human and not a dice). The random number generator chose #31: The Coconut Grill.
We were fortunate that The Coconut Grill was open for dinner and they do take-out. Their website was down, but we found pictures of their menu online. I used pictures from Yelp.
We ordered Mahi Mahi Nacho Sliders as an appetizer. These were not a "slider" as I imagined. When I think of sliders, I think of little burgers. These came with huge, homemade triangles of chip crisps. The chips were large enough to support the blackened Mahi Mahi, but not the avacado relish or the black bean salsa. When I order this again, I will shred up the fish to allow room for the dip.
Not Jersey got "The Kahuna Burger" with twisted fries. Again, twisted fries were not what I expected. I expected them to be akin to a curly fry. They were simply a fat, thick pub fry.
I got the "Paniolo Pork Ribs" with garlic smashed potatoes, corn, and cornbread. Paniolo is the Hawaiian word for cowboy. Not Jersey read that the word Paniolo is thought to come from the word Español. Hawaii has a rich history of ranching and cowboys. King Kamehameha III invited Mexican cowboys called vaqueros to Hawaii to teach his people to become cowboys.
Our food was delicious. The service was quick and friendly. The prices were good for Hawaii. Had we dined-in, there is a view of the cold water ponds. We will definitely dine at the Coconut Grill again in the future.
Comentários