Cat Chat: Say Thanks
I love stationery.Yes, I’m one of those.I write letters, I send thank-you notes, I even have a pen pal from second grade.So of course I was thrilled to hear a new stationery boutique opened in October in Kapahulu. South Shore…
Catherine Toth Fox
Articles
Ozoni and other New Years traditions I don’t get
Every New Year’s, our family always eats two things: Hawaiian food and ozoni.The Hawaiian food tradition started with our neighbors, a Hawaiian family, would kill and imu a pig and make a feast of foods including poi, lau lau, chicken…
FUUD: Dean’s Drive-Inn in Kaneohe
One of my favorite things to eat — at drive-ins and anywhere — is beef teriyaki.But ever since the Kandas closed their lunch wagon at Kewalo Basin, I couldn’t find one that compared.Until yesterday.I had heard rave reviews about the beef teriyaki…
John, I miss you already
I was meaning to get that recipe for peppermint bark John Heckathorn, beloved food critic and longtime friend, posted on his Facebook wall on Dec. 23.He was making it for his daughter, Mallory, who excited commented, “You made this?! YAY!”(She…
Swap those cookies
I’ve been invited to participate in cookie swaps before.But until this year, I had always bowed out. I didn’t have time, I didn’t know these people, I didn’t know what to bake.But when fellow food bloggers Lindsay of Love and…
Great Debate: Phones in the potty?
The other day I was in the restroom at a restaurant and heard the woman in the next stall talking.And not to me.She was, I figured out, talking on her cell phone.It was such a strange experience — even for…
FUUD: Papa’s Burgers in Market City
You can’t have too many burger joints.Especially of these eateries feature 100 percent grass-fed Big Island beef, local produce and milkshakes so thick you’ll hyperventilate trying to drink them.That’s on the menu at Papa’s Burgers, a new family-owned burger spot…
Food trends in 2012
Last night I was reading the blog for the James Beard Foundation — a New York-based national professional nonprofit that serves to promote the culinary arts — and read its predictions for 2012.Here’s what it suspects will be trending next year:•…
Anyone send Christmas cards anymore?
I had an interesting discussion about greeting cards the other day in, of all places, Twitter.One friend tweeted that she wasn’t going to send Christmas cards. Another responded she wasn’t, either. Instead, they were going to send e-cards — or…
FUUD: Best of #CatTravels
Traveling is tiring.You wait in airports, you stand in security lines, you drive for miles. There’s nothing more miserable.But there’s also nothing more inspiring and exciting and completely exhilarating, either. Which is why we endure the pain and suffering and…
#CatTravels: Skywalking the Grand Canyon
I have a list.And I’m sure you have one, too.It’s a list of all the things I want to see and do before I get to an age where I just want people to push me around in a wheelchair.Seeing…
#CatTravels: Best of Chicago
I love Chicago.I lived in the area about 10 years ago — and have always considered it to be one of my favorite cities in the world.It’s home to about 3 million people — the most populous city in the Midwest…
Cat Chat: Fashionable dogs
Christmas isn’t just for humans.If you’re looking for a gift for your pooch — or your dog-owning friend — consider a local-style kimono or yukata from Hawaii-based Inu Inu Hawaii, an Asian-inspired dog apparel and accessories line created by Sasha Dominy.She…
Food writers: don’t miss this workshop!
If you want to write about food — and are serious about it — there’s a workshop you don’t want to miss.Dianne Jacob, author of “Will Write For Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More” — which…
#CatTravels: Weekend in Madison
It’s cold in Wisconsin.I’m talking 30-degrees-in-the sun cold. And it’s not even winter yet.People in Madison, the state capital, are walking around in T-shirts and sweatshirts. Not me. I’ve got at least three layers on, two of which are made…
#CatTravels: Day 1 in Madison
I arrived in Madison, Wisc. with a wool coat, a cowl neck top, a scarf and jeans.And that wasn’t enough.It was 34 degrees when I landed — 50 degrees colder than when I left Honolulu on Thursday night. And the temperature…
#CatTravels: Made it to Madison
I made it to Madison!And it wasn’t without some worry.See, I booked this flight on United Airlines — before my well-documented debacle involving said airlines and Continental Airlines, which got us to Las Vegas from Honolulu in 24 hours — so…
Cat Chat: Get your mojo
Guys, need a shave?But secretly want a manicure, too?The new Mojo Barbershop in Chinatown on Oahu takes the retro barbershop and gives it a modern twist.Open this month, this 960-square-foot barbershop on Bethel Street — complete with an old-fashioned barber…
Just opened: Corner Kitchen in Kapahulu
There’s always been a restaurant on the corner of Kapahulu Avenue and Kanaina Street, right across the street from Rainbow Drive-In.For a long time, it was Harpo’s. Then it was ZenShu. And for months, it stood empty, waiting for the…
Need tips for my trip to Madison
I can’t believe I’m leaving for Madison, Wisc. this week.I remember booking the trip months ago, thinking, “Man, I’m planning ahead!”But now it’s just a few days away — and while I’m stressing about getting all my work done before I…
Do you believe in 11/11/11?
I dropped into Cake Works yesterday to pick up some cupcakes, and I ran into the owner Abigail Langlas.She said business was good. And Friday — today — would be particularly busy.“Why?” I asked her, thinking she would be busy…
Cat Chat: My first McRib
Believe it or not, I’ve never had the McRib sandwich from McDonald’s.It’s been on the fast-food giant’s menu off and on since 1981 — and every time it’s made an appearance, I’ve never been that interested in trying it.And my interest…
FUUD: Gomaichi Ramen
People in Hawaii love their ramen.Ask anyone who’s fond of the Japanese noodle dish and you’ll get strong opinions about which ramenya is better.And most often the debate centers around two boutique ramen shops: Gomaichi and Goma Tei.Here’s the story:…
Cat Chat: Making truffles
What’s better than chocolate-covered macadamia nuts?To me, not much.Then I heard that Hawaiian Host was unveiling a new, limited edition confection starting today.The Macadamia Truffles is a labor of love — five years in the making — and truly a masterful…
Scare me!
I may not like haunted houses, but I can tell you ghost stories to keep you up at night.Stories about my first trip to Molokai when I was a kid and I swore there were people — or spirits — swarming…
FUUD: Mama Pho in Aina Haina
Finally. We have pho. A few of us living in East Honolulu have been waiting waiting waiting for Mama Pho to open in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. To the point where we’d pass by the shopping center just to…
Cat Chat: Sweaters and boots
I’ll be the first to admit: I’m no fashionista.I rarely use accessories. I primarily wear slippers. And I tend to use the same four solid colors just so I don’t have to worry about matching anything.Good thing I have friends…
Some movies shouldn’t be remade
No, I haven’t seen the remake of “Footloose,” in theaters now.And I don’t plan to.The original movie, which hit screens in 1984, wasn’t that good to begin with. Why would I watch a remake?Granted, it’s starring one of my favorite…
Q&A with Anuhea
If 40 different food booths, a retail tent and a beer garden aren’t enough to get you to Nonstop Kakaako tonight, maybe this will.Singer/songwriter Anuhea will be performing live on one of two stages at the event.We nailed down the…
Cat Chat: Nonstop Kakaako
There aren’t many events in Honolulu that I actually mark in my calendar.Nonstop Kakaako on Saturday is one of them.And it’s not just because, as part of the Nonstop Honolulu team, I have to be there.This is one of those…
FUUD: The hot pot craze
It seems like every new restaurant popping up lately has something to do with boiling water.Shabu Shabu King recently opened near Puck’s Alley. Hot Pot Heaven recently earned an Ilima Award. And Hanaki Japanese Restaurant in Manoa ditched the typical…
Relationship status: ‘It’s complicated’
The first thing on my girlfriend’s list of things to do once she got married?Change her Facebook status.And I don’t mean after her honeymoon. She updated her status as soon as she left the altar. She was still in her…
FUUD: Wicked Spoon Buffet in Las Vegas
When I asked readers to send me suggestions for places to eat in Las Vegas, I kept seeing one name pop up:Wicked Spoon Buffet.Now, I’m not a huge fan of buffets in general. For starters, I never eat my money’s…
What would Steve Jobs do?
I’ll be honest: I didn’t know much about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs until he died yesterday.Sure, I knew that he as the visionary behind the once-floundering tech company, changing the way we navigate the web — and, let’s face it,…
New eats: Lava Wok
Food trucks and lunch wagons at the monthly Eat The Street serve everything from Korean tacos to malassadas burgers to even chocolate-covered bacon.But where’s the fried noodles and rice?Well, this Friday two friends and former roommates will unveil a new…
Best of #VegasGirls weekend
Finally. A trip to Vegas. Just what I needed.I hadn’t been to Sin City in almost four years — not since Encore, The Cosmopolitan, or even the Las Vegas Premium Outlets North had opened.There was a lot I had to see,…
Cat Chat 29: Treat your dogs
Confession: I don’t brush my dogs’ teeth.I don’t. I know. And that’s bad.Apparently, about 80 percent of dogs suffer from periodontal disease by the age of 3. And not brushing teeth doesn’t help.Luckily, there are dental chews that help.My favorite…
Day Tripping: Big Island
People always ask me, “What’s your favorite island to visit?”It’s a tough call — and it always depends.If I’m looking for a relaxing weekend of doing nothing, I’d opt for Kauai. If I want to eat — and I mean eat —…
FUUD: Revisiting Hy’s Steak House
Hy’s Steak House for dinner, I got the same reaction:“Man, I haven’t eaten there in years!”Yeah, me, neither.The steakhouse off Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki isn’t the hopping joint it may have been before. But it’s still one of the best-known…
High school reunions not for me
The other day I was chatting with a colleague and he mentioned his 20th class reunion was coming up.“You going?”He frowned. “Nah,” he said. “I see everyone I want to see from high school. What’s the point?”Exactly what I was…
