Maui, Hawaii: Mama's Fish House

Margarita

Lilikoi Colada

Taro bread

Amuse bouche

Amakua mushroom and fennel bisque

Papa’s Three Fish Sashimi

Ono with Haiku orange, olive oil and Molokai pink sea salt. 

Ahi with ponzu, baby red shiso and Big Island citrus pearls. 

Opakapaka with lilikoi, Hawaiian chili pepper and “Hawaii Kai” brand black sea salt

Beef Polynesian

Seared tenderloin in a grilled Hana papaya

Opakapaka sautéed with Hamakua mushrooms, garlic butter, white wine and capers

Grilled Whole Opakapaka with asparagus

Ono, Mahimahi and Ahi sautéed in Panang Curry and coconut milk with vegetables, heart of palm, taro, tropical condiments and Mama’s mango chutney

Grilled Mahimahi, slow-cooked Big Island Wild Boar, Octopus Luau and Ahi Poke with baked Hana banana, Molokai sweet potato, lomi-lomi, fresh poi and Haiku Lilikoi

Mama’s home-made ice cream, mint chocolate chip

Birthday festivities for two of my gal pals were celebrated at Mama's Fish House in Paia. The restaurant is situated near a private beach on the north shore of Maui. It's one of the few seafood restaurants where fresh fish is caught daily and the location and name of the fisherman who caught it is listed on the menu. I still have fond memories here. Hubs and I came here right after he proposed to me 6 years ago. Fresh fish caught daily and an ocean view. It's a perfect setting to celebrate a special occasion.

Mama's Fish House

799 Poho Place

Paia, HI

858.579.8488

http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/

Hawaii: Shrimp Trucks

During our trip to Oahu, Hawaii last February, we stopped by our favorite food truck in Kahuku, the Famous Kahuku Shrimp truck. Most people will argue that the best food truck is Giovanni's but everyone has their preference. The Kahuku shrimp has a thicker coating of flour and garlic which I love.

Famous Kahuku Shrimp Truck
56-580 Kamehameha Hwy
Kahuku, HI 96731
Website: http://www.hishrimp.com/

New Orleans: Acme Oyster House

The first time I've been to New Orleans was a few months after Katrina. It was a devastation site. Seriously, the city was in shambles. It was heart breaking and I vowed that I would come back again once things get back to 'normal-somewhat'. Four years later I jumped on the opportunity when Marc had an assignment at USDA in New Orleans. While Marc was working, I was off exploring the city what I call my 'no reservations' outings. This gave me the opportunity to see the city without sticking to an itinerary or time table. Eat as I please so to speak.

One of the stops I made was to the Acme Oyster House. My BFF Jen recommended this place without giving the name of the place. She only told me to, "go to the seafood place with the long line". Umm, yeah. Easy said than done.

While walking down Bourbon Street, I noticed this place with a neon sign and rope rails. Ideally, when you come to the Acme Oyster House, you don't want to see a line (on the left). In reality, there's a line. A long line. I happened to come here twice throughout our trip since I had nothing better else to do. The first time, no wait. The second trip, we waited in line for 20-25 minutes.

Once you get passed the long line, you have the option to sit at a regular table or at the Oyster Bar. I recommend doing the Oyster Bar since you can see first hand how oyster shucking is done.

So on to the menu. I made two trips here which you can identify by the checkered or marble setting.

Chicken & Andouille Gumbo with Rice - $4.99 (cup)

Nice dark roux with a spicy kick. Adding Tabasco is not needed.

Seafood Gumbo, Shrimp and Crab with Rice - $4.99 (cup)

A lighter roux than the meat version but still nice and well-balanced. Not too spicy.

Fried Peace Maker Po-Boy with fried oyster and shrimp & Tabasco infused mayo - $10.99

The sauce was tangy with a bit of hotness. I preferred the oyster side than the shrimp.

Oyster on the Half Shell - $10.99 (dozen)

I've had bad experiences with oysters so I was a bit skeptical when Marc ordered it. He told me if I can eat goose breasts and duck liver, I can eat oysters. It was fabulous. We ended up ordering another dozen since it was shucked to order.

Chargrilled Oysters topped with Acme's Seasoned Butter and Grated Romano Cheese - $9.99 (1/2 dozen)

Man, if there was one thing you had to get here, this is it. The oysters are grilled on an open flame which melts the butter and cheese, YUM! First scoop up the oyster, then drudge the bread slices into the shell to soak up the excess butter and cheese. Aww, delicious!

New Orleans Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce - $4.99

Ok, I'm not into bread pudding. It's probably because I had some pretty awful ones. I can honestly say, this is the best damn bread pudding I've ever had. Hands down, outrageously good. Wow, I loved each bite.

So what's the verdict? As you can see with the above photo, this is the place to be when you are visiting New Orleans. Long line or no line, you can't leave this place without having them oysters.

Things to know:

• No reservations accepted. Gotta come out here early to get a seat. I don't recommend coming here with a large group. You're going to wait 45-60 minutes. You will not be seated until your entire party is there. Eat at the Oyster Bar if you can.
• Acme Oyster House has five locations, the original is located in the French Quarter. Here's the menu: http://www.acmeoyster.com/images/pdfs/fq.pdf
• Price Range: $$
• Location: Bourbon Street and Iberville Street, look for the long line.
• Attire: Casual (think sports bar).
• Must order: Chargrilled Oysters, gumbo and bread pudding.

Acme Oyster House

724 Iberville Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

504.522.5973

Website: http://www.acmeoyster.com

San Pedro: San Pedro Fish Market

The San Pedro Fish Market is located on the Port of Los Angeles and has been in operation for more than 30 years. The Fish Market is the place to go to for fresh fish in the Harbor area and offers retail and wholesale fish, ready-to-eat seafood fare and restaurant and banquet services.

A few years ago, Marc and I stumbled upon this place while we were exploring the area and have been coming back ever since. The Fish Market is known for its Shrimp Tray (shown above). What makes this place unique is the option to customize your seafood fare from their broad variety of fresh seafood.

This place has everything. From lobster tails and king crab legs to shrimp, clams and fresh fish.

Once you've decided what to order, you can add additional sides like vegetables & potatoes and garlic bread.

After that, your seafood and additions are cooked on the premise and served within a few minutes (a little longer if there are large crowds). The signature seasoning is a secret recipe that was developed over 20 years which put the Fish Market on the map.

Seating is located indoors or outdoors on the pier where you can watch the cruise ships leave the port.

2 lbs of Shrimp with Vegetables and Garlic Bread & Fried Tilapia

Things to know:

• Open daily at 11am with free parking.
• There are many fish market stands in the Ports O Call Village. Look for the San Pedro Fish Market which is located toward the end of the marketplace.
• Shrimp Tray: We recommend ordering the shrimp without the shell. It's a bit more expensive but less messy to eat.
• The average cost of a shrimp tray is $30 for 1 lbs of Medium shrimp with vegetables, potatoes and 1 loaf of garlic bread.
• Fried fish is also a good option if the shrimp tray is too much for you.
• If you plan on eating outdoors, note that there are birds and seagulls waiting for your yummy leftovers.
• There are also drink stands in the marketplace serving smoothies and alcohol. Foodie favs: Pineapple and Strawberry. Prices range from $6 to $12.
• The Shrimp Trays are now available at selected Gonzales Northgate Markets for $13.99 (or $9.99 with a coupon). Stores: 17, 21, 24 and 25. Click here for store directions. Go to the San Pedro Fish Market website to download the coupon for $4.00 off.

San Pedro Fish Market at Ports O Call Village
1190 Nagoya Way
San Pedro, CA 90731

Website: http://www.sanpedrofishmarket.com/

Las Vegas: Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak, Stone Crab

I am a stone crab lover. Ever since our trip to Miami last spring, I can't seem to get Joe's Stone Crabs off my mind. They are so good, I'm borderline obsessed with them. We can't leave Vegas without stopping for lunch at Joe's in Caesar's Palace. Even Iron Chef Bobby Flay has claimed he is 'obsessed' with Joe's stone crabs on a recent airing of the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab establishment in Las Vegas is a partnership between ICON LLC, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise and Joe's Stone Crab. It does not try to duplicate its infamous Miami counterpart (no one can) rather it builds upon its traditions.

Let me show you how:

The bread basket: An assortment of bread (six to be exact).

My favs: The Pretzel roll and Raisin Pumpernickel bread.

Cup of Stone Crab Bisque - $4.50

Fisherman's Platter - $21.95

Fried Shrimp, Scallops, Calamari and Cod

3 Large Stone Crabs

with Famous Mustard Sauce

Hashed Brown Potatoes - $4.95

accompaniment

Joe's Cole Slaw - $4.95

best accompaniment!!

Joe's World Famous Key Lime Pie - $6.95

best key lime pie..EVER!

Things to know:

• Complimentary valet parking is available. The entrance of the valet lot is located off of Las Vegas Blvd near the Forum Shops.
• The prices in Vegas are more expensive than Miami. Expect to pay a pretty penny to dine here. Lunch is your best option.
• The best value for your buck is the Joe's Classic - Stone Crabs. The special comes with 5 Medium Stone Crabs, Hashed Brown Potatoes, Joe's Cole Slaw and Key Lime Pie for $21.95, upgrade to 3 Large Stone Crabs for $29.95.
• Stone Crabs are in season in months that have an "R" in it. Basically, stone crabs served between June and August are frozen. The stone crabs in Vegas are absolutely not as fresh as the ones in Miami regardless of the time of year.
• There is no other Key Lime Pie in this world that can top Joe's. You can also make it yourself. The recipe can be found here.
• The Joe's Cole Slaw is awesome as well. If you don't like cole slaw, the one from Joe's will make you a fan.
• Reservations can be made through OpenTable.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steaks and Stone Crabs
3500 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.792.9222


Website: http://www.joes.net/las-vegas