A recent missadventure took us to Harlem, America’s infamous personification of urban decay.  When a friend heard we were going, he sent the following text message, “Mihae, 134th Street is right near the ghetto, that’s right near the hospital, wait for me to pick you up.”  That just made us want to go more.

Many New Yorkers may still see this area as a no-go, but the truth is, I found it to have more culture and charm than much of the city.  Harlem musicians have been rockin the soul, reggae, jazz, gospel and afro-cuban music scene for years.  We went to a club call Shrine World Music for reggae night (2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. (133-134 st) New York, NY 10030 • 212-690-7807)

Shrine is a small bar and restaurant showcasing some of the hottest new bands in Harlem.  The venue is small but has a comfortable atmosphere. There are a few tables, but most of the crowd is dancing and mingling.

The bar menu consists of drinks called Afro Trip, Muslim Jew and Roofo Roofo.  Shots are $7 each, but if you buy more than 5, they only cost $5.  There is no cover charge before 11 p.m.

As the Bob Marley tribute band rocked the house, the entire bar broke out into song, dance, smiles, hugs and high-fives all around.  With a mostly local crowd, our party of four were minorities to say the least, but no one seemed to notice and we felt very welcome.  The venue offers live music nightly including jazz, Brazilian and soul.  For more inforamtion, visit  www.shrinenyc.com.

If you are seeking a dive bar that does not take you all the way up to Harlem, check out Cafe Wha in the Village.  It offers great live music from the 80s and buckets of cold beer, www.cafewha.com.

]]> http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/a-night-out-in-harlem-ny/feed/ 0 http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/tips-for-hiking-kauais-famous-napali-coast/ http://www.themissadventures.com/home-sweet-home/tips-for-hiking-kauais-famous-napali-coast/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:56:49 +0000 Emele http://www.themissadventures.com/?p=870 This is an adventure I’ve wanted to do for years, but the fact I was scared kept me away.  I was not afraid of the 11 mile “level 10″ strenuous trek itself, but the thought of carrying everything I am to wear, eat and sleep on for three days on my back makes me shutter.  However, knowing that we would be backpacking through India just a month later, I knew we needed to be able to handle just about anything, and Napali was a perfect place to test our moxy.  We did it and it was worth every step.

Here’s our tips for hiking Kalalau Trail:

1. You must obtain a permit to camp here.  In the summer, you will need to apply for a permit months in advance.  Without a permit, there’s a chance a park ranger can make you turn and hike all the way back out.  Obtain all permits from the Honolulu or Lihue State Parks office. Camping fees are $15-$20 (max stay is 5 nights). Visit www.hawaiistateparks.org for more information.

2.  The journey begins at Kee Beach, at the end of the road in Haena.  It is not recommended to leave a rental car overnight here.  The best place to spend the night before the hike is Hanalei Colony Resort (www.HCR.com), a great condo located right on the beach, just a few miles from the trailhead.

3. Leave as early as you can in the morning to avoid overexertion in the midday heat. It should take at least 8 hours going in with your heavy packs.

4. Bring plenty of water for the hike into the valley.  We used a bladder so we would not have to worry about carrying a water bottle.  Once you get into the valley, you can use the waterfall for drinking/cooking and bathing water.  However, you will need to bring water purifying tablets or a filter before drinking.

5.  Do not swim at Hanakapai Beach (mile 2).  While this beach is gorgeous, the rip currents are strong, and it is highly advised not to go into the water here.  If you are hot here, there’s a cool stream you can take a dip into, and if you hike another two miles back to the valley, there’s a breathtaking waterfall.

5.   The scenery here is indescribable.  Lush valleys around every turn, iridescent blue water, we even spotted a perfect rainbow that seemed to be painted in the sky.  However, this is not an adventure for the faint hearted or anyone afraid of heights.  At a few points, the trail is extremely narrow (less than a foot wide), with sheer, steep drop offs plummeting straight into the ocean.  Watch every step and do not step in the bushes that are along the cliff, there’s a very good chance there’s no solid ground under it.

6.  Take advice from other hikers.  Along the way, you will run into people going in the opposite direction and they are always eager to share their stories with you. My favorite: “Mile 3-6 is pure torture, man”.  You are going to want to stop, you will want to turn back, but push forward, mile 7 is heaven.”  He was right.  Sometimes you need this advice to motivate you.

7. Bring a small, light stove with you and plenty of food and fuel.  Saimin (ramin), oatmeal and military meals are key.  We also bring Power Bars everywhere we go. Any perishable food should be eaten on the first day.

8.  We slept under the stars next to the camp fire on pool floaties, which were light and comfortable.  If you can afford it, splurge on a very light weight tent, these can run from $300 and up but our $20 tent was absolutely useless.

9. Waves in the winter months can be too big for swimming but there was a nice swiming hole near Kalalau Beach.

10.  Watch your tent and keep it zipped if you are not there.  A “creature” got into ours while we were having dinner and ate half a loaf of bread.

11.  Make sure your backpack fits property.  Mine was too big, this provided me with no joy.  Also be sure there’s no sand on your back before you put it on or you will get a mean rash. Travel as light as you can, you won’t need much clothes but bring a jacket as it can get chilly at night.

12. Bring flashlights and headlamps.

13. There are compost toilets on the beach but you will need to bring your own toilet paper.

13.  Be prepared to share food with fellow campers, and vice versa.

14.  Malama Ka Aina (respect the land), bring your rubbish out with you, leave nothing but footprints.

With much lighter packs, we made it out in just over 6 hours.  The journey was difficult to say the least, but we loved every second of it.  Kalalau is a special place, you can feel the power of the mana (power) the moment you enter this sacred area. Happy trails!

Ok, so maybe I’m a little biased considering I’m working on the design for this project. While the graphics are in transition still, it hasn’t stopped Tacombi from rolling up in style at Fashion Night Out 2009 NYC. Parked in front of The Smile on Bond Street, the taco truck, known as Tacombi

passed out free tacos. On the menu were two tacos: a spicy cactus for the pork averse and a slow roasted pork taco with achiote topped with pickled onions for the carnivores and ravenous models…you’d be suprised how many tacos a skinny model can house! Both tacos were served on fresh tortillas made from Nixtamal. True to Mexican taco tradition, great lengths were made to obtain the 1,000 tortilla order from their Queens factory – the staple tortilla really makes a difference. Sort of like rice to sushi.

How I got roped into working the truck, well perhaps I was revisiting my day working with Emele in the Turkish bath house, but at least the St Germain cocktails from inside kept our thirst well-quenched.

While currently housed in a garage in Brooklyn, you can be sure to see it popping up at various events and locations throughout the city, you can follow it on twitter.com/tacombi to lovingly stalk its taco providing happenings…

A friend recently mentioned that she had not been to Kauai in a long time because as a self-proclaimed “food snob,” she could not find anywhere good to eat on the island.   My mouth nearly hit the ground.  How can a place known as the Garden Island not have good food? With its fresh organic produce, top-notch farmers markets, and a healthy, sustainable relationship with the land, the topography makes this place a culinary heaven.
You just have to know where to look and some of the best eateries are not fine dining restaurants but mom and pop establishments.  Here are my favorites:

Hamura’s Saimin Stand
2956 Kress Street
Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 245-3271

Sitting along the shared counters of this ram-shackled restaurant, the sweltering heat will hit you like sunbathing in the Sahara.   You might have to stand in line for up to an hour.  Consuming hot soup on a tropical island is an oxymoron.   The service is…wait, what service? But seriously, you have to eat here.

There’s nothing on the menu except for chicken skewers, pie and saimin, a dish developed during Hawaii’s plantation era.  Saimin is a staple food across the state and consists of Chinese noodles in a Japanese broth.  It’s usually served with fishcake, spam, green onions and wontons or gyoza.  Finish with a slice of the amazing lilikoi (passion fruit) pie. You have to love the fact that this place won a coveted James Beard award and didn’t even bother to go to New York to accept the honor.
 

Hanalei Juice and Taro
5-5070 Kuhio Hwy B
Hanalei, HI 96714
(808) 651-3399
This lunch wagon is my very favorite place to eat in all of Hawaii. The Haraguchi family has been running this cart for three generations.  Poi is made fresh daily from the family taro farm across the street (62% of Hawaii’s taro comes from Hanalei).  They serve fresh fruit smoothies, taro hummus, taro burgers, mochi cakes, and plate lunches.  Try the pork lau lau plate; it comes with lomi salmon, poi (or rice), taro mac salad and taro mochi.  So good it borderline brings me to tears.

Pono Market
4-1300 Kuhio Hwy
Kapaa, HI 96746
(808) 822-4581

Ask any local what’s the one food they can’t live without.  You will get just one answer: “poke.” Known as Hawaii’s soul food, this dish is usually consists of fresh raw fish tossed with sesame oil, kukui nut relish and seaweed.   Pono Market is known for some of the best ahi poke around.  Fish Express in Lihue also offers a huge selection of poke, I love the spicy clam version.  Grab some rice, and a few other pupus (appetizers) and you’ve got a perfect healthy meal.
 

Koloa Fish Market
5482 Koloa Rd
Koloa, HI 96756-9421
(808) 742-6199

This little deli offers one of the best Hawaiian plates on the island.  A typical Hawaiian plate consists of any of the following: lau lau (meat or fish wrapped in taro leaves), lomi salmon (cold salmon, tomatoes and onions), kalua pig (slow cooked pork made in an underground oven)  poi (thick paste made from taro), poke (raw seasoned fish), chicken long rice (side dish made with vermicelli noodles), beef stew or pipikaula (Hawaiian beef jerky).

Tip Top Café
3173 Akahi St
Lihue, HI 96766
(808) 245-2333

This place has been around since 1912.  It’s mainly known as a good place for breakfast, and the macadamia pancakes are superb, but the absolutely must have is the oxtail soup.  It’s a brothy soup made with beef tails, and if you are lucky, boiled peanuts.

Duane’s Ono Char Burger
4-4350 Kuhio Hwy
Anahola, HI 96703
(808) 822-9181

I once stopped by this side of the road eatery with a big time New York food editor.  She was practically hyperventilating over these burgers.  Try the Local Girl, it’s flavored with Teriyaki and a slice of pineapple.  Not much more I can say.

Taro Ko Chip Factory
Main St
Hanapepe, HI 96716

Taro Ko Chips Factory consists of a few family members producing taro chips in a dilapidated old plantation house in the sleepy town of Hanapepe.   The taro is grown on the farm, and the chips are handmade by the Nagamine family, who has been doing this for generations.

NOT SO HEALTHY MUSTS

Spam Musubi
I recently read a review from a diner that proclaimed: “when I die, I want to die with spam musubi in my mouth.”  I know how this guy feels.  Spam musubi is composed of a block of rice with a slice of Spam that’s wrapped up with nori (seaweed).  Hawaii residents eat more spam that the rest of the country combined due to the fact that during WWII it was the only type of meat that could be brought into the islands.  You can you can find spam musubi anywhere on Kauai: at the supermarket, 7-11, the gas station, the liquor store, even at the airport (warning: they normally run out by lunchtime).  Try it, you’ll like it.

Plate Lunch
The million-calorie plate lunch is a quintessential part of Hawaii’s cuisine. Standard plate lunches consist of two scoops rice (we leave out the word “of”), a scoop of macaroni salad (nicknamed mac salad), and a entrée such aas chicken katsu, beef teriyaki (shortened to “teri beef”) or hamburger steak.  For a real treat, order a Loco Moco: hamburger smothered with brown gravy and placed on top a bed of rice with a fried runny egg.  The best places for a plate lunch on Kauai are Kalena’s in Lihue (2985 Kalena Street), Da Imu Hut in Hanapepe (3771 Hanapepe Rd) and Mark’s Place in Puhi (1610 Haleukana St # A) or Lawai (2-3687 Kaumualii Hwy).

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. – Marcel Proust

We love to travel, it’s what this site was born from but at its heart is the excitement of adventure and discovery both far and near. While we share exotic destination hometowns, they couldn’t be more different – Hawaii, synonymous with beautiful beaches and swaying palms is about as antithetical as you can get to Manhattan’s towering skyscrapers and endless streets. And yet both have millions of visitors each year who seek out their own adventures among the streets we mindlessly meander and the sites we often pass unobserved. So we thought we’d open our own eyes and discover the voyages closer to home. As a ruby footed heroine once said, “There’s no place like home…”

Ashamedly, I know so little of Brooklyn despite having frequented for years the apartment of one of my best friends and recent x-lover, which means I know exactly 2 neighborhoods that run the length from the nearest subway to their front doors, without deviation…well with google maps and Hopstop, my newest favorite app on the iphone I’m headed to Flatbush Farms, a local produce using gastro-pub, but perhaps more importantly where a “friend” of a friend works as executive chef. Located in Prospect Heights, the restaurant sits at an awkward intersection and even with google maps and HopStop I still found myself a tad lost.

Inside the restaurant the decor is pleasant with a nod to the rustic but by no means all that remarkable. For those who bemoan a smoke free New York, they’ll enjoy the outdoor backyard, where smokers puff away freely.

With loads of specials, my dining partner and I decided to sample off the menu and see how the chef was flexing his flavor muscles. We weren’t disappointed. We started off with the corn chowder topped with caramel/chili coated popcorn. To be honest, we missed the chowder reference and thought we were ordering a popcorn, but was tasty so the bowl was spooned clean. Next we ordered the whole roasted Branzino atop a bed of quinoa and fried green tomatoes as well as the braised duck served with spaghetti squash and mushrooms. The meal was delightful – the duck perfectly braised and tender with the sweet spaghetti squash just melted in your mouth and the the quinoa had just a touch of spice, which was a nice compliment to the fish, also cooked to perfection. Sipped with a sparkling red, whose name escapes me, the meal was definitely worth it.

To both our surprise and later disappointment, the chef sent out a beet salad special (the surprise). Served with a yogurt sauce and fresh local greens, the salad was equally delicious, yet the chef never made a personal appearance (the disappointment). And no, we weren’t so high and mighty as to think he had to but considering the fact that this “friend” had specifically requested my dining partners presence, his lack of interest was just anticlimactic if not a tad disrespectful. But in true NYC style the evening ended with a curt, polite zinger of a text.

The beet salad was delicious. Don’t talk to me. Ever again.

We laughed about it on the subway back, a bit tipsy on the lovely sparkling red. While I would definitely recommend the restaurant, I don’t think we’ll be back anytime soon…

A little link love for the local purveyors:
• Satur Farms – herbs, lettuces and other seasonal produce from the North Fork of Long Island, NY.
• Fleischers Meats – grass fed organic meats from Kingston, New York.
• Vermont Fancy Meats – cheeses, lamb, veal, & rabbits from Andover, Vermont.
• Guy Jones – herbs, lettuces, fruit and tomatoes from Blooming Hill Farms in Mountainville, New York.
• Nester Tello – vegetarian diet organic eggs from Red Hook, New York.
• Stone Ridge Orchard- apples, cider, local foraged produce, berries, potatoes and tomatoes from Upstate NY.