The Plantation House - Kaanapali

Eggs Benedict Arnold
Our friends told us to check out the Plantation House for its stellar ocean views, so when we arrived at a pristine golf course I wondered if we were in the right place. But a few steps down a hushed hallway, there it was…our room with a view.

It only took 10 minutes to get a window seat - score! The host was a mustachioed master of ceremonies who seemed to delight in his work. After seating us, he said, “How do you like my screen-saver?” We liked! But unfortunately the food didn't live up to the landscape.

My hubby and I both ordered one of their specialty eggs benedict - he tried the crab cake version and I had Blackstone (sausage instead of Canadian bacon.) Two words for you: broken hollandaise.

This sauce was so broke it should be panhandling on a corner. I mean, I can understand it being a touch runny, but this was congealed and completely separated. I was surprised that any chef would let this leave the kitchen, especially at an elite golf club. Plus, my English muffin wasn’t even toasted- nothing like soggy, raw bread to soak up an utterly hopeless hollandaise. Besides the hollandaise mishap and the atmosphere being a bit stuffy, the service was impeccable and the view was worth a fee. Will I be back? All I can say is, if it’s broke, then fix it.

Cafe Chloe- San Diego

Frenching for Brunch
Café Chloe (721 9th Ave) was the perfect place to meet the girls for Saturday brunch - classy and sassy. Its 1940’s Parisian flare gave off a whiff of contemporary nostalgia, as if we’d been placed in a scratchy black and white film with modern day conveniences. Aretha Franklin’s, “Baby, baby sweet baby” wafted over Chloe's marble-topped tables and sleek, silver stools surrounding the counter where a waitress mixed champagne with exotic elixirs like lavender and pomegranate.

Real cane cola and root beer came in glass bottles, but I chose the latte served in a small bowl without a handle- I liked doing the two handed lift to sip my froth. Their lavender lemonade was phenomenal and pretty in pink with a garnish of purple. Our waitress said lavender tea was the secret to its strong, floral flavor- ideal for summer sipping. Salt and pepper came in petite, ceramic dishes and sugar was served in raw, lump form- attention to details like these is noticeable (and noteworthy.)

On my last visit, I had gone for the heavy comfort of macaroni and cheese with crispy chunks of pancetta (good, though extremely filling), but today…was a day for flambé. I loved how they baked crème fraiche right on top of the flatbread and then paved the surface with small rectangles of bacon, chopped and crunchy like a hundred savory Scrabble tiles- it scored major points. Caramelized onions tied it all together with a subtle sweetness that quickly inducted me into the clean plate club.

Even when I brought my meat n’ potatoes man here, he loved his poached eggs served over toast with a mushroom/sage buerre blanc. He was surprised that this petite plate filled him up by layering complimentary ingredients. And that is all part of Chloe's charm. They perfect the European philosophy of satisfying the appetite by depth, not width.