Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 97

poured into your cup. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, making this place worth
standing in line for. Although there is no kids' menu, there is a “kids' plate” break-
fast. Most kids will find everything they want on the regular menu.
1911-B Kalakaua Ave. (at Ala Moana Blvd.). & 808/949-0820. Highchairs, boosters, crayons. Breakfast
entrees $8-$12; kids' plate $3. No credit cards. Daily 11pm-2pm.
HONOLULU BEYOND WAIKIKI
ALA MOANA & KAKAAKO
Expensive
Mariposa PACIFIC RIM/SOUTHWESTERN Once you get past the
gourmet food department of Neiman Marcus, you'll be in Mariposa, a popular
lunch spot in town. High ceilings for indoor diners, plus tables on the deck with
views of Ala Moana Park and its Art Deco bridges, add up to a pleasing ambience,
with or without the shopping. The waitstaff will welcome your family cordially
with both a keiki menu and an adult menu of Pacific and American (called “her-
itage cuisine”) specialties that include everything from opakapaka with a three-
pepper vinaigrette to an excellent seared salmon salad. But the lunchtime favorite
is invariably the starter of chicken broth—like the towering, eggy popover with
poha (cape gooseberry) butter, it's the perfect welcome. Kids won't go wrong with
the grilled cheese sandwich, which is not only tasty but also presented elegantly.
In Neiman Marcus, Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. & 808/951-3420. Kids' menu, highchairs,
boosters. Reservations recommended. Main courses $10-$20 lunch; $19-$35 dinner; kids' menu $7-$8. AE,
DC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm.
The Pineapple Room at Macy's HAWAIIAN REGIONAL Yes, it's in
a department store, but the chef is Alan Wong, a culinary icon. The food is ter-
rific, and the kids will come out smiling. Wong conjures culinary masterpieces
that will probably leave you wanting to come back and try breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, just to see what he will present. The room features an open kitchen with
a lava-rock wall and abundant natural light, but these are details in a room where
food is king. The menu changes regularly, but keep an eye out for the ginger
scallion shrimp scampi, nori-wrapped tempura salmon, and superb gazpacho
made of yellow and red Waimea tomatoes. The kids' menu includes cheese pizza,
a keiki hamburger, Caesar salad, and the old standby PB&J sandwich with the
Pineapple Room's crispy fries.
Macy's, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. & 808/945-8881. www.alanwongs.com. Kids' menu, highchairs, boosters.
Reservations recommended for lunch and dinner. Main courses $10-$17 lunch, $20-$29 dinner; $17-$20
prix-fixe lunch; $49 sampling dinner; kids' menu $4-$6.50. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11am-8:30pm; Sat
8am-8:30pm; Sun 9am-3pm.
Moderate
Assaggio ITALIAN This wildly popular chain (also located in Kailua) fea-
tures extensive, high-quality Italian offerings at good prices. There's no kids'
menu, just smaller portions of the adults' menu (at lower prices). The lighter
lunch menu features pasta dishes and house specialties (shrimp scampi, rigatoni
alla ricotta). At dinner, a panoply of pastas and specialties streams out of the
kitchen: at least nine chicken entrees, pasta dishes ranging from mushroom and
clam to linguine primavera, and eight veal choices. The number-one kids'
favorite pick is pasta with meatballs. One of Assaggio's best features is its prodi-
gious seafood selection: shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari, and fresh fish in
many preparations, ranging from plain garlic and olive oil to spicy tomato and
wine sauces. Assaggio's excellent service paired with entrees priced under $20
deserves our applause.