#best burger honolulu

[butcherbirdhi]

Top Choice for the Best Burger in Honolulu

When you’re craving the best burger Honolulu, we’re the top destination. Our gourmet burgers, crafted from high-quality ingredients, offer an exceptional dining experience perfect for any occasion. Discover what makes our burgers a local favorite at: https://www.butcherandbirdhi.com/

[deke-rivers-1957]

Girls! Girls! Girls! Review

With the established success of Blue Hawaii, Hal Wallis and other Hollywood executives decided that comedy travelogues were the best way to go regarding Elvis films. In fact, to recapture the magic of Blue Hawaii, director Norman Taurog was brought to direct this movie. Additionally, 13 songs were included to match Blue Hawaii's 14 songs.

Filmed on location in Honolulu, Girls! Girls! Girls! captures not only the natural beauty of Hawaii but also the down to earth side. Surprisingly the movie managed to get nominated for both the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture - Musical and Elvis himself received a 2nd place Laurel Award for Best Male Performance in a musical. Did this movie deserve the praise through its own merit, or did it rest too heavily on Blue Hawaii's laurels? Let's find out.

"Girls! Girls! Girls" is such a bizarre titular song given what happens in the movie. It's got a good upbeat tune, but for the title of this movie, it just feels out of place. We get introduced to Ross Carpenter, a young man living in Hawaii. He's seen helping a married couple on a fishing boat. At first the movie plays perfectly into the title showing Ross flirting with girls on the West Wind.

We very quickly go away from that when Mrs. Morgan is seen to flirt with him only for him to not at all return her feelings. I'm very glad that this doesn't last long. I just don't think it's very entertaining to have romance drama right off the bat. At least give us a chance to learn who these characters are without adding romance.

For instance this scene alone allows us to learn more about Ross without romance. We know that he's working for this elderly couple because he wants to buy a boat. I love this couple as even though they don't have a big role, they give this movie a lot of heart.

Ross seeing them as family is so sweet. It makes him completely different than the loner edgy man he's portrayed. Not every Elvis character with missing parents needs to be so angry at the world. I think it's great to see that Ross is being productive with his grief. He makes connections with other people and creates his own family.

It's interesting how we get introduced to Robin, yet she isn't the love interest. I think they used to be in a relationship yet for some reason Robin still feels very bitter about something. I can understand a girl feeling upset about a breakup because that makes them human, but she's just so bitter about seeing Ross and you just wonder why. It isn't as if he was caught cheating on her.

"I Don't Wanna Be Tied" is a good song. It's quite fitting for the scenery but it's odd that it's in this movie given what will happen not that long after this scene. We get introduced to Laurel. Even in her first scene I immediately like her character. Her going on a random spiel at the hotel about having birds that don't exist is so hilarious. I have no idea what it was about, but I liked it. She has that nice amount of randomness where it's charming. In a nice blink and you'll miss it moment, you can actually see Blue Hawaii posters in the background. I know the crew had absolutely no intention of making that movie exist in the same universe as this one, but you still can't help wondering how that would work.

So Ross has to show off the boat to a potential buyer, Mr. Johnson. It's clear that he doesn't want to do this but his actions are understandable. He goes to see Laurel for their lunch date but immediately storms off when he sees her with another man. I'm so glad the drama of Ross seeing Laurel with another man is resolved quickly. It ended up being a complete nothing burger as the man she was meeting was her father, therefore it was completely harmless. The matter ultimately has no impact on the plot, but it shows that this couple has healthy communication skills. We don't get the cliche of having this be the drama that lasts the rest of the movie but is instead a misunderstanding that can easily be resolved with just a couple lines of dialogue.

Robin then shows up and I have no idea why she's so upset. Even though she had feelings for him, he's not at all obligated to stay loyal to her. Any romance that they had in the past is over. You basically get the idea that while Ross has moved on from the split, she's just too petty to do the same. Of course that doesn't stop Laurel from considering her as a rival.

We get the Stavros' anniversary party and I think it's beautiful that Ross was allowed to bring Laurel with. It really demonstrates how much this old Greek couple means to him. I wonder how Elvis felt having to sing "We'll Be Together" knowing his relationship with Gladys. It's so touching for Ross to sing this to Mama and in general having him call her Mama is sweet.

Ross explains why the boat means so much to him. This gives genuine depth. It's not a 3rd act reveal meant to be a plot twist, but something we already learn so we have context for his actions. Him singing "A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You" is nice. I think if we didn't have all these songs so close together, it would've been the emotional highlight of their relationship.

I love how we get actual Hawaii in this movie. This isn't just pretty tourist Hawaii. This is actual Hawaii where the native people live and survive. Paradise Cove is a real tourist attraction for the island of Oahu. It makes perfect sense to film there since it's only about an hour away from Honolulu if you're driving.

I also love how we have a lot of genuine Hawaiian extras. It makes this feel like a real place as opposed to just a soundstage. It also makes Ross feel like a real person as he's shown being relatively familiar with everyone. The Yung family especially gives him a little spice that is well appreciated. It shows that he has made so many connections from various cultures.

I love the Yung family and the Ling sisters. These are not Asian stereotypes but a real Asian family. I absolutely love the casting decision to include Chinese actors and the Tiu family. Like I mentioned about their sister Vicky Tiu, the Tiu family originally came from the Philippines before moving to Hawaii. Having them portray Chinese characters is not farfetched since Manila does have a relatively large Chinese population. Mr. and Mrs. Yung being played by Chinese actors really pays homage to the Chinese population in Hawaii. Because you allow the actors to portray experiences from their own culture and introduce it to an audience that for the most part didn't have that experience.

Seeing Ross use chopsticks correctly is so beautiful. It shows that their culture is not something to be made fun of, but a genuine part of who they are. It speaks volumes for him to eat with chopsticks even with Mr. and Mrs. Yung using forks because it shows how he's taken the time to learn how to use it properly. I also love how he gives Laurel a fork so she won't have to keep struggling to eat. This is a real concept when eating Chinese food. If you go to a Chinese household and struggle to use them properly, they won't mind if you use a fork. As a guest, they would rather have you use a fork and enjoy your meal, than misuse chopsticks and struggle. As long as you show that you're trying to use them properly that's all they can ask for.

"Earth Boy" is amazing. It shows how Ross actually took the time to learn Chinese. Chinese is not at all easy to learn and given that Duolingo and other online translation services didn't exist, you would have to be really dedicated to learning it. This is why I think Ross is bilingual because even though he isn't entirely fluent in Chinese, he knows enough of it to be able to translate what the Ling sisters are saying in Chinese.

The song itself is pretty good. It doesn't feel out of place for him to be singing with these Chinese girls. Since we already established that he's known them for quite a while, it doesn't come off as nonsensical for Elvis to know Chinese. Now I'm not Chinese so I can't speak for how well his pronunciation is, but I give him props for at least trying to tackle it. I also wonder who did the instrumentals for this song since it's not at all a typical Elvis song. If anyone out there is Chinese I'd love to hear your thoughts on that scene and the use of Chinese culture in general in this movie.

Ross and Laurel are one of the most real couples in an Elvis movie. Waking up in the middle of the night to cuddle during a rainstorm is so cute. The whole scene makes you think of the things you would do with your significant other as a teenager. I also love how Mrs. Yung knew that they snuck out but chose to do nothing. It was a quick blink and you'll miss it, but a nice detail. Laurel revealing that she's getting over a bad breakup and Ross supporting her is so wholesome. It's always important to be open about your situation and not string your partner along. Even though you can tell these two have obvious chemistry, you appreciate that they move along at their own pace that feels natural. You want to ignore that they've known each other for a day because it doesn't feel that way at all when you watch them interact.

The next day we found out that Johnson buys the boats. Even though Ross is upset, Johnson is not a villain. No one is the villain here. Mr. Stavros isn't a villain for wanting to sell them, Ross isn't a villain for wanting to keep the West Wind and Johnson isn't a villain for wanting to buy them. It's a naturally bad situation that Ross has no control over. I love the way this conflict is set up since it would be too unrealistic to make Johnson a cliche mustache twirling villain who wants to wipe out Mom and Pop shops. He doesn't even have a vendetta against Ross since he offers him a job. If Johnson was really a villain, giving him the chance to buy the boat wouldn't even be an option.

So Ross decides his only option is to go back to the nightclub and work as a singer. He wants to tell Robin himself because for whatever reason he's worried that she's going to be upset. I know she's jealous that he's with Laurel, but it's pretty ridiculous for her to think that he'd want to see her get fired. The boss of course doesn't care and introduces Ross as his new singer.

"Return to Sender" is iconic. Funny thing is the word zone being used in the song. Not long after the song was released mailing zones were no longer used. They were replaced by what we know now as ZIP codes. Even though it's now considered anachronistic to use that term, you don't really care because replacing it with ZIP code or just code doesn't convey the same meaning.

"Because of Love" is ok. Honestly with how many songs we have in the movie, the only way I can comment on all of them, would be if I talked about them solely on the soundtrack. The show ends and I have no idea what Robin's deal is. If she claims to know Ross so well, she should know that him working at the same nightclub is not at all meant to be an act of revenge. I don't get why on Wikipedia he's described as having to choose between Robin and Laurel. There is no big drama here. He's already made it clear that whatever relationship they had is over and he only wants to be with Laurel. Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't buy that this is a legit drama when from Ross' perspective the choice was already made.

Laurel being upset that she was stood up is very understandable. She already explained that she got hurt very recently and trusted him to keep a promise. Of course it's not Ross' fault because he was open about wanting to get money. Even though Laurel is wrong to say that he was doing it to be with Robin, you don't blame her for thinking that way. Given how quickly he gets the job as a singer, there's no way she could've known that. She did go too far by saying he should go back to Robin but I love the face she makes when she sees him leave altogether. It shows that he was genuine about only wanting the money and has the emotional maturity to not get in this back and forth when Laurel is clearly not thinking rationally.

"Thanks to the Rolling Sea" is a pretty good song given that it has good audio for the middle of the ocean. Yeah it's pretty obvious that this song was pre-recorded but the song itself is an interesting sea shanty. Unfortunately the fishing nets were destroyed by I'm assuming the motor. Obviously that would have to be taken out of Ross' pay. Except it turns out that it won't. Because Johnson is so much of a villain that in exchange for giving Ross his fair share of the income, Johnson will take the loss on the fishing nets. How absolutely awful. This man is so terrible that he's willing to ruin his own business just to be fair to his employee who's done nothing but complain.

"Song of the Shrimp" is so unnecessary. It's good yes but this doesn't fit with the Hawaiian background. Especially when we outright hear New Orleans. It feels like this was just a holdover from when they had the idea of filming it in New Orleans before deciding on Hawaii. We just didn't need another song so soon after the one we just had. Especially since this is now the 2nd song within not even five minutes about some type of seafood. The spacing between each song is terrible. It works as a soundtrack but in a movie it's so distracting.

As expected, Laurel goes to apologize and I love how this doesn't feel forced. Laurel has an established internal conflict that she opened up about. She instinctively reacted and realized she made a mistake. After allowing some time to really think about it, she goes back to apologize. This is a very healthy way to resolve conflict and it only emphasizes just how little romantic drama exists in this movie. There is no love triangle since you don't even consider Robin to be a threat to their relationship. Yes she does have feelings still, but she ultimately doesn't have a big enough role to make it feel like this big choice Ross has to make.

It really speaks to their relationship that Laurel invites him to her apartment for dinner with the full assumption that he'll show up. Ross snarks but ultimately doesn't deny it. It feels so realistic because it's totally normal for loving couples to be snarky with each other. It shows just how comfortable they are with each other's feelings that they know where to draw the line.

In an act of foreshadowing about her background, it turns out that Laurel can't cook to save her life. She knows absolutely nothing about how to operate in a kitchen. She turns to Ross for help when her roast catches fire. It's incredible how we get genuine advice by seeing them looking for salt. Salt/flour is exactly what you put on a kitchen fire involving oils and grease if you don't have a fire extinguisher. Ross making dinner while Laurel burns herself lighting a match is the perfect amount of chaos. This whole time I'm thinking about how Ross is going to be the malewife while Laurel's the girlboss. Even though this was 1962, I genuinely see him as being the one to take care of the home while Laurel works simply because he actually knows how to keep house.

"The Walls Have Ears" has a wild set up. There's a couple arguing next door and results in a lot of banging noises. Laurel and Ross try to figure out what's happening and it's very much implied that the couple next door started having sex. So what do our main characters decide to do when the whole apartment starts shaking? They start to tango and makes you realize exactly what will go down in the bedroom. Ross being visibly aroused makes perfect sense even though it was not at all intended. The song itself is the highlight of the movie

So because Laurel loves Ross so much, she decides to go to Johnson and buys the boat. I love how we see Laurel girlboss her away around. Even her father isn't immune to it. I admit for the 60s it was a little eyebrow raising when it's implied her father thought she was getting an abortion. I know such a topic existed back then, I just didn't think for a non-gritty Elvis movie it'd even be mentioned.

"We're Comin' In Loaded" is once again a good song that doesn't need to be here. This is now the 3rd song about seafood and you just wonder why. I'm starting to think this is now a musical about lonely fishermen who only have sea shanties to help pass the time. Elvis is after all dressed in a sexy sailor Halloween costume. It's honestly incredible how when he sees the boat was sold, he punched Johnson for being a rat. Johnson has the patience of a saint for not pressing charges. Because in real life, if you have an employee acting that way, you'd call the police.

So Laurel meets with Ross at the restaurant for lunch as promised. Only problem is that now he's sore that she was the one who bought the boat. He considers it to be a real betrayal. At first you think he's being very unreasonable and think Laurel didn't do anything wrong. But it turns out that he has his own instinctive reaction. Ross grew up having to provide for himself. He feels like people are only pitying him by giving him charity. I personally don't understand it, but I do know that it isn't unrealistic to react this way. I think even in Elvis' life his family felt that way because admitting you need charity is admitting that you're failing as an adult. As much as this is drama, you can understand why this happened. It's not a moral failing in a new relationship to have a conflict between the two parties wants and needs. It's how they overcome this obstacle that tells you whether or not it will last.

I like how Laurel meets with Robin to find Ross. She's willing to talk to someone she can't stand. Robin meanwhile never gets her redemption as even when she tells Laurel where he could be, she's still so petty. I don't know what the intention was for her character but she's too unlikeable to consider her a genuine love interest for Ross. If anything, her behavior only makes me think that it was the reason why their relationship failed to begin with.

I think it was funny that Mr. Yung has a cat named Kapu that he uses to tell the weather. As much as you think it's just a stereotype, I personally don't see it that way. While it is true that the Chinese doesn't have a superstition about cats predicting the weather, I don't think it's a stereotype to have him believe that. People having superstitions about predicting the weather isn't something that only Chinese people have. Every culture has superstitions and people can believe in things that others from their own culture would think is odd.

Naturally Mr. Yung is proven wrong as not only is a storm about to roll in, but Chen finds Laurel with Johnson on the West Wind. It's very telling that Ross' first instinct is to get on a motorboat with Mr. Yung and save her. Granted I never thought she was ever in any real danger, but given the low opinion Ross has about Johnson, his actions make sense. It's also very sweet how Mr. Yung is so supportive of his relationship with Laurel that he's willing to help. It really shows how much he sees Ross as an adopted son just like the Stavros.

So we get the final fight scene and it's honestly incredible how quickly it's resolved. It also shows that Johnson was ultimately only an antagonist as opposed to being a straight up villain. Sure he was pushy with Laurel, but that only makes him a jerk. Johnson buying the boat back just because he got beaten in a fight proves that as much as he was annoyed by Ross, he really didn't have a vendetta against him. He was simply an obstacle that Ross had to overcome.

In a very quick blink and you'll miss it moment, the motorboat Laurel and Ross get back into actually crashes right into the West Wind. I have no idea if that was intentional since we do get a close up of Johnson's reaction. If it really was just an accident I'm very shocked they left it in, since that crash looked like it could've been very dangerous. This is the real Hawaiian waters so the motorboat could've easily capsized. And the last we ever see of Johnson ends with him saying Ross reminded him of himself, ultimately proving there was never any ill intent on his part.

As promised, the Yung family has a party while Ross and Laurel talk. He realizes that making himself miserable just to have the chance to buy his dad's boat back isn't worth it. That his dad wouldn't want him to working for bosses he doesn't like just to keep his memory alive and that building a new boat with Laurel is a healthier way to cope with the grief. When it's implied that the two will get married, I can believe that. I don't get the feeling that this relationship was rushed at all. This movie shows us that they have the chemistry from the very start and shows us that they can overcome various obstacles. That's enough to believe that even if they only knew each other for say a couple months, that this couple will last. This is one of the most maturely written, most developed couples in an Elvis movie.

The reprise of "Girls, Girls Girls" is amazing. The movie finally lives up to the title by showcasing the various cultures that exist in Hawaii. As much as it's confusing to see kimonos being associated with the Ling sisters who are Chinese, there was a point in history where the Japanese got the inspiration from Chinese traders. Outside of that, it's still fitting to have various Asian cultures given that they make up a large portion of the Hawaiian population. Overall a cheerful tribute to the non-white cultures of Hawaii and a good way to end the movie.

I was very shocked at how good this movie was. The title and the marketing is a complete injustice since you assume it's a cheap rom-com Elvis vehicle with little emotional substance. Might I suggest changing the title to "The West Wind" since that's the actual object of Ross' affection. It's incredible how this title completely influences your opinion only to surprise you with how little focus the girls actually get. Instead we get a pretty touching film about a man trying to reunite himself with the final physical tie to his deceased father. It's not a dramatic masterpiece similar to King Creole, but it's definitely not the throwaway cheap beach film you initially think it is.

Therefore I'm giving this a 9/10. The songs could've been spaced out better and the movie trying to market itself based on the sexual appeal of women just doesn't fit. That being said, if you look at the movie in regards to writing and its characters it's very solid. My only issue is that Robin's involvement in the plot is very weak. If the intent was to have her be a legit threat to Ross' relationship with Laurel, I'd say it was a failure because I never saw her as one. She just comes off as very petty with no real reason why or any chance at redeeming herself. Outside of that, I think this was a great ensemble cast and highly recommend giving it a chance.

An: Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I'm glad to have reviewed a movie that showcases how even adults have respect for their parents.

Tagging: @whositmcwhatsit, @hooked-on-elvis, @smokeymountainboy, @atleastpleasetelephone, @stitchlover0112,

@tupelomiss, @vintagepresley, @eapep, @almightybigbrain, @coltswael,

@cieloestrelladoluna, @huhhhhsthings, @arrolyn1114, @peaceloveelvis, @peskybedtime,

@mercsandmonsters, @tacozebra051, @valloos, @ilovequeen978, @elvisvideos,

@presleyhearted, @leiaorganaskywalkers, @kawaiiwitchy, @swingdownsweetchariot, @ruggednessworld,

@gentle-bunny, @atrophyingaphrodite, @jrbrandi13, @summer56, @elvismylove04,

@eptodaytommorowforever, @lookingforrainbows, @araiarts, @fharysa, @lett-them-eatt-cake,

@fryb0rg, @wanderlustingtomboy, @slayingjd, @wildhorseinkansas, @ilovequeen978,

and @jhoneybees.

[tabilist]

【世界頂グルメ】ハワイで頂グルメリスト

【世界頂グルメ】#やす子 #小泉孝太郎 ハワイで頂グルメリスト 2024/10/16放送 ハワイ134 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 #世界頂グルメ 詳しく見る↓

世界頂グルメ 2024/10/16放送 やす子＆小泉孝太郎　ハワイで頂グルメリスト パイナップル入りの巨大バーガー 「Teddy’s Bigger Burgers Waikiki（テディーズ・ビガー・バーガー）」 食べログでcheck! 23年連続で「ハワイBESTバーガー賞」を受賞し続けるハンバーガーのお店 何よりも特徴的なのは、そのボリューム。通常のハンバーガーの概念を覆すほどのビッグサイズのパテは、肉汁が溢れ出し、口いっぱいに肉の旨みが広がります。 また、バンズは自家製で、ふわふわとした食感と香ばしい香りが食欲を掻き立てます。パティのサイズは「ビッグ」「ビガー」「ビゲスト」の3種類から選べ、男性でも満足できるボリュームです。 アロハタワーバーガー　6950円 ハワイアンバーガー　1910円 住所 ハワイ134 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu, HI…

[ddarker-dreams]

How would the team react to SR reader taking them to a trip back to their home? For instance, I'm from NY, so I would definitely take them or M&M world or something fun 😊.

NONNIE THIS IS SO CUTE !! SR Reader would want to take everyone to an area she thinks they’d like!! It’d be a very chaotic trip. Maybe an Everyone Lives AU type of special. Lemme go over my thoughts...

If you’re travelling with Giorno, you’re gonna be travelling in style. Man is packing the big bucks. He just tells you to bring him wherever you want. Might be a bit disappointed that the others are tagging along at first, but still has plans to get alone time with you :) he’s the least likely to want to go anywhere specific. He’s gonna be harshly judging any of the food you recommend, but doesn’t ever tell you lmao. Just flashes you a charming smile and says it’s wonderful while going on an internal Gordon Ramsey monologue over the flavors and presentation. He’d secretly like places that specialize in sweets, and should you catch onto this, would make feeble attempts at dismissing it. Despite all the fancy food he can afford, he has a soft spot for smores you made for him!! Thought it was the cutest thing ever :’)))) especially when you were blowing on the marshmallows to set the fire off. The moment was ruined by Narancia mourning his marshmallow that fell into the fire...  

Mista is going to want to visit Hollywood 100%. This man is a cinema addict and nothing can convince me otherwise. He’s going to be finding areas that appeared in his favorite movies and dragging you (and maybe a few other unlucky people, probably Fugo) along for the ride. Sex Pistols are gonna embarrass him by reenacting his favorite scenes lmao. He’d want to go to Griffith’s Observatory to reminiscence about Rebel Without a Cause and won’t shut up about the movie the entire time. Mista fits in with the lackadaisical air of LA a little too perfectly, and you keep telling him to change out of his sweater because it’s gonna be hot. But he doesn’t. Mista is gonna be so tilted when he finds out his favorite Clint Eastwood doesn’t have a star on the Walk of Fame... you didn’t have the heart to tell him at first. He’s also sad that he can’t legally drink in the states LMAOO

“[First], so let me get this straight. I can carry my pistol around openly here, but I can’t legally drink?” 

“Couldn’t have explained it better myself, Mista.” 

Narancia is another person who would be excited to visit areas in California the most. He’s more into music, so he’s going to want to tour all the big studios (and gets bored when he doesn’t spot any celebrities like he expected). Also the most likely to be disappointed with California prices. When you explain to him how much he needs to pay in USD for a meal he’s gonna gape at you like you have two heads. 

“W-what? That much for a burger and fries? This has to be a crime! Bucciarati, come talk some sense into this guy!” 

“Narancia, no, don’t beat up the Americans--” 

He’d also be interested in New York!! Specifically in areas that hold cultural significance for hip hop like the Bronx. He thinks it’s the coolest thing ever. Might stand out a little too much but it’s okay he’s having fun. Narancia would be suffering on the east coast, since a lot of people there are prickly. If anyone bumps into him in New York, you’re gonna have to deescalate lmao. He’d also want to visit places like Hershey Park, Six Flags, etc... you’re gonna have to explain to him that they’re all very far apart. Narancia wants to drag you on rollercoasters, god help your soul ... (if you refuse, he’ll settle on Mista joining him. Emphasis on settle). You might need to get him a shirt that says “If lost, return to [First]” for him, and a “I’m [First]” for yourself. 

Trish is another one from the group who is most interested in visiting New York. She fits in perfectly, unlike Narancia. She can keep up with the walking speed there too lmao. Trish is gonna drag you into countless fashion stores, and take selfies with you at Times Square. If anyone tries to cat call her... well, she’s gonna have you defending her honor. Trish is gonna want to go to Tiffany’s, and Radio City music hall to see a concert. She actually speaks English pretty well! She has a cute little accent on some words, but when you tell her that, she gives you a >:( look. Anyways you’d both be looking like models next to one another. A few people have come up to Trish, asking if they’ve seen her in magazines or something... smh... it’s your job to flirt with her so you shoo them off in English >:) 

God... Bruno would be so adorable. He wants to explore the beaches!! When you’re asking where he wants to go, he’ll mention these places. The Outer Banks, Ocean City (until you tell him he’s gonna be greatly disappointed if you go there), Honolulu, and the Santa Monica beaches. He likes sitting on the piers and feeling the ocean breeze, and trying the boardwalk food!! He thrives the most in Southern states since he likes the warmer places. 

The state I see him liking the most should he visit is Maryland. He’d be prancing around the inner harbor, enjoying all the outdoor cafes and feasting on seafood. Just be sure to teach him how to eat crabs properly :’) the gang eating crabs is a mess. The waiter brings wooden hammers, and Narancia starts SMACKING the FUCK out of that steamed crab. You have to explain to him it’s not meant to be used like that... Mista tries using it like a judge’s gavel to make you laugh. Fugo and Abbacchio are leaving the table so as not to associate with them... 

Fugo is gonna be embarrassed by everyone else’s shenangins. He fits in the frigid temperament a lot of East Coasters have. He’d be the most interested in visiting Boston for its historical importance, and touring the various colleges there. He prefers Boston over New York and LA, he’s a bit of a snob... is gonna be internally screaming over the stupidly complicated way of getting around. Why is the train system here so archaic?? Who designed this?? He wants to have a word with them. Fugo isn’t big on city life though, so he might want to visit somewhere more rural. Perhaps... Florida... ahaha... jk... unless? 

Abbacchio is going to want to visit New Orleans and nothing can convince me otherwise. I headcanon that he’s a big fan of jazz. So he’ll be hanging out in notable jazz clubs, sipping on fine wine, enjoying the music with you. He appreciates how the music transcends language. Especially since he feels weird constantly badgering you or Fugo, the best English speakers, to translate stuff for him. He might be a little bit smug that he’s able to drink alcohol unlike Mista, who is still greatly offended by not being able to drink. 

[lonelypond]

BETWEEN US

NicoMaki, Love Live, 3.6K, 1/1

Summary: Nishikino Maki and Yazawa Nico have many challenges ahead, but they get through them together.

Between Us

Is this what love is? Not a fire that bites painfully but two people laying so close to feel every breath, hands nearly touching, eyes on the brilliant stars opening themselves up suddenly, sure enough to share truths they speak into the night, this solitary space, this private moment between them.

Nishikino Maki spoke first, always the more impatient, curious about Yazawa Nico’s state of mind. “What do you want to do, Nico-chan?”

“Nico wants to show everyone that little and cute can be strong, sexy smart, talented, funny, hard working, successful….I’m tired of how the world treats cute girls like Nico. Nico is a star.” Nico flung her arms out, to encompass the sky. “They should be in awe.”

I am, Maki said to herself, and then thought, why not say it out loud. This was all new, why not be bolder.

“I am.”

Nico squeezed Maki’s hand, a reward for honesty. “What do you want to do, Maki-chan?”

No one said Maki’s name like Nico. It had been Maki’s anchor through the continuing craziness of Muse, Eli’s taskmaster torture, qualifying, Honoka’s collapse, then starting over, right as they discovered these new feelings, a gift from all they’d been through.

“I want to use the Nishikino fortune for new things, good things, to stop propping up out dated ways and awful people. I want to find new ways to help…” Maki was a person of specifics and she had a list. “Girls, gays, empaths, people fighting bigotry, neurodivergents, water protectors,” Maki thought of Rin and giggled, “furries, us, our friends, the world.”

“Maki-chan will do great things.”

“Once I’m 30.”

Nico Yazawa considered. This was so new and 14 years from now, when Maki was a doctor and her trust vested, seemed as distant as the nearest star Nico could see. But Nico knew naming goals was the first step to achieving them, even if it seemed a wild fantasy.

“Nico will be there.” Not flashy, just quiet determination.

Nico heard Maki gulp. She was probably tearing up and couldn’t speak. Nico didn’t really expect her too. Sharing was such a new trust. But Maki’s hand carefully kept precise palm to palm contact with Nico’s. That said everything.

“Marry Nico.”

Maki sighed. “No one can know.”

“Okay.”

YAZAWA NICO FINISHES FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR WITH SPRING SPLASH IN HONOLULU

NISHIKINO MAKI BEGINS RONIN YEAR SOLO WORLD TOUR SURFING IN MAUI

Sunrise. Quiet beach. Her own choices. Is this what contentment felt like, Maki wondered. Finally, moments of quiet to listen for the important things. Leaning against her duffle and board, dressed in a striped rash guard, bright lavender board shorts, and a faded denim “You Are On Native Land” cap, Maki stretched, watching the horizon as a lone speck appeared in the distance, jogging toward her, not actually growing much as the distance closed, Maki thought with a private grin. Nico, running in an oversized hoodie and bikini bottom, gasped dramatically, reaching a hand for the water bottle Maki held out as a lure.

“Still running 5Ks every morning?”

“10K when I don’t have a concert or rehearsal. Nico is a boss.”

“Umi would be proud.”

Nico dropped and did ten fast pushups in the sand next to Maki, “Not if Nico told her it was only to make girls swoon.”

“Girls?” Maki arched an eyebrow, hand sweeping through her hair.

“Girl.”

“Fiancee.”

Nico laughed, rolling toward Maki, pulling her down into a playful, sandy kiss. “Ready to upgrade to trophy wife?”

“Yes.”

But there was no hurry that morning. Both had put their other lives on multiple 15 plus hour flights and fallen briefly off the grid to sit side by side on this hidden beach, the tide surging, a rare treasured morning to share.

“Went to the symphony last night. Monica Mancini sang, Henry Mancini’s daughter,” Nico hummed the Pink Panther theme, “Nice voice, more your thing than Nico’s though. She sang a lot of Johnny Mercer. And some new stuff. Nico was taking notes.”

“You’re great on stage Nico-chan, but I guess you can always learn from other performers.”

“Nico is learning songwriting.”

Maki pushed against Nico, “Going to try to get me to put Nico Nico Ni to music again.”

Nico’s mood turned serious, “I miss watching you play.”

“I miss playing.”

“When Nico gets her penthouse, there will be a baby grand.” Nico let her hand settle on Maki’s, “Working with a portable keyboard now. And Umi’s giving me advice, so many books...I’m so busy reading, there’s no time to party.”

“Good.”

“Hey, do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

Nico stared at Maki for a moment, but there was only earnestness in the amethyst staring back, “Not since you got here.”

“I’ve been talking with some of the elders, volunteering on Maui, learning about healing plants, and aloha ‘āina.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s really cool. I’m going to get Papa to invite some of the teachers and doctors I’ve met to give seminars for us. Aloha ‘āina means so many things, but it’s mostly being determined to take care of each other by taking care of the land. It’s very land based and tradition based, here in Hawai’i,” Maki picked up a handful of sand, “but it’s caring and not soft...exactly...when you meet Kai, he’ll explain it better. We’ve been invited for dinner, his uncle plays the ohe hano ihu.”

“What’s that?”

“ A nose flute, not for big concerts, more personal...Kai says his uncle has so many stories about it being used in courting rituals.”

“Is Maki-chan taking notes?”

“Maybe.” Ah, Maki’s sexy, best musician in the world grin. Nico missed that one a lot on the road. A killer cute band was no replacement for the brilliant, lovely pianist who’d so boldly wrapped Nico’s heart in music.

They were in the teasing phase now. “Do you have to keep courting a cute girl after marriage?”

Maki shoved into Nico again, “Well, duh…”

Joint laughter, rolling out to meet the tide.

“We’re getting married.” Maki said quietly.

“Just need to take our passports to pick up the license and go to the shrine. We filled out everything else online.” Nico glanced at her bare legs, “And Nico brought a kimono. Although Maki-chan looks sporty cute just like she is.”

Maki had a far off look, not paying much attention to Nico. Happy to wait ‘til Maki drifted back to the beach, Nico was going to enjoy memorizing her favorite scenery, Maki’s beautifully expressive face, now relaxed and open, thoughts waves and clouds in constant motion. Nico knew the solitude here allowed Maki to relax, there was no family pressure, their phones were off, nothing on either of their schedules for at least the rest of the week. A rare moment to sit with each other, sharing this beauty.

NISHIKINO REAL ESTATE GROUP BUYS LARGE LUXURY TOWER NEAR NISHIKINO MEDICAL CENTER

SUPERSTAR REFUSES TO GIVE UP PENTHOUSE APARTMENT TO NISHIKINO HEIR

Fast food. School girls lingering from Otonokizaka. Two people shoved into the booth furthest from the door and windows, sitting on the same bench, hip to hip, back to the rest of the room.

“So many memories in this place.” Nico unwrapped her burger.

“So many french fries.” Maki dipped a sample french fry in her chocolate milkshake.

“Another meal Nico paid for. You got rich not paying for food.”

“Hey! You were too proud to let me pay.”

“Nico is still too proud.” Nico tapped her fingers on the table. This late afternoon, for this clandestine meeting, they’d allowed themselves the indulgence of wearing their braided gold and platinum wedding band, Maki added the simple diamond Nico had bought her for their engagement.

“Is this going to work? Us actually living this close together without rumors starting?” Maki had been worrying. So many comments in the press and on social media.

“Everyone already has us at war. Nico’s a selfish poser, Maki’s a spoiled brat. Enemies to lovers.”

“Not funny, Nico-chan.”

“Nico will throw a huge party before I leave on my next tour. My new landlord will threaten very publically to throw me out of the building. Everything will flare up, but Maki-chan will continue to do boring future doctor things and by the time Nico gets back, all anyone will be talking about is Nico’s new album.”

“They’re not boring future doctor things.”

“No, they’re smart, saving the world future doctor things and Nico is so proud.” A quick kiss on Maki’s palm.

“Meanwhile…”

“Meanwhile, Umi and Eli install a secret hatch above the decorative staircase centerpiece of your expensively designed main room.”

“I’m going to miss you, Nico-chan.” Sadness.

Time to change the mood. Nico dipped a french fry in her strawberry shake and fed it to Maki. “How’s studying going?”

Maki leaned, chin in hand, frowny. “I could be more motivated.”

“So B?”

“A minus.”

“Nerd.”

“ ‘s dull." Maki said, chewing slowly. "But have to stay on track with the family benchmarks.”

“Yeah.” Nico decided to talk about happier things, “ooohh, did I tell you Eli’s setting up a foundation for Nico as her graduation project. We’ve already donated tickets to queer youth groups in every city on the tour and Nozomi’s setting up mentor programs.”

“Expect a large anonymous donation.”

“Expect a large not so anonymous thank you.”

“I’m just proud that you’re doing things to actually help people. I want to do more.”

“You’re studying to be a doctor, Maki-chan. That’s hard. Nico’s got it easy. All Nico has to do is” Nico went into her signature gesture, “Nico Nico Ni and everything gets brighter.” Nico suddenly remembered she shouldn’t have let her catch phrase out full voice during what was supposed to be a secret meeting, but this was a low traffic period so no one seemed to notice.

“I couldn’t get that out of my head, the first time I saw you do it. It was annoying.”

“But you loved Nico.” Nico snuggled closer, enjoying a chance to feel Maki next to her.

“But I loved Nico, all of Nico, the bold, brash, terrible liar, the kind, caring sister, the determined ally and friend, the hard working and talented performer.”

“Nico wasn’t a liar, Nico was an optimist.”

“Private chef,” Maki cough giggled.

Nico grabbed the french fries as Maki reached for another one, “Confiscated for cheekiness.”

“Give me those.” Maki grabbed, Nico dodged, french fries flew loose and they giggled their way through the next few minutes until Nico leaned forward to whisper in Maki’s ear.

“So are your parents still in New York City?”

Gulping, suddenly completely flustered, Maki nodded.

Nico bounced up, offering a gallant hand, “Nico will walk you home.”

“Fancy.”

“Only the best for Mrs. Yazawa.”

“That would be Mrs. Nishikino.”

“We’ll wrestle. Nico will win.”

“Optimist.”

Nico’s hand on Maki’s waist was a gentle guide into the autumn night, two hats pulled down, two collars pulled up, Nico in a mask to protect her voice. “Wait and see.”

Maki leaned into Nico. This night, unlike too many others recently, felt just right.

HEAD OF THE NISHIKINO MEDICAL GROUP COLLAPSES, HOSPITALIZED

NICO NI NEW YEAR’S CHARITY CONCERT SELLS OUT IN MINUTES

Nico had never been so sick. She’d lost count of the medicines she was taking to sleep at night, and then the additional ones added to get her through tonight’s concert. Then she could rest. Go to her Mama’s house and get babied for a bit. Maki had been so sad at Christmas, with too many family obligations to fly to Los Angeles. Nico had gotten through their Christmas Eve quick chat and then collapsed, barely moving until yesterday’s rehearsal, which wiped her out.

Pounding on her hotel room door. What the hell? Phone pinged, the Maki-tone.

“Open your door, Nico--chan.” Maki sounded angry. Was she pounding? Nico felt even fuzzier, slumping to the door, opening it to fall against a tall, angry Maki, beanie over her hair, sunglasses, and a mask.

“Nico-chan?” Now Maki’s voice sounded tearful.

“Hi, Mrs. Yazawa.” Nico croaked out, hoping to make Maki at least giggle.

Strong arms swept her up, Maki striding across the room, putting Nico gently down on the bed, Maki immediately examining every bottle by Nico’s bedside, “What kind of quack put you on all this?”

“Don’t know.”

“Don’t know? You don’t know.”

“Trainer found ‘em…recommended.”

“You should be in a hospital.” Maki’s voice broke.

“Concert, charity, millions. Nico Nico Ni.” Nico had no idea if what she was saying made sense.

“Cancel. Refund. I’ll make a bigger donation.”

“Nico is a trooper.”

“Nico is a zombie. What the hell kind of irresponsible moron gave you all this?” Maki crashed all the bottles to the floor. “Did they inject you with anything?”

“It’s LA, Maki-chan, the beautiful people never stop.” Nico coughed. It hurt like 50 Umi arrows to the chest, “Nico is a beautiful people.”

“Nico-chan…” Maki was kneeling next to the bed, desperation and weariness lining her face. She’d never travelled well, Nico realized.

Nico managed to flip so she was on her side, managing to smile at Maki, “Hey pretty girl.”

“I am going to sue that quack into despair and destitution.”

Nico blinked, suddenly aware that Maki should be in Tokyo. “Why are you here, Maki-chan?.”

“Hanayo heard a rumor…”

“Did anyone see you?”

“I don’t care.” Maki’s head dropped to the bed, “Papa collapsed...and you’re like this and hiding it from me…and letting some greedy idiot try to kill you...if anything happens to you, Nico-chan…” And the tears, Nico could feel them as she reached for Maki, hot, heavy, rolling off pale cheeks.

“Nico will be fine.”

Maki shook her head.

“Look at me, Maki-chan.”

Maki raised her head. Her eyes were bright. She was always so bright, so caring, her native prickliness a fortification against all the emotions Maki didn’t know how to process.

“I will be fine.”

Maki surged up, her arms drawing in Nico, whose heart was really not rested enough for tackled into bed by the redhead of her dreams. “Maki-chan, you’re going to hug Nico to death.”

“Don’t say that.” Maki’s arm twitched for a minute like she was going to shove Nico away, but then Nico found herself pressed as closely as she’d ever been against a clothed Maki, which would have been amazing if she could breathe. So Nico let a cough out and Maki loosened her hold.

“Let Nico sleep.”

“Okay. But I’m not going anywhere.”

Nico had closed her eyes, muttering, “...love you.”

“I love you too, Nico-chan.”

A-RISE STEPS IN AT LAST MINUTE FOR NICO NI

NISHIKINO MAKI CHECKING OUT STANFORD RESEARCH FACILITIES, POSSIBLE PARTNERSHIP

Nico is officially spoiled. Another morning waking up to Maki curled up by her side...She’d shipped everyone else back to Japan, tour over, a solid break until Nico’s doctor cleared her for rehearsal. Nico sat up, teasing tumbles of red hair, Maki had been very clear that Nico had to clear the steroids out of her system first. But at least Maki hadn’t banned other forms of exercise.

“I’m not asleep, Nico-chan.” Maki mumbled, sounding totally still asleep.

“Thanks for coming to rescue Nico.”

“Don’t make me do it again. I might have to go back to school.”

“I thought you were joining the Board Of Directors ahead of schedule?”

Maki opened her eyes, stretching, “Order pancakes. And bacon. And orange juice. And muffins.”

“Brunch in bed.”

“I’m not leaving until I have to.”

Nico reached down to kiss Maki’s forehead, “It’s been nice having you here.”

“Then come home.”

“Nico is working on it.”

Maki raised an eyebrow. Nico sounded excited. “Is there something I don’t know about?”

“It was supposed to be your Christmas surprise, but Nico’s agent was still negotiating.”

What could Nico’s agent be negotiating that would be a Christmas surprise for Maki?

“I’m going be the main character in a TV drama, based in Tokyo.”

“Really?”

“Really. I didn’t get to be there when your Dad ended up in the hospital and I’m so sorry…I knew you needed me, but...this is our life...” Maki nodded as Nico gestured at the hotel suite, continuing, “And I knew you were going to be super busy with family stuff so I pitched an idea and two production companies jumped on board. Nico is taking a paycut and ownership, but all you’ll have to do is come upstairs and Nico will be right there, at least for six months.”

“Nico-chan…” Maki sat up.

Nico put her arm and pulled Maki in, Maki dropping her head to Nico’s shoulder, “We get through the tough stuff together, Maki-chan. We always have. I love you.”

“Love you.” Maki was falling asleep again. Nico would add coffee to their brunch order. Maki had to be awake enough to sneak out and catch a plane.

YAZAWA NICO TO STAR IN DOCTOR SMILE

DOCTOR NISHIKINO MAKI TAKES OVER FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE

If she didn’t have Nico, Maki would probably just live with a grand piano, a huge bathtub, and a couch to eat take out on, Nico thought as she sank into lavender scented steaming water.

“It’s not funny, Rin. And I don’t need weekly updates about who Nico’s kissing on the show.” Maki sounded aggravated. Nico giggled. She’d come home early from a weekend meet the fans event and snuck into Maki’s luxury tub to recover. Candles were lit, Idol music popping.

“Wait a minute, Rin. I think…” Maki’s steps sounded hasty and she was suddenly in the door of the bathroom.

Nico winked. “Hi Maki!”

Maki made a grumbly noise and turned sideways, “No, I’m okay, Rin. There’s just a surprise in my bathtub…” Maki glanced at Nico, “Rin says hi. And you have to stop using my cases, Nico-chan.”

“Did Rin say that? And who says Nico does?”

Maki glared, “Where do you even get your information?”

Nico raised a finger to her lips and winked.

“And that red wig. It’s awful. People think you’re making fun of me.” Maki listened to her phone. “Shut up, Rin.” And the phone went in her coat pocket.

“What did Rin say?”

“Nvermind.” Maki muttered.

“Maki-chan…” Nico splashed at Maki.

“No one would ever call me Dr. Smile.”

Nico guffawed, slapping water everywhere. “I miss Rin.”

“If I had Umi’s bow, I wouldn’t.”

“You love her.” Nico leaned back, watching her wife, who had flopped on the nearby chaise. “So who thinks Nico is making fun of you?”

“Papa.”

“PFfffffff…who cares.”

Maki glared, ‘“We’re trying to keep his stress levels low.”

“Red headed doctors are the best.”

“But I like your hair; it looks like you.”

“But our daughter will look like Dr. Smile.”

That threw Maki’s train of thought completely askew. The closest she could get was imagining Cotaro when she first met him with bright red hair.

“I wonder if our children will look like you? All your siblings do.”

“And they’re cute. But our children will be NicoMaki cute. I’ve seen your baby pictures, you were adorable.” Nico leaned back, smiling up at Maki. “Nico can’t wait to have a family to come home to.”

“You have me.”

“And I love it.” Nico blew lavender scented bubbles at Maki, “But you, me, the cutest children ever in the universe, and Christmas morning.”

Maki couldn’t keep the huge grin back. “I can tell them all about Santa-san.”

“But we’re not spoiling them too much.”

Maki pouted at Nico.

Nico giggled, “That’s what our parents will do.”

Maki got up, taking off her coat, sliding out of her jacket, unbuttoning her shirt halfway and slipping out of her pants. Then she sat on the edge of the tub, feet in the water, toes teasing Nico’s legs. “You’re going to tour less, right.”

“Nico’s not touring now. You’re going to cut down your hours, right, Maki-chan.”

“Just started the search for an Executive Director. And put the LGBTQ+ Health Centers proposal on the fast track.”

Nico leaned over, her chin on Maki’s thigh, “We’ve worked really hard for this.”

“We have.”

“I think Mama knows.”

Maki laughed, “It was that morning she surprised us at breakfast, wasn’t it?”

For once, Nico was the one blushing. “Nico needs…” Nico’s arm slipped under Maki’s shirt, a casual touch on Maki’s back, “more elegant pajamas for entertaining company.”

“No you don’t.”

“You like it when Nico borrows your shirt.”

“No, I love it when Nico-chan borrows my shirt.”

“Nico loves your pajamas.” Nico’s fingers started tracing patterns.

“Ha!” Keeping her cool with Nico this close had always been impossible so Maki just lowered herself into the water, pausing for a messy, wet kiss, “Let’s skip dinner.”

NISHIKINO MAKI AND YAZAWA NICO: DETAILS OF THEIR WHIRLWIND COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

The interviewer leaned forward as Maki ran a hand through her hair. She was relaxed in a light gray Tadashi Shoji corded lace sheath dress, and confidently answered her question, “It was a long day, my eyes were so tired everything was blurry and I got in the wrong elevator. Nico had just gotten pics of the Ayase twins and we started talking about high school.”

“Talking?” Nico snorted, standing behind Maki, hands in the pockets of bright pink Victoria Beckham trousers, the matching blazer falling open, “It was all Nico’s sex appeal. Nico is irresistible.”

Maki leaned her head back, a private smile for Nico, “Nico is irresistible.”

“Is it irresponsible to take so much time off from your responsibilities to take a world tour honeymoon and then start a family?”

Nico chuckled, her hands on Maki’s shoulder, “We’ve planned carefully. And they’re our businesses. Nico never understood people working themselves to death, not taking time for family. We want to change corporate culture.”

“You’ve always been ambitious, Nico. What’s your next project?”

Nico winked, “That’s just between us.”

“No hints for our viewers, Maki?”

Nico leaned down, arms around Maki’s shoulders, whispering something in her ear. Maki’s full, flaring blush could have been a picture from high school. The interviewer laughed.

“Nice to see you two worked out the Penthouse Wars.”

“Nico is a reasonable person.”

Maki threw back her head, laughing, “Sure, that’s why.”

“Well, Nico is certainly a top…”

“Nico-chan!”

“I love you, Maki-chan.” Giggling, Nico kissed her wife’s cheek.

Nico might have been the only one to hear Maki’s muttered, “I love you, Nico-chan.” But it had always been true.

A/N: Another AU Yeah August request, it started out as Married Rivals, but I was reading a Dolly Parton songwriting book and in the songs about love chapter there were these lyrics from "Between Us":

In our love let's share a friendship between us Always close enough to talk things out Let's be honest with ourselves and each other And our love will never know mistrust or doubt

So I just started writing conversations.

[omgjasminesimone]

Homecoming Part 4

Author’s Note: We’re nearing the end! Just one more part after this I think.

Summary: Bryce and Casey attend Abigail’s wedding. They both drink too much. 

Word Count: ~ 3600

Previous Part: Part 3

Next Part: Part 5

Bryce sighs dramatically as he takes a seat at the long dinner table. It has been quite a long day and he just wants to get back to Casey and his hotel room.

Ryan had set a very early appointment for the tux rental fitting, followed with an awkward breakfast with all the groomsmen. Bryce knows most of them from prep school, and Francis is a groomsman too, but he doesn’t like any of these people, so he would have much preferred brunch with Casey.

Bryce was distracted during the rehearsal, thinking about what Casey might be doing at the moment. She told him she was going to go on one of the hotel excursions, a hike to Manoa Falls. He wanted to text her throughout the day, but knew she likely didn’t have cell reception.

His entire family was at the rehearsal, and it was the first time he’s had to interact with them without Casey as a buffer the whole trip.

It was almost unbearable. His mother was completely overbearing, seemingly in charge of every aspect of this wedding and directing the rehearsal like some kind of deranged dictator.

Francis and his father brought up the real estate business at every opportunity, but he ignored them to the best of his ability.

Maybe worst or all, Abigail has paired him with his ex-girlfriend for all the wedding party duties.

He and Tia dated his senior year of high school, and then two more years while he was at the University of Hawaii. She’s pretty, long blonde hair, big blue eyes, the kind of girl his father approves of. She was probably his first love. He can’t remember exactly why they broke up. He vaguely remembers a huge fight. And that she had cried.

She seems to have forgiven him though, spending most of the time at the wedding rehearsal flirting with him. He brought up his current girlfriend several times, but Tia is undeterred.

Even now, she’s trying to play footsies with him at the dinner table. He moves his foot away subtly.

“Sir, are you ready to order?”

The waitress’ question leads him to glance through the fancy French food on the menu. Ryan’s parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner, and they’ve picked the most expensive French restaurant in Honolulu to showcase their wealth. They can’t be upstaged by Kate Lahela’s opulent displays.

Bryce hates rich people food. “Can your chef make a custom order? Burger and fries?”

The waitress looks taken aback. “Umm... probably?”

Bryce flashes her a megawatt smile. “Thanks.”

She continues around the table, collecting more orders. Bryce pulls out his phone, sending a text to Casey.

Bryce: how was your hike?

He immediately sees the dots indicating she’s responding.

Casey: Amazing!!! ❤️❤️❤️

A series of photos follow, the breathtaking views from her hike making him smile.

Bryce: glad you had fun. hope you weren’t too lonely 😔

Casey: I wasn’t lonely. You know how easy it is for me to make friends.

Casey: I met a couple on their honeymoon and they let me hang out with them.

Casey: They even invited me to dinner. We went to this Italian place and the pasta was soooo good. 🤤

Bryce: and what are you doing now?

Casey: Took a long shower, and now I’m in bed watching A Star is Born.

Casey: Lady Gaga is so talented.

Bryce: in bed? what are you wearing?

Bryce: (hoping you’re naked) 🤞🏽

Casey: Not naked, but I’m in that teddy that you like. I’m waiting for you to come rip it off me.

Bryce bites his lip, reading her last message again.

A photo comes through, Casey posed seductively in the bed in that deep red silk teddy. It’s not a selfie.

Bryce: who took this?!

Bryce: is that couple with you?

There’s a slight pause before he sees she’s typing again.

Casey: I used the timer you jealous dork. 😂

Bryce chuckles a little under his breath, his jealousy dispelling. He scrolls back up to the photo, eyes scanning over her greedily.

His uncle lets out a low whistle, glancing at his screen. “Damn Bryce, you did good.”

Bryce flushes and immediately pockets his phone, his uncle Tito chuckling beside him.

Dinner takes forever, countless speeches by friends and family about the bride and groom. His own speech is short and to the point. After what feels like eternity, but is really 3 hours, he’s finally able to get in his rental car and head back to the hotel.

He practically jogs from the elevator to their room, shoving his keycard in the door impatiently.

“Baby, I’m home-” He begins, trailing off when he sees she’s asleep. She’s snoring softly and the tv is still on, bathing her in a blue glow.

He turns off the tv, shrugging out of his suit jacket. After a quick shower, he climbs into bed beside her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her forehead before falling into a deep slumber. He dreams about returning to Boston in just two days time. He’s ready, he’s had more than enough family time.

...

..

.

Bryce arrives at the church where Abigail and Ryan will be married very early in the morning. He’s unsure why his mother insisted on such an early time, since the men all spend the time awkwardly sitting around after getting ready in less than 30 minutes. He can only assume it takes the women longer.

When Abigail, his mother, and the bridesmaids are finally ready, it’s time for photos. They must take over a thousand photos, moving around the church, then outside the church, and then, hey, why don’t we get a view of the ocean, now how about a view of the church? It’s never ending, and he’s exhausted.

They finally get a lunch break, food laid out on the picnic tables outside the church. He can’t help but laugh as his sister delicately tries to eat some pineapple without ruining her lipstick. She’s covered her dress with a large bib to ensure it remains pristine and white.

“Abs, want me to chew it for you? Then I can regurgitate it into your mouth like a mama bird.” He jokes.

She flips him her middle finger, with a perfectly manicured French tip, and continues to slice the pineapple into minuscule pieces with a knife.

Tia tosses her lunch trash and approaches the table where he’s sitting alone. All morning, she’s been using the photos as an excuse to hang all over him, somehow almost always managing to end up on his arm.

“I saw some guests heading in when I went to the bathroom. Almost time to get this show on the road. We’re almost free!” Tia exclaims excitedly.

Bryce quirks a small smile. “You really should have declined her bridesmaid invitation. You know how our mom is. There was no way she wasn’t turning into a complete momzilla and making this whole process a living hell.”

“You didn’t refuse either.” She points out.

“They didn’t give me much of a choice.” Bryce insists.

“Well, it’s not all bad. I like these blue bridesmaid dresses. And I do get to hang out with you.” She grips his arm.

He peels her off. “Tia, I told you. I have a girlfriend.”

“A girlfriend isn’t a wife.” She retorts, winking cheekily.

“No, but one day she’ll be my wife. Casey is the one.”

Tia looks more hurt by that than he expected. The hurt on her face is quickly replaced with anger, and she storms away from him.

“Well damn, I guess Bria isn’t happening.” Abigail laments, throwing away the packaging from her lunch.

He rolls his eyes at the old couple name she used to call them. “Why would you pair me with her Abs? You knew I had a girlfriend.”

“To be fair, I hadn’t met Casey yet, so my loyalty was 100 percent with my girl Tia. I really like Casey though, I think she’s good for you. But it’s too late to change the pairings for walking down the aisle now, so just grin and bear it.”

“I’ve been grinning and bearing all day.” He retorts.

She smiles at him sadly. “Yeah, me too.”

Bryce becomes uncharacteristically serious. His little sister can always bring out his protective side. “Abigail, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, our parents would love if I pulled a runaway bride. Can you imagine what all those hundreds of guests would say? ‘First, she gets knocked up as a teen, now she runs away from her very appropriate and wealthy fiancé, what’s wrong with that Abigail Lahela?’” She chuckles mirthlessly.

“Who cares what they’ll say? You don’t even have to stay here. You and Haku could move in with me in Boston. I have a guest room.”

“Bryce, I’m a big girl now. It’s time to get out on my own. Ryan is a good guy. He treats me well and this is an important business connection. I married for love before, and that didn’t work out too great for me.”

“Wow Abs. They’ve really brainwashed you. You sound just like our parents.”

“Whatever Bryce.” Abigail mutters before heading back over to her bridesmaids.

They go back into the bride’s and groom’s dressing rooms in the church, retouching makeup and preparing to finally walk down the aisle.

The wedding coordinator Mrs. Lahela hired appears. She looks frazzled, like she can’t wait to get paid and be done with this wedding. “It’s go time people.”

The wedding party splits into their assigned pairs. Haku fidgets nervously at Bryce’s side. He puts a reassuring hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “You’re going to be a great ring bearer kid.”

Traditional Hawaiian music starts playing. This is something their dad was against, but Abigail managed to get him to agree to her being in charge of one thing at her own wedding, the playlist.

Francis and Gabrielle are the first pair down the aisle. A few more pairs go before it’s Bryce’s turn. He offers Tia his arm, and she smiles at him.

They walk down the long aisle, to where Ryan is standing at the altar. They split off from each other, Bryce joining the groomsmen behind Ryan.

Bryce searches the room for Casey as the maid of honor and best man conclude the aisle walk.

He spots her in the aisle seat of the fourth row. She’s so beautiful, in a silver strapless gown that hugs her in all the right places. Her curls are up in a delicate updo, light makeup accentuating the look. He has no idea how he got so lucky with her. He throws her a flirtatious wink, and she blows him a kiss in return.

Haku and the flower girls, who are Lahela cousins, walk down the aisle. Haku stands beside Ryan and he claps his soon to be stepson on the shoulder reassuringly.

Finally, the wedding march starts. Abigail comes down the aisle on her father’s arm. Bryce has to stop himself from scoffing at the smug look on Aoloa’s face. He’s probably already counting the money this union will bring him.

…

..

.

The reception is held immediately following the ceremony at the Lahela mansion. Bryce grabs a drink from cocktail hour in the formal dining room before heading out to the backyard.

His mother has really outdone herself. There are literally peacocks strolling around. Twinkling lights and lanterns add to the party atmosphere. A large tent is set up, with a dance floor and dinner tables.

Bryce strolls over to the tables, frowning when he sees a place card for Mr. Bryce Lahela on an elevated table at the front of the tent. Not only does the Mr. instead of Dr. bother him, he also wants to sit with Casey, not the wedding party.

He feels like he’s barely seen her over the last two days. He spots her at one of the circular tables where she’s currently sitting alone since most of the guests are still at cocktail hour. She’s sipping on a tropical cocktail.

He takes the seat beside her, glancing at the place card. Mr. Joseph Grant, an older gentleman who owns a private beach and beach club. A notorious bachelor, who will likely spend the entire evening flirting with Bryce’s girlfriend.

He frowns, glancing at the other place cards and seeing that this table is full of Lahela business contacts. His mother could have at least placed Casey with fun people, like his cousins and uncles. Or his friends.

He tosses Joseph’s place card to the ground, claiming the seat for himself.

“Amor, it seems like your mother put a lot of effort into these seating arrangements.” Casey gently chides.

Bryce takes Casey’s hand, placing a kiss to her palm. “Don’t care. I’ve barely gotten to see you baby.”

Casey smiles. “I missed you too. But I’m not going to let you steal Mr. Grant’s seat.”

“Fine.” He stands and easily picks her up, sitting in her seat instead and placing her in his lap.

Bryce kisses her shoulder, and then her neck. Her skin is so soft, and she smells like something he can’t quite place, but it’s flowery. “You smell amazing.”

“I went to the hotel spa this morning and got a scrub. I forgot my purse, so I charged it to the room, but I’m going to pay you back.”

“No, you won’t.” He nibbles below her earlobe. “Very willing to pay for this moment right here.”

Casey laughs, turning slightly so she can capture his lips. “Your mom is glaring at us.”

She is. The guests have started to migrate to the tent, and Mrs. Lahela is sitting at the wedding party table he’s supposed to be at.

“Let her glare.” He rubs gentle circles in her side through the silky fabric of her dress.

“I still want her to like me Amor. You should get back to your seat. Please.”

Bryce frowns, but Casey knows he can’t refuse her anything. “Fine, but you owe me later. Save me a dance.”

She stands so he can leave. “I’ll save you several.”

Before he leaves, Bryce grabs a pen out of Casey’s purse on the floor. He crosses out the Ms. on her place card, replacing it with Dr. “We didn’t go through medical school to not be referred to as Dr.” He reasons.

Casey laughs, kissing him one more time before he walks off.

When he returns to his assigned seat, he uses the borrowed pen to correct his own place card as well. ‘That’s Dr. Bryce Lahela to you.’ he imagines himself retorting if his brother or father bring up the real estate business one more damn time.

…

..

.

The newlyweds’ first dance concludes, Ryan hugging Abigail close and placing a kiss to her forehead.

“And now the dance floor is officially open!” The DJ announces, John Legend’s You and I coming over the speakers.

Bryce is quick to hop down from the wedding party table. Now that dinner, the speeches, and the first dance are all done, he’s finally completed his groomsman duties. Time to actually enjoy himself.

He spots Casey over by the open bar with his uncles. He approaches, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She leans back into his touch.

“Aren’t they adorable?” Tito asks the assembled group. “Definitely more in love than the newlyweds.”

Bryce grins. “Sorry to steal her, but I was promised a dance.”

“And dance we shall, but first peacock selfie!” Casey detangles herself from his arms, pulling him to the edge of the lawn where the peacocks have gathered. “I can’t believe your mom rented peacocks! This is definitely going to be my most liked pictagram photo ever.”

She’s clearly a little drunk. Since he was at the wedding party table all night, he had to settle for the champagne he was expected to drink after every toast. But Casey’s been free to hit the open bar, and he’s watched her take full advantage.

They crouch near the prettiest peacock, Casey fiddling with her phone and struggling to unlock it.

Bryce pulls out his own phone, unlocking it easily and snapping a selfie while he kisses Casey on the cheek.

He shows her the photo. “It’s cute!” She exclaims, so he chuckles and uploads it to his own pictagram account.

“Alright, now we dance.” Bryce declares, intertwining their fingers and leading her back to the dance floor.

The song has changed to Bruno Mars’ Just the Way You Are. Appropriate. “Girl you’re amazing, just the way you are.” Bryce sings in her ear, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I love you Bryce.” Casey says softly when the song ends, hands rising from his shoulders to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“I love you too Casey.” He promises before capturing her lips.

They gently sway to several more songs before Bryce is interrupted by a finger tapping on his shoulder.

“Dearest, so sorry to interrupt but the ambassador’s son is here, and I’ve spent so much time gushing over you that he wants to meet you.” His mother explains, not looking all that sorry to be interrupting.

Bryce sighs irritably. He hates mingling. It’s one of the worst parts about his mother’s parties.

“I’ll be right back.” He promises Casey.

She waves him off. “Take your time.”

…

..

.

Of course, his mother doesn’t just want to introduce him to the ambassador and his family, she parades him around the whole place. Brags about what an accomplished surgeon he is, how proud she is. All for appearances of course, she’d been just as against medical school as his father.

The open bar helps him get through it, stopping to get another drink between each group his mother insists on introducing him to.

He’s more than a little tipsy when he finally manages to slip away almost an hour later, immediately looking for Casey. He spots her at a dinner table, drinking with his friends.

She’s very drunk, he realizes almost immediately. She looks like she’s about to fall asleep at the table.

“What did you guys do to her?” Bryce playfully accuses, taking the seat beside Casey and allowing her to lean on his shoulder.

“She thought she could out drink me. I told her she couldn’t.” His oldest friend announces smugly.

“I’m…. not … conceiting…. confeated…” she mumbles drunkenly.

“Conceding.” Bryce helpfully supplies.

“That! I can out drink you. I just need a little break first. Maybe some water.” She reaches for the water pitcher, knocking it over accidentally.

His friends chuckle as Casey pouts. “Okay Dr. Valentine, time to concede. Let’s get you to bed.” Bryce says before lifting Casey and cradling her to his chest.

“Bed? We’re staying here?” Casey asks, playing with his blue tie as he carries her.

“Well you sure as hell can’t drive. And I’m a little drunk too.” He explains, entering the house and carefully climbing the steps towards his childhood room.

He gently deposits her on his bed, removing her shoes and clothes. He changes her into his old T-shirt and high school gym shorts. He admires her for a moment, pushing her curls out of her face since her updo has long since come undone.

He’s about to get up, but she grips his arm. “Stay.” She pleads sleepily.

Bryce kisses her forehead. “I’m just going to say goodbye to my friends and my uncles. I’ll be right back.”

Casey nods, yawning and releasing him. She rolls onto her side, and he turns out the lights before leaving the room.

Bryce returns to the backyard just in time for the beer pong tournament his Uncle Tito has started. His mother would never allow this, it’s too low class for her tastes, but she’s turned in for the night. She’s probably chugging a bottle of wine, finally away from prying eyes.

Bryce loves beer pong, so of course he joins. But he’s already tipsy, so he’s not as good as usual. He finds himself missing several shots, being forced to drink more and more as Uncle Tito hits almost all his shots.

An hour later, Bryce is definitely drunk. He stumbles into the house, heading towards the guest bathroom. He’s about to turn the door knob when the door opens, surprising him. Tia crashes into his chest.

He steadies them both by wrapping his arms around her. He’s trapped against the hallway wall, Tia leaning against him.

Tia glances up at him, smiling. “You smell like beer.”

He smiles back, the room is spinning, but he tries to focus. “You smell like vanilla. Are you still using that same perfume?”

“You remembered.” Tia says softly, her hands tightening in his white dress shirt.

Suddenly she leans up, aggressively pressing her lips to his.

If he was sober, he would have stopped this immediately. Pushed her away and quickly returned to Casey, the love of his life. But he’s so drunk. And her lips feel nice, and taste like the strawberry lip gloss she was always so fond of.

He kisses Tia back, hands tangling into her hair. Her blonde tresses are silky and smooth, so different from Casey’s dark curls. And that’s enough to break the drunken spell. To make him realize what he’s doing. That he’s cheating on Casey.

Glass shatters at the exact moment that he pulls away.

Bryce’s wide eyes meet Casey’s. The glass of water she was bringing to his room shattered on the expensive tile floor.  

…

..

.

Author’s Note: You’re probably wondering why I did this. And to be honest, I’m wondering the same thing. But the idea just came to me and I wanted some angst and conflict. 

Taglist:  @octobereighth @sibella-plays-choices @hazah @akrenich @lovehugsandcandy @professorortegasstudent @regina-and-happiness @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @lizeboredom @desiree-0816 @hellooliviaolivia @dreaming-of-movies @friedherringclodthing @weaving-in-words @fairydustandsarcasm @goldenjellyfish12 @pessimystic-fangirl @mimikoasahina @srta-give-me-my-jax-rl  @god-save-the-keen @caroldxnvxrs @cora-nova

[tallat-of-thralls]

Small pleasures and Cryptids

Here are a few things i enjoy and where i attained them:

Horchata : local gas station, 24 hr taco shop in a weird part of a small town between brenham tx and bellville tx

Chocolate coated Honeycomb candy (seafoam toffee or hokey pokey): A booth at the socal ren fair, a remote candy store in a beach canyon near the artists colony in laguna beach california

Smoked Salmon and locks bagel or german apple pancake: A small cafe hidden behind an art gallery near the boardwalk laguna beach california (since closed)

Most bitter Green tea ice cream: a sushi bar across the street from a hotel in the retirement town either mission viejo or laguna hills california (since closed)

The best Stroganoff: a diner between the new Mexican border and austin texas. Cant remember the town

Licorice scotty dogs, fudge squares, and chocolate dipped graham crackers: Ortega candy store on ortega highway (peak of a mountain valley pass near two hiking trails and a camp site)

Chili powder coated candy dried mangoes: a gas station in quartzite arizona along the i 10. The one with the burger king

One of the best Chai Tea Lattes also good burgers: Dry Creek Bar/Cafe in Houston Heights, Houston Texas

Crawfish boil: just know a Cajun/texan/lousiannian

The best pickles: secret recipe of an established old family that used to own more than half the town back in the 1800-1900s

Wonderful street tacos: mean old lady in a taco truck that moves along highways with construction sites in texas

Fresh goat cheese: man with a glass eye and nubby finger that keeps a ram in his truck bed at the local farmers market held every first saturday of the month at the four corners intersection across the train tracks

F*cking huge watermelons: a one legged farmer in a pick up and an old sun chair along the tx 290 highway towards bellville

Locally sourced brewed honeymead: the gas station down the 1774

Spontaneous selection of Japanese candy: a gas station along the 290 tx

Some good flapjacks: a midwestern themed shortstop diner in hemet/temecula ca

Best roast pig: luau in Honolulu Hawaii

Coconut pancake syrup: a dennys in hawaii

Sweet and spicy hawaiin teriyaki sauce (cant get in tx): a meat market on el toro road in southern california [the owner tried telling squirrels ran the conveyor belt when i was 7]

Alligator entrees: a seafood themed restaurant in land locked tx, cajun restaurant on the 1488

Boysen berry syrup and/or jam: Knotts berry farm southern california

Best Garlic ever: a farmers stand along the highway near the hotel i stayed at in Gilroy Northern California

There's plenty more but i felt the list was getting to long.

Also sorry about not including other states i have passed through (like New Mexico, Arizona, nevada, oregon, washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas) i didnt get the chance to do anything while i was there.

Feel free to add favorite things/foods and their associated cryptids in your reblog if you want. I want to know good places to visit when i caravan cross country.

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

Superheroes with Secrets: Lessons to Learn (Fic part 139) (Set in 2001)

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places.

please inform me if you wish to be tagged/untagged from posts.

Tags: @piratewithvigor @tantamount-treason

‘Giantess’ Kirby Roussimoff x Shane ‘Hurricane’ Helms (Circa 2001)

Reference Posts: Shane ‘Hurricane’ Helms

Kirby ‘The Blacklight Bandit’ Roussimoff

"Mama gets pink when I say nice things, but that's why I say them. Your mama is the most beautiful, most kind and most wonderful person on this planet. She's so talented in every way and you're so lucky to have her as a Mama."

"Your Père should shush, little one, because he's gonna make Mama cry by being too sweet."

"Lesson number one when you get here, lil buddy: always tell the truth."

"Lesson number two, don't worry about uncle Jeff, he's crazy but he's always going to be watched by your Père and your uncle Matt."

"Lesson number three, we love you more than anything in this world."

"Lesson number four, even though he isn't on this earth anymore, your grand-Père also loves you, and would have loved to meet you."

"He said so himself. We'll tell you all about him when you're old enough."

"And Mama's gonna cry any time anyone brings him up."

"Maybe someday his memory won't hurt anymore, but for a long while, it will."

"And if anyone dare ask, little one, your grand-Père is André the Giant, because that's how he signed his name on everything."

"Your adoptive family is massive. People might say that doesn't make them real family, but I say that's bull- that's crazy. They're far more family than any blood relative you may have left."

"And no matter what, we will always protect and provide for you, no matter if it's me and your Père, or your uncles and aunts."

"You're gonna be safe and so loved."

"And Mama will try her best to teach you, and your Père, how to speak French."

"We'll figure it out together, little one."

"And eventually you will learn how to wrestle, and you and your Père will learn how to cook."

"Whoever you end up becoming, we're going to love and cherish you."

"And I hope you never tire of hearing that, or reading comic books with your Père, or drawing with me, or kicking your cousins butts."

"Can't wait to meet you, lil buddy."

"No matter how you look, you will always be our little baby."

"Even if you somehow get to be taller than your mama."

"Not many people are taller than your Mama, little one, even your Père is shorter than me."

"That's why I need you to be taller. So I have someone on my side for when your mama makes fun of my height."

"I only make fun of your Père's height because he's the superhero."

"Which is fair. Hope you don't become a villain, little one."

"If you do become a villain, don't kick your Père's butt."

"They're gonna have to, I can't kick their butt."

"I would prefer this stays a non-butt-kicking household. Maybe when we're at the house in Honolulu, then you can kick ass."

"Should be plenty there to kick."

"Oui." She nods, finishing her burger.

"Hope Jeff's date goes well. After the last one he had in high school, he must've eaten five pounds of ice cream."

"Wish I could eat five pounds of ice cream." She murmurs.

"I mean... you can, but I don't recommend it. Especially not while watching rom coms until four am."

"Oh I remember those days, but I never watched rom coms, I always watched horror movies."

"They're Jeff's weakness. But never the rom coms you'd expect."

"Oh really?" She raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"If something's romantic and funny, he loves it. He called Mallrats a romcom."

"I've never seen Mallrats." She admits sheepishly.

"It's about two college kids who get dumped the same morning, hang out at a mall all day with their goofy friends and try to figure out a way to get their exes back."

"Oh, so more, comedy than romance?"

"Exactly."

"Mon mari, would it be wrong of me to ask you to strip down?"

"Not wrong at all."

"I just... I... I don't know how to ask this." She mumbles.

"How to ask for me to get naked?"

"I uhm... I wanna kiss your skin, as much of your skin as possible, and I don't know how to ask you for permission to."

"Well, just saying it like that works."

"I really want to kiss your skin, mon mari."

"Then I'll strip down."

"Thank you, mon ange."

He gets naked quickly, tossing his clothes onto a small pile. Kirby pulls Helms close, kissing from his forehead down to his thighs.

"Your lips are so soft."

Kirby kisses above his cock, "you think my lips are soft, mon mari?"

"I know they are."

Kirby pulls away, standing up and undressing, "you wanna make sweet loving?"

"I'd love to."

"Lay down for me, mon sauvage."

"Yes, ma'am." He grins, lying down.

Kirby climbs over him, straddling his crotch and kissing him deeply. He kisses her slowly, enjoying every moment.

"You wanna ravage me, my vampire king?"

"You told me to lie down." He laughs.

"You can always ask me to flip us over, Shane." She whispers as she kisses him gently.

"Good point."

"So, two options, either I ride you, but I will edge you, or, you can ravage me and make me scream your name."

"Mm, how about an edge and then I ravage you?"

"I like the way you think, mon sauvage." She purrs.

"I like watching you ride me."

"Any reason why you like it so much?"

"Cause then I can watch you."

"You little beastie." She whispers, shifting her weight to slide Helms' cock into her, moaning in pleasure at the feeling.

"God, you feel fantastic..."

"You really, really should shush unless you're about to cum, cause I don't think I'm able to stop myself if you encourage me like that." She murmurs through moans.

"Yes, ma'am."

Kirby adjusts herself slightly before she starts riding Helms, making sure that when he's fully inside her, he hits her sweet spot. He moans softly, his head falling back. Kirby pulls away a minute before Helms cums, stroking his cock towards the edge of climaxing and watching as it twitches, keeping her crotch close enough that his precum drips into her wet heat and mixes with her juices.

"God, you've got a talented, very evil touch."

"Shush, or I'll drag out this punishment." She purrs.

"Yes, ma'am."

"So are you gonna shush, or do I need to torture you some more?" She chuckles, getting off on seeing Helms twitch under her.

He mimes zipping his lips shut. Kirby smirks, stroking his cock and letting him cum, watching as it drips down his dick and repositioning herself to lick him clean. His whole body is nearly trembling from arousal.

"You want me to do it again, mon amour?" She offers.

"Yes please."

"Sit up, Hon, I wanna try something."

"Sure, anything."

Kirby positions herself to suck Helms off, wanting to find a position where he can watch her as she tortures him.

"Goddamn..." he whispers.

Kirby pulls away, wiping her mouth and tying her hair back, "like what you see?" She teases before going back to sucking his cock, squeezing the base of his dick before he can cum and licking off the droplets of precum.

"Love what I see."

"You wanna cum in my mouth, Hurricane?" Kirby teases as she strokes his cock, squeezing at the slightest hint he might be getting close.

"Yes please."

Kirby works his cock with her hand until he's on the edge of climaxing, quickly slipping the tip into her mouth and working his balls with her hand until he cums in her mouth, but continuing on to get every last drop of cum.

"Holy shit you're good at this..."

Kirby pulls away, chuckling a little, "you wanna kiss your wife, Shaney baby?"

"Yes please."

"Wait, really, even after that, Shane, my mouth still tastes like cum, you actually want to kiss me?"

"Sweetheart, you're my wife. I want to kiss you. If you have to taste my cum, then it's only fair I do too. Just... frenching to a minimum, please?"

Kirby pulls Helms into a gentle kiss, pulling away after only a few seconds.

"I love you so damn much."

"I love you too, mon ange, my hero."

"I always will. For forever and beyond."

"I'd live a thousand lives, just to be with you."

"As would I. I'd do anything knowing you were waiting for me at the end."

"After all, this is true love, it doesn't happen every day."

"Just for us."

"I know this might sound cheesy, but, you complete me."

"As you complete me, my love."

"Shane, I would do anything for you, anything at all, just to make you happy."

"All you have to do is be you."

"Be me, and make sure the baby's healthy." She whispers.

"I just need you, sweetheart. You're my main priority. The baby, until they're born, are a distant second. Then when they are born, a close second."

"And what about you, where do you rank on the list?"

"Compared to the two of you, I may as well be at the bottom."

"Shane, you gotta take care of yourself, without you, I am nothing."

"I'm not intending to die. You're just both a much higher priority than me."

"Shane." She states almost maternally in tone, more concerned than angry.

"Kirby." He responds, his tone just as serious. "I'm willing to give all of me to protect you and the baby. It's my duty as a husband and a father."

"Alright, mon mari, just... please, take care of yourself as much as you take care of me. I'm trying my best to get better than I was before we started dating, but it's a slow process, and I don't want you, or anyone else, working themselves to the bone trying to take care of me." She murmurs, pulling Helms into a gentle kiss.

"I'm not dying anytime soon, mon chérie."

"I believe you, mon ange, I love you, Shane, I love you so fucking much," She covers her mouth as she yawns, "oh jeez, I can't tell if it's because of the pregnancy or because it's been a long day, but I am exhausted."

"I guess the length of the day."

"Me and your little buddy... well, mostly me and hopefully the little one, are gonna get some sleep."

"I'll let you two get some. I'm gonna make sure the bonfire goes out properly."

"Thank you, Shane, I love you."

"I love you too, Kirby. I love you so much."

"Would you like a kiss before you go back outside?"

"I always want a kiss."

Kirby smiles softly as she kisses him gently, kissing his lips and then his forehead.

"You're the most wonderful woman I know. I will always love you beyond all others."

"Shane, stop trying to make me blush and go make sure the house doesn't burn down overnight." She whispers as she kisses his jawline.

"Yes, ma'am."

Kirby messes with his hair gently before climbing into the bed, waiting for Helms to return before she can sleep. The next few months seem to fly by as Kirby and Shane settle into living together, it's not until the Sixth of November that they even seem to notice any changes. Helms usually traces over Kirby's abs in the shower, just for fun, but after nine weeks of pregnancy, her tiny baby bump's overtaken them completely. The first time he notices is when he can't find the familiar groove.

"Everything okay, mon mari?" She asks gently.

"You've got a baby bump." He comments softly.

"Oh, so I do." She chuckles softly.

"Don't know how I haven't noticed before."

"Probably because I have tried my best to hide it, but working out has failed to stop baby Hurricane from making their presence known, especially when they make me wake up just to puke."

"I apologize on baby Hurricane's behalf." He chuckles. "But the morning sickness won't last forever."

"I know, it's only annoying when I have to wake up early." She murmurs, pulling Helms into a gentle kiss.

"I never doubted your suggestions. Just knew he'd been very unlucky before. Too many girlfriends in a row left him cause they admitted they wanted Matt instead. I'm glad this one's different."

[noisystamps]

An Analysis of Hamburger Restaurant Dine In Montana

The New York City style of the hamburger is diverse and interesting. Some styles evolved in New York City, while others were adapted from other regions. The city's diverse geography has been a factor in the growth of the hamburger over the years. A recent expansion will see a second location in Jacksonville, Florida. This summer, a new menu will be introduced at the original NYC location. There are a number of other notable styles. Here are a few.

The West Village Burger Joint. This iconic burger joint is so famous that it's located in a cigar-shop-style setting. You'll need a day-ahead reservation to eat at this upscale burger joint, but the experience will be worth it. You can order a burger for takeout, or even order it in a deli-style package. You can also find a plethora of different toppings and condiments at this West Village hamburger joint.

The Hamburger Mary's concept is also popular in fine dining restaurants. The San Francisco location opened its first location in 1964. The restaurant's success led to a wave of additional locations, many of which were licensed and opened under a franchise system. Today, the New York location is the flagship location. There are a number of other locations in the United States, including the one in Honolulu. Some of these are located in high-end neighborhoods, such as SoMa.

The New York City location is a destination for the burger fanatic. Its new 'Hometown Bar-B-Que' in Brooklyn. The Manhattan location serves the infamous Hometown Bar-B-Que burger, made from a dry-aged NY strip and chuck patty. The burger is served medium rare and accompanied by wedge fries. The New York City location was the only one to open in the past few years. If you are looking for more tips, check out hamburger restaurant dine in Montana.

It is not difficult to get a table at the West Village Burger Joint. The location is in a high-end Manhattan neighborhood, and the West Village Burger Joint has a reputation for serving excellent burgers. Although the restaurant is often busy, the food is worth the wait. It's easy to find a spot to eat at a trendy NYC location. If you have time, you'll want to go to a trendy restaurant.

The New York hamburger restaurant in the city is a staple in NYC. The menu offers a range of options for people who like to try a variety of cuisines. Whether you're looking for classic American cuisine, or upscale gourmet burgers, you'll find a place for you. And don't forget to sample the burgers at these restaurants. You'll be surprised at how many restaurants have a burger menu!

While the New York City burger was invented in New York City, the original hamburger was probably invented in Hamburg, Germany. It is named after a North Sea port where German sailors would eat burgers. It was sold at a small street market on Chambers Street in Manhattan and became an icon of fancy restaurants in the midcentury. Its burgers are so well-known that even the most upscale restaurants serve them. They have become a staple in Manhattan and even in Europe.

In Manhattan, the hamburger was a staple of fancy restaurants and steakhouses. In the 1820s, the burger had been a simple, unadorned burger. It wasn't until the midcentury that it was a staple of fine dining restaurants. Unlike its American counterpart, the Manhattan version of the hamburger's beef came from Germany. It's the first gourmet burger in the world. It was created in New York in a deluxe restaurant.

The first burger was made in a bakery. In a modern restaurant, a burger is the main dish. It's important to remember that a burger is a "complete" meal. It can be a meal by itself, or it can be a meal. The burger can have several sides. The burger can be served with any condiment. A hamburger can be ordered as a breakfast or lunch meal.

The double patty wagyu burger at Maison Yaki, a French yakitori restaurant owned by the famous chef, is one of the best hamburgers in the world. It comes with umami-loaded black hollandaise and melted raclette, and is delicious with a side of grilled chicken. The wagyu burger is also available with an egg-based yolk, but the burger is the star at Maison Yaki.

[butcherbirdhi]

Enjoy the Best Burgers in Honolulu with Exceptional Service

Savor the best burger Honolulu at our renowned eatery! Our burgers are made with premium ingredients and cooked to perfection. Join us for a delicious meal that promises to satisfy your burger cravings. Visit us in Honolulu and enjoy the best burgers in town, paired with friendly service and a great ambiance.

[gogoprivatetours]

Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to Help You Find the Best Local Cuisine Restaurants

Many people visit the Hawaiian Islands because of the glorious sandy beaches, while others for the natural beauty. Hawaii’s unique and rich culture is amazing too. But if you have an epicurean spirit and you want to indulge in the island’s delicious food, have your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu take you to the best restaurants in Honolulu. During recent years, Honolulu’s culinary reputation has increased significantly as Instagram food aesthetics, the farm-to-table movement, and increasing ex-pats and immigrants have started to shift to local flavors. Experience Helena’s Hawaiian Food Hawaiian food isn’t the same as local food and one of the favorite restaurants that offer the real taste of Hawaii is Helena’s. If you aren’t familiar with Hawaiian food, ask your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to bring you to this restaurant to savor the genuine local cuisine. Helena’s has plenty of local dishes to offer, from the glorious Chicken Long Rice to Pipikaula, Kalua Pork, Opihi, Lau Lau, Tripe Stew, Lomi Lomi Salmon, Poi, Squid Luau, and more. Have a cultural feast at Lanikai Beach, Oahu The culture of drive-ins is quickly disappearing, even in Hawaii. Fortunately, some are still doing business one that’s definitely worth visiting is the Rainbow Drive-In. Famously known as Rainbow, the restaurant has served post-beach fare and plate lunches since 1961! To the locals, the quintessential options are the plate lunches, and at Rainbow’s, their plate lunches contain a combination of ingredients with barbecue pork or beef, a generous cut of mahi-mahi, and a boneless chicken cutlet. Ask your Airport Shuttles in Honolulu to bring you to Shige’s Saimin Stand A visit to Hawaii isn’t complete without trying saimin once. This is a Hawaiian noodle soup dish. It’s similar to ramen but more comforting and lighter. Many locals eat this dish every day. To experience the savory taste of saimin, visit Shige’s Saimin Stand. The noodles they use are very fresh and so good. You can either get the fried saimin or the traditional saimin. Try the Teri burger, too, as burgers and saimin are a classic combination in Hawaii! Merriman’s For a more sophisticated dining experience, drop by at Merriman’s. This is an award-winning contemporary Hawaiian gastropub. While there, order the Kalua Pig Quesadilla with mango sauce and the kimchi made in-house. You might also want to try the “Bag o’Biscuits,” served with fresh honey butter. This restaurant also serves fresh seafood. Their ocean dishes are reliably divine and some of the most unique you will ever taste. Try GoGo for the best Hawaii travel experience To save you extra dollars while moving around in Honolulu comfortably and safely, we at Gogo Private Transport are the best choice. You can depend on us for airport transfers to and from your hotel and to the various restaurants, and more. We will provide you with everything you need so you can arrive at your destination with peace of mind. Call us today at (808) 800-7171.

[tabilist]

【ハワイ】ワイキキ「Teddy's Bigger Burgers」

【世界頂グルメ】パイナップル入りの巨大バーガー『Teddy's Bigger Burgers』#やす子 #小泉孝太郎 ハワイ 2024/10/16放送 ハワイ134 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 #世界頂グルメ 詳しく見る↓

「Teddy’s Bigger Burgers Waikiki（テディーズ・ビガー・バーガー）」 食べログでcheck! 23年連続で「ハワイBESTバーガー賞」を受賞し続けるハンバーガーのお店 何よりも特徴的なのは、そのボリューム。通常のハンバーガーの概念を覆すほどのビッグサイズのパテは、肉汁が溢れ出し、口いっぱいに肉の旨みが広がります。 また、バンズは自家製で、ふわふわとした食感と香ばしい香りが食欲を掻き立てます。パティのサイズは「ビッグ」「ビガー」「ビゲスト」の3種類から選べ、男性でも満足できるボリュームです。 アロハタワーバーガー　6950円 ハワイアンバーガー　1910円 住所 ハワイ134 Kapahulu Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815 TEL (+1) 8089263444 ホームページ 【ハワイ人気ハンバーガー】絶品グルメバーガーホノルル…

[architectnews]

King of Diamonds Apartment, Fifth Avenue New York

King of Diamonds Apartment, Fifth Avenue Home, New YorkReal Estate For Sale, NY Building, American Architecture Photos

King of Diamonds Apartment in New York

Jul 7, 2021

King of Diamonds Apartment

King of Diamonds Apartment on Fifth Avenue is now for sale, priced at $32.5 million

Location: 927 Fifth Avenue, NYC, USA

Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

Known throughout the world as the King of Diamonds and Jeweler to the Stars, Harry Winston’s jewelry designs have been sought after by movie stars, royalty and heads of state since the 1920s. Showing exceptional talent as early as age 15 for spotting valuable stones, Harry left his parents small jewelry business in California and moved to New York City, where he became a legendary diamond and jewelry specialist.

The Winston name became synonymous with fine jewelry such as in the 1953 song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” sung by Marilyn Monroe in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blonds and Lauren Weisberger’s best-seller Chasing Harry Winston. He was well known for lending his glitziest jewels to actresses to show off at the Academy Awards, but Harry was especially famous for his donation of the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958.

Harry owned the Hope Diamond for 10 years. Something else he owned for a long time: his jewel of a New York apartment with stunning views overlooking Central Park, which is now on the market, priced at $32.5 million.

One of New York’s premier white-glove addresses located directly across from the water basin in Central Park, 927 Fifth Avenue was built in 1917 in the Renaissance Revival style on 12 floors. Located on the entire 9th floor, Harry’s former apartment has six bedrooms, five bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms as well as a library, butler’s pantry, an eat-in kitchen, six fireplaces, 27 oversized windows, herringbone floors and 10’6’ ceilings. With over 5,000 square feet, rooms in the pre-war building are quite spacious, as befitted the period.

Designed by Warren & Wetmore, well known for designing New York’s Grand Central Terminal and many of the era’s largest hotels, including the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu. Former residents of the building have included Paula Zahn and Mary Tyler Moore.

Though Winston died in 1978 at the age of 82, the Harry Winston salons are still the gold standard of jewelry stores with locations throughout the world, including the U.S., England, China, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.

The 927 Fifth Avenue listing agent is John Burger of Brown Harris Stevens and Louise Beit of Sotheby’s International Realty, both located in Manhattan.

Video Credit: Sean Evans, @evvo1991 backtothemovies.com/

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

Source: www.bhsusa.com

King of Diamonds Apartment, Fifth Avenue New York images / information received 070721

Location: 927 Fifth Avenue, New York City, USA

New York City Architecture

Contemporary New York Buildings

Manhattan Architectural Designs – chronological list

New York City Architecture Tours by e-architect

New York Architecture News

Il Makiage pavilion Design: Zaha Hadid Architects photograph : Paul Warchol Il Makiage pavilion by Zaha Hadid

45 Park Place, Tribeca, Lower Manhattan Design: SOMA Architects ; AOR: Ismael Leyva rendering : Williams New York 45 Park Place Tower

New York Skyscrapers

Pier 40 Hudson River Apartments Design: DFA images courtesy of architects Pier 40 Building

432 Park Avenue Skyscraper Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects image © dbox for CIM Group & Macklowe Properties 432 Park Avenue Tower New York

New York Architecture

New York Architects Offices

Comments for the King of Diamonds Apartment, Fifth Avenue New York page welcome

The post King of Diamonds Apartment, Fifth Avenue New York appeared first on e-architect.

[burgerdudes]

🍔🍟🇺🇸 Burgers and Things (★★☆☆☆) — Burgers and Things are located a few kilometres outside central Honolulu on Oahu, Hawai'i, and are perhaps best known for beating Swedish chef Johan Jureskog in his burger tv show. We ordered their classic Juicy Burger with cheddar and caramellized rosemary bacon for 11.50 USD, with a side of garlic fries. The friendly service got our hopes up, but we were left disappointed when we saw that the meat was braised in a heater oven and wasn't made to order. During our 30 minute stay the oven didn't get refilled, so we have no idea how long our patty had been there. Apparently the specials were made to order, but all burgers were braised in a meat jus before being served, which gave our chewy patty an almost boiled mouthfeel. There were some upsides though, such as the tasty bacon and the brioche bun. We also liked the garlic fries, even though 4 USD was a bit pricey. This was far from being the best burger on the island, but at least it wasn't the worst. — @burgersandthings #burger #burgers #burgerdudes #burgerlovers #burgerporn #burgertime #food #foodie #hamburger #hamburgare #hawaii #hawaiiburgers #usa #usaburgers 🍔 #🍟 #🇺🇸 (at Burgers and Things)

[easyfoodnetwork]

Here Are the 2020 James Beard Awards Restaurant, Chef, and Media Finalists

Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage | Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage

The full list of nominees

Today, on what would have been the 30th annual James Beard Awards ceremony, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2020 James Beard Awards, which honors the year’s outstanding restaurants and chefs, as well as food journalism, books, and broadcast media. The announcement was originally scheduled for March 25, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Foundation to cancel the planned Philadelphia event and postpone both the finalists reveal and the awards themselves.

COVID-19 has left the restaurant industry in a precarious position, to put it mildly. Restaurants are pivoting their operations to stay in business, closing temporarily, and in some cases, closing for good. When the Foundation opted to postpone the finalist announcement, it acknowledged that it did so in part to focus on rebuilding the restaurant industry, awards being the last thing on anyone’s mind. And so it came as a bit of a surprise when on April 27 the Foundation announced plans to move forward with a virtual finalist announcement and, eventually, the 2020 James Beard Awards. Today, the Foundation revealed the Restaurant and Chef Awards Gala will take place in late September, and the Media Awards will take place in late May.

In a post on the James Beard Foundation website, chief strategy officer Mitchell Davis explained that the Foundation consulted with chefs, restaurateurs, and others in the industry and determined that the James Beard Awards finalists, like the list of semifinalists announced in late February, deserved recognition for their work in 2019. “Those we consulted felt the Awards could also offer a glimmer of hope to an industry looking for light in a very dark time,” he writes. Davis acknowledged that it is also a particularly dark time for the media, which will be recognized for the first time in the 2020 James Beard Awards cycle with the finalists announcement.

Given the ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19, the format for the 2020 James Beard Awards is still undecided — but they will go on, and “take place” in Chicago at some date later this year. “We want every James Beard Award winner to have a chance to have their moment in the spotlight,” Mitchell writes. “We have partners who support this industry, who support the Foundation, who are willing to work with us to figure out what’s best for all.”

Visit Philadelphia, which stands to lose millions due to the coronavirus pandemic, is still sponsoring the virtual event. Last year, Houston hosted the finalist announcement and although there was plenty of Texas representation on the semifinalists list, including 11 chefs and restaurants from Houston, the city’s restaurants and chefs were completely shut out of the whittled down finalists list. Philadelphia didn’t see the same fate.

Below, the 2020 James Beard Awards finalists.

James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists

Best New Restaurant

Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Birmingham, AL

Demi, Minneapolis

Eem, Portland, OR

Fox & the Knife, Boston

Gado Gado, Portland, OR

Gianna, New Orleans

Kalaya, Philadelphia

Nightshade, Los Angeles

Pasjoli, Santa Monica, CA

Verjus, San Francisco

Outstanding Baker

Graison Gill, Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, NYC

Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit

Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, CA

Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery, Cambridge, MA i

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston

Expatriate, Portland, OR

Kimball House, Decatur, GA

Lost Lake, Chicago

Trick Dog, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Missy Robbins, Lilia, NYC

Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia

Outstanding Hospitality

Brigtsen’s, New Orleans

Canlis, Seattle

Saison, San Francisco

Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Lincoln Carson, Bon Temps, Los Angeles

Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Diane Moua, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis

Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC

Miro Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

FIG, Charleston, SC

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurateur

Paul Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others)

Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer, JK Food Group, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Coppa)

JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline Restaurant, New Orleans

Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Saint Julivert Fisherie, Txikito)

Jason Wang, Xi’an Famous Foods, NYC

Outstanding Wine Program

Bacchanal, New Orleans

Canard, Portland, OR

COTE, NYC

Miller Union, Atlanta

Night + Market Sahm, Venice, CA

Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Producer

Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Co., Charleston, SC

Cathy Corison, Corison Winery, St. Helena, CA

Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY

Todd Leopold and Scott Leopold, Leopold Bros., Denver

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson, The Catbird Seat, Nashville

Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston

Gaby Maeda, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Ashleigh Shanti, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, NC

Paola Velez, Kith/Kin, Washington, D.C.

Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles

Best Chef: California

Jeremy Fox, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, CA

Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco

Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles

Mourad Lahlou, Mourad, San Francisco

Joshua Skenes, Angler, San Francisco

Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Gene Kato, Momotaro, Chicago

Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe, Chicago

Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago

John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago

Erick Williams, Virtue, Chicago

Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.

Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia

Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis

Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, MO

Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis

Jamie Malone, Grand Café, Minneapolis

Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Carrie Baird, Bar Dough, Denver

Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder, UT

Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson, WY

Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO

Dana Rodriguez, Super Mega Bien, Denver

Kelly Whitaker, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver

Best Chef: New York State

Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, NYC

Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger, NYC

Junghyun Park, Atomix, NYC

Daniela Soto-Innes, ATLA, NYC

Alex Stupak, Empellón, NYC

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Vien Dobui, CÔNG TỬ BỘT, Portland, ME

Ben Jackson, Drifters Wife, Portland, ME

Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston

Krista Kern Desjarlais, The Purple House, North Yarmouth, ME

Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley, Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME

Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, OR

Gregory Gourdet, Departure, Portland, OR

Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush, Senia, Honolulu

Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, OR

Kristen Murray, MÅURICE, Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)

Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans

Michael Gulotta, Maypop, New Orleans

Mason Hereford, Turkey and the Wolf, New Orleans

Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN

Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh, NC

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN

Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red, Nashville

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Dan Krohmer, Other Mama, Las Vegas

Jonathan Perno, Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ

Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Phoenix

Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe, Sedona, AZ

James Trees, Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas

Best Chef: Texas

Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye, Austin

Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie, Austin

Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri, Houston

Steve McHugh, Cured, San Antonio

Trong Nguyen, Crawfish & Noodles, Houston

America’s Classics Awards

Previously announced

El Taco de Mexico, Denver, Colorado

Lassis Inn, Little Rock, Arkansas

Oriental Mart, Seattle, Washington

Puritan Backroom, Manchester, New Hampshire

Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que, Brownsville, Texas

Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, Frankenmouth, Michigan

Humanitarian of the Year:

Jessica B. Harris

Leadership Awards:

Phillip and Dorathy E. Barker, Operations Spring Plant

Rosalinda Guillen, Community to Community Development (C2C)

Abiodun Henderson, The Come Up Project

Mark and Kerry Marhefka of Abundant Seafood

Caleb Zigas, La Cocina

James Beard Restaurant Design Awards

Design Icon

Chez Panisse

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 75 Seats and Under:

SIMPLICITY for HALL by o.d.o

Heliotrope Architects for Rupee

Vermillion Architects, LLC for Spoonbill Watering Hole and Restaurant

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 76 Seats and Over:

Hacin + Associates for Shore Leave;

Ken Fulk, Inc for Swan & Bar Bevy

Klein Agency and ORA for Auburn

2020 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2019. Winners, including the Book of the Year Award and the Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

American Books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities in the United States.

Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World; Chris Shepherd and Kaitlyn Goalen, (Clarkson Potter)

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking; Toni Tipton-Martin, (Clarkson Potter)

South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations; Sean Brock, (Artisan Books)

Baking and Desserts Books with recipes focused on breads, pastries, desserts, and other treats.

Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers; Nicole Rucker, (Avery)

Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making; Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman, (Avery)

Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes; Joanne Chang, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Beverage with Recipes Books focused on recipes for how to make beverages.

Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time; Brad Thomas Parsons, (Ten Speed Press)

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes; Robert Simonson, (Ten Speed Press)

The NoMad Cocktail Book; Leo Robitschek, (Ten Speed Press)

Beverage without Recipes Beverage-focused books and guides that either don’t contain recipes or that may have minimal recipes but aren’t recipe-centric.

The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages; Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting, (Tuttle Publishing)

Red & White: An Unquenchable Thirst for Wine; Oz Clarke, (Little, Brown Book Group)

World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition; Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, (Mitchell Beazley)

General Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique or region.

All About Dinner: Simple Meals, Expert Advice; Molly Stevens, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook; Christopher Kimball, (Voracious)

Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook; Carla Lalli Music, (Clarkson Potter)

Health and Special Diets Books with recipes related to health and nutrition, or that address specific health issues, such as allergies or diabetes.

The Beauty Chef Gut Guide: With 90+ Delicious Recipes and Weekly Meal Plans; Carla Oates, (Hardie Grant Books)

Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood; Aran Goyoaga, (Sasquatch Books)

Gluten-Free Baking at Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More; Jeffrey Larsen, (Ten Speed Press)

International

Books with recipes focused on food and cooking traditions of countries or regions outside of the United States.

Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes – Through Darkness and Light; Caroline Eden, (Quadrille Publishing)

Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa; Yohanis Gebreyesus, (Interlink Publishing)

The Food of Sichuan; Fuchsia Dunlop, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Photography

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta; Eric Wolfinger, (Chronicle Books)

Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics; Esther Choi, (Prestel)

Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico; Quentin Bacon, (Abrams Books)

Reference, History, and Scholarship Includes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, and books that present research related to food or foodways.

Gandhi’s Search for the Perfect Diet: Eating with the World in Mind; Nico Slate, (University of Washington Press)

A South You Never Ate: Savoring Flavors and Stories from the Eastern Shore of Virginia; Bernard L. Herman, (The University of North Carolina Press)

The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration; Chris Smith, (Chelsea Green Publishing)

Restaurant and Professional Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, use specialty ingredients, and require professional equipment. This includes culinary arts textbooks.

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love; Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, and Naved Nasir, (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter, Revised and Unlimited Edition; Daniel Humm, (Ten Speed Press)

The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think; Josh Niland, (Hardie Grant Books)

Single Subject Books with recipes focused on a single or category of ingredients, a dish, or a method of cooking – such as lobster, seafood, grains, pasta, burgers, or canning. Exceptions: baking and desserts books, vegetable-focused books, health and special diets books, restaurant and professional books, and beverage books should be entered in those respective categories.

From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves; Diana Henry, (Mitchell Beazley)

Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy’s Best Home Cooks; Vicky Bennison, (Hardie Grant Books)

Sour: The Magical Element That Will Transform Your Cooking; Mark Diacono, (Quadrille Publishing)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking Books that feature recipes for how to prepare and serve vegetables and plant-based ingredients. Books may be vegetarian, vegan, or vegetable-focused with minimal reference to meats.

Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables; Abra Berens, (Chronicle Books)

Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes; Editors at America’s Test Kitchen, (America’s Test Kitchen)

Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar; Amy Chaplin, (Artisan Books)

Writing Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary tourism, investigative journalism, food advocacy, and critical analysis of food and foodways for a general audience.

Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer; Bren Smith, (Knopf)

Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir; Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, (Knopf)

Women on Food: Charlotte Druckman and 115 Writers, Chefs, Critics, Television Stars, and Eaters; Charlotte Druckman, (Abrams Press)

2020 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2019. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Audio Program

The Food Programme – The Search for Esiah’s Seeds; Airs on: BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chili; Airs on: Audible

The Sporkful – When White People Say Plantation; Airs on: iTunes, Sporkful, Spotify, and Stitcher

Audio Reporting

California Foodways – The Curious Second Life of a Prather Ranch Cow: Biomedical Research; Trans Man Finds – and Creates – Refuge in His Family’s Small-Town Cafe; Legalizing Cannabis Impacts Food, Farming in Humboldt; Reporter: Lisa Morehouse; Airs on: KQED, California Foodways, iTunes, Google Play, Radio Public, SoundCloud, and Stitcher

Food Actually – Junk Food Actually; Reporter: Tamar Adler; Airs on: Luminary

Gravy – Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken; Reporter: Betsy Shepherd; Airs on: southernfoodways.org and iTunes

Documentary

Harvest Season; Airs on: PBS

Nothing Fancy: Diana Kennedy; Airs on: Premiered at SXSW in March 2019

That’s My Jazz; Airs on: Vimeo

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional

Chef Studio: The Crumby Bits – Cricket Macarons; Airs on: YouTube

Grace Young – Wok Therapist; Airs on: GraceYoung.com and YouTube

Ready Jet Cook - How to Make Pad Thai with Jet Tila; Airs on: FoodNetwork.com and YouTube

Online Video, on Location

Eat, Drink, Share, Puerto Rico Food – El Burén de Lula; Airs on: YouTube

Handmade – How Knives Are Made for New York’s Best Restaurants; How a Ceramics Master Makes Plates for Michelin-Starred Restaurants; Airs on: Eater and YouTube

In Real Life – Why Eating This Fish Could Save Coral Reefs; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Outstanding Personality/Host

Alton Brown, Good Eats: The Return; Airs on: Food Network

David Chang, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; Airs on: Netflix

Roy Choi; Broken Bread with Roy Choi; Airs on: Tastemade and KCET

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location

Good Eats: The Return – American Classic: Chicken Parm; Airs on: Food Network

Lidia’s Kitchen – Trattoria Favorites; Airs on: PBS

Pati’s Mexican Table – A Local’s Tour of Culiacán; Airs on: WETA; distributed nationally by American Public Television

Television Program, on Location

Chef’s Table – Asma Khan; Airs on: Netflix

Las Crónicas del Taco (Taco Chronicles) – Canasta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food – Bangkok, Thailand; Airs on: Netflix

Visual and Audio Technical Excellence

Chef’s Table; Adam Bricker, Chloe Weaver, and Will Basanta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food; Alexander D. Paul, Matthew Chavez, and Shane Reed; Airs on: Netflix

The Taste of Place – Wild Rice; Jesse Roesler and Kevin Russell; Airs on: Vimeo

Visual Reporting (on TV or Online)

Fork the System – Moro Food of Muslim Mindanao: This is Filipino, Too; Reporters: Joi Lee and HyoJin Park; Airs on: Al Jazeera English Digital, YouTube, and Facebook

In Real Life– Why This $300 Clam Is so Important to Native Americans and China; Reporters: AJ+ Staff; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Rotten – The Avocado War; Reporters: Christine Haughney, Erin Cauchi, and Gretchen Goetz; Airs on: Netflix

2020 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards Finalists

For articles published in English in 2019. Winners, including the Emerging Voice Award, will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Columns

What She’s Having: “Popeyes’ Fried Chicken Sandwich: A Delicious Distraction, a Cultural Lesson”; “Every Season Is Soup Season”; “Why a Somali Nook in East Boston Is One of the Country’s Best New Restaurants” — Devra First, The Boston Globe

Power Rankings: “The Official Fast Food French Fry Power Rankings”; “The Official Spicy Snack Power Rankings”; “The Official Domestic Beer Power Rankings” — Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times

Rooted in Place: “In Service”; “Hair, Food, and Hustle”; “The Best That We’ve Got” — Rosalind Bentley, Gravy

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

“Le Colonial Is an Orientalist Specter”; “The Ultimate Chaat Truck Crawl”; “The Fantasy — and Reality — of Dining at Chez Panisse” — Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle

“NYC’s Buzziest New Sushi Parlors Are Transcendent, If You Can Handle the Bros”; “Wall Street’s Underground Russian Spa Is a Dining Destination for the Soul”; “Estiatorio Milos Is One of the Last Big Restaurant Scams in New York” —Ryan Sutton

Eater New York

“Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters.”; “The 20 Most Delicious Things at Mercado Little Spain”; “Benno, Proudly Out of Step With the Age”

Pete Wells

The New York Times

Dining and Travel

“In Pursuit of the Perfect Pizza”

Matt Goulding

Airbnb Magazine

“Interview With the Vampiro”

Dylan James Ho

Taste

“These Are the World’s Best Restaurants: North America, South America, Africa and Middle East”

Besha Rodell

Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine

Feature Reporting

America’s farmers in crisis during Trump’s trade wars: “Left Behind: Farmers Fight to Save Their Land in Rural Minnesota as Trade War Intensifies”; “’I’m Gonna Lose Everything’: A Farm Family Struggles to Recover after Rising Debt Pushes a Husband to Suicide”; “In Trump Country, a Season of Need on Family Farms”

Annie Gowen

The Washington Post

“The Great Land Robbery”

Vann R. Newkirk II

The Atlantic

“Value Meal”

Tad Friend

The New Yorker

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication

The Bitter Southerner

Gastro Obscura

The New Yorker

Foodways

“An Indigenous Community in Mexico Finds Its Voice — and Strength — in Wild Mushrooms”

Michael Snyder

Los Angeles Times

“On Hawaii, the Fight for Taro’s Revival”

Ligaya Mishan

T: The New York Times Style Magazine

“A Real Hot Mess: How Grits Got Weaponized Against Cheating Men”

Cynthia R. Greenlee

MUNCHIES | Food by VICE

Health and Wellness

“The AGEs Puzzle: How We Cook Food Is Killing Us. Scientists in SC Know Why.”; “9 Easy Ways to Eat Fewer AGEs: A Stress-Free Guide”

Tony Bartelme

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“How Washington Keeps America Sick and Fat”; “Meet the Silicon Valley Investor Who Wants Washington to Figure Out What You Should Eat”

Catherine Boudreau and Helena Bottemiller Evich

Politico

“Protein Nation”

Shaun Dreisbach

EatingWell

Home Cooking

“6 Holiday Cookies That Will Win You the Cookie Swap”

Hilary Cadigan and Rick Martinez

Bon Appétit

“Fry Time”

Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Saveur

“In Praise of Schmaltz”

Rachel Handler

Grub Street

Innovative Storytelling

“Best New Restaurants 2019”

Kevin Alexander, Nicole A. Taylor, and Adriana Velez

Thrillist

“Food and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”

Gary He, Matt Buchanan, and Meghan McCarron

Eater

“Made in America”

Tim Carman and Shelly Tan

The Washington Post

Investigative Reporting

“How USDA Distorted Data to Conceal Decades of Discrimination Against Black Farmers”

Nathan Rosenberg and Bryce Wilson Stucki

The Counter

“‘The Man Who Attacked Me Works in Your Kitchen’: Victim of Serial Groper Took Justice into Her Own Hands”

Amy Brittain and Maura Judkis

The Washington Post

“The Young Hands That Feed Us”

Karen Coates and Valeria Fernández

Pacific Standard

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Forget Democratic Votes. Which Presidential Hopeful Will Eat 16 Iconic SC Foods First?”; “A James Island Meat-and-Two Secretly Switched to Carolina Gold Rice. Here’s What Happened.”; “In Prisons Across South Carolina, It’s Not a Birthday Without Cake Made by a Fellow Inmate”

Hanna Raskin

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“In Search of Hot Beef”; “Chef Jack Riebel Is in the Fight of His Life”; “Harry Singh on the Perfect Roti, Trinidad, and Life in the Kitchen”

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

“In a Wheelchair and Hungry”; “Where to Eat Regionally Inspired Mexican Food in New York City”; “How Sichuan Became NYC’s Dominant Chinese Cuisine”

Robert Sietsema

Eater New York

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“A Mind to Stay Here”

Rosalind Bentley

Gravy

“My Mother’s Catfish Stew”

John T. Edge

Oxford American

“An Undeserved Gift”

Shane Mitchell

The Bitter Southerner

Personal Essay, Long Form

“The Dysfunction of Food”

Kim Foster

Kim-Foster.com

“Love, Peace, and Taco Grease: How I Left My Abusive Husband and Found Guy Fieri”

Rax King

Catapult

“Seeking Jewish Identity at the Sabra Hummus Factory”

Orr Shtuhl

The Forward

Personal Essay, Short Form

“For 20 Years, happy hour has seen us through work — and life”

M. Carrie Allan

The Washington Post

“How the Starbucks Macchiato Ruined My Indie Coffee Shop Experiences”

Nicole A. Taylor

Thrillist

“In Memoriam of Hominy Grill, the Restaurant That Defined Charleston”

Ali Rosen

Plate

Profile

“First Course”

Zoe Tennant

Granta

“The Fruit Saver”

Tejal Rao

Women on Food

(Abrams Press)

“The Provocations of Chef Tunde Wey”

Brett Martin

GQ Magazine

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

“How Climate Change Impacts Wine”

Eric Asimov

The New York Times

“May I Help You With That Wine List?”

Ray Isle

Food & Wine

“Seltzer Is Over. Mineral Water Is Forever.”

Jordan Michelman

PUNCH

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2YFiewV https://ift.tt/2L1t2gA

Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage | Getty/Victor Spinelli/WireImage

The full list of nominees

Today, on what would have been the 30th annual James Beard Awards ceremony, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2020 James Beard Awards, which honors the year’s outstanding restaurants and chefs, as well as food journalism, books, and broadcast media. The announcement was originally scheduled for March 25, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Foundation to cancel the planned Philadelphia event and postpone both the finalists reveal and the awards themselves.

COVID-19 has left the restaurant industry in a precarious position, to put it mildly. Restaurants are pivoting their operations to stay in business, closing temporarily, and in some cases, closing for good. When the Foundation opted to postpone the finalist announcement, it acknowledged that it did so in part to focus on rebuilding the restaurant industry, awards being the last thing on anyone’s mind. And so it came as a bit of a surprise when on April 27 the Foundation announced plans to move forward with a virtual finalist announcement and, eventually, the 2020 James Beard Awards. Today, the Foundation revealed the Restaurant and Chef Awards Gala will take place in late September, and the Media Awards will take place in late May.

In a post on the James Beard Foundation website, chief strategy officer Mitchell Davis explained that the Foundation consulted with chefs, restaurateurs, and others in the industry and determined that the James Beard Awards finalists, like the list of semifinalists announced in late February, deserved recognition for their work in 2019. “Those we consulted felt the Awards could also offer a glimmer of hope to an industry looking for light in a very dark time,” he writes. Davis acknowledged that it is also a particularly dark time for the media, which will be recognized for the first time in the 2020 James Beard Awards cycle with the finalists announcement.

Given the ongoing restrictions related to COVID-19, the format for the 2020 James Beard Awards is still undecided — but they will go on, and “take place” in Chicago at some date later this year. “We want every James Beard Award winner to have a chance to have their moment in the spotlight,” Mitchell writes. “We have partners who support this industry, who support the Foundation, who are willing to work with us to figure out what’s best for all.”

Visit Philadelphia, which stands to lose millions due to the coronavirus pandemic, is still sponsoring the virtual event. Last year, Houston hosted the finalist announcement and although there was plenty of Texas representation on the semifinalists list, including 11 chefs and restaurants from Houston, the city’s restaurants and chefs were completely shut out of the whittled down finalists list. Philadelphia didn’t see the same fate.

Below, the 2020 James Beard Awards finalists.

James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards Finalists

Best New Restaurant

Automatic Seafood & Oysters, Birmingham, AL

Demi, Minneapolis

Eem, Portland, OR

Fox & the Knife, Boston

Gado Gado, Portland, OR

Gianna, New Orleans

Kalaya, Philadelphia

Nightshade, Los Angeles

Pasjoli, Santa Monica, CA

Verjus, San Francisco

Outstanding Baker

Graison Gill, Bellegarde Bakery, New Orleans

Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, NYC

Lisa Ludwinski, Sister Pie, Detroit

Avery Ruzicka, Manresa Bread, Los Gatos, CA

Maura Kilpatrick, Sofra Bakery, Cambridge, MA i

Outstanding Bar Program

Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston

Expatriate, Portland, OR

Kimball House, Decatur, GA

Lost Lake, Chicago

Trick Dog, San Francisco

Outstanding Chef

David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, CA

Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco

Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

Missy Robbins, Lilia, NYC

Ana Sortun, Oleana, Cambridge, MA

Marc Vetri, Vetri Cucina, Philadelphia

Outstanding Hospitality

Brigtsen’s, New Orleans

Canlis, Seattle

Saison, San Francisco

Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Ann Arbor, MI

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Lincoln Carson, Bon Temps, Los Angeles

Juan Contreras, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles

Diane Moua, Spoon and Stable, Minneapolis

Natasha Pickowicz, Flora Bar, NYC

Miro Uskokovic, Gramercy Tavern, NYC

Outstanding Restaurant

FIG, Charleston, SC

Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO

Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix

Quince, San Francisco

Outstanding Restaurateur

Paul Bartolotta, The Bartolotta Restaurants, Milwaukee (Ristorante Bartolotta, Harbor House, Lake Park Bistro, and others)

Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer, JK Food Group, Boston (Little Donkey, Toro, Coppa)

JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline Restaurant, New Orleans

Alex Raij and Eder Montero, NYC (La Vara, Saint Julivert Fisherie, Txikito)

Jason Wang, Xi’an Famous Foods, NYC

Outstanding Wine Program

Bacchanal, New Orleans

Canard, Portland, OR

COTE, NYC

Miller Union, Atlanta

Night + Market Sahm, Venice, CA

Spiaggia, Chicago

Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Producer

Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall, High Wire Distilling Co., Charleston, SC

Cathy Corison, Corison Winery, St. Helena, CA

Drew Kulsveen, Willett Distillery, Bardstown, KY

Todd Leopold and Scott Leopold, Leopold Bros., Denver

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson, The Catbird Seat, Nashville

Irene Li, Mei Mei, Boston

Gaby Maeda, State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Ashleigh Shanti, Benne on Eagle, Asheville, NC

Paola Velez, Kith/Kin, Washington, D.C.

Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles

Best Chef: California

Jeremy Fox, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, CA

Brandon Jew, Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco

Jessica Koslow, Sqirl, Los Angeles

Mourad Lahlou, Mourad, San Francisco

Joshua Skenes, Angler, San Francisco

Pim Techamuanvivit, Kin Khao, San Francisco

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Gene Kato, Momotaro, Chicago

Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe, Chicago

Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago

John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth, Chicago

Erick Williams, Virtue, Chicago

Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.

Nicholas Elmi, Laurel, Philadelphia

Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia

Cristina Martinez, South Philly Barbacoa, Philadelphia

Jon Sybert, Tail Up Goat, Washington, D.C.

Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis

Michael Corvino, Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Kansas City, MO

Michael Gallina, Vicia, St. Louis

Jamie Malone, Grand Café, Minneapolis

Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Carrie Baird, Bar Dough, Denver

Jen Castle and Blake Spalding, Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm, Boulder, UT

Jeff Drew, Snake River Grill, Jackson, WY

Caroline Glover, Annette, Aurora, CO

Dana Rodriguez, Super Mega Bien, Denver

Kelly Whitaker, The Wolf’s Tailor, Denver

Best Chef: New York State

Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, NYC

Brooks Headley, Superiority Burger, NYC

Junghyun Park, Atomix, NYC

Daniela Soto-Innes, ATLA, NYC

Alex Stupak, Empellón, NYC

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Vien Dobui, CÔNG TỬ BỘT, Portland, ME

Ben Jackson, Drifters Wife, Portland, ME

Tiffani Faison, Orfano, Boston

Krista Kern Desjarlais, The Purple House, North Yarmouth, ME

Greg Mitchell and Chad Conley, Palace Diner, Biddeford, ME

Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, MA

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Peter Cho, Han Oak, Portland, OR

Gregory Gourdet, Departure, Portland, OR

Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush, Senia, Honolulu

Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, OR

Kristen Murray, MÅURICE, Portland, OR

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, FL, LA, MS)

Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, PR

Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, Coquette, New Orleans

Michael Gulotta, Maypop, New Orleans

Mason Hereford, Turkey and the Wolf, New Orleans

Isaac Toups, Toups’ Meatery, New Orleans

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Katie Button, Cúrate, Asheville, NC

Cassidee Dabney, The Barn at Blackberry Farm, Walland, TN

Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh, NC

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Memphis, TN

Julia Sullivan, Henrietta Red, Nashville

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Dan Krohmer, Other Mama, Las Vegas

Jonathan Perno, Campo at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM

Chrysa Robertson, Rancho Pinot, Scottsdale, AZ

Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Phoenix

Jeff Smedstad, Elote Cafe, Sedona, AZ

James Trees, Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas

Best Chef: Texas

Kevin Fink, Emmer & Rye, Austin

Michael Fojtasek, Olamaie, Austin

Anita Jaisinghani, Pondicheri, Houston

Steve McHugh, Cured, San Antonio

Trong Nguyen, Crawfish & Noodles, Houston

America’s Classics Awards

Previously announced

El Taco de Mexico, Denver, Colorado

Lassis Inn, Little Rock, Arkansas

Oriental Mart, Seattle, Washington

Puritan Backroom, Manchester, New Hampshire

Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que, Brownsville, Texas

Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, Frankenmouth, Michigan

Humanitarian of the Year:

Jessica B. Harris

Leadership Awards:

Phillip and Dorathy E. Barker, Operations Spring Plant

Rosalinda Guillen, Community to Community Development (C2C)

Abiodun Henderson, The Come Up Project

Mark and Kerry Marhefka of Abundant Seafood

Caleb Zigas, La Cocina

James Beard Restaurant Design Awards

Design Icon

Chez Panisse

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 75 Seats and Under:

SIMPLICITY for HALL by o.d.o

Heliotrope Architects for Rupee

Vermillion Architects, LLC for Spoonbill Watering Hole and Restaurant

Outstanding Restaurant Design, 76 Seats and Over:

Hacin + Associates for Shore Leave;

Ken Fulk, Inc for Swan & Bar Bevy

Klein Agency and ORA for Auburn

2020 James Beard Foundation Book Awards

For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2019. Winners, including the Book of the Year Award and the Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

American Books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities in the United States.

Cook Like a Local: Flavors That Can Change How You Cook and See the World; Chris Shepherd and Kaitlyn Goalen, (Clarkson Potter)

Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking; Toni Tipton-Martin, (Clarkson Potter)

South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations; Sean Brock, (Artisan Books)

Baking and Desserts Books with recipes focused on breads, pastries, desserts, and other treats.

Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers; Nicole Rucker, (Avery)

Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making; Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman, (Avery)

Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes; Joanne Chang, (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Beverage with Recipes Books focused on recipes for how to make beverages.

Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time; Brad Thomas Parsons, (Ten Speed Press)

The Martini Cocktail: A Meditation on the World’s Greatest Drink, with Recipes; Robert Simonson, (Ten Speed Press)

The NoMad Cocktail Book; Leo Robitschek, (Ten Speed Press)

Beverage without Recipes Beverage-focused books and guides that either don’t contain recipes or that may have minimal recipes but aren’t recipe-centric.

The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks: Sake, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, Beer, Wine, Cocktails and Other Beverages; Stephen Lyman and Chris Bunting, (Tuttle Publishing)

Red & White: An Unquenchable Thirst for Wine; Oz Clarke, (Little, Brown Book Group)

World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition; Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, (Mitchell Beazley)

General Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique or region.

All About Dinner: Simple Meals, Expert Advice; Molly Stevens, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Milk Street: The New Rules: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook; Christopher Kimball, (Voracious)

Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook; Carla Lalli Music, (Clarkson Potter)

Health and Special Diets Books with recipes related to health and nutrition, or that address specific health issues, such as allergies or diabetes.

The Beauty Chef Gut Guide: With 90+ Delicious Recipes and Weekly Meal Plans; Carla Oates, (Hardie Grant Books)

Cannelle et Vanille: Nourishing, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Meal and Mood; Aran Goyoaga, (Sasquatch Books)

Gluten-Free Baking at Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More; Jeffrey Larsen, (Ten Speed Press)

International

Books with recipes focused on food and cooking traditions of countries or regions outside of the United States.

Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes – Through Darkness and Light; Caroline Eden, (Quadrille Publishing)

Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa; Yohanis Gebreyesus, (Interlink Publishing)

The Food of Sichuan; Fuchsia Dunlop, (W. W. Norton & Company)

Photography

American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta; Eric Wolfinger, (Chronicle Books)

Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics; Esther Choi, (Prestel)

Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico; Quentin Bacon, (Abrams Books)

Reference, History, and Scholarship Includes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, and books that present research related to food or foodways.

Gandhi’s Search for the Perfect Diet: Eating with the World in Mind; Nico Slate, (University of Washington Press)

A South You Never Ate: Savoring Flavors and Stories from the Eastern Shore of Virginia; Bernard L. Herman, (The University of North Carolina Press)

The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration; Chris Smith, (Chelsea Green Publishing)

Restaurant and Professional Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, use specialty ingredients, and require professional equipment. This includes culinary arts textbooks.

Dishoom: From Bombay with Love; Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, and Naved Nasir, (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Eleven Madison Park: The Next Chapter, Revised and Unlimited Edition; Daniel Humm, (Ten Speed Press)

The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think; Josh Niland, (Hardie Grant Books)

Single Subject Books with recipes focused on a single or category of ingredients, a dish, or a method of cooking – such as lobster, seafood, grains, pasta, burgers, or canning. Exceptions: baking and desserts books, vegetable-focused books, health and special diets books, restaurant and professional books, and beverage books should be entered in those respective categories.

From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves; Diana Henry, (Mitchell Beazley)

Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy’s Best Home Cooks; Vicky Bennison, (Hardie Grant Books)

Sour: The Magical Element That Will Transform Your Cooking; Mark Diacono, (Quadrille Publishing)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking Books that feature recipes for how to prepare and serve vegetables and plant-based ingredients. Books may be vegetarian, vegan, or vegetable-focused with minimal reference to meats.

Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables; Abra Berens, (Chronicle Books)

Vegetables Illustrated: An Inspiring Guide with 700+ Kitchen-Tested Recipes; Editors at America’s Test Kitchen, (America’s Test Kitchen)

Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar; Amy Chaplin, (Artisan Books)

Writing Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary tourism, investigative journalism, food advocacy, and critical analysis of food and foodways for a general audience.

Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer; Bren Smith, (Knopf)

Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir; Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, (Knopf)

Women on Food: Charlotte Druckman and 115 Writers, Chefs, Critics, Television Stars, and Eaters; Charlotte Druckman, (Abrams Press)

2020 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Awards

For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2019. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Audio Program

The Food Programme – The Search for Esiah’s Seeds; Airs on: BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chili; Airs on: Audible

The Sporkful – When White People Say Plantation; Airs on: iTunes, Sporkful, Spotify, and Stitcher

Audio Reporting

California Foodways – The Curious Second Life of a Prather Ranch Cow: Biomedical Research; Trans Man Finds – and Creates – Refuge in His Family’s Small-Town Cafe; Legalizing Cannabis Impacts Food, Farming in Humboldt; Reporter: Lisa Morehouse; Airs on: KQED, California Foodways, iTunes, Google Play, Radio Public, SoundCloud, and Stitcher

Food Actually – Junk Food Actually; Reporter: Tamar Adler; Airs on: Luminary

Gravy – Mahalia Jackson’s Glori-Fried Chicken; Reporter: Betsy Shepherd; Airs on: southernfoodways.org and iTunes

Documentary

Harvest Season; Airs on: PBS

Nothing Fancy: Diana Kennedy; Airs on: Premiered at SXSW in March 2019

That’s My Jazz; Airs on: Vimeo

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional

Chef Studio: The Crumby Bits – Cricket Macarons; Airs on: YouTube

Grace Young – Wok Therapist; Airs on: GraceYoung.com and YouTube

Ready Jet Cook - How to Make Pad Thai with Jet Tila; Airs on: FoodNetwork.com and YouTube

Online Video, on Location

Eat, Drink, Share, Puerto Rico Food – El Burén de Lula; Airs on: YouTube

Handmade – How Knives Are Made for New York’s Best Restaurants; How a Ceramics Master Makes Plates for Michelin-Starred Restaurants; Airs on: Eater and YouTube

In Real Life – Why Eating This Fish Could Save Coral Reefs; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Outstanding Personality/Host

Alton Brown, Good Eats: The Return; Airs on: Food Network

David Chang, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; Airs on: Netflix

Roy Choi; Broken Bread with Roy Choi; Airs on: Tastemade and KCET

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location

Good Eats: The Return – American Classic: Chicken Parm; Airs on: Food Network

Lidia’s Kitchen – Trattoria Favorites; Airs on: PBS

Pati’s Mexican Table – A Local’s Tour of Culiacán; Airs on: WETA; distributed nationally by American Public Television

Television Program, on Location

Chef’s Table – Asma Khan; Airs on: Netflix

Las Crónicas del Taco (Taco Chronicles) – Canasta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food – Bangkok, Thailand; Airs on: Netflix

Visual and Audio Technical Excellence

Chef’s Table; Adam Bricker, Chloe Weaver, and Will Basanta; Airs on: Netflix

Street Food; Alexander D. Paul, Matthew Chavez, and Shane Reed; Airs on: Netflix

The Taste of Place – Wild Rice; Jesse Roesler and Kevin Russell; Airs on: Vimeo

Visual Reporting (on TV or Online)

Fork the System – Moro Food of Muslim Mindanao: This is Filipino, Too; Reporters: Joi Lee and HyoJin Park; Airs on: Al Jazeera English Digital, YouTube, and Facebook

In Real Life– Why This $300 Clam Is so Important to Native Americans and China; Reporters: AJ+ Staff; Airs on: YouTube and AJ+

Rotten – The Avocado War; Reporters: Christine Haughney, Erin Cauchi, and Gretchen Goetz; Airs on: Netflix

2020 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards Finalists

For articles published in English in 2019. Winners, including the Emerging Voice Award, will be announced on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Columns

What She’s Having: “Popeyes’ Fried Chicken Sandwich: A Delicious Distraction, a Cultural Lesson”; “Every Season Is Soup Season”; “Why a Somali Nook in East Boston Is One of the Country’s Best New Restaurants” — Devra First, The Boston Globe

Power Rankings: “The Official Fast Food French Fry Power Rankings”; “The Official Spicy Snack Power Rankings”; “The Official Domestic Beer Power Rankings” — Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times

Rooted in Place: “In Service”; “Hair, Food, and Hustle”; “The Best That We’ve Got” — Rosalind Bentley, Gravy

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award

“Le Colonial Is an Orientalist Specter”; “The Ultimate Chaat Truck Crawl”; “The Fantasy — and Reality — of Dining at Chez Panisse” — Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle

“NYC’s Buzziest New Sushi Parlors Are Transcendent, If You Can Handle the Bros”; “Wall Street’s Underground Russian Spa Is a Dining Destination for the Soul”; “Estiatorio Milos Is One of the Last Big Restaurant Scams in New York” —Ryan Sutton

Eater New York

“Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters.”; “The 20 Most Delicious Things at Mercado Little Spain”; “Benno, Proudly Out of Step With the Age”

Pete Wells

The New York Times

Dining and Travel

“In Pursuit of the Perfect Pizza”

Matt Goulding

Airbnb Magazine

“Interview With the Vampiro”

Dylan James Ho

Taste

“These Are the World’s Best Restaurants: North America, South America, Africa and Middle East”

Besha Rodell

Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine

Feature Reporting

America’s farmers in crisis during Trump’s trade wars: “Left Behind: Farmers Fight to Save Their Land in Rural Minnesota as Trade War Intensifies”; “’I’m Gonna Lose Everything’: A Farm Family Struggles to Recover after Rising Debt Pushes a Husband to Suicide”; “In Trump Country, a Season of Need on Family Farms”

Annie Gowen

The Washington Post

“The Great Land Robbery”

Vann R. Newkirk II

The Atlantic

“Value Meal”

Tad Friend

The New Yorker

Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication

The Bitter Southerner

Gastro Obscura

The New Yorker

Foodways

“An Indigenous Community in Mexico Finds Its Voice — and Strength — in Wild Mushrooms”

Michael Snyder

Los Angeles Times

“On Hawaii, the Fight for Taro’s Revival”

Ligaya Mishan

T: The New York Times Style Magazine

“A Real Hot Mess: How Grits Got Weaponized Against Cheating Men”

Cynthia R. Greenlee

MUNCHIES | Food by VICE

Health and Wellness

“The AGEs Puzzle: How We Cook Food Is Killing Us. Scientists in SC Know Why.”; “9 Easy Ways to Eat Fewer AGEs: A Stress-Free Guide”

Tony Bartelme

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“How Washington Keeps America Sick and Fat”; “Meet the Silicon Valley Investor Who Wants Washington to Figure Out What You Should Eat”

Catherine Boudreau and Helena Bottemiller Evich

Politico

“Protein Nation”

Shaun Dreisbach

EatingWell

Home Cooking

“6 Holiday Cookies That Will Win You the Cookie Swap”

Hilary Cadigan and Rick Martinez

Bon Appétit

“Fry Time”

Nancy Singleton Hachisu

Saveur

“In Praise of Schmaltz”

Rachel Handler

Grub Street

Innovative Storytelling

“Best New Restaurants 2019”

Kevin Alexander, Nicole A. Taylor, and Adriana Velez

Thrillist

“Food and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”

Gary He, Matt Buchanan, and Meghan McCarron

Eater

“Made in America”

Tim Carman and Shelly Tan

The Washington Post

Investigative Reporting

“How USDA Distorted Data to Conceal Decades of Discrimination Against Black Farmers”

Nathan Rosenberg and Bryce Wilson Stucki

The Counter

“‘The Man Who Attacked Me Works in Your Kitchen’: Victim of Serial Groper Took Justice into Her Own Hands”

Amy Brittain and Maura Judkis

The Washington Post

“The Young Hands That Feed Us”

Karen Coates and Valeria Fernández

Pacific Standard

Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award

“Forget Democratic Votes. Which Presidential Hopeful Will Eat 16 Iconic SC Foods First?”; “A James Island Meat-and-Two Secretly Switched to Carolina Gold Rice. Here’s What Happened.”; “In Prisons Across South Carolina, It’s Not a Birthday Without Cake Made by a Fellow Inmate”

Hanna Raskin

The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)

“In Search of Hot Beef”; “Chef Jack Riebel Is in the Fight of His Life”; “Harry Singh on the Perfect Roti, Trinidad, and Life in the Kitchen”

Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

“In a Wheelchair and Hungry”; “Where to Eat Regionally Inspired Mexican Food in New York City”; “How Sichuan Became NYC’s Dominant Chinese Cuisine”

Robert Sietsema

Eater New York

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award

“A Mind to Stay Here”

Rosalind Bentley

Gravy

“My Mother’s Catfish Stew”

John T. Edge

Oxford American

“An Undeserved Gift”

Shane Mitchell

The Bitter Southerner

Personal Essay, Long Form

“The Dysfunction of Food”

Kim Foster

Kim-Foster.com

“Love, Peace, and Taco Grease: How I Left My Abusive Husband and Found Guy Fieri”

Rax King

Catapult

“Seeking Jewish Identity at the Sabra Hummus Factory”

Orr Shtuhl

The Forward

Personal Essay, Short Form

“For 20 Years, happy hour has seen us through work — and life”

M. Carrie Allan

The Washington Post

“How the Starbucks Macchiato Ruined My Indie Coffee Shop Experiences”

Nicole A. Taylor

Thrillist

“In Memoriam of Hominy Grill, the Restaurant That Defined Charleston”

Ali Rosen

Plate

Profile

“First Course”

Zoe Tennant

Granta

“The Fruit Saver”

Tejal Rao

Women on Food

(Abrams Press)

“The Provocations of Chef Tunde Wey”

Brett Martin

GQ Magazine

Wine, Spirits, and Other Beverages

“How Climate Change Impacts Wine”

Eric Asimov

The New York Times

“May I Help You With That Wine List?”

Ray Isle

Food & Wine

“Seltzer Is Over. Mineral Water Is Forever.”

Jordan Michelman

PUNCH

Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2YFiewV via Blogger https://ift.tt/3djsA9s

[hangryandlazy]

la + hawaii apr 19

back again at our favorite place! :) 

although we didn’t manage to cross all of the to do’s off of our lists, this turned out to be one of the best trips we’ve ever had. when it’s just alan and me on a trip, we tend to take the easy route. :P we play it safe and after exploring the city we chill out at the hotel room and milk it for what it’s worth hahaha.

soooo...alan and i had a night alone in LA before ada arrived. our first dinner was at a restaurant called sage plant-based bistro. i can’t remember which location we visited, but the cauliflower wings were BOMB af. also delicious were the avocado jackfruit carnitas and the baked eggplant farmesan. (see video for foodie pics)

the next day, we met up right at this restaurant called met her at a bar. it wasn’t a vegan restaurant although they offered many healthy plant-based options. we got buffalo cauliflower wings again, salads, burgers and french toast and waffles. (see video for pics again!)

this time round, we made our way up to the japanese garden up in van nuy. i was expecting it to be much bigger, it takes you about 20-30 minutes to walk around the entire park. it was stunning, although you can also catch a view of the sewage factory next door.

it was quite a relaxing visit anyway. :)

of course i had to make a pit stop at sip matcha to support the youtubers i’d been watching since high school! a bit too sweet for my taste, but i’d also forgotten to ask them to take it easy on the sugar levels, so that’s my bad. it was delicious regardless!

ada had been raving about this salad place called sweetgreen for years now, so of course we ended up ordering seamless that night! the pics aren’t that great so i’m leaving them out of this post, but damn that’s some good salad. 

another reason why we’d ordered in that night was because we had to head out early the next day to make our flight to big island. so *long story short* we had some misunderstandings and ended up having to fly to big island to transfer to honolulu. i’d been dreading the layover from the moment that we got our tickets issued, and we both ended up hating sitting around in that small outdoor airport for several hours (they had a power outage so the ice cream in the freezer was melting) that we bought one-way tickets immediately from honolulu back to los angeles to secure seats on a direct flight for when we head back a few days later. it was miserable! (yeah i know i’m a spoiled, high maintenance bish lolll)

when we finally landed in honolulu and picked up our rental car, it was about the same time that ada was supposed to land, so we headed back to the hotel together. we stayed at the modern honolulu together. alan and i had stayed there as well when we had visited 2 years ago, and we both loved the deco/aesthetic as it was (like its name suggests) much younger and more modern than the other hotels down the strip. the location was also quite nice because it’s right at the beginning of the strip, so we’re not stuck in the middle of a sea of tourists, but right on the edge of tourist city and local life.

we ordered in that night because we were pooped from traveling all day long, and we just wanted some comfort food and veg out in front of the tv before our big day the next day. what did we have in store for ourselves? WELL, we only had to wake up a tad bit earlier to drive over to the north shore to join a shark dive!!! we joined the one ocean diving team’s free diving expedition. i don’t think our program is really considered free diving, since we had snorkeling gear on, but it sure sounds a hell of a lot cooler than shark snorkeling, so i’m going to call it diving from this point onwards (although, if you look closely in the photo below, you’ll definitely notice that we don’t have diving tanks strapped to us and we’re just using flimsy snorkelling gear and flippers.

i was so proud of myself for taking the plunge and diving in right alongside everyone else. the waves were pretty rough, and i’m not familiar with using a snorkel, so it was actually quite confusing to me for a while. i had already warned ada and alan back in hong kong, before we’d even flown over, that there’d be a big chance i’d chicken out of the entire dive altogether. 

i ended up staying in water the longest! i almost didn’t want to leave. (i mean, it did take me a while to muster up the guts to even get in at all lol) it was such a thrilling experience, i’m so glad i went through with it.

when we got back to shore, we treated ourselves to smoothie bowls from haleiwa bowls. i’d been wanting to try this place out for ages, but the last time we were in hawaii we didn’t rent a car, so we didn’t want to venture out an hour north of the honolulu on an uber... turned out it was just a couple minutes walk from the shark snorkeling registration area, woohoo!

we got 3 bowls to share between the 3 of us (obviously more to share between me and ada lollll) we got a hapa bowl (acai/nana/strawbs/blueb smoothie with granola, fresh nanas, coconut flakes and hawaiian honey), a paniolo bowl (nana + pb + dates topped with granola, nanas, strawbs, cacao nibs and hawaiian honey), and also a blue majik spirulina chia pudding. honestly, they were delicious. not sure if it was because everything was hawaiian and fresh, or if it was because i’d seen their bowls on ig so many times before, or maybe we were just starved from all the adrenaline and excitement. 

we went hiking the second day, and as aesthetically pleasing this piña colada combo looks, they tasted pretty bleh. not refreshing or anything..

this was the diamond head lookout trail, although it was paved and quite easy so i’m not really sure at what point these pictures were taken. :p we stopped at a couple spots along the way.

before we headed off! (we threw away the fruits after the photo :p i know, a waste :( but no one wanted to lug them around on the hike)

on another day, we rented a jeep and drove up to the ho'omaluhia botanical garden to take some jurassic park themed photos :)

after we scouted out this spot and took a bunch of pictures here, other cars started to line up to make use of the backdrop as well hehehehe

we flew back to la to spend the rest of our holiday! for 420, we went to by chloe for vegan fast food (YUM) and then went off to universal studios. i didn’t realize until much much later that alan didn’t want to spend his 420 there, no clue why he didn’t just let us know sooner! i was pretty stoked that i won 2 toys at universal hehe.

our other best friend crystal was also in town, so of course we met up with her and ate more good food :P

(those are her hands grabbing the truffle pizza! haha)

and that concludes my la/hawaii trip! it was one of the best trips i’d ever been on, hands down! (even though it took me uhhhh 8 months to finally post about it hahahaha)