Buzz's Hawaiian Grill | Hawaiian Food & Culture

I'd love to give everyone a private tour of the islands taking you to all the places I have to visit when I'm home visiting family. Obviously this isn't possible, but I will try to document where I go. I must advise you some of the places are holes in the wall that only locals would know about. These are exactly the type spots tourist miss out on. That's the point of this piece, is to provide suggestions of places you should visit to get a better feel for local grindz. I often hear how others visit Hawai'i and don't experience the food scene I serve or speak of. Which is okay if you're okay with that experience, but for those wanting to experience Hawai'i in the eyes of an adventure consider some of the places I'll discuss below. Check each location hours before heading there. You've warned! Hawaiian Time is no joke. Island of Oahu Oahu is where I lived soo I know this island better than the others. Town When you live in the country we refer...

  Happy Memorial Day St. Louis!! Memorial day marks the beginning of summer when the pools open, family vacations are on the horizon, and outdoor BBQ season is in full force. In St. Louis, it's a day when we break free of the constraints of winter and really begin to live outdoors. But, hold on a second. What is Memorial Day actually about?  It's about honoring, or remembering, the 100's of thousands of men and women who have given their life during war. Unlike Veteran's day that honors all people who have served in the military whether they faced death or not (like myself), Memorial day is to honor those who literally gave their life in defense of our nation. This is a big deal. Other people, we do not know, gave their lives so we are free to splash in our pools, grill our hotdogs, and play in complete peace that we are a free nation without threat to our lives. This people gave their lives for us. Another aspect of this conversation is who were, and are, these people?...

Life in Hawaii may seem like a foreign country at times with the vast number of languages spoken in the islands. Foreign languages aside, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Okinawan, Portuguese and Spanish, the two primary languages of Hawai'i are the native language referred to as ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi , and Hawaii Creole English, (HCE) known as pidgin.  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi is still practiced by many, and particular words or phrases are used by all. Streets and towns are named using the  ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi Hawaiian language and spelling. The Hawaiian ʻ Ōlelo Hawaiʻi language consists of 12 letters, A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, O and W. Five are vowels and seven are consonants. This accounts for why there are towns such as Ka'a'awa that may prompt a chuckle, or two, by people not familiar with the language and proper spelling, but once you learn about the language the more it makes perfect since.  The symbols between the As in Ka'a'awa are called an O...

Food truck popularity has been sweeping the country with most mentions discussing the New York or California markets. Now that I am in the food truck biz myself, it's ironic to think back to my own experience in the early 80s on Oahu where it wasn't uncommon to find Leonard's iconic red and white striped truck selling hot malasadas on the North Shore. It made perfect sense to bring the islands favorite donuts to the famous waves of the north shore so locals living miles away from Leonard's brick and mortar bakery would be able to enjoy them hot and fresh. The original Leonard's Bakery is located in Honolulu on Kapahulu Ave. not far from the Honolulu Zoo. Founded in 1952, Leonard is credited with bringing the Portuguese treat to the islands. One of my favorite things to do is to pick up a pink box of fresh hot malasadas and take them down the street to Queen's Beach to gobble them down with a carton of milk, also purchased at Leonard's. If you're ...

The state of Hawaii is known for its beautiful tropical landscape. The steep mountains jet out of the sea going from sea level to 2000 feet in a very short distance. Only the larger islands (there are 136 islands in total) have enough flat land for towns and cities to be established. This land restrictive lifestyle poses a major problem when it comes to material waste, making recycling a must. When I moved back to the Midwest I was taken off guard by having to pay to recycle. Paying to recycling moves if from a necessary way of life to a luxury. Many of my friends do not recycle because of its rising cost to the resident. Ironically even landfills in St. Louis become full and new landfill facilities must be established. Not so ironic is how when a family begins to recycle they will find their recycle bin fills to the brim and their waste can needs are cut in half. It's easy to assume then that our landfill needs could also be cut in half if more households were e...