Aloha ‘āina

In January 2022 Buzz's Hawaiian Grill took possession of 3457 Magnolia Ave. for the future Buzz's brick-n-mortar. For several years prior the space was a well loved hot dog joint that had decided to move to a new location. Buzz's had been looking for a space that shared our chill vibe and this space checked all the boxes. The challenge was, how to convert the space from ketchup red to an island style cafe with a plantation era look. A place people from Hawai'i could relate to.  The other challenge was to upgrade the kitchen from dysfunctional and partially operational, to a fully operational kitchen capable of handling the complex menu we envisioned offering. It was going to require time and money, but we had a vision we felt was achievable.     The Front End One of the main goals was to remove the barn style false ceiling in order to open the space up visually allowing more light in. After all, Hawaiian restaurants are often...

The area code in Hawaii is 808, so it was only fitting for August 8th to become National Musubi Day.  Let's give credit where credit is due.   Inspired by  Hawai‘i's passionate SPAM® Musubi enthusiasts, in 2021, the L&L  franchises   (a local restaurant chain) recognized the need to honor this flavorful hand-held snack with its own special day. In an effort to do our part in sharing Hawaiian culture we celebrate 8/08 each year as well. The origin of Musubi is in question, but I consider  Barbara Funamura  of Kauai as the person who created this yummy treat. One thing that is 100% certain is that Musubis were created in Hawaii. It's not Japanese, although it is similar to a Maki sushi roll, and based on Barbara's last name I'd guess Barbara is of Japanese descent, or her husband may be. In Korea similar food is referred to as Kimbop. Spam Musubi are commonly found at the cash registers in  convenience stores , or snack food shops all...