Aloha ‘āina

  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?...

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 ...