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Bogarts, a closer look
Aloha!
12/17/09 - Just outside Waikiki, right-up on the banks of Diamond Head Crater, sits a heralded breakfast/cafe/espresso bar that's been gathering quite the buzz for a good while now, winning several different awards from newspapers and food critics, as well as gathering raves from so many on Yelp. If you haven't check out Yelp yet, it's a really great place to get opinions (or give them, if you want!), from a wide range of ordinary folk like you and me - I've got, like, 16 reviews and 30 food pics there, which you can check out on my Yelp profile page. There on Yelp, most reviews for Bogart's Cafe, in the little shopping center that could at the bottom of Monsarrat Ave., are gushing and glowing like a fawning teenagers' first love. There are, however, a few dissenter's, a handful of trouble-makers blazing a path in the opposite direction, a category of folk that, surprise, surprise - I just happen to associate with a bit more! But I'll get into it further as we meander along...
The mini-complex it is housed in sports a convenience store on the far right, a nail shop on the left, and Bogart's and Diamond Head Cove Grill somewhere in the middle. Make sure you enter through the Waikiki side (right side), since the lot is one-way and very small. During peak hours it does fill-up real fast, in which case you may have to park on the street.
The vibe here is fashionably simple, highly trendy, and perfect for those looking for a place with a little more uniqueness, a little more originality, and a lot more personality. It's got that North Shore thing going-on, with lots of young people and also lots of educated, socially-connected older folk, as well. Hanging on walls are surfboards and modern art pieces for sale, while sofas and rat-a-tatt-tatt chairs paired with wobbly tables are irregularly dispersed throughout the room, including a set blocking one out of the two entrance doors! But I won't tell the Fire Department. Crowds here can become thick and heavy, so you may just have to eat while staring at a strangers behind as he or she waits in line!
As a pair, Kumi and I are split over wether we like this atmosphere or not - me, I find it a little too casual and unkempt, while Kumi kinda enjoys the college-like atmosphere of it all. You'll have to order at the counter, but they will bring plates out for you. The wait is long, and you'll get no other service besides, which makes me think prices should be kept to a minimum. However, and while I wouldn't say prices are at a maximum, it does push uncomfortably high at times - omelets, pancakes, and waffles mostly run between $8 and $10, but those numbers can quickly be increased with extras, such as spinach, fresh salsa, or guacamole for your omelets, or even sides like rice, toast, or country potatoes that are not included in some of their specialty items, such as the interesting migas ($8.50, three scrambled eggs with black beans, green chilies, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, red sauce, avocado, and tortilla chips) or Michael's scramble ($8.25, two scrambled eggs, asparagus, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese). Throw-in one of their excellent espresso drinks, such as a Macchiato, Thai Latte, Cafe Vienna, or sweet Krakatoa Steamer, and the tab can definitely add-up.
And you know spots like this are always gonna carry Italian sodas, Snapples, Arizona's, Nantucket Nectars, herbal teas, and steamers of creme de cacao, pink grapefruit, and Irish cream, along with shakes like peanut butter banana, Oreo, mint chip, and strawberry. Just goes with the modern vibe here, is all - forget Hawaiian Sun and fountain drinks, ey?!
Though I've never tried their lunch specialties, they do look pretty darn good from the menu, and at prices that are better than breakfast. Pesto mushroom, bbq chicken, or veggie pizza's can be had for between $5.60 and $7.25; wraps and quesadilla's, $5.75 and $6.60, respectively; and sandwiches of Tuscan chicken (herb and spice), Monterey chicken (bbq sauce), veggie, or Club all go for between $5.45 and $7.85. That's not including the fresh crab and avocado sand, of course, which sells for $13.75. But that's enough with the particular's. I can't stand details anyway...
One set of dishes I was very happy to see at Bogart's were their benny's, which I'll probably order three out of five times when visiting a new breakfast joint. Even the base model - English muffin, Canadian bacon or ham, poached egg, and Hollandaise - never gets old for me. However, folks out there are getting mighty creative, with all kinds of substitutions and different versions. One spot in particular, the ever so excellent Cream Pot in Waikiki, tampers so deeply with the original model that not a single ingredient from the list still stands! Here at Bogart's, I decided upon not only the most expensive benny on the menu, but also the most expensive dish on the menu! Twenty bucks will get you this monster:
Not the most beautiful nor most sophisticated-looking plate in the world, but lemme tell ya - this buggah sure did carry the goods. It was about as rustic, in your face, and down to earth as it gets, with more lumps of real crab meat than I've seen in any other benny, that's for sure! There were just the smallest amounts of carrot, cream, and other fillers present, but for the most part, it was all about sweet, genuine, white-meat crab. Underneath, a grilled French bread was used instead of an English muffin, and the sauce was thick in texture but light in taste, and I found the runny egg even more useful as a flavor enhancer. Nothing delicate here, just a working man's type of dish, all the way. And rather excellent, too, I might add:
The omelets I've seen here are similiarly done, as well - fluffy, huge, rustic, and with a country-style, home-made appearance and flavor. Portions are not the usual two eggs, but a substantial three, a very tall order for Kumi, being that she's only about about half my size. Her's was an omelet of spinach, cherry tomatoes, and loads of cheese that ran all over the place. Kumi loved the use of fresh vegetables, a thought I also concurred with:
Mom, being as predictable as she is, went with an omelet of ham, mushrooms, and cheese, the same taste she tries to duplicate from her favorite breakfast spot, Zippy's:
That's one sticky, gooey mess, but a tasty one, nonetheless. The chunks of ham were large, smoky, and sweet, while you can't go wrong with sauteed mushrooms and loads of melted cheese. While I found the insides very good, I'm not really feeling the thick, fluffy walls of egg these man-ly omelets contain. I mean, they weren't terrible at all, just, I dunno, kinda too thick and pancakey, and could have used a bit more salt. In fairness, I know that some like the added body of eggs whipped until they become frothy, or enjoy them prepared with a little flour, either method of which I can imagine at work here. If anything, and I'm not saying I know for sure, but my guess would be that Bogart's employs the latter, as flour not only thickens everything, but also prevents browning, mops-up the liquid, and dries-out the egg a bit, causing the texture to become a bit custardy, all aspects found in the omelets here. Me, I prefer straight egg, the simple way, with a light browning and slightly greasy goodness. But that's just me.
I was very tempted to try one of their breakfast bagles, as this particular item has won awards from Honolulu Magazine to the Honolulu Advertiser. They have so many varieties you'll have to come see them for yourself (I did say I was done with the details, after all), as well as lox 'n bagels and a whole list of different toppings and spreads. However, crabcake bennies were a must for me, and I couldn't twist anyone else's arm, either. The only other thing I could drag out of them was an order of French toast:
Three slices of sweetbread, dipped in egg, spiced with cinnamon and vanilla, and dusted with powdered sugar, we all found these pieces rather, uh... ok. Once again, as probably more an outcome of personal preferences rather than anything else, we like a thicker, sweeter batter surrounding the slices, along with a moister bread. But that's just us. BTW, they do have pure maple syrup here, a definite plus, as well as Nutella, that chocolate hazelnut spread almost unkown here but so popular in Australia, New Zealand, and all over both Eastern and Western Europe.
But the one thing I really looked forward to trying here was the taro pancakes with haupia syrup. Not only does this specialty draw raves from a long list of Yelper's, it also sounds like a Hawaii-only kind of thing, and hence, something to be especially proud of, yes? A couple of Yelper's even likened it to the frothy, dreamy, super-sweet macadamia nut syrup over at Boots & Kimo's in Kailua! Tall order, my friends!
And so we finally made it back to Bogart's on one particularly fine day in Hawaii-nei, and Kumi and I split a single order of none other than taro pancakes with haupia syrup:
I can tell you one thing - this stack sure looked impressive. The thick, massive cakes were piled three-high, and the sweet, milky-white haupia sauce, derived from coconut (just for you out-of-towner's!), was served separately in a generous cup-full. And at $7.25, it was also one of the more economical breakfast items, as well. Visually, this dish is a stunner; the use of local and exotic (at least for those outside Hawaii) ingredients, a huge plus.
Move-on-over, Boots & Kimo's?
Hold on there, just a second! Ok, the pancakes at Boots & Kimo's may not be very quality-oriented (oops - 1/30/10 up-date - they've definitely changed the recipe on their pancakes at Boots & Kimos recently, and I gotta say, they are infinitely better now, as far as quality is concerned, even very good!), but the macadamia nut syrup there just can't be topped anywhere else, as far as I'm still concerned! I'm sorry to say - Kumi and I just barely managed to get down a third of the plate, and it ain't because we weren't hungry. Though gorgeous, the insides of these cakes were as mushy, pasty, and tasteless as I've had in recent memory, and I'm not talking about where the bananas were mixed into the batter. The sweet haupia sauce helped immensely, though, with the sweet, sharp taste of coconut haupia, but wasn't nearly as light and frothy, and nowhere as delicious as the macadamia nut syrup from Boots & Kimo's. I guess if you really love haupia, though, you could possibly think otherwise.
Here's another shot at the insides, along with the mug of haupia syrup served separately:
But you know what? I really can see how this place has become popular. I mean, the showcasing and use of fresh, oftentimes local ingredients, the lighter flavors, the stylishly healthy and modern offerings, the over-all trendy feel to it all? Plus, espresso and smoothies? Bogart's does have its merits. However, the long lines, the long waits, the cramped parking, the slightly higher prices (I'd rather have less portions at a lesser cost!), the too-casual furnishings and customer service? Just not something I'd look forward to doing again. Especially not when you walk-up to the service counter where you're supposed to order, and someone looks up at you, obviously disturbed at you for breaking their moment of concentration (even though I patiently waited there without saying a word!), sighs heavily with a look of complete irritation, picks-up her accounting sheets, and storms-off somewhere in the back! All I can say is - this place has some awfully terrible customer service, and not just because of that one gal, either! I tried making eye contact with several of them, just to acknowledge and share a friendly smile, but... nothing happening!
Now listen, I'm not one to give bad opinions just because I was slighted, a personality trait I find very subjective and immature. But sometimes, you just can't gloss things over, and have to lay out the facts as they are, yes? Aaaah, who knows? There seemed to be a lot of regulars here, and these folks were treated like old friends. I guess you gotta be in first, and then it's all good!
Bogart's Cafe as a whole? Maybe. Just gotta weigh the good with the bad that I've listed above, and figure out where you personally stand. Many out there obviously love this place, but me, I've just got my reservations about several things, is all.
After finishing only a portion of the taro pancakes, we looked across the parking lot and street to find a curious sign at the old Mi Casa Tacqueria. Frontier Saloon? Japanese plate lunch? What the???
Stay tuned... Things will turn much more positive, believe me!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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