Bites Nearby: A Taste of the Hawaiian Islands

Having difficulties deciding where to grab a bite to eat in Wauwatosa? Don't know where to turn for a good sandwich, a scrumptious Italian dish or a fantastic fish fry? That's where Patch comes in. Each week, the Wauwatosa Patch finds a great restaurant nearby that's worth checking out. Here is this week's pick:

Its rather unusual to find anything Hawaiian in Wauwatosa, but step into (a Hawaiian deli/grocery store), and the Hawaiian experience begins.

The establishment opened in September of 2010 by former Hawaiian residents David Lau and Guy Roeseler. It was Roeseler's (a former chef) upbringing in Brookfield that brought him back to the area to open up a place that is casual and relaxing for visitors.

The place is unique due to the fact that it is an eat-in deli that serves homemade “surf food,” deli-style, in disposable containers. The prices are reasonable, there is no tipping and the ingredients used in menu items can be purchased for home preparation.

The name, by the way, means "delicious specialty foods" in the pidgen, or dialect, of Islanders, Roeseler explained.

"Ono – really good, satisfying, delicious – grindz – when you get together for a meal, that's a grind – and kine is an intensifier," he said. "You sit down with friends, everybody eats all they can hold, then they lean back and go, 'Ooooooo-no!'"

The restaurant's simple menu consists of an assortment of Hawaiian favorite plate lunches and sandwiches such as Kobe Beef Bowl, Manapua (a dumpling stuffed with pork), a Chili Plate, Huli-Huli Chicken and Kalua Pork. Several of these menu items are served as a plate lunch with rice, macaroni salad and coleslaw. They also serve Hawaiian-style desserts, Kona coffee, shaved ice and fire tea.

The owners periodically add new menu items, and strive to match the restaurants goal of making ordinary food extraordinary. Besides serving selections off the menu, the grocery store sells some of the food items found on the menu, Hawaiian cookbooks, music, photography and clothing.

Customers have the option of eating in or carrying out, and are encouraged to try out the restaurants catering service for group parties, weddings or birthdays.

Address: 7215 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa

Phone: 414-778-0727

Web site under construction. They can be found on Facebook.

Price range: $2.50 - $9.50

Hours of Operation: Wed – Fri, 11am - 8pm, Sat, 10am – 8pm, Sun, 11 – 6pm, closed on Monday and Tuesday.