When you go to a particular restaurant, do you order the same thing over and over because that’s what you like, period?
Shouldn’t you forget tradition, and navigate the rest of the menu, to discover some other pleasure or treasure?
Well, at Ruscello at Nordstrom at Ala Moana Center, I’m hooked on the Crispy Panko Chicken salad. Just had it a few days ago; likely to have it again next time I go.
While I’ve tried the Market Burger, the Turkey and Swiss BLT, and the Chicken Club with Maple Bacon – hey, one of these go well with the soup of the day – I keep returning to the salad.
Crispy Panko Salad at Ruscello restaurant at Nordstrom
And remember to tell the waiter/waitress to have the chef chop up the chicken. That’s part of the secret. Trust me, you’ll mess up the chicken if you cut it yourself.
The salad is an unbeatable joy, with the chicken – in bite-sized morsels – reigning over a trove of veggies, including organic baby greens, grilled corn, petite tomatoes, plus eggs and bacon and a wedge of avocado on the side. The honey Dijon dressing is perfect,ion and with the complementary bread, it’s a fulfilling meal for $16.25.
When I add the soup, which arrives before the salad, I usually wind up taking half the salad home, which makes a dandy appetizer or salad before the beef or pork or pasta at dinnertime. Works for any entrée.
If you haven’t yet tried this salad, do so. You won’t be disappointed.
So I’ve pledged to do some card /craft things on this website, if you’ve noticed.
Disclosures:
I don’t like to spend $6 to $8 or more for commercial notecards.
I am old-school and still write hand-written notes – meaning cards – to send birthday cheer or get-well wishes, or for any other occasion. Yes, emails get there swiftly; you can create original e-cards with clip art, or enlist on professional e-card companies that create wonderful graphics, animation, and music to mark any occasion. What you can’t effectively do is scribble out a note.
I create original handmade stationery because I enjoy the process. Started years ago, when I sought a Hallmark card to send a personal note with a precise vibe. Couldn’t find one, but the one beaut might have bought had a message that didn’t reflect my sentiments.
That’s how my Wild Cards were born. I secured reams of assorted paper, of vellum quality so they have crisper and durability than standard paper. I sought out art paper stores on numerous trips for resources that gad more glitz and zest.
But I also do notecards relying on washi tape, colored pens, paints and various other media – wire, felt pieces, wrapping paper, rubber stamps, stick-on alphabets, and good old-fashioned hand-lettering with pens of many colors – and then work out motifs. With a paper cutter, scissors, doubled-edge tapes and X-Acto pens, I let the imagination go wild.
Here, I share a couple of simple cards anyone can create. One uses stickers of dogs, the other of cats. The exclamation point for me here are the hand-written captions.
I won’t engage in DIY make-a-card instruction here – that’s not my role — but perhaps you might find some inspiration to make your own, then send someone a hand-written note, too. You don’t know the joy you’ll bring to the recipient.
Drew and Colton Bright, sons of Clarke and Jade Bright, sent their mom a special, lasting floral bouquet for Mother’s Day.
Jade Bright, with Mother’s Day Lego florals made by sons Drew and Colton
‘Twas fashioned from Lego bricks, so it took some time and effort to shape and make. Proves that the Bright siblings are not only stage-savvy, but they’re also adept in plastics, too.
Of course, proud grandma Mo Bright, widow of the beloved stage director Ron Bright, posted a pic of the creation on Facebook. …then Jade confessed that she provided the kit for her sons. Hey, if it works, why not?
Glenn Medeiros, Saint Louis School president, was at home on Mother’s Day, at his keyboards. So why not serenade and singing and self-accompany himself, rendering a sweet version of “Where Is Love,” an appropriate but underrated ballad from the musical, “Oliver.”
He’s still got his pipes. And charm. Check it out on Facebook. …
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After Medici, New York
Entertainer Shari Lynn is prepping for another gig at Medici’s at Manoa Marketplace this month. She takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. May 21, at the Manoa Marketplace venue. Doors open at 6 p.m. for pre-performance dinner.
Shari Lynn
Tickets are $59, include dinner, plus a handling fee. Visit https://medicismanoa.com for tickets.
By the end of May, Shari and hubby Michael Acebedo will be celebrating their wedding anniversary with a romantic lakeside dinner at Central Park’s Boathouse restaurant. It’s a belated 45th celebration, since they wed in June, and the trip had to be delayed because of the pandemic. So the dinner will be an early celebration for No. 46 this year….
For Shari, this won’t be a theater-watching visit since the bulk of the Broadway reopenings won’t be ready till fall. Still, when you’re in The Big Apple, there’s still a lot to do and engage in. …
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Strumming duo
You never know who shows up and presents an unplanned mini-concert.
When Rick Ornellas was at the Kahala Mkt recently, he encountered a first-class ukulele performance by dual strummers Jake Shimabukuro and Herb Ohta Jr.
Visitors-diners s at the MKT’s restaurant were treated to an impromptu performance – a lucky happenstance, natch.
Shimabukuro recently was on Henry Kapono’s Blue Note tribute to the late Don Ho, and the strumming doubled as a trickle-over post-show salute to Uncle Don. Yes, we remember him, too. …
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Got tidbits? Share ‘em…
I’ve been getting emails from folks who wonder how to get into this rebooted column.
Best way: email me at wayneharada@gmail.com, with notes and quotes you deem interesting to share with peers and readers. Or put together a graph or two, if you’re doing a concert or project. Submit items a week to 10 days before an event, to allow time to publicize here; data may be included in occasional Date Book calendar listings. This still is a work-in-progress website. Mahalo…
Have you been addicted to, or at least in the know, about cherry cola?
I used to periodically drink Coca-Cola’s cherry Coke, till it disappeared years ago.
It’s now back, in a new cola war with Pepsi-Cola.
So I bought a bottle each of Coke’s cherry soda and Pepsi’s wild cherry soda.
Disclosure: I’ve favored Coke over Pepsi over the decades. My fave now is Coke Zero (and Pepsi has its version, too).
In an unofficial and unscientific taste test, I can reveal that I liked the Pepsi over the Coke cherry-flavored soda. Was it because of the “wild” adjective? Hmmm. The flavor was “wilder,” so maybe.
Let me know if you agree, or disagree, or even care…
