The Lady In A Hat

Hello HiLo is a Gainesville restaurant on Jesse Jewell Parkway just off I-985 with a Hawaiian-themed menu. The food, the tropical decor and the colorful drinks suggest a lively enthusiasm, and the tastebuds aren't disappointed.
The restaurant was developed by the Taira family, founders of King's Hawaiian bakery, which has a massive facility in nearby Oakwood.
The chicken bowl. The bulgogi sliders. The P.O.G. drink. The fries. The doughnuts on the way out.
Don't miss any of it!

We finally had our chance to dine at Hokkie, the new Asian restaurant on US 441 in Clayton.
It was 3 pm this past Sunday, and the restaurant is still in "soft opening" status. Timing is everything: On our first try (6 pm on a weekday) the line was out the door. This time, we waited just about 5 minutes to be seated!
Service kinks are still being worked out, but that's nothing unexpected in a new restaurant. I do hope the plan isn't to stick with plastic utensils.
Our server was Edam, a cheerful young man originally from Indonesia who is well traveled across the USA.
We ordered edamame and crab rangoon as appetizers. The edamame was slow in arriving, but hot and a good sized serving. The crab rangoon (6 pieces) was tasty and could've been served hotter. We didn't ask for side plates, out of respect for their staffing challenges (note on the front door). I hope that improves.
They have no liquor license yet. The mango juice on the menu was not in stock so we had iced tea.
As entrees, hubby ordered a sushi sashimi combo (regular); I ordered the pineapple fried rice rice with chicken and a Nikko roll. (We had a good laugh at my expense because I was confirming my choice by reading hubby's menu upside down, and asked for a Nokki roll. The server returned, very confused!)
The entrees were outstanding! The seafood in the sushi/sashimi was fresh and the presentation was thoughtful.
The pineapple fried rice was steaming hot and tasty; I took home half of the hefty serving.

I hope the restaurant succeeds ... and keeps its sushi chef! As the soft opening crowds show, it's sorely needed in Rabun! We'll be back to confirm Hokkie's excellent quality and (perhaps) an upgrade to silverware!
(I wanted to tag the restaurant, but it's so new that it hasn't made its way onto Facebook yet!)

REGIONAL REVIEW.
We discovered a well-kept little secret in Franklin, NC, recently. Just around the corner from Aldi is Eric's Fresh Fish Market, its unobtrusive storefront hiding a treasure trove of culinary delights!
As we walked in on a Saturday afternoon, the affable owner rose from strumming his guitar.
He was happy to explain his process ...
He prefers you to inquire and order ahead; he'll have it delivered by his suppliers and ready when you arrive.
We're excited at the opportunity to order fresh oysters soon.
I bought some wines from my home country, more for the names than any prior knowledge, I confess!
You can also find some beef, chicken and sausage from some of the finest farms.
If you have a hankering for fresh seafood -- with the emphasis on FRESH -- I highly recommend reaching out. Find out more at ericsfreshfishmarket.com

We stopped for lunch at about 1:30 PM today, a Saturday. I ordered a Bloody Mary. The Basic is quite the production; it took about 10 minutes to make and was great!

We ordered a korn dawgs appetizer, and when it was brought out, I asked for some silverware, which wasn't on the table. The server said she'd find some. She came back in a few minutes with plastic utensils and said they were cleaning the silverware and she would bring some out.

I mention this because I thought it odd that an eatery marking its 4th anniversary wouldn't have enough silverware ... even though there were so few patrons when we were there. The same thing happened last week, said hubby, when he visited after a youth baseball game (and sent me a pic of his Bloody Mary, hence today's trip). Of course, no silverware appeared.

I'm also surprised we weren't asked how we'd like our burgers cooked.

That said, the food was worth the trip. Hubby had the Bobs Your Uncle and I had the Buford Blue burger. His fries were good. My coleslaw was warm, for some reason. They don't offer a side of onion rings.
The milkshakes are spectacular. Hubby ordered the Cheeseburger in Paradise, a gorgeous Graham cracker rimmed concoction with an actual slice of cheesecake on top!

Over the top is a worthy description! Next time, however, give silverware, ask how I'd like my burger cooked, and refrigerate the coleslaw.
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