The Royal Hawaiian, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, HI USA

Ordered from the Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu Hawaii.

You would not believe the story that landed me on Waikiki Beach. It started in Boston, had a brief stop in Auckland (New Zealand), a gorgeous 36 hours in San Francisco, and a direct flight to Honolulu where Rachel would be arriving later tonight from a business trip to Australia.

That story will have to wait for another day.

Nevertheless, here I was, the engagement ring for my girlfriend burning a hole in my pocket, waiting patiently for her arrival in 9 hours.

Nearly 40 hours in airplanes and 30 hours sitting in airports, so close yet so far away from Rachel, I was anxious for her arrival, our engagement, and 3 full days of pure relaxation… But it was hard to relax with the proposal on the horizon, and as I checked into The Royal Hawaiian, I prayed their beach-side restaurant had a club sandwich.

An hour later, after working out all the details with Kelli at the concierge regarding the proposal, I was sitting by the ocean, virgin strawberry daiquiri in hand, waiting for my smoked turkey club sandwich to arrive.

Ambiance was nearly a 10/10. From the soft Hawaiian music, to the cabanas, to the well-designed seating arrangement of the tables, to the open air setting, to the… yes, even the pink umbrellas added a sense of uniqueness and character to this beachside resort.

And then the meal arrived and immediately I was in club sandwich heaven. The only thing missing was Rachel, but seeing as her flight had already departed, there was a sense of reinforced calm that fell over me as I savored each bite.

Amazing avocado. Was that local? Had to be. Crispy bacon – just like the menu promised. Tomato incredibly ripe and juicy; nearly mind-blowing. I would find out later, it was a “hamakua tomato” from Hamakua Springs Country Farms. Yum! Onions, which weren’t even on the menu, were a nice touch that added a subtle sweet flavor. The waiter said they were “Maui Onions.” Yum again. Was that even mayo, or some delicious sauce/dressing?

Each bite was just delicious and I was so happy The Pink Palace delivered on an excellent club sandwich. I was on cloud nine, over-the-moon, more than satisfied.

The next thing on my mind: ocean. And with that, I was off to buy a bathing suit and flipflips…

Location