Review #85
This week we were supposed to be blogging The Lanai. Back in May after blogging Haggo’s Tacos on a Sunday night, we walked by to do a pre-check on the joint around 8pm. It looked very casual and spacious, perfect for a big crowd. So I collected a group of friends and we were all pumped to eat some Hawaiian street food. Except I didn’t exactly think to check if their hours changed for summer. About 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet like 20 people at The Lanai for dinner Mary sends me a text telling me they are closed. Rather than cancel the blog, (blasphemy!) the only thing left to do was to skip the Lanai this week and move on to the next place, Live Culture. “Isn’t Live Culture a frozen yogurt place?” asked a skeptical Mary. “No, no, I said nervously checking their on-line menu. They serve lots of food. It’s quite dinnery actually, don’t worry.” Well, not exactly. But I didn’t want her or anyone bailing. Blogging is about so much more than just the food. It’s bringing friends and community together. Who cares if we are eating sandwiches for dinner? So I lied.
Live Culture. Not the most appetizing name for a cafe. I don’t really want to be eating “live” anything to be honest. And speaking of unappetizing, I found this on the shelf by the entrance.
Let’s take a closer look into this large jar now shall we?
I’m sure they want us to think it is the Kombucha brewing, but really, how do we know?
Anyone wanting customers to purchase Kombucha should never EVER show it to people first! Keep that scary ass jar in the back, Live Culture! For the love of God!
Trying hard to erase what I just saw, I focused on the menu. Other than drinks and yogurt, there are five sourdough sandwiches to choose from..
Poor girls working at Live Culture. This tiny place usually has ones and twos coming to the counter to order. Not 20! They were a bit flustered but did their best. Instead of a kitchen, Live Culture takes pre-made sandwiches and heats them up in a small, electric George Forman-type-thing. Something one might have in their dorm room. Lucky for us, we weren’t in a rush, and they have a magnificent back deck to hang out on while we waited.
Being a sourdough bread maker myself, I appreciated this bread. It was good. Very good. This bread has been fermented for three days packing in all those probiotic benefits. Did you know that many people with gluten intolerance can eat sourdough bread? Eat it because it tastes great, but know that it’s considered one of the healthiest breads.
I ordered the Mozzarella sandwich with pesto, but it’s not really fair for me to give a review. There was nothing wrong with it. It was really tasty in fact. But listen, I just got back from a trip to Italy. I was in Cinque Terre which is home of the world’s best pesto. I ate Buffalo mozzarella in Florence so mind blowingly creamy, I stood up on the table and sang operatic Italian. Practically. It’s just not fair for me to review this. Not now. Not just days from being in the epicenter.
Our sandwiches were toasty and tasty and the pickle was homemade. Everyone was happy with their $8 dinner. Now on to dessert!
I glanced over at Hubby and almost choked on my fro yo.
“Are those…..sprinkles on your yogurt?” I asked in disbelief
“They fwere fwee.” He said with the spoon in his mouth.
“I don’t care if they were free. I have known you for 25 years, and I have never seen you eat a sprinkle on anything! You are not one who eats sprinkles! You are one who complains that for every space a sprinkle is taking, a space is not being used by something chocolate! Who is this man I’ve married? I felt like he was a stranger to me. First he’s eating sprinkles but what’s next? I got the chills. What exactly are they growing in those jars?!
Bottom Line:
Live Culture is a terrific lunch OR DINNER spot with wonderfully healthy frozen yogurt and delicious Kombucha. (Ok, it’s mostly a lunch place.) Their frozen yogurt is packed with extra probiotics so tastes a bit more tart than other places. With toppings, you can’t really tell the difference, and the healthier the better to me. They have a terrific back deck lit up at night with really nice music playing, not too loud. Our group hung out there for more than two hours. It’s the perfect hang out spot where you can eat, drink, and actually hear each other. I will be back to try their Kombucha float during the day when the caffeine from the black tea won’t affect my sleep. Kombucha over frozen yogurt sounds like pure genius to me. Can’t wait!
I do have three suggestions:
1.) Don’t have your employees chewing gum. Ever.
2.) Please use filtered water in your self-serve drinking vessel. The water tasted like terrible hose-water, only worse. Really really bad.
3.) Either find a new hobby other than alien-growing, or at least hide those jars far far away from the public!
No blog next week! Join us on our next blog on Saturday, July 20th (yes, they really are open then!) at 6:30pm at
The Lanai
Hawaiian Food | Plate Lunch | Ahi Poke | Fresh Fish Daily | San Diego, Ca
Dining on the 101 
Awesome blog!!
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