The Hula Ranch in Marina CA is worth the drive (which isn’t really that far anyway). My BF and I went last Saturday night; he he had been there before and really enjoyed it. It was my first time. But, knowing it is run by Bill and "T" (Theresa!) Lee left me with no worries. Bill’s other restaurant is the Volcano Grill in Carmel Valley.
You can recognize the owners’ touch when you walk in; the ambiance is Caribbean casual; nicely lit and definitely gives off a good island vibe. Hula Ranch is extremely spacious as well; diners are scattered about on different levels and there is a nice deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
We were greeted warmly, drinks arrived, and then came the problem I love to have; what to choose from the menu! We selected a couple of appetizers (and held onto the menu), starting with crab cakes and coconut prawns. Flavorful and generously portioned.
My boyfriend loves coconut, so we had to try a dish with coconut rice as a side. I was not overly enthused (Darryl is the cocnut-nut), but let me tell ya. It was perfection; the waitperson generously brought another large portion when we asked. Wow. The coconut is browned and it makes it taste, well, delicious.
The evening went on to become a lot of fun; my boyfriend’s name is Darryl, and the waiter’s name is too (although it is spelled differently. Then we find out the chef is another Darrell (I may have messed up the spelling). Anyway, we were introduced to him by Joe, the Manager,outside the restaurant . We raved about that rice.
Turns out the Coconut Rice has had a lot of attention: Rachael Rae visited the Hula Grill and really wanted the recipe. Guess what? She couldn’t get Darrell to talk.
And, again, …Guess what? Darrell gave us the recipe, late on a windy Saturday night outside the Hula Grill, and me with my Flip Mino.
