Next time its taco Tuesday at your house, try these octopus tacos or as the locals would call them, Tako Tacos. Most people in Hawaii associate Tako (Japanese for octopus) with poke. But if you really consider yourself a food adventurer, your next taco needs to be a Tako Taco!

It’s October and fall has finally arrived, bringing an end to the unusually hot summer this year. For us locals though, fall doesn’t bring much change in terms of weather. Although the evenings will cool down a bit more, the most notable change of season for Hawai’i , is pumpkin spice flavored everything. But, there is also the excitement of Halloween being right around the corner. Waikiki will be packed with witches, mermaids, Disney characters, and more.

Picture an intimate wedding on a white sandy beach on the North Shore of Hawaii. Green mountains and pristine clear waters surround the bride and groom as they tie the knot. They embrace one another for a kiss, which ends the short but sweet ceremony.

Pineapple is one of Hawai’i’s main novelty items and is grown on the North Shore of Oahu at the Dole Plantation. It is also many people’s favorite tropical fruit because of its tangy flavor that goes well with many dishes and beverages. It seems it’s one of those foods that’s hard to imagine anyone not liking. You can mix it with vegetables, meat, alcohol, and controversially, pizza.

With so many choices and so little time, the North Shore of Oahu offers an abundance of unforgettable experiences. The hard part is deciding how to spend your precious days in paradise. There are many iconic spots in Hawaii that first-time visitors need to see to believe, but there are also the lesser known gems that the locals know are just as worthy of your time.

Duke’s OceanFest is one of the many events that is held every summer in Waikiki throughout the year. But make no mistake, it is certainly worth not missing. OceanFest is host to various events such as the Menehune surfing competitions, the AccesSurf competitions, amateur longboarding, beach volleyball, and more.

Halloween is one of the most popular holidays of the year. It’s a time when adults get to have fun and dress up in wacky costumes like they children again. It’s also a great time for social gatherings and festivities. This October there are numerous events being held in the spirit of Halloween such as the annual zombie bar crawl and Hallowbaloo in China Town and Haunted Wonderland in Kapolei. All events encourage people to dress in their scariest costumes to celebrate the holiday with local music, art, and food.

Remember your favorite candy or dessert shop growing up as a kid? Maybe it was a homemade ice cream shop, or a local general store that sold your favorite strawberry belts, or just come good ol’ shave ice. That’s because small businesses are a very integral, important part of our community. Whether it is providing great memories, service, or jobs these businesses are what make our society strive.

Last week we shared some spooky stories with you in the spirit of Halloween season, but this week we thought we’d write about something much less scary and much more wholesome. Being a Mexican cuisine inspired food truck and restaurant, we thought it would be interesting to write about the history and origin of modern Mexican cuisine.