(NOTE: Jimmy's Lakeside Bakery Cafe closed its doors on May 7, 2006. Signature Sweets & Catering, their other business, will continue.)
If you're headed to the North Shore, making a stop at Wal-Mart in Mililani, or anything in Central Oahu, you MUST, and I stress MUST, try Jimmy's Lakeside Bakery Café. Located on historic Kemo`o Farms, Jimmy's Lakeside Bakery Café sits on the outskirts of Lake Wilson.
Lake Wilson
With a beautiful view, free parking, and a location away from the city, it's a nice break, with pizza that tastes like you're in New York, not a freezer. They also serve hot and cold sandwiches, and delectable desserts that look almost too beautiful to eat (but don't be fooled, they taste as good as they look!).
Table overlooking Lake Wilson
Jimmy's also delivers to the neighboring areas: Schofield Barracks, Mililani, and Wahiawa. Beat the crowd and make sure to call for delivery!
Located across the street from Schofield Barracks and just 25 minutes from the airport, Jimmy's caters to local residents, who travel near and far to taste, what, as owner James Davidson says, "East Coast natives call the closest thing to ‘home' for them."
Jimmy's Lakeside Bakery Cafe is very airy and spacious
Trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, New York), Davidson has had a considerable amount of experience in fine dining and high-end type menus. As one of the founding chefs of Roy's, Davidson also helped in opening Tom Selleck's restaurant Black Orchid, and also worked as a chef at what is now known today as the Kahala Mandarin Oriental.
February 22, 2006 marked Davidson's five-year anniversary of opening
Jimmy's Lakeside Cafe.
He founded Signature Sweets in 1994, offering restaurants and hotels in Hawaii, quality breads, pastries, cakes, and other baked goods. It was then, that Davidson then realized that he wanted to open up a business of his own. This year, he celebrates the café's five year anniversary.
Their selection of pizzas, both specialty and traditional, is overwhelming. Pizza
is truly heavenly!
His philosophies are quite amusing. First, following along the lines of Chef Emeril Lagasse, Davidson jokes by saying, "Everything's better with bacon." But getting serious, he ponders over the roots of opening Jimmy's Lakeside Bakery Café. He wanted residents to have somewhere you could feel comfortable in, yet be able to dine on high quality food that "speaks for itself," says Davidson. He says that in his cooking, "form follows function," and regardless of a chef's fancy degree or resume, that there is still no reason a place cannot offer basic food, that's really good. He wanted to give residents the taste for high quality baked goods without having to need to make the drive out to Waikiki or other parts of Honolulu.
So I needed to try certain things on the menu. I know I wanted a salad, some pizza AND a sandwich. Good thing I went hungry. First, I think a sandwich. But remember. I'm nowhere CLOSE to being a vegetarian. That doesn't mean that I don't absolutely love Portobello mushrooms.
Owner James Davidson prepares The Portobello Veggie sandwich which comes
with the portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, zucchini, with mozzarella
and a balsamic vinaigrette on focaccia bread.
After biting into the sandwich, my mouth tingled. Its sweet sour sensation from the balsamic vinaigrette mixed so well with the soft, "melt-in-your-mouth" homemade bread and medley of vegetables, that I finished it before I was even able to enjoy how colorful its presentation was. All in all, a wonderful sandwich and surprisingly filling. I'm usually one of those who need meat to get REAL full. Well, this sandwich didn't need it, I felt like I pounded a quarter pound hamburger. Really tasty, and the bread was perfect. Plus, its not a round bun, so I didn't have things falling out all over the place. With its square shape, I was perfectly content, especially with the grilled mozzarella atop the bread. YUM.
The finished product. Colorful, tangy, and the bread? Ono-licious.
Next, a salad. He brought out the salad of the day, which, on the day I went, was a mixed spring vegetable salad. So colorful, and very fresh. The assortment of greenery made me feel for a moment like I was in a fine-dining establishment. Not your typical "out of the bag salad" at plate lunch eateries. Another good choice.
The salad was light, but also very different with a wide variety of spring vegetables,
including one of my favorite, asparagus.
And of course, pizza, pizza pizza. First, the pizza of the day, "Ooh Baby Baby." I laughed when James said the name aloud. I laughed even more when he justified the name. Baby-like veggies. Covered in grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and (mmmm) enoki mushroom, this pizza was not only unique and juicy but also very colorful.
Jimmy's assortment of pizzas can be more than you can handle, but owner James
Davidson says that still the most popular are the pizzas which have a lot of meat on
them. We're such carnivores!
But of course, I had to see how they do it. I wanted to see one of my favorites, although I could be considered boring … cheese pizza. Pizzamaker Mack Wilson demonstrated the fine art of prep and toss. Lets watch each action shot of making Jimmy's famous pizzas.
And I couldn't go without trying a smoothie. I tried the "Passionate Razz," which tasted very raspberry-ish but very refreshing.
Jimmy's smoothies are the perfect addition to the selection of baked
goods, made right on location
Be sure to try the "Jimmy Jolt" smoothie if you're a coffee lover!
Jimmy's also serves pastas after 4 p.m. Lights are dimmed, and they make the pastas as they're ordered. Everything from individual to family sizes, white to red sauce, mixed seafood to shrimp scampi pasta, Jimmy's makes it all. They even make it a complete meal for a few more dollars, and add salad and garlic bread to complete your pasta dinner. I was thoroughly impressed with their selection. I'm an Italian food lover, and a lot of the places I've been to, taste "mass produced." The affordable places, anyhow. The taste and portions, were extremely generous for the low price that Jimmy's offers for almost everything on the menu. The pizza looks like its meant to be on a gourmet cooking show, but for the price of one slice, you pretty much receive a ¼ of a whole pizza! What I want to try the next time I visit Jimmy's is their Florentine Pizza, which includes fresh spinach, onions, and fresh garlic. MMMM.
Now for the desserts. Sweet, but not too rich, and the presentation in reference to the taste? Both excellent! As his true love in the "kitchen," so to speak, Davidson enjoys this part the most, of his entire cooking experience. As a pastry chef for most of his culinary career, Davidson really takes an extra effort to make unique, tasty, high quality baked goods for the sweet tooth in ALL of us. Because he and his company also cater, there is a chance that the dishes you eat at your next fancy function, will have come out his very same kitchen!
Here are a few of his tasty desserts:
Themed around Valentine's Day, Jimmy's cheesecake made me drool instantly
Fresh raspberry torte. Need I say more?
Some of Davidson's pastries are taking off and becoming the latest buzz. First,
his creme brulee. In addition the growing popularity of his cheesecake, he says that
he can't keep his chocolate decadent cake in the display cas long enough.
*note: A few other notable menu items:
Smoked Turkey and Avocado Sandwich
Jimmy Dip Prime Rib Sandwich
My experience at Jimmy's was enjoyable. No stress, no having to dress up, or look for parking, and to top things off, with a really nice view of one of the few accessible lakes in the entire state of Hawaii. Be careful during lunchtime, as you'll see a sea of green and suits clash. Both active duty military as well as local businesses enjoy the low priced, tasty, high-quality menu at Jimmy's.
1718 Wilikina Drive
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
621-6800
621-5261 (fax)
