Loco for Obama

Now that our first Hawaiian president has been inaugurated, you might feel like celebrating by sampling a quirky Hawaiian dish. June of June’s Cafe (921 V Street) started making loco-moko when a regular customer returned from vacation in Hawaii and requested the dish, which consists of a pile of rice topped with a hamburger steak, brown gravy and a fried egg. Ten years later, it’s still popular. June explained that she tried making versions with Spam and wieners, but that they “weren’t a hit.” The hamburger version, however, was—so much so that the regular who requested it quickly gained 5 pounds. While our new commander in chief may be enviably svelte, Hawaiian cuisine is not diet-friendly. Add to that June’s nourishing miso soup and dynamite macaroni salad, which she serves with most entrees, and you’ll need a post-moko nap. I asked June if she had any words for Barack Obama, and she replied, “Hopefully soon everything will be a little better for America and the whole world.”