I guess it comes down to personal taste. I went there just last summer and the food was great in all the places that I ate. I'll have to say especially the fish

I guess it comes down to personal taste. I went there just last summer and the food was great in all the places that I ate. I'll have to say especially the fish, with the veal coming in at a close second. I even (unexpectedly) enjoyed the corn on the cob that was boiled in sacks in some of the smelliest sulfurous boiling water I ever got to smell. The end result was still good. I come from a place where eating is a big cultural thing. It's probably the first thing people ask about when I go home. So I try everything, everywhere. I'd say the Azores are definitely high on my culinary top list. For example I found some of the cooking in different parts of the US atrocious (due to the ingredients used, not necessarily the cooking skills) but people there seemed to enjoy it a lot. So it must be a mix of familiarity, expectation, and plain old personal preference. Can't compare it to Hawaii, haven't been there. But with the Azores being called "the Hawaii of Europe" and not the other way around, it's likely that Hawaii is more exciting as an overall destination.