Last month my Reno-residing girlfriend, who had to move a queen-size bed in the middle of a blizzard, booked a last-minute flight to Hawai'i.

She was in desperate need of a vacation — and some decent sushi.

So it didn't take much convincing for the rest of us to organize a dinner for that weekend. Not only because we wanted to see our far-flung friend, but because we — like her — needed a break from our own work week.

And we never turn down the opportunity to eat.

There's something about food — especially in Hawai'i — that brings people together, whether it's at a wedding or a post-surf session at Rainbow's.

Food is an integral part of the lifestyle here. We plan entire events around food. And every get-together, whether it's a Super Bowl party or a corporate retreat, there's got to be good food. Otherwise, what's the point?

Most of us never realize how important food is to our culture until we move away.

When I lived in Chicago during the year I attended graduate school, I would cook a fresh pot of rice — and maybe fry some Spam — whenever I felt homesick.

The repetitive spread of cut veggies, hummus and perogies wasn't my style, and I often longed for a teri beef plate, mac salad and two scoops rice. Sometimes a Diamond Head strawberry soda, too.

Before my girlfriend moved to Reno, she figured she'd miss the food. So instead of stocking up on winter clothes — her timing couldn't have been worse — she made plans to eat at all of her favorite restaurants one last time. Sushi Sasabune one night, Taishoken another.

So when I heard she was coming back to O'ahu, it wasn't difficult to figure out what she probably wanted to do.

After a flurry of e-mails and text messages, we finally decided on Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab on Nimitz Highway. It had exactly the kind of food she wanted — fresh fish entrees, poke appetizers and, of course, li hing margaritas — with the kind of atmosphere that didn't require us to keep our voices down.

And it didn't take much to convince us to skip yoga class or abandon our live-in boyfriends to meet for fried calamari and microbrewed beer.

While we were sitting around the table, dishing about our jobs and laughing about our last trip to Vegas, I realized something. As much as food matters — we raved about the grilled kalua pork quesadilla for a full two minutes — the company mattered more.

That's something you can't doggy-bag for later.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com. Read her daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.