Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Magazine November-December 2022

Serving Hawaii Is Our Business

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HAS A HOME at The Shops at Wailea

Gourmet Markets

premium

groceries such as local and organic

local bakeries.

also

Reason No. 9 to love Maui: Hosmer’s Grove Loop Trail. For the rest of our Shaka List picks, go to page 36.

Features 28

ISLAND HISTORY

CAMP MAUI

Our island is known for rainbows, beaches, and much aloha, but during World War II, Maui had a very different vibe.

By Lara McGlashan 36

MAUI STYLE THE SHAKA LIST

Here are just 20 of the millions of reasons we love Maui.

By Lara McGlashan 46

HAWAIIAN SOUL

THE WINDS OF TIME

Hale Hō‘ike‘ike honors those who came before — and those who are yet to come.

By Judy Edwards

54 AT HOME

MIDCENTURY MODERN MARVEL

An oceanfront home in Kahana gets an authentic renovation.

By Heidi Pool

This stop-in-your-tracks image of a south Maui sunset was captured by photographer Andrew Shoemaker.

Departments

CONTRIBUTORS

Here are some of the talented folks who make Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi the magazine it is.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

By Diane Haynes Woodburn

TALK STORY

Tales of Hawai‘i fresh off the coconut wireless. By Lara McGlashan & Ashley Probst

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Looking for something to do? Here’s what’s happening.

WHO’S WHO

These local folks are making the Maui scene.

PAU HANA SORRY ’BOUT DA HUMBUG

By Lara McGlashan

Dining

Stories by Becky Speere

FEATURE HOLIDAY TEST KITCHEN

Chef Taylor Ponte shows the MNKO staff how to prepare a holiday meal, Maui style.

MIXOLOGY

TKO PUNCH!

Try this rum cocktail from the mixologists at Pacific’o by the Beach.

DINING GUIDE

Hungry? Check out this short list of our favorite places to eat all over the island.

Publisher Diane Woodburn presents at the ‘Aipono Restaurant Awards, hosted by Old Lāhainā Lū‘au. Who’s Who, p.86

There’s a saying known in the Islands: Maui nō ka ‘oi, Hawaiian for “Maui is the best.” We hope you think so, too.

Publisher Diane Haynes Woodburn

Group Publisher Michael Haynes

Creative Director John Giordani

Editor-in-Chief Lara McGlashan

EDITORIAL

Consulting Editor Rita Goldman

Dining Editor Becky Speere

Website Manager Adelle Lennox

Digital Media Contributor Tori Speere

MARKETING & ADVERTISING Sales Manager Brooke Tadena Sales Associate Benjamin Barreras Advertising Sales (808) 242-8331

ADMINISTRATION

Controller Kao Kushner Subscriptions & Office Manager Nancy Wenske

NEWSSTAND SALES & CIRCULATION

Inquiries

Toll-Free: (844) 808-MAUI (6284) MauiMagazine.net/Subscribe National MagNet, National MagNet, Disticor Magazine Distribution Services Hawai‘i MagNet In-Room Maui Circulation

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Judy Edwards, Lara McGlashan, Heidi Pool, Ashley Probst, Becky Speere

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Julianna Bennett, Cesere Brothers, John Giordani, Ashley Goodwin, Mieko Horikoshi, Marjie Kaho‘okele-Pe‘a, Jason Moore, Mickey Pauole, Travis Rowan, Ryan Siphers, Forrest & Kim Starr, Darrell Wong

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR

Matt Foster

Here are some of the folks who make our magazine nō ka ‘oi (the best).

The flavors of Hawai‘i’s immigrant population are a happy medley, just like dining editor Becky Speere’s ethnic background. Speere tackles all her articles with gastronomic gusto, and continually cooks up great stories. IG @beckyeatsmaui Dining (p.64)

Photographer and world traveler Travis Rowan has been based on Maui since 2011. When he’s not shooting Hawai‘i’s most distinctive architecture and design, he can be found in the ocean surfing and scuba diving. travisrowan.com | IG/FB @travisrowanmedia At Home (p.54)

Conservation advocate and writer Judy Edwards has worked to protect the natural world for all of her 28 years in Hawai‘i. She works for a nonprofit that supports Hawai‘i’s national parks, and in her spare time, pens freelance articles to help foster a love of wildlife and wild lands. She has a special place in her heart for the unsung heroes of conservation who quietly hold the world together. Hawaiian Soul (p.46)

Growing up, photographer Darrell Wong was influenced by his father, an amateur shutterbug who snapped images of his family and charity events. Wong loves to shoot action watersports and often goes to work armed with Spam musubi and Gatorade. He’s grateful for his wonderful family, and to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. darrellwong.com | fineartamerica.com/profiles/darrell-wong Talk Story (p.26)

Born and raised in Japan, photographer Mieko Horikoshi moved to Maui in 1994. She discovered her love for food photography when she was tied to her kitchen raising two young daughters. She’s inspired by things big and small, from a tiny mushroom to the Milky Way. miekophotography.com | society6.com/ lilikoimaui | @miekoskitchen Dining Feature (p.64) & Who’s Who (p.86)

Mahalo nui loa, me ke aloha pumehana.

Thank you, with all the love in my heart, for allowing me to share our island mana‘o (stories) with you for the past 26 years. This issue, I am honored to write one last Publisher’s Note as I turn the page of the next chapter of my life. At age 72, after nearly 40 years of publishing on Maui, and 26 years of creating Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi, I am retiring.

There are so many stories I could tell you. Shall I go back to to the beginning? I ask myself. Should I talk about the years of struggle, the extravagant parties, the years I spent learning to be pono (respectful, righteous), or the best years — the years of giving back?

Then I realize that for a quarter century, I have told you a thousand stories about the people, places and wonders that make our island nō ka ‘oi — the best — and what an extraordinary privilege it has been. I am proud of what the magazine has accomplished, and am filled with gratitude for the gifts of love and support you have given back to me. My cup truly runneth over.

From the very beginning, I have been blessed with the most excep tional team members, men and women who love Maui as much as I do, and who gave their talent and mana (force, power) to make Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi the best it could be. Each year, we held a “vision meeting” to plan our themes and stories, and to map out what the next year of the magazine would be like. At one of the very first of those meetings, we wanted to choose a mantra, a phrase that would capture the essence of our mission. I wrote dozens of suggestions on a white board as quickly as they were called out. It was an “anything goes” session, and laughter and jibes filled the room as the ideas flowed. Suddenly, someone suggested, “for the love of Maui.” A reverent silence took hold, and that was it.

For years to come, we would revisit that phrase, but never did we change it. “For the love of Maui” carried Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi through good years and tough years, and every story and every decision about our future was weighed against that measure. This mantra guided us into partnerships with the island’s most generous businesses, people and institutions, and enabled us to raise and contribute hundreds of thou sands of dollars to Maui’s nonprofits, including our ‘Aipono beneficiary, the culinary arts program at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College.

I am grateful to have been able to help support our students, culture, environment, keiki (children), kūpuna (elderly), adults with disabilities, and so many, many others.

Of course, the real heroes of Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi are the many talented folks who, for the love of Maui, produced the most beautiful, respected and endearing magazine in Hawai‘i (at least in my opinion). You are too many to list, but I am forever indebted to each and every one of you who gave of your heart and your talents to make this magazine what it is. You are the soul of the magazine, and your love and dedication made Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi a living, breathing entity.

And I would be nowhere without my family. To my sons who tolerated a magazine as their third sibling, and my husband who provided support (and fodder) for my columns, — a huge mahalo for putting up with the past 26 years of, I can't, I'm on deadline.

I wish you all a future filled with the aloha of Maui. I wish you the time to hold your family and friends close, and to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of our island home. Take care of each other, and always, always tell your stories. No richer life exists.

With gratitude for the past 26 years,

Diane Haynes Woodburn, Publisher

Please welcome Chris and Angela Amundson of Flagship Publishing, who will take over steward ship of our beloved magazine. We wish them success and happiness in the years to come.

TALK

STORY

Fresh off the coconut wireless

Story by Lara McGlashan

Hala Pepe

If ever there was a physical manifestation of The Lorax’s Truffula trees, it would be hala pepe. The tree is a collection of slim trunks reaching for the skies, each one topped with a jaunty pom-pom of leaves. In the spring, clusters of yellow pendant flowers turn into deep-red berries.

Hala pepe means “baby hala ,” likely due to its resemblance to the Polynesianintroduced hala tree (Pandanus tectorius), which is larger and found closer to the coast. Each of the major Hawaiian islands has its own endemic species of the tree; Maui’s is Chrysodracon auwahiensis. Its name is derived from Auwahi, a dryland forest on the leeward slope of Haleakalā, and the site of many mature hala pepe.

Early Hawaiians used the leaves of hala pepe medicinally, adding them to steam baths to cure chills, fevers and head aches. They carved the soft wood into ki‘i

(Chrysodracon auwahiensis)

(idols), wove the flowers into lei, and used the bark, roots and leaves to help ease asthma. Hala pepe is also important to hula. Practitioners place a branch on the kuahu (altar) in a hula hālau (hula house) in honor of Laka, the goddess of hula, and often grow the tree in their own gardens for use in their practice.

Hala pepe has another — less whimsical — resemblance to the Truffula: both face possible extinction. The drought-tolerant hala pepe can reach 30 feet in height, but it grows so slowly that grazing cattle and feral goats threaten the tree, as do fire and human development.

Help perpetuate this important species: Plant hala pepe in place of the money tree, or join the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project on one of its volunteer trips. 808.572.2950 | auwahi.org | IG @auwahi_ forest | FB @auwahiforest

Scott Sanchez puts Kai Lenny through his paces.

The elite pro surfer is a Maui native and long-time Sanchez client.

The Man Behind

TALK STORY → day in the life Story by Ashley Probst

Maui’s Best Athletes

Scott Sanchez’s training facility in Ha‘ikū is an athlete’s paradise. The floor is an orga nized chaos of gym equipment catering to sundry sports and skill sets. In the corner is an amalgam of parallel bars, a modified kiteboard and a mini trampoline, and on the walls hang awards, autographed athlete photos, event posters and jerseys.

On any given day of the week, Sanchez can be found here training one of the many professional athletes who call his facility home, champions like kitesurfer Jesse Richman, snowboarder-surfer-skater Lyon Farrell, and all-around elite waterman Kai Lenny — who has trained with Sanchez for nearly 20 years.

Every session is different, and Sanchez pivots constantly, fine-tuning the workouts to help his clients improve physically — and mentally — and excel at his or her sport.

Years of coaching high-level competitors have honed Sanchez’s intuition, as did his own experience as an Olympic alpine ski racer in 1980 and 1984. When he retired, Sanchez began coaching professionally.

“I benefited from training with a lot of different national [and international] teams, and experienced the cultures sur rounding them,” Sanchez says. “So while I may not be an expert in all sports, I am able to find out what is affecting an athlete’s learning curve, or their ability to execute on demand.” Sometimes the issue is physi cal, sometimes it is mental; either way, Sanchez has the tools to help his clients overcome their roadblocks and race for ward to the podium.

Sanchez and his family relocated to Maui in the 1990s, and he began conducting junior windsurfing camps. Athletes came

from all over the globe to train with him. “I coached Micah Buzianis, Jimmy Diaz, Francisco Goya and Daida Moreno, and helped them win more than a dozen cham pionships,” Sanchez says.

When athletes are winning, word gets around, and Sanchez has never needed to advertise his services. To date, he has guided his athletes to more than 60 world titles, and his eclectic clientele includes skiers, snowboarders, NFL and NBA play ers, martial artists, a Formula One driver, and, of course, Maui’s most notable water sports athletes.

“Everyone can train hard, but what’s really important is the relationship, the trust, between the coach and the athlete,” says Sanchez. “The insight I have is Godgiven, and my job is to be a good steward over that.” IG @teammpg

The island of Maui is known for rainbows, beaches, nature and much aloha. But during World War II, it had a very different vibe. Story by Lara McGlashan | Photography by Ryan Siphers

Above: Haleakalā rises above a sprawling tent city on the Ha‘ikū hillside.

Left: Admiral Chester W. Nimitz visits the men of the Fighting 4th in 1944. As commander-inchief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Nimitz directed pivotal battles such as Midway and Iwo Jima.

PHILLIPS

MARINE CORPS ARCHIVES

Take a step back in time at the Camp Maui Museum. Owner Derek Hoyte collected these WWII artifacts from his own property, as well as from neighbors and auctions.

When Derek Hoyte purchased the 18-acre property in Ha‘ikū in 2004, he had no inkling of its history. He had noticed several large concrete pads dotted around the acreage, as well as a wide, low area that vaguely resembled a baseball field, but other than that, he simply thought it would be a nice place to build some single-family homes.

One day, he saw a man driving down the road in a restored Dodge military truck. He hailed the driver and asked where he had gotten the vehicle.

“You mean you don’t know the history of the area?” asked the man. He then proceeded to tell Hoyte the story of Camp Maui, the site of the “Mighty Fighting 4th” Marine Division during World War II — and also the site of Hoyte’s property.

Camp Maui was a 1,600-acre military base that housed more than 17,000 marines

in 2,100 tents. There were baseball fields, movie theaters, mess halls, a post office, military headquarters and a half-mile airfield. Along the topmost edge of the base is a hill whose Hawaiian name is Kauhikoa — but is better known as “Giggle Hill” because of the giggling girls the troops brought up there to neck with in the evenings.

In 1943, after finishing their combat train ing at Camp Pendleton in California, thou sands of marines were deployed directly into action. Between 1944 and 1945, the Fighting 4th traveled between Maui, the Marshall Islands and Japan, and fought four battles that helped defeat the Japanese and end the war.

The more Hoyte learned about the area, the more he wanted to pay homage to those men of yesteryear. He decided against devel opment, and instead built a single home for himself and a zipline course to take visitors

Top: An aerial view of Camp Maui. The base housed more than 17,000 marines and covered more than 1,600 Upcountry acres.

Left: Hoyte purchased this 3/4 scale replica of a Mustang P-51 plane at auction. (Yes, it actually flies!) Hoyte preserved the area that once was a baseball field, and guests on zipline tours can view this portion of Camp Maui from the air.

on a tour of the historic site by air. He opened the Camp Maui Museum on one of the large WWII-era concrete pads and filled it with artifacts, some found on the property, others purchased at auction, like the two planes hanging from the museum’s ceiling. Hoyte even bought the military truck from the man who had clued him in to the area’s rich history.

Maui was the ideal location for WWII military operations, and a total of 47 tactical training areas were set up all over the island to simulate battle conditions in the Pacific Theater.

“For example, beaches [between] Mā‘alaea and Mākena were fenced off with barbed wire to keep the public out,” says Bryant Neal, the docent at the Camp Maui Museum. “The [troops] would do maneuvers between Kaho‘olawe and Maui’s south shore with amphibious vehicles, which were the latest

Clockwise from top left: Museum docent Bryant Neal (left) stands with Hoyte in front of the 1942 Dodge half-ton WC truck Hoyte purchased from his neighbor. The insignia of the Fighting 4th Marine Division appeared on all entry-point signage to Camp Maui. Hoyte acquired this 1942 Willys Jeep from Maui resident and Marine Corps veteran Alan DeCoite. This dress uniform is made of wool and must have been stifling in Maui’s subtropical heat!

AOTEAROA

From top: Baseball and other sports at Camp Maui provided welcome R&R. Trips into town meant libations and other recreation at local bars.

technology at the time.”

A 13-mile hiking and shooting course ran through Haleakalā Crater, and many marines would later recall that the volcanic ash was similar to the sand they encountered at Iwo Jima. There were staging areas for jungle training in gulches, a live-grenade course, a bazooka area, machine-gun ranges and an antiaircraft firing range.

Military training and exercises were held day and night, but the marines still found time to enjoy themselves.

“You have to remember that these were teenagers,” says Neal. “They had never left home, and many had never even seen the ocean. They needed a way to keep their morale up, and sports were high on that list.”

That wide-open area Hoyte discovered on his land — those homesick young men turned it into a baseball field for competitive games. They also played basketball, volley ball, tennis and golf, and had an undefeated football team led by Lt. Colonel Leroy “Pat” Hanley — a former football coach at Boston University. (Hanley and his star player, Howard “Smiley” Johnson, were later killed in action at Iwo Jima.)

The officers had two clubs on base, and attended regular parties at the Maui Country Club in Spreckelsville. Enlisted men were allowed two beers per night, and filled what ever spare time was left with cards, movies, USO shows or excursions into town.

“On Saturdays, trucks from the base would

Maui

fu

fun n est

First Lieutenant Howard “Smiley” Johnson was a star player on the Camp Maui football team. He was killed in action at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945.

stop [in Wailuku] at the Maui Grand Hotel on Main Street, where a gas station is now … and the Wailuku Hotel on Market Street,” says Neal. “Here, they could meet girls and eat and dance.” Ostensibly, many of those very girls contributed to the giggles drifting down the Ha‘ikū hillside on balmy Maui nights.

The need for distraction and romance becomes more understandable when you consider the age and maturity level of many of those marines: high school age kids who were going into battle with an enemy they had never seen, in terrain they had never experienced. After each mission, they would return to Maui, fresh recruits would replace those who had fallen, and training would begin again. Over the course of their four missions — the last being the battle at Iwo Jima — 3,298 marines lost their lives, and 17,722 were wounded in battle.

Recently, Hoyte's portion of Camp Maui was formally recognized by the State of Hawai‘i as Maui's largest historic site. He offers both zipline* and walking tours of the area, and has plans to expand the museum.

“The Marines freed my father from a Japanese internment camp in 1945, saving his life and laying the foundation for mine," says Hoyte. “I created Camp Maui to honor those who fought for our country, and to educate visitors on this relatively unknown part of Maui’s history."

*The State of Hawai‘i Historic Preservation Department accepted and approved the zipline installation on Hoyte’s 18-acre portion of the property.

Camp Maui & North Shore Zipline, 2065 Kauhikoa Rd., Ha‘ikū | 808.269.0671 | nszipline.com | IG @northshorezipline | FB @northshorezips

T OF

Shaka List

HALE PA‘I (House of Printing) On the hillside above Lahaina sits an unassuming, single-story building. But as they say, looks can be deceiving. One of the most significant structures associated with Hawai‘i’s missionary history, Hale Pa‘i was the first print shop in the islands. It published the first Hawaiian-language newspaper, and in 1843, engraved and printed the first paper currency in Hawai‘i. Incidentally, that same year, it was the scene of the islands’ first case of counterfeiting. Today, Hale Pa‘i is a museum, displaying printed materials, metal type and other accoutrements of that early form of printing. lahainarestoration.org/hale-pai-museum | Photo by Jason Moore

Every year we publish our Shaka List — the multitude of reasons Maui is nō ka ‘oi (the best). Again this year our staff offered up their personal “lucky live Maui” suggestions. From views to canoes, cookies to coffee — these intimate, inspirational details are what make our island home the magical place that it is.

Story by Lara McGlashan

MAKĀLUAPUNA POINT (aka Dragon’s Teeth) Millions of years ago, in one of its last efforts as a hotheaded entity, the West Maui volcano spewed forth a cascade of molten lava, which rolled down the mountainside and met the sea in a fount of sizzling steam. But the wind and water beat the lava back toward the land, an interplay that created Makāluapuna Point, and the fierce formation of jagged peaks along its rim known as Dragon’s Teeth. Want to step into the dragon’s mouth? From Honoapi‘ilani Highway, (Route 30), turn left on to Office Road in Kapalua. Drive to the end, turn right and park in the lot. Follow the marked trail that leads to the ocean and arrive at the place where the lava bites the sea. Photo by Martin Molcan

CANOE RACES For thousands of years, the wa‘a (canoe) was the only mode of transportation between Pacific Island nations. The 1976 journey from Hawai‘i to Tahiti by the Hōkūle‘a, the first modern replica of a traditional voyaging canoe, proved ancient Polynesians could navigate the ocean by wind, stars and currents alone. In doing so, the vessel helped launch the Hawaiian Renaissance. Today, Maui boasts about a dozen canoe clubs, with members young and old, that conduct year-round regattas and charity paddles. More adventurous athletes participate in races such as the Pailolo Challenge, a 26-mile paddle that launches from D.T. Fleming Park in Kapalua, crosses the treacherous Pailolo Channel, and finishes at the west end of Moloka‘i.

Photo by Marjie Kaho‘okele-Pe‘a

GET TO KNOW NŪNŪ Snorkelers are always on the lookout for parrotfish, angelfish and of course our state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua‘a. But the nūnū, aka the trumpetfish, is just as worthy of a gander. Its slender body can grow up to three feet long, and can change from gray to yellow to orangebrown for camouflage. Nūnū often hang vertically next to corals to hide while waiting for prey, undulating with the motion of the ocean until a small fish or crustacean happens by. At which point the nūnū quickly opens its wide mouth, creating a superstrong suction to vacuum up its meal.

Photo by Cesere Brothers

CAMP IMUA, THE HAPPIEST

PLACE ON MAUI In Hawaiian, imua means “to move forward,” and since 1976, Camp Imua has been empowering children with special needs and their families to reach their potential and move forward. Each year, 50 school-age children and 150 volunteers come together for a weeklong overnight recreational camp with arts and crafts, games, horseback riding, ziplining and even helicopter rides! imuafamily.org | paddleimua.com |

Photo by Michael Enovijas

WINGED WARRIORS

Many of Maui’s forest birds are endangered by threats such as mosquito-borne avian malaria and climate change. Fortunately, organizations like the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project are dedicated to restoring our island’s forests, and saving our at-risk flying friends, including the kiwikiu (Maui parrotbill), ‘i‘iwi (scarlet honeycreeper) and ‘alalā (Hawaiian crow). Visit mauiforestbirds.org to donate or volunteer.

OLD LĀHAINĀ LŪ‘AU

For more than 35 years, this shorefront venue has been producing authentic Hawaiian lū‘au, and for 19 of those years, it has won the Gold ‘Aipono Restaurant Award for Best Lū‘au — and with good reason. OLL serves delicious traditional Hawaiian food, such as coconut haupia (pudding), imu-roasted kālua pig, lomilomi salmon and poi; but you’ll leave with more than a full ‘ōpū (belly). The performers tell the story of Polynesian culture and history through music, song and dance. Tales of the ancestors resonate in your chest with each beat of the pahu (Hawaiian drums), while the chants and hula dancers’ hips tell of kings and queens, missionaries and migrations, as the sun sets below the horizon. oldlahainaluau.com

WHOOPEE FOR WAHI!

In 2018, the Kashtan family spent a day cleaning up a beach on the south side of Maui. The abundance of plastic and microplastics they collected simultaneously horrified and inspired them to take action. Today, their company, Wahi Ocean Friendly Alternatives, makes sustainable, recyclable products out of bamboo and stainless steel as substitutes for singleuse plastics, including cutlery, drinking straws, bottle openers and toothbrushes. wahihawaii.org

HOSMER GROVE LOOP TRAIL At 6,750-foot elevation, this kid-friendly hike just inside Haleakalā National Park is an easy half-mile loop. The trailhead starts at the back of Hosmer Grove Campground, and meanders through forests of both native and nonnative trees, and subalpine shrublands featuring endemics like kīlau ferns and māmane. Birdwatchers, be on the lookout for some of Maui’s beautiful and endangered honeycreepers, including the ‘i‘iwi and the ‘apapane.

Photo by Ryan Siphers

CLIFFORD NAE‘OLE For nearly 30 years, Clifford Nae‘ole has served as the cultural advisor for The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, educating employees and guests alike on Hawaiian protocol, cultural traditions and mo‘olelo (storytelling). Nae‘ole advocates for the preservation of wahi kapu (sacred places), and played a pivotal role in the preservation of an ancient, unmarked burial site at Honokahua, adjacent to The Ritz. Nae‘ole presents a weekly “Sense of Place” video, as well as a walk-andtalk session to the site, but his influence extends well beyond the resort. Nae‘ole is very involved with the Maui community, serving as chairman for the Celebration of the Arts — an annual three-day festival he created 24 years ago to honor the people, art and culture of Hawai‘i. He is also a Hawaiian chanter and hula dancer, and has performed official ceremonies and traditional blessings throughout the world. Photo by Mickey Pauole

PINEAPPLE CHAPEL What a sweet place to say “I do!” This historic location situated along the Oneloa Bay in Kapalua was originally a church for plantation workers. Today, it is a sought-after wedding venue, flooded with bright, natural light, and two large green spaces to accommodate big events. Bonus: It’s pet-friendly! mauipineapplechapel.com | Photo by Ashley Goodwin

LOCAL LOTIONS

We love to support Maui’s small businesses, and you can, too. Before you hit the beach, screen up with One Love Body Soul’s mineralbased sunscreen. Its organic, island-sourced ingredients provide UVA and UVB protection without harming humans, fish or corals. Postfun-and-sun, slather on some Maui Babe After Sun Lotion, a paraben-free product that soothes and heals skin with local ingredients such as macadamia nut oil and aloe vera. mauibabe.com | onelovebodysoul.com

MAUI COOKIE LAB Heidi Cramer discovered her love of baking as a child while in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. In 2018, she founded Maui Cookie Lab and sold her goods from her traveling cookie truck; three years later, she added a brick-and-mortar location in Kahului. All her cookies are made with simple, real ingredients, and her island-inspired flavors include chocolate chunk sea salt, liliko‘i oatmeal and ginger spice. Yum! mauicookielab.com |

Photo by Mieko Horikoshi

‘ĀINA BRANDS NESPRESSO

PODS Grown and harvested right here on Maui, this coffee has hints of chocolate, almonds and honey, and will quickly become your local java of choice. The Nespresso-compatible pods are made with eco-friendly, recyclable aluminum capsules, and ‘Āina Brands donates 10 percent of its profits to Imua Family Services and the Imua Discovery Garden. theainabrands.com

KAPALUA WINE & FOOD

FESTIVAL Since 1981, the businesses of Kapalua have come together to celebrate epicurean excellence on the island of Maui. Guests of this weekend-long festival can rub elbows with master sommeliers, prominent winemakers and acclaimed chefs while enjoying fine food, cooking demonstrations, pairing dinners and even a golf tournament.

kapaluawineandfoodfestival.com

PĀ‘IA STOPLIGHT Though traffic is never cause for celebration, it does give you time to people watch. And when it comes to interesting characters, there’s no better stoplight than the one in Pā‘ia. The melee of surfers rinsing off the sea at the beach showers, after-school kids loitering at the youth center, would-be yogis striking a pose on any available lawn, and jugglers practicing their hand-eye coordination on the basketball courts is captivating.

At rush hour, in the cast of the waning evening sun, the scene is quintessentially Pā‘ia. paiacommunity.org

PICNICS AT OCEAN ORGANIC VODKA You may have taken a tour (and a tipple) at the Ocean Vodka Farm and Distillery in Kula, but now this 80-acre venue also offers food. Order online and your meal is ready for pickup at Café at the Point when you arrive. Enjoy the spectacular view from a picnic table as you sip one of Ocean Vodka’s custom cocktails and nibble on starters like Ocean Poke Nachos or a Lapa‘au Garden Salad. For a heartier meal, try the Mac-Nut-Pesto flatbread or the Cubano Calzone with pulled pork, and for dessert: Toasted Coconut Tiramisu made with Kula rum. oceanvodka.com | Photo by Julianna Bennett

DIY LĀNA‘I There’s lots on Lāna‘i for the do-it-yourself adventurer. Grab your mountain bike, snorkeling gear and cycling kit and hop the early-morning ferry out of Lahaina. Ride from the dock to Hulopo‘e Beach Park and snorkel on the reef amongst a bevy of fish — and even the occasional monk seal. Sun-dry on the sand, then put on your cycling gear and explore the island along its relatively untraveled roads, or tackle one of its 10 hiking and mountain-biking trails. For lunch, ride into Lāna‘i City for some local grindz, such as Ganotisi’s for Pacific Rim cuisine, or Pele’s Other Garden for salads, sandwiches and more. Coast back down to the dock and catch the late-afternoon ferry back to Maui. Mission complete! Photo by John Giordani

AG TOURS Maui’s agricultural community is thriving, and our small island farms raise everything from coffee and flowers to vegetables and livestock. Maui Bees, Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate, O‘o Coffee Farm, Maui Tea Farm, Surfing Goat Dairy and many others offer tours that include delicious samples of their fare. Do a web search for “Maui Farm Tours” and check each farm’s website for the dates and times they are open to visitors. Shown: Maui Pineapple Tours, mauipineappletour.com

HONU HERO BEACH CLEANUP Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, it’s important to mālama (care for) our island, and the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute in Mā‘alaea makes it easy with its Honu (sea turtle) Hero Beach Cleanup Program. Head to MOC any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to pick up your kit, which includes a data sheet, clipboard, pencils, gloves and a receptacle for debris. Choose a beach to tackle and get to work! Return your kit to MOC, where researchers will analyze the debris and data to help determine its origin. Post a picture of your cleanup on Instagram using #honuhero and receive a commemorative sticker. mocmarineinstitute.org

In a deep window nook set into a centuries-old wall is a display of ancient Hawaiian tools, most of them used for food preparation. Two different pōhaku (stones) — one porous and one smooth — were employed for crushing, mashing and mixing.

JOHN GIORDANI

Within its walls, Hale Hō‘ike‘ike safeguards the history and narrative of the land, honoring those who came before — and those who are yet to come.

Story by Judy Edwards

Part of the museum’s collection, this ki‘i (idol) depicts the demigod Kamapua‘a.

Half-man, half-pig, he is the symbol of cunning, justice and family loyalty, and seeks revenge on those who have wronged him and his loved ones.

Top: Missionary Edward Bailey captured scenes of Maui — among them, this painting of ‘Īao Valley’s famous “needle.”

Center: Today, the Bailey House is the home of the Maui Historical Society’s Hale Hō‘ike’ike.

Bottom: Caroline (seated) and Edward Bailey pose on the lawn outside their home. The middle building was a dining hall for students; the building at left is now gone.

ool winds flow out from the heart of ‘Īao Valley, carrying a hint of deep-green glades chilled by mountain waterfalls. The slope rises gently, then more steeply, to become one side of the valley. From here, the isthmus stretches before you, bracketed north and south by Kahului and Kīhei bays. Straight ahead, Haleakalā rises 10,000 feet, catching and holding the passing rains, as the sunlight shifts constantly with the movement of the clouds. This is a vantage point fit for a king, and is surely why Hawaiian royalty, the ali‘i, dwelled upon, and ruled from, this spot.

Maui had already been inhabited for at least 1,500 years by the time ali‘i nui (high chief) Kahekilinui‘ahumanu (better known today as Kahekili) was born in the early 1700s. The 24th ruler of Maui, Kahekili was both fearsome and fearless, and he tattooed an entire half of his body in honor of Kānehekili, the god of thunder, whom some say was his namesake. Kahekili built his royal compound on that slope at the mouth of ‘Īao Valley, and at the height of his power, he controlled every major island in the archipelago except Hawai‘i Island. Today, Hale Hō‘ike‘ike, (“House of Display”), also called the Bailey House Museum, sits on that very spot.

When I ask Naomi “Sissy” Lake-Farm, kumu hula (hula teacher), executive director of Hale Hō‘ike‘ike, and descendent of Kahekili, why the ali‘i chose this location for their royal compound, she opens her arms wide as if to gather in all possible reasons, then simply gestures toward ‘Īao Valley and says, “The water. The ali‘i were here because of Nā Wai ‘Ehā, the four waterways, the centerpoint of water.”

From the time of Kahekili to the days of Lake-Farm, a lot happened here. Kahekili eventually lost power to the up-and-coming ali‘i nui from Hawai‘i Island, Kamehameha I, who some believe was Kahekili’s son. Kamehameha died in 1819, and the following spring, the first American missionaries arrived and set up homesteads, schools and churches on land provided by Hawai‘i’s kings and queens.

The complex that Mauians would come to know as the Bailey House was built in 1833, though it didn’t house any Baileys until Caroline and Edward arrived in 1844. Its former occupants, Reverend  Jonathan Smith Green and his wife, Theodosia, founded a sort of missionary base camp that became the Wailuku Female Seminary, a boarding school that trained young Hawaiian women in language and the domestic arts.

In 1847, the Baileys’ funding was cut off, but they managed to keep the seminary afloat as a day school for men and women. In 1850, they purchased the property from the Hawaiian Crown and planted several acres in sugar cane. Edward threw himself into farming and road building, and oversaw the construction of a church for the great Hawaiian queen Ka‘ahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha I. Even though he lacked formal training, Edward began to paint, work ing in the grand landscape style that was popular at the time. In 1888, the couple returned to the mainland, and their son William eventually sold the property to the Wailuku Sugar Company.

“We honor the Baileys because they are tied to this place, too,” says Lake-Farm. “Edward Bailey ... has a rich geneaology of descendants,

Top: ‘Īao Valley is the backdrop in Edward Bailey’s painting “Wailuku and Bailey House,” circa 1885.

Pre-contact artifacts on exhibit include a lei hulu (feather lei) and a lei niho palaoa (whale tooth and human hair lei), which was a sign of high breeding.

Hale Hō‘ike‘ike means House of Display.

and they help to take care [of this place].”

The century turned. Sugar grew tall on the compound, and the winds hastening down from ‘Īao Valley combed through the silvery tassels on the cane, while gleeful kindergarteners ran across the sun-speckled Bailey House lawn.

During World War II, the military commandeered the premises for its Office of Civilian Defense. After the war, the property began to decline, but in 1951, the Maui Historical Society leased the land and buildings from the Wailuku Sugar Company for the generous rate of $1 a year, and began renovations. Hawaiian cul tural artifacts were donated and collected from all over the state, and in 1957, Hale Hō‘ike‘ike opened on the refurbished grounds. Edward Bailey’s landscape paintings were hung on display, and soon afterward, the Society opened a small gift shop.

Named for one of Hawai‘i’s highestborn queens, the Keōpūolani Room holds some of the rarest and most valuable Hawaiian antiquities.

Right: Museum executive director Naomi “Sissy” Lake-Farm is a descendant of the ali‘i nui (high chief) Kahekili, 24th ruler of Maui. His royal compound occupied the land Hale Hō‘ike‘ike sits on today.

The Baileys’ former living room is now a gift shop that offers Mauimade jewelry, clothing, books and more. All proceeds support the Maui Historical Society’s mission of preserving the island’s rich past.

Over the next 30 years, tourism picked up speed in the islands. On Maui, Hale Hō‘ike‘ike welcomed curious visitors on their way to ‘Īao Valley. Here, they could view one of the largest collections of Hawaiian artifacts in the state, including handwoven nets, priceless royal adorn ments and the forlorn taxidermy of recently extinct forest birds. The second floor offered the remains of missionary-era life, including bedsteads, handpainted dishes and other furnishings of the 1800s.

The grassy, well-shaded grounds felt like a sleepy little oasis outside of time, and in the evenings, the wind stirred the branches and rustled the leaves of the towering mango trees. In 1991, Maui philanthropist Masaru “Pundy” Yokouchi, bought the land on which the museum sits and, in an extraordinarily generous move, made a gift of it to the Historical Society in 1992.

Again, the century turned.

Nine years ago, Lake-Farm got a call. She had applied to be the executive director of Hale Hō‘ike‘ike, and they were offering her the position. “I dropped the phone,” she recalls. “I would be able to recon nect to my ‘ohana [family] through this place. I believe I was recruited by my kūpuna, my ancestors, and that my kuleana [responsibility] here at the mouth of ‘Īao Valley began at birth.”

Her father, John Lake, a celebrated kumu hula (hula teacher), had an inoa pō (a naming dream) about her while she was still in the womb. “In that dream, my parents were taking care of a bunch of keiki [children] at a schoolhouse in ‘Īao Valley, and nearby, two gentlemen were conversing in Hawaiian,” Lake-Farm says. “One man told the other to look up toward the Needle [a famous geological feature near the heart of the valley], and said, Kahakuhaupiokamakani. The other gentleman nodded and repeated, Kahakuhaupiokamakani. This means, the lady of the cold, piercing wind.”

Lake-Farm was born in the spring of 1969, at the same time as a big windstorm on O‘ahu was taking off the roofs of houses. Her Hawaiian name, Kahakuhaupiokamakani, linked her inexorably with the valley that inspired it.

As Lake-Farm grew up, another wind was blowing through the islands, bringing with it a renaissance of the Hawaiian culture. For more than two centuries, the Hawaiian identity had been suppressed in the shock of western contact, but now there was renewed interest in Polynesian voyaging canoes, Hawaiian chants and hula. The stories

Top: The Hale Hō‘ike‘ike blessing on July 6, 1957, was also the 120th anniversary of its opening as a female seminary.

Above: Edward Bailey stands outside his home, circa 1870.

that were almost — but not quite — lost to time swelled and spilled over in the minds and hearts of Hawaiians. Once revived, those skills, and the deep knowing of Hawaiian culture, were freed like the winds that poured from the legendary Gourd of La‘amaomao, winds that can be called upon by chanting their names.

Now that wind, in the form of Sissy Lake-Farm, has freshened the metaphorical sails of Hale Hō‘ike‘ike. “The first five years [I worked here] were spent upgrading and rebuilding,” she says. “I made phone calls, wrote articles and held membership drives. I reached out to the community to let everyone know who we were, and that we are not newcomers here.”

The busy, time-traveling winds from ‘Īao Valley have ruffled the royal feather standards of the ali‘i, fluttered the pages of the missonaries’ schoolbooks and bent the stalks of sugar cane. Today, they fill the museum honoring Hawaiian history with fresh, new life. Over time, the grounds of the once-royal compound shifted in purpose — and now that purpose is shifting back, so much so that a descendent of Kahekili walks where he walked, and thinks about the world in which her children’s children will live.

“I hope that in a thousand years, people can still find the relevance here, so our kamali‘i [progeny] can know where they came from,” says Lake-Farm. “I can’t speak to those who lived a thousand years ago, but I can speak to my keiki, fingertip to fingertip, so they are rich in understanding.”

Hale Hō‘ike‘ike, 2375A Main St., Wailuku | 808.244.3326 | mauimuseum .org | IG @halehoikeike | FB @halehoikeikeatthebaileyhouse

ALPHA MAUI Our local clothing brand features original designs, artwork and photography on products such as caps, watches, leggings, T-shirts and accessories. We use all-natural materials and encourage adventure and exploration of the outdoors. 3494 Old Haleakalā Hwy., Makawao | 808.633.2328 | alphamaui808.com | IG @alphamaui808

HER STORY

Her Story — A Collection of Business Women, Maui County Edition, by author and entrepreneur Tiara Rivera, features 38 inspirational women-to-watch from Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i. $50 | herstorymaui.com | IG @herstorymaui

HAWAII’S HERITAGE JEWELERS We have been hand-engraving custom Hawaiian heirloom jewelry since 1975 — pieces that stand the test of time. 808.500.2656 | hawaiisheritagejewelers.com | IG/FB @hawaiisheritagejewelers

STUDIO22K

Men love gold, too! And Mick Fleetwood looks great in his custom-made 22k gold jewelry. See what else artist Sherri Dhyan is working on at her studio in the beautiful beach town of Pā‘ia. 161B Hāna Hwy., Pā‘ia | 808.579.8167 | studio22k.com | IG/FB studio22k

FOREVER H AND A MAUI

Owner Romela Agbayani designs and sews these adorable Hawaiian dresses and accessories for 18-inch American Girl dolls, as well as matching dresses and accessories for girls of all ages. 658 Front St., Lahaina | foreverhandamaui .com | IG/FB @ foreverhandamaui | 808.661.1760 | 808.276.0960 | 808.276.3838

STUDIO ART MAUI Since 2001, French artist Nathalie Boutin has been creating fine art. Her unique, expressive style and use of color are a combination of impressionism and realism, and are influenced by her life on the idyllic island of Maui, where she currently lives and works. Visit her shop in the Wailea Gateway Center. thetropicalbrush.com

Midcentury Modern

Marvel

A slide-away glass wall unites the indoor and outdoor living spaces, an homage to the Midcentury Modern era of architecture. Understated furnishings in neutral colors complement, rather than detract from, the home’s wow factor.

Story by Heidi Pool | Photography by Travis Rowan

Inset: The original brown exterior blended a little too well with the outdoor landscape, and the beauty of the architecture was lost.

The couple added a sliding-glass door to the primary bedroom, and tiled the landing with the same white-andgray flooring as the interior.

BEFORE

From this elevated section of Lower Honoapi‘ilani Road in Kahana, no homes are visible — only treetops, greenery and the sapphire sea. But turn makai (toward the ocean), take the meandering drive way down the hillside, and you’ll arrive at a two-story structure with a guest house and an office on top and a garage below. A set of stairs off the driveway descends to the main house, a 1,400-square-foot, oceanfront building surrounded by verdant gardens.

The home was caught in a 1960s time warp when contractor Todd Boyd and his wife, designer Sarah Schmidt, purchased the property in 2020. The original owners, a prominent windsurfing family, had lived in it for more than 50 years. The color palette was steeped in era-specific brown, which, when combined with dusky terracotta tile floors, dark-stained cabinetry, wood-plank ceilings and curly-koa paneling, made the dwelling dark and dated.

The home reminded Boyd of the classic Joseph Eichler designs that were prevalent in Southern California, where he grew up. Characterized by post-and-beam con struction and seamless indoor-outdoor

A clear-glass front door with a turquoise frame affords arriving guests a view of the bay beyond (left).

A vintage capiz-shell chandelier lends a beachy feel to the dining area, while ceiling beams painted black highlight the original woodwork. Throughout the home, elegant Buster + Punch light switches and outlets add a dash of panache.

Inset: A partial wall originally partitioned off the kitchen, breaking up the flow of the space.

BEFORE

living spaces, Eichler’s designs played a prominent role in the midcentury modern architectural movement.

The home’s original front door was solid and heavy, so to give the entrance more space and let in more natural light, the couple installed one of clear glass. Now, guests get a glimpse of the sweeping ocean view before they even step inside. When they do, they enter the main living space, with a seating area to the left, and the kitchen and dining area to the right. Beyond, in classic Eichler style, a foldaway glass wall opens to an outdoor living space with a dining table, barbecue and plenty of plush seating perfectly situated for admiring sunsets over Keonenui Bay.

The previous owners used the second bedroom as an office. Bulky furniture and an abundance of dark wood made the space dim and heavy.

Boyd and Schmidt created a welcoming guest suite, with a textured accent wall and a Maverick propellor fan for sultry summer nights.

BEFORE

A low-profile island gives the kitchen an unobstructed view, while keeping dinner preparations out of sight.

Tracy

Rich

Pamela Hayes

Stuart Sharp

Linda Whittemore

BEFORE

Above: A white flat-front vanity with his-and-her sinks floats above the floor. Ralph Lauren LED pendant lights illuminate the countertop.

Inset: The volume of tile work in the previous iteration of the primary bathroom was visually overwhelming.

Below: A clean white Aquatica soaking bathtub with Restoration Hardware fixtures replaced the old tile-covered one. An expanded picture window affords a view of the lava rock wall and landscaping just outside.

A tall partition once divided the kitchen and dining spaces; now, a sleek, lowprofile island streamlines the space. Kitchen upgrades include an induction oven and cooktop; an eye-catching geometric backsplash; and white flat-front cabinetry instead of old, dark cabinets.

Schmidt selected furniture and decor with clean lines in neutral shades of white and gray, and here and there, a pop of ocean blue. The upholstered tub chairs, round pedestal dining table and earthy tones all support the midcentury aesthetic. “I wanted the furnishings to enhance, not detract from, the home’s overall style,” she says. “I’d never designed a midcentury modern [interior] before, so I had to do a lot of study ing in order to get it right.”

Schmidt also advocated to keep the curlykoa paneling. “You can’t find paneling like this anymore,” she says. “It has to do with the grain. It’s called ‘bookmatched,’ where the adjoining surfaces mirror each other,

The primary bedroom features a boucle bedframe, two compact stools and a deep tub chair in neutral tones. The repurposed curly-koa paneling is a highlight of the space; outside, a sizeable ficus provides ample shade as well as visual interest against the sapphire sea.

Though they updated the floor tile and added contemporary furnishings to the outdoor living area, Boyd and Schmidt kept the original 1960s pendant lights to preserve some of the room’s character.

giving the impression of an open book.”

So Boyd and his crew repurposed the paneling, hanging it on accent walls throughout the home, and accentuating its elegance by painting the remaining walls in a crisp white. Schmidt also sourced inte rior koa doors from Endangered Pieces in Kahului — a treasure trove of used building materials, furniture and home decor — to further highlight the paneling.

“Jalousies are a common feature of mid century modern design,” Schmidt says of the windows found throughout the home. The couple replaced the decaying redwood slats with clear glass, which, Boyd adds, “allow for [superb] ventilation, and give the home that [nostalgic] ‘old Hawai‘i’ feel.”

In both bathrooms, the original 1960s azure tile remains, echoing the hue of the nearby Pacific waters. “Tiles like these are impossible to find [nowadays],” Schmidt says. (Coincidentally, when they brought in Sean Mitnick, the owner of Isle Tile, to replace the terracotta floors with new whiteand-gray porcelain, Mitnick told the couple that he himself set those very tiles decades ago when he was just an apprentice!)

The choice to keep the tiles was inspired: they complement the relocated koa panels perfectly, and create a frame around the large picture windows with views of the lava-rock wall and gardens beyond. Guilian Buhl, owner of Blooming Gardens, installed colorful foliage in what was previously a sin gularly green landscape. Bromeliads, red ti plants, heliconia and other tropicals enliven the grounds.

“It’s not often you come across a property with so much soul,” concludes Boyd. “The original owners went out of their way to create something special, and we worked hard to achieve a balance between retain ing its original charm [and ushering] it into the modern age.”

Resources

Building Materials

Endangered Pieces, 170 Lau‘o Loop, Kahului | 808.870.1112 | endangeredpieces.com | IG @endangered.pieces | FB @endangeredpieceshawaii

Pacific Source, 515 E. Uahi Way, Wailuku | 808.986.0380 | pacsource.com |

@pacificsourcemaui | FB @pacsource

General Contractor/Interior Design

Boyd Construction, 22 Ohaoha Pl., Makawao | Todd Boyd, 808.283.8722 | Sarah Schmidt, 917.279.6262 | boydmaui.com | IG @toddboydhomes

Landscape Design

Blooming Gardens, 4675 Hāna Hwy., Ha‘ikū | 808.250.1617 | guilianbuhl@mac.com

Light Switches + Outlets

Buster + Punch | busterandpunch.com/us |

@busterandpunch

Tile

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THE HOLIDAY

TEST KITCHEN

Menu by Chef Taylor Ponte Story by Becky Speere Photography by Mieko Horikoshi

Chef Taylor Ponte shows MNKO editor-inchief Lara McGlashan how to supreme an orange. With this technique, you remove the peel and the orange segments, leaving the tough pith behind.

I stand in the Woodburns’ bright Upcountry kitchen and admire the bird’s-eye view of the island from a bank of windows. Diane Woodburn, the publisher of Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Magazine, greets chef Taylor Ponte and his partner, Natasha Joslin, as they arrive with bags and coolers and boxes of goodies.

It’s the week after our 2022 ‘Aipono Restaurant Awards at Old Lāhainā Lū‘au, a celebration of Maui’s best restaurants and chefs, and a fundraiser for the Maui Food Bank and the University of Hawai‘i-Maui College's Culinary Arts Program. Recalling Taylor’s humble and heartfelt acceptance speech for his Chef of the Year award still moves me. Today, he’s energetic and eager to teach us a thing or two about cooking some of the dishes he loves.

I join editor-in-chief Lara McGlashan, and Chris Speere, my husband and former chef coordinator of the Academy and the Maui

LIKE MANY OTHER MAUI CHEFS, TAYLOR

Ponte uses local produce whenever pos sible. For our test-kitchen menu, he brought arugula from Hua Momona Farms; pumpkin, raspberries and citrus from Okoa Farms; macadamia nuts from Waihee Valley Planta tion; goat cheese from Haleakala Creamery; pork from Lopes Farm; honey from Maui Bees; and strawberries from Lapa‘au Farm. Taylor’s advice for spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests? “Make the dressing, pie dough, candied macadamia nuts and spiced honey the day before,” he says. “I also like to roast the pumpkin and puree it in advance.”

MAUI MAUKA TO MAKAI SALAD

Makes 6 servings | Prep time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound arugula, washed and spun dry

1 cup blackberries, sliced 1 orange, supremed (peeled and segmented)

1 cup Candied Macadamia Nuts, finely chopped (See recipe.)

½ cup goat cheese handful dill pollen starbursts, for garnish edible flowers, such as nasturtium or fuchsia, optional, for garnish Orange Blackberry Vinaigrette, to taste (See recipe.)

DIRECTIONS Trim and discard arugula stems. Place arugula in a large bowl with blackberries, oranges and macadamia nuts and toss gently. Divide salad between plates and top with a dollop of goat cheese. Garnish with

Food Innovation Center, and we begin orga nizing the ingredients. We chat with Taylor and Natasha about Kamado Maui Catering, their private dinner and catering venture. When The Mill House restaurant at Maui Tropical Plantation closed due to Covid, both Taylor and Natasha were laid off.

“People were so depressed and were want ing to connect with friends," says Taylor. "Because of all the insecurity everyone felt in public places, we wanted to create something that was like being with ‘ohana [family].”

And so they launched Kamado, an allinclusive dining experience serving won derful Hawai‘i Regional cuisine — with a personal touch. Taylor and Natasha bring vintage table- and glassware they have found or inherited to their events, includ ing a set of hand-painted floral plates given to Natasha’s mother by “Mama Doris” Christenson, the matriarch of Mama’s Fish

pollen starbursts and edible flowers (if using). Drizzle with Orange Blackberry Vinaigrette.

Orange Blackberry Vinaigrette

Makes 2 cups | Prep time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons blackberry jam

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons water

¾ cup Maiden Hawaii Natural Sunflower oil, or Maui Olive Co. olive oil salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS Add egg, jam, juices and water to a food processor and process at low speed until well-combined. Increase speed to medium and slowly add oil until emulsified. Season with salt (to taste).

Candied Macadamia Nuts

Makes 2 cups | Prep time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar

1½ cups toasted macadamia nuts

½ cup water

DIRECTIONS Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar turns caramel-brown. Carefully pour onto sheet pan and cool 10 minutes. Break or cut into small pieces. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container.

House, who passed away in 2021.

Diane returns from the yard with fresh-cut olive branches laden with green and black fruits. I help spread them on the table as Natasha arranges the dahlias she brought loosely in a vase.

“I chose these flowers because of their soft, delicate petals,” says Natasha. “Plus, they match Mama Doris’s plates.” She pulls one out of a box and holds it up for us to see.

Diane and Natasha discuss table settings as Taylor opens a cooler, removes several ingre dients and begins the mise en place (putting everything in place). “I created today’s menu because it’s pretty simple, and a lot of the prep can be done ahead of time,” he says.

According to the lovely menu cards they’ve printed out, there are three courses: a salad, an entree and a dessert. We begin our testkitchen experience by making the salad.

“First we’re going to clean the arugula,

Top (L–R): Natasha Joslin arranges flowers for the table.

Taylor slowly pours olive oil into a running food processor to emulsify the vinaigrette.

Don’t have blackberry jam for the dressing? No worries. “You can use another kind such as raspberry or even liliko‘i,” says Taylor.

breaking off the large stems and ends like this,” says Taylor, demonstrating. He enlists Lara’s help, and soon a mound of greens fills the wooden bowl.

Next, Taylor shows Lara how to supreme an orange. “Cut off the stem end and the bottom of the orange, making sure you can see the flesh,” Taylor says. Then he takes a long knife and cuts off the peel in a curve, following the shape of the fruit. “Some chefs cut away quite a bit of the flesh with the peel, but I like to round it out — it’s how I learned to do it at Maui Culinary school.”

“Taylor was one of our star students,” pipes in Chris. “He [trained] at some of Hawai‘i’s top restaurants.” Indeed, Taylor’s resume is long and storied, including an entry into the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chefs Competition, and a summer spent studying under fellow UHMC Culinary School graduate Jonathan Mizukami at Vintage Cave Restaurant on O‘ahu.

“Working under Jon, who was the former sous chef at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry [in Yountville, California, near Napa Valley], was very memorable, and helped shape my work ethic,” says Taylor. He eyeballs Lara’s

knife-work and declares it good. “You’re hired!” he says.

Taylor tops the arugula with candied macadamia nuts, fresh blackberries, dillpollen bursts, fresh goat cheese and Lara's supremed orange sections; then Natasha puts it in the fridge to keep crisp. Taylor whips up the vinaigrette in the food processor and pours it into a cruet. Then he picks up the big orange pumpkin.

“Let’s cut this in half — carefully — and remove the seeds,” he says, and Diane jumps in to help. She cubes a stick of butter, places

This bacon-wrapped pork loin presents beautifully as a holiday dish — and believe us when we say it tastes even better!

LOPES FARMS BACON-WRAPPED PORK LOIN WITH HOLIDAY-SPICED MAUI BEES HONEY GLAZE AND ROASTED OKOA FARMS PUMPKIN PUREE

Makes 6 servings | Prep time: 30 minutes

Pork Loin INGREDIENTS

2 (1-pound) pork loins salt, to taste oil, to coat pan 14–20 slices thick-cut bacon

1 sprig fresh sage, chopped Holiday Spiced Honey (See recipe.)

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash pork and trim off silver skin and sinew. Season with salt (to taste), and let sit 10 minutes at room temperature. Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add one loin and sear on all sides to a golden-brown, about 3 to 5 minutes (1). Place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with second loin. Place half the bacon strips vertically on a cutting board, overlapping slices like shingles (2) Place loin horizontally on lower edges of bacon and roll securely like sushi (3). Trim excess bacon, if needed. Repeat with second loin. Sprinkle loins with sage. Carefully transfer to a foil-lined roasting pan, seam-side down. Drizzle with Holiday Spiced Honey (4), and bake 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 144 F. (Time varies depending on thickness of loin.) Remove from oven and place on a cutting board (5), reserving the natural juices in the pan. Tent meat with foil to keep warm, and allow to rest 5 minutes. Remove foil and brush loins generously with juices from pan. Slice into 1-inch rounds.

Buttered Pumpkin Puree INGREDIENTS

1 large pumpkin, halved and seeded 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, plus more, if desired salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 F. Place butter cubes inside pumpkin halves (6). Sprinkle with salt (to taste). Wrap each half in foil and place on a sheet pan (7). Bake 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop flesh into a food processor bowl (8) and blend until smooth, or mash by hand. Season with salt and pepper (to taste). Top with more butter, if desired.

Holiday-Spiced Honey

“I really love a spicy honey, so I use about 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice in my recipe,” says Taylor.

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons local honey

1 tablespoon pumpkin spice blend, or to taste

a small bowl and

MNKO publisher Diane Woodburn removes the pumpkin seeds.

STRAWBERRY GALETTES

Makes 2 galettes (6–8 servings)

Prep time: 24 + 1½ hours

Dough

2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

½ lemon, zested

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1½ tablespoons granulated sugar

8 ounces chilled unsalted butter, cubed

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

½ cup ice water, or as needed

Filling

4 cups strawberries, washed and sliced

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon cream

coarse turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS Add flour, zest, salt and sugar to a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until mealy. Add vinegar and pulse to combine. Slowly add water, pulsing until mixture starts to come together (1). (You may not need all the water in this recipe. Dough is ready when you can pinch it and it sticks together.) Do not overmix. Dust work surface lightly with flour. Scoop out mixture and knead gently into a ball (2) Cut in half and form two balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten slightly into thick discs. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit 20 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, add first 5 filling ingredients to a large bowl and toss well. Set aside. Spread parchment paper on work surface and lightly flour a rolling pin. Taking your time, gently roll out one dough ball (3), turning parchment often to retain a somewhat circular shape, until dough is about 1/8inch thick. Slide parchment onto a sheet pan. Place half the filling in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold excess dough up and around filling to form a rough edge (4). Chill in refrigerator. Repeat process with second ball, and chill 10 minutes. When ready to bake, whisk together egg and cream. Brush galette edges with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado. Spread butter cubes on top of filling and bake 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool and serve at room temperature with ice cream or unsweetened whipped cream.

the cubes into each pumpkin half, and wraps both halves in foil. Into the oven it goes.

Taylor oils a large cast-iron skillet and heats it up on the stove. He places a pork loin in the pan and sears it on all sides to a golden brown. Meanwhile, Diane spreads out a pound of bacon on a cutting board, arrang ing the slices so they overlap like shingles.

“Pork loin is a relatively lean cut of meat, so the bacon adds a little fat to prevent it from drying out,” says Taylor. “Plus, who doesn’t love bacon?”

He places the loin on the lower edge of the bacon slices, then shows Diane how to roll it up, forming a big pig-in-a-bacon blanket. Diane places the loin seam-side-down on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Lara stirs together the secret sauce. The combination of Maui Bees honey and Taylor’s homemade holiday mix of cinna mon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg scents the air, transporting us back to childhood days of excitement and family gatherings. Taylor drizzles the sauce over the loin, then puts it into the oven next to the pumpkin.

Natasha smiles warmly as she watches our process. “This is exactly what we want Kamado Maui events to be like,” she says. “We love it when guests join in and make it their own. Everyone’s happy, engaged and contributing to the fun!”

Next, we prep the ingredients for dessert, a strawberry galette. “A galette is a tart without sides,” says Taylor. “It’s flat and rustic and easy to make because the pie dough doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped.”

Taylor slices the strawberries and puts them in a bowl. “These are the best berries from Lapa‘au Farm — taste them,” he urges. I bite into one. It’s juicy, sweet yet tart, and has that firm, just-picked texture.

He sets the strawberries aside and turns to the food processor to make the crust. “Blend the flour and salt first, then add the vinegar, mixing for about 20 seconds,” he says, and does just so. He adds cold butter cubes and pulses it all to the perfect consistency. He adds some cold water, “but not too much,” he warns, and the result is crumbly and doesn’t look much like pie dough. But he scoops it onto the countertop and gently works it into a recognizable dough. He makes two dough balls, covers each in plastic wrap and puts them in the fridge to chill.

“Chilling it helps ‘relax’ the gluten for a more tender crust,” Taylor explains.

Meanwhile, Diane combines the filling ingredients in a large bowl, and makes the egg wash for the crust. Natasha pulls the pumpkin

Above: A toast to teamwork! (L–R): Dining editor Becky Speere, Lara McGlashan, Chris Speere, chef Taylor Ponte, Natasha Joslin & Diane Woodburn. Left: A slice of strawberry galette is a delicious way to finish a meal. Taylor’s tip for the perfect crust? “Use a high-quality butter from local, grass-fed cows whenever possible. Otherwise, store-bought brands such as Kerry Gold or Plugra are good options.”

from the oven, scoops the flesh into the food processor and blends it until it’s smooth.

Taylor removes the dough from the fridge and he and Diane carefully roll out their balls into wonky circular shapes. “Remember, they don’t have to be perfect!” he assures her. Diane divides the berries among the rounds, placing them in the center, then folds the edges of the dough up around the berries to form a make shift crust. Taylor brushes the crusts with the egg wash and sprinkles them with sugar.

“I always wanted to try sprinkling sugar on my pie crusts,” says Diane. “Now I know how!” Taylor places several cubes of butter on top of the berries, then slides the galettes into the oven.

An hour later, we’re ready to eat. We gather around the beautifully set table with glasses of Lokelani Sparkling Rosé from MauiWine and toast to Taylor and Natasha, to ourselves and to the holidays we love. Then we sit down to enjoy our ‘ohana, and the fruits of our testkitchen labor.

TKO Punch!

Story by Becky Speere

When you host a party, it’s easy to spend the whole evening making cocktails for your guests instead of socializing. But Mari Howe, bar manager at Pacific’o on the Beach, has the solution: a nice Hawaiian punch. A bowl of punch is an easy, self-serve way to entertain, and this tropical concoction made with fresh-squeezed juices, cinnamon, ginger and Banks Rum

a knockout.

fresh ingredients

a labor of love,”

Howe,

Pacific’o’s TKO

Rum Punch

Makes 20 Servings

4 lemons

6 ounces superfine or granulated sugar

10 ounces fresh lemon juice  10 ounces Cinnamon Syrup (See recipe.)

30 ounces Ginger Tea (See recipe.)

30 ounces fresh pineapple juice  15 ounces Banks 5 Island Rum  15 ounces Banks 7 Golden Age Rum

GARNISHES

large ice block grated cinnamon and nutmeg, for sprinkling

Peel and squeeze lemons to extract juice. Store juice in refrigerator. Place peels and sugar in a large punch bowl and muddle until sugar is slightly moistened. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour. Add juice and remaining ingredients to bowl and stir to incorporate. Before guests arrive, strain to remove peels, add ice and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

CINNAMON SYRUP

5 cinnamon sticks, crushed 4 cups water

3-4 cups demerara or raw sugar, as needed

Place cinnamon and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out cinnamon. Measure cinnamon water in a large measuring cup and return to pot. Add equal parts sugar by volume and whisk until dissolved. Store in refrigerator.

GINGER TEA

1½ pounds fresh ginger, peeled and cut 36 ounces water

Place ginger in a juicer and extract juice, or grate and strain/squeeze through a cheesecloth. Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 100 grams (about ½ cup) ginger pulp. Steep 30 minutes. Strain and chill. Store ginger juice and remaining pulp in refrigerator for use in other recipes.

For a delicious alcohol-free version, go to mauimagazine.net/rum-punch.

Dining

WEST SIDE

A‘A ROOTS Napili Plaza, 5095 Napilihau St., Ste. 3, Nāpili, 298-2499 Vegan cuisine made with the fresh est Maui produce. Try the açai bowl, soba bowl with peanut sauce, or bagel sandwich with hummus, avo and veggies. International. B, L, $

ALALOA LOUNGE  The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, 1 Ritz Carlton Dr., Kapalua, 669-6200 Creative farm-to-table cocktails, mocktails and an exciting selection of savory dishes from the dining menu, such as huli huli chicken, sushi and stone-oven pizza. International. D, $–$$

AMIGO’S 658 Front St., Lahaina, 661-0210 Real Mexican fajitas, tostadas, flautas and their famous wet burritos. Kid-friendly. Mexican. B, L, D, $

AUNTIE’S KITCHEN The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas, 6 Kai Ala Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-3259 Saimin, burgers and fresh-fish plate lunches mingle with 2020 ‘Aipono Award-winning poke. Local Mixed Plate. B, L, D, $–$$

BANYAN TREE The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr., 665-7096 Start with an heir loom tomato salad with buffalo mozzarella. Then a Hawaiian cioppino full of treasures from the sea in a tomato-fennel broth, or lobster agnolotti. End with warm Valrhona chocolate cake. Great cocktails, too! Italian/Hawai‘i Regional. D, $$–$$$$

BREAKWALL SHAVE ICE COMPANY The Wharf Cinema Center Shops, 658 Front St., #104, Lahaina, 661-4900 Grown-up shave ice? You bet! Cool off with one of the best snow cones on Maui and discover your favorite flavor. Treats. $

CANE & CANOE Montage Kapalua Bay, 1 Bay Dr., Kapalua, 662-6681 Try the avocado toast and mimosas for breakfast, and prime select steaks with horseradish crème fraÎche for dinner. Lunch at the in Hāna Hou Bar includes Wagyu bacon-cheddar burgers and vegetarian selections. Kid-friendly. Pacific Rim. B, D, $$$–$$$$

CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE 811 Front St., Lahaina, 661-4855 Wake up to oceanfront views with a cuppa joe and a luscious breakfast. For lunch, try the poke, wings, onion rings or a signature cheeseburger. For dinner: the Aloha Fish and Fries. International. B, L, D, $–$$

CHOICE HEALTH BAR 1087 Limahana Pl., #1A, Lahaina, 661-7711 Second West Maui location: Whalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali All juices, smoothies, salads, soups and açai bowls are made with fresh ingredients. Daily specials. American. B, L, $

CLIFF DIVE GRILL Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, 2605 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 661-0031 Order Hawaiian-style edamame, a juicy burger, or fish tacos to accompany your poolside mai tai or Black Rock Lager. Hawai‘i Regional. L, D, $–$$

THE COFFEE STORE Napili Plaza, 5095 Napilihau St., Nāpili, 669-4170 Stop in for coffee and a muf fin and you may just end up staying for lunch — or longer. (They’re open until 6 p.m.) Great service, fresh-baked goods, yogurt-granola parfaits, chia pudding and to-go items. Coffee Shop. B, L, D, $

COOL CAT CAFÉ The Wharf Cinema Center Shops, 658 Front St., Lahaina, 667-0908 Burgers, chicken and more in a ’50s diner atmosphere. Kid-friendly. American. L, D, $

DOWN THE HATCH The Wharf Cinema Center Shops, 658 Front St., Lahaina, 661-4900 Mermaid fries with cheese and lava sauce, towering shrimp cocktails, fresh island fish and lots of aloha. Great shave ice, too! (See Breakwall’s listing.) Hawai‘i Regional. B, L, H, D, N, $$

DRUMS OF THE PACIFICHyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-4727 Enjoy a traditional imu ceremony and Hawaiian cuisine, plus the dances and music of Polynesia. Kid-friendly. Lū‘au. D, R, $$$$

DUKE’S BEACH HOUSE MAUI Honua Kai Resort & Spa, 130 Kai Malina Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 662-2900 Imagine old Hawai‘i while dining on crab-and-macada mia-nut wontons or prime rib at this open-air beach house. Kid-friendly. American/Pacific Rim. B, L, D, $$

FEAST AT LELE 505 Front St., Lahaina, 6675353 This classic beachfront lū‘au explores the

Welcome

The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea

the flavors of the islands

our elegant alfresco setting with sweeping views of three Hawaiian Islands.

The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea infuses its menu with a distinct and flavorful sense of place. Executive Chef Bryan McMahon’s “culinary casual” fare showcases the island’s freshest, most seasonal ingredients.

Perched on the hillside above Maui’s south coast, the restaurant offers panoramic ocean views from the open-air upper lanai and intimate dining under the stars in the garden. The Birdcage Bar lounge experience offers a selection of craft cocktails, fine wines and small plates set against 180° ocean views.

Dining Guide

cultural and culinary world of the Pacific Islands. Open bar. Lū‘au. D, R, $$$$

FLEETWOOD’S ON FRONT ST.744 Front St., Lahaina, 669-6425 (Yes, that Fleetwood!) Pacific oysters with tart apple mignonette, grilled Hawaiian shutome and a one-pound Harley Davidson Hog Burger. Bar opens at 2 p.m. American/British Pub Food. L, H, D, N, $$–$$$$

FOND Napili Plaza, 5095 Napilihau St., #115, Nāpili, 856-0225 Breakfast silog bowls with garlic fried rice, sammies for lunch, Wednesday night friedchicken special and Sunday Chef’s Table. Eurasian. B, L, D, $–$$

FRIDA’S MEXICAN BEACH HOUSE 1287 Front St., Lahaina, 661-1287 Chalupas, fresh agua chile ‘ahi, short-rib tacos and great mixology are among the reasons this seaside restaurant tied for ‘Aipono Gold in 2022 for Best Mexican Cuisine. Latin-inspired. L, H, D, $–$$

GAZEBO Napili Shores, 5315 L. Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Nāpili, 669-5621 Have breakfast for lunch, or lunch for breakfast! Fluffy pancakes, omelets, plate lunches with Cajun-spiced chicken or kālua pork, salads and seven burgers to choose from. Ocean views are free! International. B, BR, L, $

HONU SEAFOOD & PIZZA 1295 Front St., Lahaina, 667-9390 Pizza, salads and awesome seafood entrees make this a go-to spot in Lahaina. International. L, D, $$

HUIHUI Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel, 2525 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 667-0124 Chef Tom Muromoto’s menu features local flavors in an oceanfront setting. For breakfast, try poi pancakes with coconut syrup; for lunch, a Moloka‘i venison burger; and for dinner, lū‘au plates, seafood and pan-fried ribeye steak. Kid-friendly. Hawai‘i Regional. B, L, D, $–$$$$

HULA GRILL Whalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 667-6636 Dip your toes in the sand at the Barefoot Bar, and enjoy poke tacos, mai tais, homemade ice-cream sandwiches and live music. Kid-friendly. Hawai‘i Regional. L, H, D, $$

INU POOL BAR The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, 45 Kai Malina Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 662-6370 Inu means “drink” in Hawaiian, and this poolside bar serves up island-inspired cocktails, local beer and wine. Sip and snack on pūpū, burgers, wraps and salads Hawai‘i Regional. L, H, D, $–$$

ISLAND CREAM CO. Lahaina Gateway, 305 Keawe St., Lahaina, 298-0916 Classic flavors meet island fruit! Make your own Glacier Ice snow cone, or choose from 36 delicious flavors of ice cream. Can’t decide? Take home a few pints! Treats. $

JAPENGO Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-4727 Great steaks and authentic sushi prepared with the finest seafood are among the reasons Japengo won ‘Aipono Silver for Best Asian Cuisine in 2022. Japanese. D, N, $$$

JOEY’S KITCHEN Whalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 868-4474 Second West Maui loca tion: Napili Plaza, 5095 Napilihau St., Nāpili, 2145590 Start your day with macadamia nut pancakes or a kālua-pork omelet at Whalers Village, and end with dinner at the Nāpili venue. Pacific Rim. B, L, D, $ $$

KIHEI CAFFE Lahaina Gateway Plaza, 305 Kiawe St., Lahaina, 868-2230 See South Shore listing.

LAHAINA GRILL 127 Lahainaluna, Rd., Lahaina, 667-5117 Treat yourself to a pecan-crusted goat cheese and arugula salad, sesame-crusted ‘ahi steak with jasmine rice, or their famous Kona coffee-roasted rack of lamb with coffee-cabernet demi-glace. Great wine selection and cocktails, too! American/Pacific Rim.

LAHAINA PIZZA COMPANY 730 Front St., Ste. 2, 661-0700 Known for its killer deep-dish pies, this venue tied for the 2022 Gold ‘Aipono Award for Best Pizza. You can also enjoy sand wiches, salads, pasta and a great selection of liba tions. Italian/American. Pizza. L, D, $–$$

LEILANI’S ON THE BEACHWhalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 661-4495 Chef Ryan Luckey rocks island flavors with guava chicken wings, and ‘ahi poke with taro chips. Entrees include filet mignon with green onion gremolata or Parmesancrusted fresh catch. Don’t forget the Hula Pie! Kidfriendly. Steak/Seafood. L, H, D, N, $–$$$$

LEODA’S KITCHEN & PIE SHOP 820 Olowalu Village Rd., Olowalu, 662-3600 Try the house-made pastrami on fresh-baked bread with pineapple cole slaw and an ice-cold beer. The mac-nut chocolate cream pie and fresh-squeezed lemonade will make you want to dance! American. B, L, D, $

LOCAL BOYS SHAVE ICE 624 Front St., Lahaina, 868-3476 This location also serves açai bowls, coffee and bagels. See also South Shore listing. Kid-friendly. Treats. $

LONGHI’S Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, 100 Nohea Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-2288. Try a crisp pinot gri gio and a romaine salad tossed with lemon-feta vinaigrette and anchovies. Italian. BR (Fri-Sun), D, $$

MACADANGDANG 2580 Keka‘a Dr., Kā‘anapali 868-0929 Award-winning chef Joey Macadangdang serves a menu like no other! Try the braised duck kare-kare with eggplant in peanut sauce, the mahimahi in lemongrass-oyster cream or the ribeye steak with pepper demi-glace. Great cocktails, too! Filipino Fusion/Sushi. H, D, $–$$$

MĀLA OCEAN TAVERN 1307 Front St., Lahaina, 667-9394 Māla delivers delicious food and killer cocktails. Start with an oyster shooter and some ‘ahi bruschetta. Then dig into seared scallops with truffle pesto, huli huli chicken with warm potato salad, or the daily catch with kabocha puree. Mediterranean. BR, H, D, N, $–$$$

MAUIGROWN COFFEE CO. STORE 277 Lahainaluna Rd., Lahaina, 661-2728 Running low on energy? Head to MauiGrown’s plantation-style hale for a boost. Pumpkin bread and other baked goods round out a great cuppa joe. Coffee Shop/Cafe. B, L, $

MERRIMAN’S KAPALUA 1 Bay Club Pl., Kapalua, 669-6400 Peter Merriman casts his spell on seafood, local beef and produce to create the most delecta ble fare. Pacific Rim. BR (Sun), L, D, R, $$–$$$$

MISO PHAT SUSHI Kahana Manor, 4310 L. Honoapi‘ilani Rd., #111, Kahana, 669-9010 See South Shore listing.

MOKU ROOTS 335 Keawe St., Lahaina, 214-5106 This innovative vegan/vegetarian venue won the 2022 Gold ‘Aipono for Best Healthy Fare, as well as the coveted Excellence in Sustainability–Restaurant Award. Vegetarian/Vegan. B, L, D, $

MONKEYPOD KITCHEN Whalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 878-6763 See South Shore listing.

OLD LĀHAINĀ LŪ‘AU 1251 Front St., Lahaina, 667-0700 This oceanfront venue has won the Gold ‘Aipono Award for Best Lū‘au 19 times — come see why! Begin with kalo (taro) hummus, then choose a traditional Hawaiian dish such as lomilomi salmon or imu-roasted pork. Save room for the mangococonut chcolate bombe! Open bar. Kid-friendly. Lū‘au. D, R, $$$$

PACIFIC’O ON THE BEACH 505 Front St., Lahaina, 667-4341 Owner Louis Coulombe and managing part ners Michele and Qiana DiBari (of Sale Pepe) reimagined this beachfront venue with a new menu by

Isaac

Bancaco. Try the cacio e pepe pasta, Kobe beef short ribs or herb-crusted ‘ahi. Pacific Rim. D, $–$$$

PĀ‘IA FISH MARKET RESTAURANT 632 Front St., Lahaina, 662-3456 See North Shore listing.

PAPA‘AINA Pioneer Inn, 658 Wharf St., Lahaina, 661-3636 Bravo’s Top Chef competitor Lee Anne Wong makes simple food from scratch using fresh, locally grown ingredients. Visit the new grab-and-go counter for early morning coffee and eats! Pacific Rim. B, L, H, D, $–$$

PIZZA PARADISO MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 3350 L. Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Kā‘anapali, 667-2929 Juicy gyros, flavorful falafel in warm pita with a side of tabbouleh, kabob platters and pizza. Dine in or take out. Pizza/Mediterranean. L, D, $–$$

PRISON STREET PIZZA 133 Prison St., Lahaina, 662-3332 East Coast-style pizza, Caesar salad, calzones and more. Italian/Pizza. L, D, $

ROY’S 2290 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali, 669-6999 Line up for the half-pound Maui Cattle Co. burger on a brioche bun for lunch. For dinner, try the black ened ‘ahi or the honey-mustard-glazed beef short ribs. Pacific Rim. B, L, H, D, $$$$

ROYAL OCEAN TERRACE RESTAURANT Royal Lahaina Resort & Spa, 2780 Keka‘a Dr., Kā‘anapali, 661-3611 Breakfast offerings include loco moco and eggs Benedict, or go light with avocado toast topped with microgreens. Burgers and prime rib, too. Pacific Rim. B, L, D, $–$$

SALE PEPE 878 Front St., Lahaina, 667-7667 Brick-oven-fired pizza and flatbreads highlight a menu that changes daily. Enjoy pancetta and ceci puree on grilled crostini and house-made strozzapreti pasta — just like chef Michele Di Bari’s mama makes in Italy.

SANSEI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR 600 S. Office Rd., Kapalua, 669-6286 Small and action-packed, D.K. Kodama’s classy sushi bar draws lines late into the night. Try a Kenny G roll (snapper with shiso and ponzu sauce) with a sip of sake. See also South Shore listing. Pacific Rim/ Sushi. D, N, R, $$$

THE SEA HOUSE RESTAURANT Napili Kai Beach Resort, 5900 L. Honoapi‘ilani Rd., Nāpili, 669-1500 Start the day with oven-baked pancakes laden with fruit. Enjoy coconut-crusted shrimp as the sun sinks into Nāpili Bay. On Wednesdays, stay for Grammy Award-winner George Kahumoku Jr.’s Masters of Hawaiian Slack-Key Guitar. Pacific Rim. B, L, H, D, $$$

SON’Z STEAKHOUSE Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-4506 Moroccan-spiced blackened ‘ahi with soy-mustard sauce will rock your evening. Sink your teeth into filet mignon carpaccio, rib-eye steak, or mahimahi in lemon-caper butter. Pacific Rim/Steak. H, D, N, $$–$$$$

STAR NOODLE 1285 Front St., Lahaina, 667-5400 Big-city style and local flavors unite. Enjoy a Golden Star sparkling jasmine tea as you drink in the view of Lāna‘i across the channel. The ramen broth is extra smoky, the Singapore noodles bright and flavorful. Asian. L, D, $$

TAVERNA 2000 Village Rd., Kapalua, 667-2426 House-made pasta, agrodolce-style fish of the day and Italian desserts stand up to the grand finale: espresso with grappa. Great wine, cocktails and craft beer. Italian. B, L, H, D, $$–$$$

TEDDY’S BIGGER BURGERS 335 Keawe St., Lahaina, 661-9111 The staff hand-pat the burgers, charbroil them to order and serve them in a fun diner ambiance. Kid-friendly. American. L, D, $

THAI CHEF Old Lahaina Center, 878 Front St., Lahaina, 667-2814 This well-loved venue keeps diners coming back. Commendable curries, fresh prawn spring rolls and beef salad with tangy sauce. Thai. L, D, $

TOMMY BAHAMA MARLIN BAR 900 Front St., Lahaina, 500-6204. Blackened mahimahi tacos, furikake and sriracha-aioli tater tots, and worldfamous coconut shrimp. Great drinks, too! Pacific Rim. L, H, D, $–$$

ULULANI’S HAWAIIAN SHAVE ICE 790 Front St., Lahaina, 877-3700 Second West Maui location: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Kā‘anapali Homemade tropical-flavored syrups such as liliko‘i and coconut set this shave-ice business apart. Kid-friendly. Treats. $

‘ŪMALU Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr., Kā‘anapali, 667-4902 Head poolside for Kobe beef sliders or ‘ahi poke nachos. Knock back a “Mutiny on the Carthaginian” cocktail inspired by Lahaina’s rowdy whaling past. American/Pacific Rim. L, H, D, $$$

WAIKIKI BREWING COMPANY 900 Front St., Lahaina, 856-0036 Paddy’s Irish Stout and Waikele Wheat brew temper the heat of the jala peño queso dip served with a giant pretzel. Try the smoked Kona-coffee-rubbed beef brisket and cheddar potato cake and you’ll be one happy patron. American. BR, L, D, $ $$

SOUTH SHORE

AKAMAI COFFEE COMPANY 1325 S. Kīhei Rd., #100, Kīhei, 868-3251 Second South Shore location: 116 Wailea Ike Dr., Wailea, 868-0003 Offering 100 percent Maui-grown coffee roasted locally for the highest-quality flavor. Espresso, French press and nitro brews available. Coffee Shop. $

BISTRO MOLOKINI Grand Wailea Maui Resort, 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 875-1234 A casual, openair eatery serving organic Kurobuta pork, Hāna Bay fish and chips and grilled mahimahi made with fresh, local ingredients. Kid-friendly. American. L, D, $$$

BOTERO LOUNGE Grand Wailea Maui Resort, 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 875-1234 Named for the surrounding Fernando Botero sculptures, this lounge offers nightly entertainment. On Thirsty Thursdays, a three-cocktail tasting is just $20. Lounge. L, D, H, N, $

CAFE O’LEI 2439 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 891-1368 Choose from macadamia nut-crusted chicken, seared ‘ahi tuna, tiger shrimp linguine and other favorites. See also Central listing. American/Pacific Rim. B, L, D, $$

COCONUT’S FISH CAFEAzeka Shopping Center Mauka, 1279 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 875-9979 Second South Shore location: 2463 S. Kīhei Rd. Kīhei, 8754949 Dive into fresh fish tacos, a grilled fish burger or fish and chips. The cabbage slaw with coconut dressing and mango salsa sets this eatery apart. American. L, D, $$

DA KITCHEN 1215 S. Kīhei Rd., Ste. E, Kīhei, 446-3486 Local food and good vibes meet! Spam musubi, chicken katsu, kalbi ribs, locomoco and da Hawaiian plate. Hawai‘i Regional. L, D, $–$$

DUO Four Seasons Resort Maui, 3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 874-8000 Breakfast buffet or à la carte? Did someone mention chateaubriand? Four Seasons never disappoints. Pacific Rim. B, D, $–$$$

ESKIMO CANDY SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI 2665 Wai Wai Pl., Kīhei, 891-8898 Locals come for the rice bowl topped with a variety of poke mixes, like shoyu, spicy wasabi and furikake. Fresh opah and chips with cabbage coleslaw, too. Seafood/Deli. L, D, $–$$

FABIANI’S PIZZERIA & BAKERY South Maui Center, 95 E. Līpoa St., Kīhei, 874-0888 Enjoy bagels and lox, fresh croissants, caprese salad with local toma toes, thin-crust and gluten-free pizza, and spaghetti with house-made pork sausage meatballs. Italian/ Bakery. HR, D, $–$$

FAT DADDY’S SMOKEHOUSE 1913 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 879-8711 Delicious pulled pork, beef brisket and pork ribs smoked for 15 hours over kiawe. Enjoy sides like cornbread, chili-garlic beans and two cabbage slaws: one sweet/tart and one with blue cheese and apples. American. D, $–$$

FERRARO’S BAR E RISTORANTE Four Seasons

Resort Maui, 3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 8748000 For lunch, enjoy a veggie quesadilla or grilled tenderloin sandwich served poolside. For dinner, salumi and lobster tagliatelle. Italian. L, H, D, $$$$

FORK & SALAD 1279 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 879-3675 Chef/owners Cody, Travis and Jaron serve up green superfoods topped with pastrami-style seared ‘ahi, baked quinoa falafel, or ginger tofu. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. See also Central listing. International. L, D, $

FOUR SEASONS LOBBY LOUNGE Four Seasons Resort Maui, 3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 874-8000 Impeccable service, a locally sourced menu, swanky cocktails and performances by local musicians. Pacific Rim. H, D, N, $$$$

HAVENS 30 Manao Kala St., Kīhei, 868-2600 There’s a reason why this venue won ‘Aipono Gold for Best Burger in 2022: the smash burger and noo dles. Eat it with chopsticks in one hand and burger in the other — local style! See also Central listing. Hawai‘i Regional. B, L, D, $–$$

HUMBLE MARKET KITCHIN Wailea Beach Resort, 3700 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 879-4655 Chef Roy Yamaguchi hits it out of the park with Hawaiian sweetbread French toast for breakfast, crispy cala mari and a Magnum P.I. cocktail at happy hour, and

Roy’s classic blackened island ‘ahi for dinner. Hawai‘i Regional. B, H, D, $–$$$

ISLAND GOURMET MARKETS

The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 874-5055 Sushi to go, deli sandwiches, plate lunches and more. Pacific Rim. B, L, D, $

KA‘ANA KITCHEN Andaz Maui Resort, 3550 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 573-1234 A Wagyu hangar steak on a green papaya salad, charred octopus with local goat cheese, Kona abalone risotto, and a modern take on chicken and waffles. Curated wine list and mixology at its finest. Asian Fusion. B, D, $$$$

KAMANA KITCHEN 1881 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 8797888 Eye-catching art and Indian relics accent a menu highlighting exotic spices and dishes, all lov ingly created from family recipes. Lunch buffet. Indian. L, D, $–$$

KIHEI CAFFE Kīhei Kalama Village, 1945 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 879-2230 Hungry at 5 a.m.? Head to this local hangout for banana-mac-nut pancakes, loco moco and a cuppa joe. Cafe. B, L, $–$$

KŌ Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, 4100 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 875-2210 Plantation Era cuisine takes the spotlight. Try the Kobe beef poke appe tizer and “On the Rock” — three mouthwatering morsels of ‘ahi served with a 300-degree lava rock to sear them to perfection. Pacific Rim. L, H, D, R, $$$

LEHUA LOUNGE Andaz Maui Resort, 3550 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 573-1234 Cocktails created with local seasonal ingredients, such as lychee, liliko‘i (passionfruit) and Hawaiian navel oranges, pair per fectly with Ka‘ana Kitchen’s award-winning menu. Lounge. H, $

housemade “XO” and lup cheong sausage, Maui beef with black garlic, and huli huli chicken with pineapple kimchee get your juices flowing, head to Wailea — now! Eat. Drink. Talk story. Pacific Rim. D, $–$$

LOCAL BOYS SHAVE ICE Kīhei Kalama Village, 1941 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 344-9779 Chill out with a mountain of fruity shave ice served with plantation era-inspired add-ons like haupia (coconut pudding) and macadamia nut ice cream. Treats. $

LUANA LOUNGE Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, 4100 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 875-4100 This lobby lounge reimagines happy hour in tropical surround ings. Try the kālua pork flatbread with mango bar becue sauce and lomilomi tomato, paired with an ice-cold passionfruit ale. Japanese. D, N, $–$$

MANOLI’S PIZZA COMPANY 100 Wailea Ike Dr., Wailea, 874-7499 Manoli’s believes in fresh, organic and sustainable ingredients. Order a pizza with organic wheat or gluten-free crust, or dig into authen tic chicken scaloppine. Italian/Pizza. L, H, D, N, $$

MAUI BREWING CO.605 Līpoa Pkwy., Kīhei, 201-2337 This off-the-grid brewery offers 36 craft and specialty beers, as well as burgers, pizzas, fish tacos and salads. Brewery/Pacific Rim. L, H, D, N, $–$$

MAUI THAI BISTRO Rainbow Mall, 2439 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 874-5605 Thai food cooked by Thai chefs! Kaffir-scented tom yum fried rice, green mango salad with crispy fried-fish filets, and house curries. Beer and wine bar. Thai. L, D, $–$$

MATTEO’S OSTERIA Wailea Town Center, 161 Wailea Ike Pl., Wailea, 879-8466 Try Matteo’s meatball sandwich with Maui Cattle Co. beef and Italian sausage, or ‘ahi crusted with Calabrese olive tapenade. Italian. L, H, D, $$–$$$

MISO PHAT SUSHI Azeka Shopping Center

Mauka, 1279 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 891-6476 Sushi served on-site, to-go, or delivered. Sashimi platters, sushi rolls, nigiri and specialty rolls. Omakase heaven! See also West Side listing. Japanese. L, H, D, $$

MONKEYPOD KITCHEN Wailea Gateway Center, 10 Wailea Gateway Pl., Wailea, 891-2322 Lunch at this Peter Merriman chain includes pizza, burgers, tacos and ramen. For dinner, Big Island rib-eye with chimichurri sauce, gnocchi with pork sausage and banana cream pie. See also West Side listing. Hawai‘i Regional. L, H, D, N, $$

MULLIGANS ON THE BLUE100 Kaukahi St., Wailea, 874-1131 Guinness poured properly at Maui’s only Irish-owned pub. Enjoy fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie. Great music and sports-bar action, too. Sláinte! Irish pub. L, H, D, $–$$$

NALU’S SOUTH SHORE GRILLAzeka Shopping Center Makai, 1280 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 891-8650 Generous portions made with local ingredients served with aloha. Try the ‘ahi club with smoked bacon, fresh fish ‘n’ chips and hearty burgers. American/Pacific Rim. B, L, H, D, $–$$

NICK’S FISHMARKET Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, 4100 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 879-7224 Enjoy clas sic seafood dishes beneath the stars. Woo your date with plump strawberries drenched in Grand Marnier and set aflame. Pacific Rim/Seafood. H, D, R, $$$$

NUTCHAREE’S AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD Azeka Shopping Center Makai, 1280 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 633-4840 Start with the ‘ahi laab tartare salad or crispy fish and mango salad, then dig into tender braised short ribs smothered in massaman curry. Don’t forget the spring rolls! Thai. L, D, $–$$

PĀ‘IA FISH MARKET RESTAURANT 1913 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 874-8888 See North Shore listing.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort’s contemporary, residential style villas offer two, three and four bedroom configurations. Andaz villas draw inspiration from the island’s natural beauty and provide expansive views of Mokapu Beach. Dedicated personal VIP concierge services are also included with all villa stays.

THE PINT & CORK The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 727-2038 Mac ‘n’ cheese with black truffles, shrimp and grits with chorizo, poke bowls and burgers. During football season you can score breakfast, too! American. L, H, D, N, $–$$

PITA PARADISE Wailea Gateway Center, 34 Wailea Ike Dr., Wailea, 879-7177 Start with spinach tiropitas with caramelized onions, feta, mozzarella and tzatziki wrapped in phyllo dough, then move on to kabobs, pasta and gyros. Finish with baklava icecream cake. Mediterranean. L, H, D, $–$$$

THE RESTAURANT AT HOTEL WAILEA Hotel Wailea, 555 Kaukahi St., Wailea, 879-2224 Produce from the hotel’s gardens, fish plucked from the sea, and a gorgeous outdoor setting are among the reasons this venue won ‘Aipono Gold in 2022 for Most Romantic Restaurant. European-inspired. H, D, N, $$–$$$$

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 874-8880 Steaks and homespun side dishes worthy of devotion, top-flight service and a superb wine list. American. H, D, N, $$$$

SANSEI SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & SUSHI BAR Kukui Mall, 1819 Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 868-0780 See West Side listing.

SEASCAPE RESTAURANT Maui Ocean Center, 192 S. Mā‘alaea Rd., Mā‘alaea, 270-7068 Adjacent to an award-winning aquarium, Seascape serves up harbor views with a hearty side of aloha. Mahimahi sandwiches with fresh cabbage slaw, half-pound burgers and fresh veggies. Save room for Maui Mud Pie! American. L, H, D (Sat & Sun), $$–$$$

SPAGO Four Seasons Resort, 3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 874-8000 Start with fresh poke nestled in crunchy sesame-miso cones, then enjoy the cara melized pork chop with exotic notes of anise, cinna mon and pineapple. Chef Peleg will have you singing his praises. Pacific Rim. D, N, $$–$$$

TANPOPO 1215 S. Kīhei Rd., #F, Kīhei, 446-3038 Lunch includes Japanese-style chicken curry, California rolls and beef burgers. Dinner fuses Italian and Japanese with pasta, flatbreads, sashimi, sushi and tempura. Japanese/Italian Fusion. L, D, $–$$$

THREE’S BAR & GRILL 1945-G S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 879-3133 Eggs Benedict six ways, includ ing seared ‘ahi, smoked salmon and prime rib. For lunch, Peruvian pork tacos or signature ramen. For dinner, truffle-yaki marinated flatiron steak. Pacific Rim/Southwestern. B, L, H, D, $$–$$$

TOMMY BAHAMA RESTAURANT & BAR The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea, 875-9983 Who’d guess a clothing company could deliver such delish pork sandwiches and Caribbean-inspired libations? Caribbean/Pacific Rim. L, H, D, N, $–$$

ULULANI’S HAWAIIAN SHAVE ICE 61 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei See West Side listing.

VIETNAMESE CUISINE Azeka Shopping Center Mauka, 1280 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei, 875-2088 Start with shrimp spring rolls served with tamarindpeanut sauce. Then the grilled pork with pickled root veggies; a traditional clay-pot dish; or pho, steak and noodle soup. Vietnamese. L, D, $–$$

CENTRAL

BISTRO CASANOVA 33 Lono Ave., Kahului, 8733650 This downtown bistro serves paella for two, fresh-cut french fries and burrata caprese. Best pau hana (happy hour) in Kahului! Mediterranean. L, H, D, $–$$

CAFE O’LEI AT THE MILL HOUSE Maui Tropical Plantation, 1670 Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Waikapū, 5000553 Fun, expanded menu at the restaurant group’s

newest venue. The most beautiful mountain view in the Central Valley! Hawai‘i Regional. L, H, D, $–$$$

ESTERS FAIR PROSPECT 2050 Main St., Wailuku, 868-0056 Serving classic cocktails, tiki drinks, spirits, rum, Mezcal, wine and beer. Local farmto-table-inspired small plates. Rosé wine and dai quiris during happy hour. Open 2–10 p.m. Lounge/ Snacks. H, N, $

FORK & SALAD Pu‘unene Shopping Center, 120 Ho‘okele St., #330, Kahului, 793-3256 See South Shore listing

HAVENS Plate Lunch Marketplace, 591 Haleakalā Hwy., 868-0555 Enjoy the same smash burgers and sushi at this gourmet food truck. Plenty kau kau! See also South Shore listing. Food Truck. L, D, $

MAUI COFFEE ROASTERS 444 Hāna Hwy., Kahului, 877-CUPS (2877) Pastries, muffins, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and bagels and lox made to order. Fresh-roasted coffee beans set this experi ence above the rest. “Happy Cappy Hour” 2–6 p.m. Coffee Shop. B, L, H, $

MAUI FRESH STREATERY MauiFreshStreatery .com Kyle Kawakami, ‘Aipono’s 2019 Chef of the Year, also won for Silver for Best Food Truck in 2022. Imaginative poutine, ethnic dishes from around the world, and a modern take on local fare. Follow him on Facebook for locations. Food Truck. L, $

ONLY ONO BBQ Heritage Hall, Pā‘ia, onlyonobbq .com, 777-9026 Crispy-skin Chinese-style roast pork and duck, bao pork buns, plate lunches and smoked brisket. Location varies. Download menu and sched ule. Food Truck. Chinese/American. L, D, $

A SAIGON CAFÉ 1792 Main St., Wailuku, 243-9560 Squeeze into a booth and order a Vietnamese burrito, clay pot, or lemongrass curry. Vietnamese. L, D, $

SAM SATO’S 1750 Wili Pa Loop, Wailuku, 244-7124 This beloved Maui restaurant sets the standard for dry mein, saimin and chow fun. Asian. B, L, $

THAI MEE UP Plate Lunch Marketplace, 591 Haleakalā Hwy., Kahului, 214-3369 Addictive fried pork ribs and luscious pad Thai noodles. Curry, too! Thai. Food Truck. L, D, $

TIGHT TACOS 349 Hanakai St., Kahului, 707-1221 Scratch great Mexican off your foodie bucket list! Get the three-taco plate lunch (braised beef, pork and shrimp) with corn, rice and salsa. Mexican. L, $

TIN ROOF MAUI 360 Papa Pl., Kahului, 8680753 Sheldon Simeon of Bravo’s Top Chef fame builds memorable kau kau bowls filled with mochiko chicken or garlic shrimp. Try the saimin, kale salad, or double-fried-chicken sandwich on a brioche bun. Pacific Rim. L, $

TJ’S WAREHOUSE 875 Alua St., Wailuku, 2447311 Located in Wailuku Industrial Park, TJ’s serves plate lunch to go: chicken katsu, fried saba (mack erel), and a hot line of daily specials, like potato croquettes, nishime and poke. Asian. B, L, $

ULULANI’S HAWAIIAN SHAVE ICE 333 Dairy Rd., Kahului Second Central Maui location: 50 Maui Lani Pkwy., Wailuku See West Side listing.

WAILUKU COFFEE COMPANY 28 N. Market St., Wailuku, 495-0259 Espresso, salads, sandwiches and ice cream served in a relaxed and eclectic set ting. Coffee Shop. B, L, $

UPCOUNTRY

GRANDMA’S COFFEE HOUSE 9232 Kula Hwy., Kēōkea, 878-2140 The eggs Benedict and baked goods made from scratch are worth the trek. For lunch, enjoy a hamburger with Swiss cheese and caramelized onions. Coffee Shop/Cafe. B, L,

KULAMALU FOOD TRUCK LOT Kiopa‘a St.,

Pukalani, (next to Upcountry Longs) An eclectic array of fare, including vegetarian, plate lunch, açai bowls, barbecue and more. Food Truck. $–$$

LA PROVENCE 3158 L. Kula Rd., Kula, 878-1313

Perfect croissants, fruit tarts, blueberry-mango scones and artisan breads baked fresh daily. Great coffee. Cash only. French/Bakery. B, L (Weds-Sun), $

LUMERIA’S WOODEN CRATE 1813 Baldwin Ave., Makawao, 579-8877 Fresh, locally caught fish and healthy fare highlight a menu that changes daily. Produce grown on site is the foundation for many dishes at this charming retreat. Pacific Rim. B, L, D, R, $$–$$$$

MARLOW 30 Kupaoa St., A104, Pukalani, 8683366 Chef Jeff and Kaili Scheer know good food, and this family-owned restaurant serves wood-fired sourdough pizza, killer meatballs and rustic salads. Great wine menu, too! Italian. D, $–$$

MAUIWINE 14815 Pi‘ilani Hwy., ‘Ulupalakua, 878-6058

Enjoy wine tastings and light fare on the open-air lānai. Immaculate grounds surrounding the winetasting room. Winery. L, $–$$

NUKA 780 Ha‘ikū Rd., Ha‘ikū, 575-2939 Izakaya food with flavor and style. Start with paper-thin fried gobo chips, then ‘ahi tataki with ponzu sauce. Creative lunch and dinner specials. Save room for black-sesame or green-tea ice cream! Japanese. L, D, $$–$$$

O‘O FARM 651 Waipoli Rd., Kula. Call Pacific’o for reservations, 667-4341 Learn about gardening and coffee roasting. Then enjoy a breakfast veggie frittata, bread from the wood-burning oven and freshroasted coffee. Lunch includes chicken and fish entrees, roasted veggies and dessert. American. B, L, R, $$$$

ULUPALAKUA RANCH STORE & GRILL 14800 Pi‘ilani Hwy., ‘Ulupalakua, 878-2561 Across the road from MauiWine you’ll find great deli fare, lamb burgers with tzatziki, and beef or grass-fed venison burgers. Plus, homestyle chili and rice, or kālua pork plate lunch. American. L, D, $

NORTH SHORE

CAFÉ DES AMIS 42 Baldwin Ave., Pā‘ia, 5796323 Savory crêpes served with wild greens and a dollop of sour cream. Lightly spiced curries come with chutney and raita (Indian yogurt sauce). Kid-friendly. Mediterranean. L, D, $

FLATBREAD COMPANY 89 Hāna Hwy., Pā‘ia, 579-8989 Big booths, a snazzy bar scene and organic flatbreads laden with maple-fennel sau sage and roasted veggies. Kid-friendly. Pizza. L, D, N, $$

HANA HOU SURF CLUB 65 Hāna Hwy., Pā‘ia, 707-9752 Try a loco moco or açai bowl for break fast, a poke bowl or burger for lunch. International. B, L (Fri & Sat), $–$$$

MAMA’S FISH HOUSE 799 Poho Pl., Kū‘au, 579-8488 Famous for its beautiful beachside set ting and Polynesian-inspired cuisine, Mama’s evokes old-time island hospitality. In 2018, this Maui institu tion became a James Beard nominee for Best Restaurant. Hawaiian/Seafood. L, D, R, $$–$$$$

NYLOS 135 Baldwin Ave., Pā‘ia, 579-3354 This six-course prix-fixe menu is created with the fin est ingredients, like Osetra caviar, wild truffles and line-caught local fish. International. D (5 & 8 p.m. seatings), R, $$$$

VANA PAIA 93 Hāna Hwy. #3, Pā‘ia, 579-6002 Start with a liliko‘i mezcalita, then work your way down the menu and try the hamachi carpaccio, nigiri sushi, dragon roll, or black garlic-miso eggplant. Asian Fusion. H, D, $–$$

Thanks for voting for

November–December

NOVEMBER

4–20

Bent Thurs, Fri & Sat, 7:30 p.m.;

Sun, 2 p.m. A tale of love set amidst the decadence of pre-war Germany, Bent follows three homosexual men as they fight for survival in the face of persecution. ProArts Maui, Azeka Shopping Center Makai, 1280 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei | proartsmaui.com | 808.463.6550 |

IG @proartsmaui | FB @proartsonmaui

8–Dec

23 Hawai‘i Craftsmen

This annual statewide exhibition showcases the highest caliber of crafts in Hawai‘i, featuring works in ceramic, wood, textile, glass, metal and more. Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Cameron Way, Kahului | mauiarts.org | 808.242.7469 |

IG @mauiartsculture | FB @maui.arts

10–12

Hula O Nā Keiki For the past 30 years, this hula competition has educated keiki (children) in the ways of their ancestors. They will steal your heart as they interpret aspects of Hawaiian culture through dance and chant. Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel, 2525 Kā‘anapali Pkwy., Kā‘anapali | 808.661.0011 | kbhmaui.com | IG @kbhmaui | FB @ kaanapalibeachhotel | FB @hulaonakeiki

18–Dec 24 Hui Holidays 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

This beloved shopping event returns with a winter wonderland of local handmade gifts, including paintings, handblown-glass ornaments, beauty products, wreaths and more. Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao | 808.572.6560 | huinoeau .com | IG @huinoeau | FB @hui.noeau

19Aloha

Kalikimaka Gala 5–10 p.m.

The Pacific Cancer Foundation’s biggest fundraising event of the year comes to the Four Seasons Resort Maui. Enjoy dinner, entertainment and an amazing silent auction. 3900 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | 808.242.7661 | pacificcancerfoundation.org | IG/FB @pacificcancerfoundation

23Whose

Live Anyway? 7–9 p.m. Cast members of the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are taking their talents on tour! Actors Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray take suggestions from the audience, and improvise scenes on the spot. Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Cameron Way, Kahului | mauiarts.org | 808.242.7469 | mauiarts.org | IG @mauiartsculture | FB @maui.arts |

ONGOING

Champagne Hale at the Cliff House Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, 3:30–7 p.m. Sip Veuve Clicquot Champagne and snack on delicious pūpū as you enjoy unparalleled views of the ocean, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i. Montage Kapalua Bay, 1 Bay Dr., Kapalua | montagehotels.com/ kapaluabay | 808.226.7924 | IG @montagekapalua | FB @montagekb

24Turkey

Trot 7 a.m. Burn off your pie ahead of Thanksgiving! The winners of this 8-mile road race are those who come closest to guessing their time — not those who finish first! Bring a nonperishable food item to support the Maui Food Bank. Harold Rice Memorial Park, 5700 Kula Hwy., Kula | 808.222.2484 | virr.com | FB @virrmaui

Rumba Tropical, DJ and Dancing 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, 9:30 p.m.–12 a.m. Down the Hatch turns up the heat! Learn Latin dance moves from instructor Shanti Cat, then set the dance floor on fire! 658 Front St., Lahaina | 808.661.4900 | dthmaui.com | IG/FB @dthmaui

25Cruisin’

With Santa 10 a.m. Join the parade as Santa travels from Kalama Park to The Shops at Wailea in a vintage cruiser, courtesy of Maui Classic Cruisers. Once he arrives, The Shops will host a special holiday hula performance in his honor. Kalama Park, 1900 S. Kīhei Rd, Kīhei | The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | theshopsatwailea.com | 808.891.6770 | IG/FB @theshopsatwailea

Lei Po‘o Making Mondays, 2:30–3:30 p.m. Learn how to weave a basic ti-leaf head lei using flowers and ferns. Open to both children and adults. The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | theshopsatwailea.com | 808.891.6770 | IG/FB @theshopsatwailea

30The

Psychedelic Furs: Made of Rain Tour 7:30 p.m. Founded in 1977, this English post-punk band has topped the charts with hits such as “Pretty in Pink,” “Love My Way” and “Heaven.” Maui Arts & Cultural Center, 1 Cameron Way, Kahului | mauiarts .org | 808.242.7469 | IG @mauiartsculture | FB @maui.arts

DECEMBER

1Hawaii AIDS Quilt Viewing and Film 5–9 p.m. In honor of World AIDS day, Hawai‘i quilt squares will be exhibited at the Historic ‘Īao Theater in Wailuku — a one-dayonly display. The accompanying film, Common

Kama‘āina Nights 3rd Friday of each month, 6–8 p.m. Bring the whole ‘ohana (family) to this Hawaiian concert series with performances by local artists. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center Parking Lot, 275 West Ka‘ahumanu Ave., Kahului | queenkaahumanucenter.com/events | 808.877.3369 | IG @qkcmaui | FB @queenkaahumanucenter

‘Ikena Rosé Brunch Saturdays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Grand Wailea Resort presents this brunch series, featuring gourmet local selections paired with rosé and other fine wines. 3850 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | 808.875.1234 | grandwailea.com | IG/FB @grandwailea

November 25: Cruisin’ with Santa Champagne Hale at the Cliff House

December 1: Hawai‘i AIDS quilt and film

|

Threads: Stories From the Quilt, takes you on a memorable journey through the lives and history of those who have passed. 68 N. Market St., Wailuku | 808.242.6969 | mauionstage.com | IG @maui_onstage | FB @historiciaotheater

NFL Football Brunch Sundays, 7–11 a.m. Eat, drink — and watch football! Come to the Waikiki Brewing Company for a delicious brunch buffet and cheer on your favorite team. The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | 808.868.0935 | waikikibrewing.com |

Exclusive Chocolate Tasting

3Sounds

of the Season 5:30-7 p.m. Come see one of the many Mele Kalikimaka performances at The Shops at Wailea, including Holiday Jazz with Rock Hendricks, the Kamehameha ‘Ukulele Band, the Festival of Harps with Madrigal Singers, and more. See website for details. 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | 808.891.6770 | theshopsatwailea.com|

IG/FB @theshopsatwailea

3, 10 & 17 Lahaina Holidays There’s lots to do in Lahaina this December. On the 3rd, meet up for the lighting of the Banyan Tree at 5:30 p.m. On the 10th, bring the kids for free cookie-making, and on the 17th, children 12 and under who bring a can of food for the Maui Food Bank gain entry to the Snow Zone at Campbell Park from 6 to 8 p.m. lahainarestoration.org | 808.661.3262

FB @lahainarestoration

FB @waikikibrewingsouthside

Shop the Street in Wailuku 2nd Sunday of each month, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Showcasing Maui’s small businesses at four pop-up locations on Main Street in Wailuku. Food, drinks, crafts, jewelry, skincare, swimwear and more. IG @shopthestreet_wailuku

Curtis Wilson Cost Studio Gallery Daily, by appointment, 2–5 p.m. The Cost Gallery is the longest-running one-man gallery in Hawai‘i, and more than 130 of the artist’s paintings grace the walls at the Kahului airport. Come to his new private studio in Kula to see his latest works. 808.878.6544 | costgallery.com |

IG @curtis_wilson_cost_gallery |

FB @curtiswilsoncostgallery

By appointment. Enjoy breathtaking views while founder and CEO, Gunars Valkirs, leads you through three flights of chocolate. Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate, 78 Ulupono St., Lahaina | 844.844.KUIA (5842) | mauichocolatetour.com | IG/FB @mauichocolate

Polynesian Show Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:30–6:30 p.m. This performance showcases the graceful art of Hawaiian hula and other dances of Polynesia. The Shops at Wailea, 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | theshopsatwailea.com | 808.891.6770 | IG/FB @theshopsatwailea

Maui Farm Tour 2nd Saturday of each month, 9–11 a.m. Explore the fields, nursery and composting zone, and meet and feed the friendly farm animals, including pigs, goats, rabbits and chickens. Reservations required. themauifarm.org | 808.579.8271 | IG/FB @themauifarm

9–18

A Christmas Carol Thurs, Fri & Sat, 7:30 p.m.; Sun, 2 p.m. Enjoy a familyfriendly version of this classic holiday tale. ProArts Maui, Azeka Shopping Center Makai, 1280 S. Kīhei Rd., Kīhei | proartsmaui .com | 808.463.6550 | IG @proartsmaui |

@proartsonmaui

18Christmas

5K Run + Keiki Dash

7:30–10 a.m. Jingle all the way across the finish line in this holiday race for the whole family. Grown-ups can enter the 5K run or the 1-mile walk, and kids 8 and under can join Santa for the ½-mile Keiki Dash. Remember to bring a nonperishable item for the Maui Food Bank. Kaunoa Senior Center, Pāi‘a, 401 Alakapa Pl., Pāi‘a | 808.222.2484 | virr.com | FB @virrmaui

The Night Cruizers 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month, 6–9 p.m. Come see Maui’s hottest hot-rods, classic cars, muscle cars and more. Bring the whole family — it’s free! Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center Parking Lot, 275 West Ka‘ahumanu Ave., Kahului | queenkaahumanucenter.com/events | 808.877.3369 | IG @qkcmaui |

FB @queenkaahumanucenter

The Magical Mystery Show 6 days per week (dark Wednesdays), 5 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Enjoy some of the world’s best illusionists at the Fairmont Kea Lani. Witness close-up magic and feats of prestidigitation. See the Fairmont’s concierge or purchase tickets online. hotel-magic.com | 888.624.4202 | IG @themagicalmysteryshow |

FB @magicalmysteryshowglobal

ArtLab Maui This art studio for kids offers teacher-led programs on painting, stop-motion animation, sculpture and more. After-school sessions available. Materials included. 381 Huku Li‘i Pl., Ste. 103, Kīhei | artlabmaui.com | 808.666.0111 | IG @theartlabmaui | FB @artlabmaui

Wailea Wednesdays Daily 4:30–6 p.m. Enjoy live music as you peruse more than 70 boutiques, galleries and restaurants at The Shops at Wailea. See website for details. 3750 Wailea Alanui Dr., Wailea | theshopsatwailea.com | 808.891.6770 | IG/FB @theshopsatwailea

Want your function or event to be included? Email calendar@mauimagazine.net or submit online at mauimagazine.net/maui-events Include the event name, description, date/time, website, photos (300 dpi) and social media handles. Entries edited for content and space.

“Back Road to Makena,” by Curtis Wilson Cost, 2001

December 3, 10, 17: Lahaina holiday events

Maui

‘Oi Magazine’s ‘Aipono Restaurant Awards | A benefit for the Maui Food Bank and the University of Hawai‘i Maui College Culinary Arts Program | Hosted by Old Lāhainā Lū‘au

Lahaina Grill: Allison Rote, Ally Mattox, Ian Ponting & Buddy Bradbury

Banyan Tree: Lani Clarion, Michelle Godt & Nohealani Ralar

Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice: Ululani & David Yamashiro

Jeremiah Allen from Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, & Danielle Kuck from Merriman’s

Sale Pepe/Pacific’o: Qiana & Michele DiBari

Māla Ocean Tavern: Caleb Hopkins, Jesus Madrigal, Sergio Baltazar, Grace Hopkins, Rob Farrell, Ashley Davis, Mark Duque, chef Alvin Savella & Kalei Ducheneau

Above, clockwise, from top left: Guests enjoy delicious pūpū prepared by Leoda’s chef Alex Yago, Hoaloha Bakeshop’s chef Samira Seibaa, Old Lāhainā Lū‘au’s chef Craig Masuda, and Star Noodle’s chef Cesar Perez. OLL’s friendly staff greet guests with a lei and aloha. Each guest receives the gift of a kalo (taro) plant. The tables are set for a fun-filled night honoring Maui’s culinary best. Lucky VIPs get a front-row view of the sunset and hula performance.

Hāna Ranch: Duane & Rose Lammers

Macadangdang: Jesse Sidney, Tawney Sidney, Michelle Seller, Donna Steban, Jackie Keefe, chef Joey & Juvi Macadangdang

Pacific BioDiesel: Joy Galatro, Bob & Kelly King

Richard English III & MNKO sales manager Brooke Tadena

Mary-Anne Fitch & Nam Le Viet

Photography by Mieko Horikoshi

Maui Coffee Roasters: Mike Okazaki & Carolann Guy

MNKO dining editor Becky Speere & daughter Tori

Chelsey Ham (right) of the Maui Food Bank accepts a $15,000 donation from MNKO publisher Diane Woodburn.

Kawika Freitas, operations manager, Old Lāhainā Lū‘au

Old Lāhainā Lū‘au: Tiara Kukahiko, chef Craig Masuda, chef Samira Seibaa, Brandon Fujiwara & Kerri Aotaki

Feast at Lele: Louis Coloumbe & Bianca Biron

Tin Roof Maui: Janice Simeon & Cody Margason

Napili Kai Beach Resort/The Sea House Restaurant: Barbie Dofa, Shelley Hee, chef Brian Noordman (in back), Agnes Erorita, Victor Sequina, Liza Sequina, Tracy Kaililaau & Buff Weaver

James Marquez from Island Gourmet Market, Melanie Wicker & chef Eman Eng from Lineage

Sustainability Award-winner Gunars Valkirs & wife JoRene Star Noodle: Chef Cesar Perez & Dennis Gazmen

A Saigon Café: Jennifer Nguyen

Lifetime Achievement Award-winner chef Peter Merriman & wife Victorine

Ka‘ana Kitchen: Rhod Bulosan, chef Chance Savella, Jarrett Pagdilao & Blair Anderson

Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Magazine’s UHMC Culinary Arts Program Scholarship winners: Shawn Abut, Rising Star; Kaililipuhanoha Palakiko, Exemplary Graduate

Kulamanu Ishihara; Agnes Fehevari, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association host scholarship recipient; Tricha Arquero, MHLA culinary scholarship recipient; Lisa Paulson; & Kahele Dukelow

Monkeypod Kitchen: Luke Cartagena, Jason Vendrell, Ryan Schooley & chef Brandon LaClair

Mama’s

Fish House: Tami Joslin, Theresa Munoz, Karen Christenson, Ryan Serano, Scott Burns & chef Perry Bateman

Four Seasons Maui/Duo Steak & Seafood: chef Sam Taganeca & Dylan King

Friend of Agriculture Award-recipient chef Greg Gifford (center), with son Daniel and wife Nicola.

Huihui: Julie Yoneyama, Wela Espiritu, chef Tom Muromoto & Kaena Wojcieski

Fairmont Kea Lani/Kō: Tiffany Naughton, Marilyn Mina (holding photo of the late chef Tylun Pang), Amber Ching, Aris Aurelio & Jonathan Pasion

Pioneer Inn/Papa‘aina: Pete Friedman, Rich Awn, chef Lee Anne Wong & Nick Gerstmar

RESTAURANTS

1. RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

This spot has best of everything — great food, service, value and ambiance.

2. BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Here’s my favorite spot that opened in 2022.

3. MOST “MAUI-EST”

This restaurant is quintessentially Maui — I love taking family and friends here!

4. BEST SERVICE

I can count on the staff here to be prompt, knowledgeable and attentive.

5. BEST OCEANFRONT DINING

Gorgeous views and salt-scented breezes pair perfectly with this well-crafted menu.

6. MOST ROMANTIC SETTING

I propose that this is the perfect place to pop the question!

7. BEST CHEF’S TABLE

For an intimate dining experience, look no further than this establishment.

8. BEST LOCAL FLAVOR

Come as you are and enjoy good food in a casual setting.

9. BEST HEALTHY FARE

Clean, fresh and lean — these folks are experts at making nutritious, flavorful food.

10. MOST INNOVATIVE MENU

This kitchen’s culinary creativity keeps me coming back for more.

11. BEST BUSINESS LUNCH

This is the perfect place to meet with colleagues or clients to seal the deal.

12. BEST HAPPY HOUR

Cheers to my favorite after-work spot for drinks and pūpū with friends.

13. BEST ASIAN CUISINE

For great Chinese, Korean or Japanese cuisine, this is my first choice.

14. BEST SOUTHEAST ASIAN CUISINE

When I’m craving Vietnamese, Thai or Filipino food, this is my go-to restaurant.

15. BEST BURGER

Where’s the beef (the taro or the turkey)? It’s here!

16. BEST HAWAI‘I REGIONAL CUISINE

This restaurant expertly combines the fresh and exotic flavors of the Islands.

17. BEST PACIFIC RIM CUISINE

Dining here takes my taste buds on a trip across the Pacific and beyond.

18. BEST LŪ‘AU

Authentic island food and entertainment make this my favorite lū‘au.

19. BEST MEXICAN CUISINE

When I’m craving something South of the Border, I ándale here.

20. BEST ITALIAN CUISINE

This is the best spot to do as the Romans do.

21. BEST MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

For the love of pita (and hummus, gyros, falafel and couscous), dine here.

22. BEST PLATE LUNCH

Great local-style grindz? This one’s da kine!

23. BEST PIZZA

This upper-crust pizza is flat-out the best.

24. BEST NOODLES

From chow fun to pad Thai — this place has oodles of great noodles!

25. BEST FISH & SEAFOOD

When it comes to fresh fish and decadent preparation, this restaurant is a catch.

26. BEST STEAK

Here, my favorite cut of beef is always prepared to a T.

27. BEST SUSHI

Any way you roll it, this sushi is nō ka ‘oi!

28. BEST BREAKFAST

Here’s my favorite place to start the day.

29. BEST COFFEE SHOP

These guys serve great java, pastries and nibbles in a comfortable setting.

30. BEST FOOD TRUCK

This fast, tasty fare is heaven on wheels.

31. BEST RESTAURANT POKE

No one makes this iconic island dish better than these folks.

32. BEST SHAVE ICE

If I had a slush fund, here’s where I’d spend it.

33. BEST DESSERT

Top off your dining experience with this restaurant’s decadent delight.

34. BEST BAR

My name isn’t Norm, but everybody here knows who I am.

35. BEST HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS

A toast to this venue’s masterful mixologists!

36. BEST LOBBY LOUNGE

A well-stocked bar and great atmosphere make this my favorite place to linger longer.

37. BEST WINE LIST

The sommelier at this venue uncorks the best!

38. BEST LATE-NIGHT DINING

It’s worth staying up past my bedtime to feast here.

39. BEST FARM-TO-TABLE

Fresh produce and locally raised meat make this place my No. 1 pick.

40. BEST GOURMET GRAB & GO

Don’t settle for greasy grub — this to-go food satisfies the pickiest of gourmands.

County

For the 6th year in a row, the residents of Maui raised more than a million dollars at the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association’s Maui County Charity Walk. The annual event occurs simultaneously on Maui, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island, and is one of the single largest fundraisers in the state.

Since the event’s inception in 1980, Maui has raised a total of $17.6 million, and all funds remain within the county to benefit local nonprofits and educational programs at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College.

“The funds enable us … to touch many lives, from children to the elderly, athletic organiza tions to service-related agencies, and health to housing,” says Lisa Paulson, executive director for MHLA. “[We] remain committed to provid ing for and positively impacting … the residents of Maui County.”

Teams walked a 5K course.

Beverly Joy (left) & Angela Berkey were two teammates representing The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.

Feed My Sheep received the award for top nonprofit participant. (L–R): KPOA Radio program director Shane Kahalehau; MHLA director Lisa Paulson; Feed My Sheep founder Joyce Kawakami, MHLA Charity Walk chairperson Dena Roady

Story by Lara McGlashan | Illustration by Matt Foster

Sorry 'bout da humbug

Before my son, Alex, and I moved to Maui, we would visit, and stay in all manner of condos with pristine, insect-free grounds. Occasionally, a mosquito might bother our ankles at dusk, but other than that, we lived happily in a debugged, idyllic Eden. Of course, this is how we expected to find the ‘ohana (guest house) we rented when we relocated to Maui in 2020.

Our ‘ohana was at the front of a sprawling property with a two-story home in the back, a murky-lurky fish pond and overgrown gardens dotted with disintegrating statues. The entire ‘ohana and surrounding grounds were canopied by an enormous monkeypod tree, with boughs thicker than an elephant’s thigh, stretching in all directions like a beach umbrella. Underneath, decades of monkeypod droppings mixed with an unruly thicket of ivy to create — bug heaven.

But the bugs didn’t realize how good they had it, and would visit our ‘ohana regularly to see how the other half lived. Cockroaches were our most frequent guests, hanging about in the sink, the shower, the dresser and even the coffee maker. Every morning, I’d find at least one on its back in the hall way, its legs kicking feebly in the throes of buggy death. And I learned the hard way to wear shoes to the bathroom at night.

Then there were the ants — heavy black ones, angry red ones, and the teeny, tiny sugar ants that even fit through window screens. And of course, the spiders — huge,

furry cane spiders that could leap clear across a room; round, spiky black-and-white spiders who insisted on making a web in the front doorway every night; and palm-sized garden spiders who arranged their legs in a big X-marks-the-spot in the center of their webs. Fortunately for my face, this habit made them easy to see and avoid.

After a while, bugs were simply a thing. We swept the roaches out the door, wiped the ants away with a sponge and waved a dishtowel across the front door before going in or out. But then …

One day, I was folding laundry on my bed when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. As I turned to look, a centipede as long as my forearm and as thick as a hot dog sprinted toward me with its head held high. I shrieked, jumped into the hallway and slammed the door. Alex bolted up from the couch.

“Centipede!” I squeaked.

“Let me see!” he said. We had been warned about centipedes (and centipede stings) by some long-time residents, but we hadn’t been told how to dispose of them.

“Wait,” I said. I found a can of Raid under the sink and held it at arm’s length in front of me as Alex opened the door. The centipede raced forward, a miniature Chinese parade dragon. Screaming, I soaked it with Raid.

But it didn’t die — it got mad, thrashing back and forth on the floor. I slammed the door shut again.

“I guess we have to wait,” I said. Alex nodded and we sat down to watch a movie. Halfway through, he peeked in.

“Not dead,” he announced.

We checked again when the movie was over — still not dead. The centipede had worked its way across the floor and was now flinging itself about underneath the bed. Where was I going to sleep?

Just then, our stoic plumber arrived to fix the shower. He had been here the pre vious week to install a garbage disposal, and within that hour, he had never uttered a word. I showed him to the bathroom and he got to work. I quickly decided that this leathery, weathered Hawaiian had likely seen many a centipede in his day, so when he was done with the shower, I explained about the centipede and the Raid and the not-dying thing, and asked if he could check under the bed for us.

“You know, to see if it’s dead yet?” I clarified.

He stared at me for several seconds with a Vegas-quality poker face, then opened the bedroom door and looked in. He shut the door, walked to his truck, and came back with a stout machete. He went into the bedroom, and Alex and I waited, listening.

Whup!

He reemerged, wiping the blade on his jeans.

“Dead now,” he said. Then he smiled with a jack-o-lantern grin. “No charge.”