september • 2013 keiki cover models

Aloha to Sofia and her little brother Christopher, our keiki cover models for this issue!

Mom is Svetla Doncheva, who works as retail manager at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Dad is Leo Mallari, Food and Beverage Director at Makena Resort.

The family lives in Lahaina, and Sofia attends Sacred Hearts School. Christopher enjoys preschool at the same school.

Mom shares, “Sofia and Christopher both love playing tennis. Sofia participates in tumbling after school, and both kids like watching The Disney Channel!”

Mahalo to the Mallari family for sharing your keiki with our Maui Concierge community!

i‘o restaurant in lahaina: farm to table at its finest

It’s hard to imagine a finer example of the farm-to-table concept on Maui than I‘o Restaurant in Lahaina. Executive Chef James McDonald and his partners not only own and operate the restaurant, they also own the eight-acre O‘o Farm in Kula, which supplies produce and coffee for I‘o, as well as their other ventures: Pacific‘O Restaurant, The Feast at Lele, and ‘Aina Gourmet Market at Honua Kai Resort & Spa. Talk about vertical integration!

I‘o Restaurant is tucked away into an oceanfront corner at 505 Front Street in Lahaina, directly across from sister restaurant Pacific‘O, and adjacent to The Feast at Lele. Signage displays a playful twist on the letters “i” and “o,” indicating there’s more fun to come. Susan is joining me this evening, and we’re greeted at the sleek stainless steel hostess station by I‘o General Manager Lyndsey Miller, who shows us to an inside table next to enormous white wood window casements that fold back to reveal a shimmering ocean, with the neighboring island of Lana‘i in the backdrop. Al fresco dining on the brick patio is also available.

exploring waterfall wonderlands with hike maui: experience the magic of nature

I’m not a morning person. So signing up to participate in Hike Maui’s full-day Hana hiking adventure, which begins at 7am in Kahului, is out of character for me. As I drive down Haleakala Highway, while slamming down hard-boiled eggs and peach-flavored yogurt (distracted driving, anyone?), I’m thinking, “this better be really good.” It was, and then some.

At precisely 7am, a white Hike Maui van driven by Dave Black arrives to pick me up at the Kahului park ‘n’ ride lot on the Kuihelani Highway. Already in the van are five more hikers whom Dave had picked up earlier at their Ka‘anapali hotels. We drive down Hukilike Street to the Hike Maui headquarters, where we’re greeted by Jake Noury, our guide/driver/entertainer for the day.

It’s another beautiful Maui morning as we board Jake’s van and head up Haleakala Highway. Jake tells us he was born and raised on Moloka‘i, and that as a youngster he learned cordage tying, as well as other traditional Hawaiian skills that are passed down through generations. He and his family farmed, fished, and collected raw ingredients from the land for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cordage was made into nets, which they used to trade for goods from other families.