august • 2014 keiki cover models

Sending a warm aloha to Akoni Akoni Imaikalani and Khloe Auli‘i Mana‘olana Morreira, this month’s cute keiki gracing our cover.

Akoni is six years old, and attends Kahului Elementary School. Khloe is four years old, and will start Kahului Hongwanji in the fall.

Mom is Misty Lara, who works in reservations and guest services at Kapalua Golf; dad is Josh Morreira, who works in landscaping.

Mom shares: “My children inspire me at work by reminding me to give all of my energy to everything that I do. They have the energy to do it at school and in all of their extra activities!”

lahaina grill: it’s no accident this restaurant is #1

Everything about Lahaina Grill is top notch: ambiance, service, food, drinks. It’s no wonder this venerable dining establishment has garnered 21 consecutive Hale ‘Aina Awards for “Best Maui Restaurant” in Honolulu magazine’s annual readers’ poll. And, earlier this year, Lahaina Grill took home the coveted “Restaurant of the Year” ‘Aipono award as voted by readers of Maui No Ka ‘Oi magazine. “The Restaurant of the Year is the place you want to go; it’s the place you want to bring someone to for that special event; and it’s the place you’re going to recommend to your friends when they ask, ‘What’s the best restaurant on Maui?’” says Diane Haynes Woodburn, publisher of Maui No Ka ‘Oi.

Charles and I hadn’t dined at Lahaina Grill for quite some time, and it’s indeed a special occasion—our wedding anniversary—that brings us this evening. When server Justin finds out what we’re up to, he asks us a few food preference questions, then suggests we sit back, put ourselves in his hands, and simply enjoy. Who are we to argue?

alan wong’s amasia turns two: grand wailea’s multiple award winner hits its stride

Alan Wong’s Amasia at the Grand Wailea Resort burst onto Maui’s culinary scene in 2012. That year, it was voted “Best New Restaurant” by readers of The Maui News. In 2013, Amasia was named “Best New Restaurant” by Hawai‘i Magazine, and readers of Maui No Ka ‘Oi magazine voted it “Best New Restaurant” as well as the dining establishment with the “Most Innovative Menu”; this year, Amasia chalked up a repeat win in the latter category.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Chef Wong recently added a monthly wine dinner to Amasia’s offerings, featuring five courses ($75 per person) with optional wine pairings ($50 per person). Janet and I have been invited to attend June’s event, which is titled “Midsummer Feast.”

The last time I dined at Amasia was shortly after it opened, and I had been seated in the larger section of the restaurant, which features a soothing Zen-like grotto with stone walkways that meander past koi ponds, streams, water features, and 800 tons of rock hand selected from the base of Mt. Fuji. Tonight, Janet and I are seated in what’s called the “wine room”—a warm, intimate space featuring traditional rice paper windows, walls painted a neutral taupe, a large painting of wine glasses being clinked by a group of hands, and black and red upholstered chairs offset by bright white marble tabletops. Black rattan light fixtures, resembling the gourds that are made into percussion instruments for hula, pay homage to the blend of cultures that is Amasia’s theme.

a breath of ‘ka‘anapali fresh’ air august 29, 30 & 31

Bring together the fresh abundance offered by Maui’s farmers, ranchers and fishermen, and drop a dozen of Maui’s finest resort chefs into the bounty—and you’ve got a party going on! Ka‘anapali Fresh is the signature event of the Ka‘anapali Beach Resort Association, a celebration spanning three golden days of fun, food and wine on the famed crescent beach against the backdrop of Pu‘u Keka‘a (Black Rock).

Already the most blogged-about culinary destination event on the island, this third annual KFresh—August 29, 30 and 31, 2014—features a vibrant new lineup with some “super-fresh” twists.