march • 2015 keiki cover models

Sending a warm aloha to our lovely keiki cover models for March, Michaelah Vasquez, Kingston Kapu & Gianna Kapu, and their entire ‘ohana!

Michaelah Vasquez is eleven years old, and is in 6th grade at Kalama Intermediate. Kingston Kapu is nine years old and is in third grade, and little sister Gianna Kapu is in kindergarten. They both attend Kula School.

Mom is Makanani Kapu, Restaurant Reservations Concierge at the Grand Wailea Resort. Dad is Preston Kapu, owner of Kapu Lawn & Garden. Michaela and Gianna both enjoy hula and dance for Halau Na Lei Kaumaka o Uka. Kingston enjoys football and bodyboarding at Paia Bay. The family attends Word of Life Kahului.

Mom shares: “Our children inspire us by knowing that what we do sets a great example for them and their future. Hearing ‘I love you’s’ & getting big hugs makes what we do worth it every day.”

Makanani’s mom is Emily Arcangel, who has worked at the Hyatt Regency Maui as a Regency Club Concierge for the past 33 years!

 

cow pig bun: the name is just the beginning

Cow Pig Bun. A restaurant’s name can’t get much more straightforward than that. But the food is far from straightforward at this hip new gastropub in Kihei’s Maui Research & Technology Park, as Charles and I found out on a recent visit.

The brainchild of culinary industry superstars Roger Stettler and Greg Shepherd, Cow Pig Bun opened last September in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Carmen. And the name? “Roger and I were barbecuing some beef and pork one evening,” recalls Greg. “I took a selfie and sent it to a friend with the caption, ‘cow, pig, fun!’ My friend read it as ‘cow, pig, bun.’ Just like that, our restaurant was born! When you’re in the middle of nowhere, you’ve got to have a good name.”

makawao history museum: tiny museum, huge heart

Right smack in the middle of quaint Makawao Town is a tiny museum with a huge heart: the Makawao History Museum.

The adage “It Takes a Village” certainly applies to the creation of this charming little slice of days gone by—the only museum of its kind on the entire island of Maui. Judy Mertens, who serves as an advisor to the museum, recalls how it all began. “I was involved with the Makawao Community Association at the time. We had a little money left over from a grant we’d received from the County. We’d talked so long about getting a museum started. So we said, ‘Let’s take that money and see what we can do.’”

roger stettler & greg shepherd join bev gannon restaurants management team

Local chef and restaurateur Bev Gannon has hired Roger Stettler and Greg Shepherd as managing partners at Bev Gannon Restaurants. Roger and Greg are currently partners in Maui’s new gastro pub, Cow Pig Bun.

The dynamic new partnership combines the experience of three of Maui’s most acclaimed restaurateurs with the goal of guiding the evolution of Bev Gannon Restaurants. As stated by Bev, “I’m excited to introduce the energy and new ideas from two of Maui’s younger generation of talent.”

Bev Gannon is the owner/chef behind award winning restaurants Hali‘imaile General Store, Joe’s Bar & Grill, Gannon’s, A Pacific View Restaurant, as well as Maui’s longest-running catering company, Celebrations Catering & Events. Bev also served as Corporate Chef for Hawaiian Airlines (1999-2010) during which time her food was named “Best Food in the Air in North America” by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler (2003, 2004 and 2006).

the cliff house at montage kapalua bay now available for events!

Located at Montage Kapalua Bay, the Cliff House offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i. This intimate venue is nestled on the cliffs of Namalu Bay offering the perfect location for weddings, rehearsal dinners, wine dinners, corporate events or casual barbecues. The floor-to-ceiling windows frame the spectacular ocean views and evening sunsets.

Originally built in 1940, the Kapalua Cliff House was once a facility for the managers of the historic Honolua Plantation. Now operated by Montage Kapalua Bay, the Cliff House has been completely renovated, and is now used as a historic and unparalleled venue for private events on Maui.