Finding new treats and a new friend on Big Island, Hawaii
One of our favorite restaurants on the Big Island, Hawaii, is Mai Grille by Chef Allen Hess. The restaurant is the “Home of Bacon” cured in-house. We invited a woman sitting by herself to join us and learned Arianna was from Sicily, Italy. Arianna is working on her PhD in bioengineering and was on Hawaii...
Our food adventure in Wailea, Maui
Where to find very fresh fish in Maui? Miso Phat! In 2016 the restaurant was featured on Guy’s Diners, Drive ins and Dives. I was able to take a picture of owner Joy and two great sushi chefs with Guy’s signature on the wall behind them. I ate the TNT roll-shrimp tempura, crab and ahi...
Big Island, Hawaii-Coffee and Chantilly Cake
Anytime is coffee time, and I discovered the Kona Mountain Coffee store on the Big Island. The coffee is 100% grown and hand picked on the family’s Kona farm, then roasted in the store. I met the owner Bill Dwyer and his daughter Heather, and they are committed to producing the smoothest coffees. Chocolate candies...
Big Jake and Randy Serving Big Island Style BBQ
BBQ at the roadside stand Big Jake’s in Honaunau, south of Capt Cook, Big Island, Hawaii. It’s all about the barbecue ribs, meats and chicken cooked over keawe wood by Jake. Jake was raised on the island, cooked in many established kitchens and is a certified bbq pit master. You know its good bbq when...
Clucking about Fried Chicken in Hawaii
Hawaii makes one think of pineapples and poi, but who would have thought a gas station makes delicious and crispy fried chicken in paradise. Minit Stop food counters are located inside Ohana gas stations throughout the Big Island and Maui. And they are nothing like the convenience stores I know with hot dogs rotating around...
My Maui Dining Favorites
First stop on Maui from the airport is Star Noodle. Fine Asian/Fusion and always freshly prepared. Vietnamese crepe, Kalbi short rib and steamed pork buns. One of my regular restaurants when visiting Maui and I haven’t found another crepe like this, which brings me back to Maui. Time after time, I’ve passed Frida’s Mexican Beach...
Mac Nuts and Ice Cream on the Big Island, Hawaii
Back in the 70’s, Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. owner Richard decided Hawaiian Macadamia nuts needed to continue to grow on the island and limit the importation of nuts. His business, Hamakua Mac Nut Farm, processes and sells 100% Hawaiian nuts. The visitor center is full of flavored nuts, popcorn, chocolate and coffee-all nutty and packaged...
The Sweet Side of Hilo, Hawaii
Guava, mango and lilikoi flavors are some of the traditional Hawaiian flavors used by a classically French trained chef in Hilo, Hawaii. Baking with butter and squeezing fresh fruit juices are the heartbeat of the kitchen. Buttery butterscotch Hilo bar Chef and owner Maria Short of Short N Sweet Bakery and Café in Hilo on...
Big Island Poke Contest and Preserving Hawaiian Culture
Poke, Hawaiians will tell you, is pronounced Po-kay, ending with an “e” and not pronounced as if its spelled poki. With that in mind, I was ready for the annual poke competition in Waikoloa, Big Island, and an event of the Hawai’i Island Festival. I made my way past a royal guardsman of the Queen’s...
South Point on the Big Island, Hawaii
The Southern Most Part of the USA If you want to get into a lively discussion with a fellow traveler, ask where the southernmost part of the USA is located. Many areas in the USA claim this special recognition, but at 19 degrees latitude, South Point beach on the Big Island takes the pineapple. Known...
Growing Chocolate in Hawaii
Hawaii the state of scenic sunsets, gorgeous beaches, and chocolate? Yes, the “food of the Gods” is grown on the Big Island near the fertile lands where coffee and avocados abundantly grow. A bit south of Kona, in a lush tropical setting with sweeping views of the ocean, sits the gardens of the Original Hawaiian...
Kona Chips, my favorite potato chips
My favorite potato chips are Kona Chips, made on the island of Hawaii and near Captain Cook. The mom and pop company began making the chips in the back yard and once retired, the new owner moved to a building and kept the chips as the best on the island. It’s the extra thick slices...
