Dean & Deluca has opened its second Hawaii location, at the Royal Hawaiian Center, a takeout spot offering quick, upscale meals.
Menu sampling: gourmet sandwiches (such as barbecued beef with chipotle sauce and Tzatziki Turkey); a macadamia nut scone with chocolate-covered Kona coffee beans; and a quiche with avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, bacon and mozzarella.
Salads and sweets (chocolate-dipped pretzel croissant!) and made-in-Hawaii packaged treats are also in stock.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call 492-1015.
A CELEBRATION OF TARO
Hawaii’s Plantation Village is spotlighting all things taro on Saturday with a variety of ethnic dishes utilizing the nutritious plant. Besides modern-day taro chips, expect to taste corned beef hash made with Chinese taro, a satoimo (Japanese taro) dish and a Filipino dessert of taro and coconut milk. And of course, there will be poi pounding.
The village itself comprises ethnic structures, houseware, clothing and gardens reflecting immigrants who worked Hawaii’s plantations.
The free event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the village, at 94-695 Waipahu St. It’s part of a yearlong celebration of the village’s 25th anniversary. Call 677-0110.
The taro celebration dovetails with a celebration of Waipahu town’s 120th birthday, which will be held at August Ahrens Elementary School, 94-1170 Waipahu St., from 4 to 10 p.m.
COFFEE CHAMPIONS CHOSEN
It’s been a year of fine-tuning for the annual Kona Coffee Cupping Competition, which last week named three Kona coffees as best of the region.
Arianna Farms ‘Ono Kona Coffee, Onila Farms and Castaway Bay Kona Coffee were selected by six judges who scored the coffees using a standard created specifically for Kona coffee characteristics.
Those characteristics: acidity, body, coffeeness (coffee flavor), sweetness and floral notes. Complexity and defects are also considered. In previous years a blanket national standard was used.
Also in previous years, awards were given in commercial and artisanal categories. This year organizers divided the artisanal group into heritage, a classic Kona profile; and modern, tailored to the international specialty coffee scene.
Arianna Farms won the commercial division, Castaway Bay the heritage category and Onila Farms the modern category.
Winners were selected Thursday.
The contest was part of the 47th Annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.
TANGO HOSTS WINE DINNER
Wines by Cakebread Cellars will be featured at a dinner Tuesday at Tango Contemporary Cafe.
Master sommelier Patrick Okubo has matched wines from the Napa Valley, Calif., winery with dishes by chef Goran Streng. The four-course menu has a holiday spirit, with pumpkin ravioli and side dishes of caramelized yams and cranberry chutney accompanying the main course of pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto.
Wines include Cakebread’s sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon.
Cost is $91. Seatings are at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Call 593-7288.
Tango’s monthly wine dinners are moving from the third to the first Tuesdays of each month starting in December. Wines of Chappellet Vineyard in Napa Valley will be showcased Dec. 5.
VEGANS CELEBRATE EARLY
If you don’t eat meat, you can feel left out at this time of year, but the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii is looking out for you.
The group’s annual Vegan Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner takes place from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Peace Cafe, 2239 S. King St.
The buffet includes seitan turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a tofu-and-vegetable stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, bruschetta with shimeji mushroom, pumpkin soup and a mochi cake with pumpkin and pecans. Gluten-free options are available.
Cost is $27. Seatings are at 4, 5:30 and 7 p.m. Reservations are limited. Call 518-2354 or email thanksgiving@vsh.org.
HAWAII TEAM FINISHES 7TH
Several teams from Hawaii took part in the World Food Championships in Orange Beach, Ala., last week, with a seafood team led by chef James Aptakin taking seventh place.
The competition brought together more than 400 chefs from across the globe to compete in 10 categories.
A team helmed by Hilton Hawaiian Village chef Joseph Reinhart entered the chili competition and was ranked 25th, while a group of Kapiolani Community College students placed 26th in the steak category.
Last year Aptakin, chef at Turtle Bay Resort, and his team won the seafood category and second place overall.
DUNKIN’ DONUTS NO. 3 OPENS
Dunkin’ Donuts has come to Kapolei. The shop, the third in Hawaii, opened Tuesday in Kapolei Commons.
The shop is giving away a $50 gift card daily through Sunday in an Instagram sweepstakes. To enter, share a doughnut-themed photo with the hashtags #HawaiiRunsOnDunkin and #sweepstakes.
Hours are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The location features a drive-thru window.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
