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Veterans, active military and first responders might get “KISSed” on Veterans Day with free food at Rock & Brews in Paia. Co-founded by KISS frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Rock & Brews will offer a complimentary pulled-pork sandwich on Komoda Bakery buns with a choice of fries, potato salad or coleslaw; or Strawberry Fields salad with spring mix, avocado, strawberries, candied mac nuts, cucumber and feta cheese tossed in vinaigrette.
“The buns make all the difference,” enthused Mark Cameron, operating partner. “Our customers notice when we don’t use it.”
“We are proud to honor the men and women who protect and serve our country,” Stanley and Simmons said in a joint statement.
The free food will be offered opening till close on Monday with proof of service. The offer is limited to one item per person and available for dine-in only. Call 579-9011 or visit www.rockandbrews.com.
FROM MAUI TO MANHATTAN
Kalani Pe‘a may be a Hilo native, but Maui is sure proud that the two-time Grammy Award-winning singer resides here. The classically trained tenor with a dynamic and inviting onstage presence has performed from Japan to the West Coast. Now he’s been invited to join in the 2020 American Songbook lineup at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan on Feb. 27. He’ll be in esteemed company as Rufus Wainwright will be in the series as well as Natalie Merchant. (Wainwright, by the way, will perform at the Blue Note Hawaii on Oahu Dec. 28.)
“Showcasing great songwriting — and the enduring power of the lyric — the series highlights the unique ability of the human voice to convey natural emotion and express a universal and personal story,” emailed Karen Fischer of Pasifika Artists Network, who booked Pe‘a at the prestigious venue. “Increasingly multicultural in scope and representative of the expansive fabric of our culture, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook continues to highlight American song that transcends language, culture, genre and age.”
Heading to Manhattan in February? Visit lincolncenter.org for Pe‘a tickets.
Speaking of the Big Apple, the Ka‘anapali Beach Resort Association team, led by Executive Director Shelley Kekuna, just finished three productive days of meetings there, including with the Food Network. It just goes to show that all manner of Mauians are keeping the island top of mind.
And regarding Hilo-to-Maui star power, celeb-chef poster boy Sheldon Simeon of “Top Chef” fame and his executive chef at Lineage in The Shops at Wailea, Robert Ramshur, recently gave out samples of their new Slab artisanal Hawaiian chili-pepper water at the Made in Maui County Festival — but they were not allowed to sell it there.
The product is in partnership with Hawaiian Airlines’s “Mana Up” showcase of local goods and with Sheldon’s partner in Lineage, Matt Godfrey. They’ll first sell Slab from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the T Galleria duty-free store in Waikiki. After that it will be available at Lineage and at Sheldon’s other Maui restaurant, Tin Roof in Kahului.
“We want to share what chili pepper water is with the world,” said Ramshur. “Sheldon always talks about growing up in Hilo and that his dad’s house was always the social hub where relatives brought their own chili pepper water to show off. Slab is a culmination of those flavors.”
Slab is surprisingly mellow and mild — for a chili-pepper water.
“We want it to be palatable for everyone. We will make a spicier one later. This has shoyu, patis, Hawaiian chilies and salt, apple cider vinegar, garlic and, of course, water. We like to blend our peppers so it’s nice and smooth. I think it’s perfect for breakfast with fried rice, eggs, mixed into poke, or just to enjoy as a shot when you hang with friends, have a couple of bites and drink some beer and whiskey. It makes a great chaser. Right now we sell it at Tin Roof and Lineage; we’ll be launching on e-commerce at slabhawaii.com. Online it’s $15, and we’ll keep it to $12 on Maui. We’re working on a barrel-aged line as well.”
PERSIAN DINNER BENEFIT
Chef-restaurateur Paris Nabavi and his wife, Donna Nabavi, will open the doors of their beautiful home in Kaanapali for a benefit dinner Friday. All proceeds from donations of $200 per person for this exotic Persian dinner go to the Nabavi Legacy Fund for local nonprofits.
“Bring a bottle of your favorite wine or sample some of my wine from our private collection,” says Paris. “We’ll serve dishes such as gyros bites with tzatziki sauce, hummus, dolma, feta with harissa, spicy mixed olives, saffron-roasted Cornish hens, and baghali ghatogh of fava beans with fresh dill and garlic. Dessert includes faloudeh of Tuscan cantaloupe with orange- blossom water and Persian tea with raisin cookies.” For tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
Anyone who’s had a loved one enter hospice knows the importance of such a noble organization. You can help support its cause during the 10th annual Dine Out for Hospice Maui at a number of restaurants around the island. For a complete list of participants, visit hospicemaui.org.
Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea General Manager Michael Pye announces the completion of an extensive makeover of the resort’s breakfast restaurant, fitness center, ballroom and foyer. Basically, the Kea Lani Restaurant was sliced in half vertically, with the upper level becoming the fitness center.
Health nuts will want to try the AM Alternative of grilled grapefruit with caramelized banana, Hamakua alii mushroom crostini, Maui onion focaccia, tofu scramble, curly kale, sweet pepper, bush beans and Otani Farms carrot. Or you may opt for the Island Favorites dish of banana brulee, yogurt, granola, mango bread, Maui honey butter and Maui moco of braised pulled beef short rib, two eggs your way, Kula onion gravy, steamed rice and won bok kim chee ($39 each dish). Kea Lani restaurant also offers a daily breakfast buffet for $48 adults and $24 for children — all designed by its executive chef, Tylun Pang.
Veteran journalist Carla Tracy pops the cork on Maui’s dining and entertainment scene in her weekly column. Email her at carlatracy808@gmail.com.
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