In an appeal to casual diners, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali has installed a circle of food trucks at the beautiful oceanfront Aloha Pavilion area where luau and galas are held. One Instagram-worthy food truck is even shaped like a watermelon. Two other fruit-shaped trucks, three colorful themed trucks and a classic Volkswagen van with a boombox blasting music round out the scene in what is now called the ‘Ai Alanui Marketplace.
“I want people to know that we’re trying something different here and trying to blow that hotel stigma of having it be uppity and stuffy into something that’s approachable and phenomenal,” executive chef Jennifer Evetushick explained.
Directly indoors from the trucks, the Happy Hour Lounge pours drinks at happy-hour prices all day from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Super Bowl specials include the San Francisco Dungeness crab dip with sourdough baguette chips, which will battle it out with Kansas City-style smoked brisket nachos. Food truck specials include Cheehoo chicken sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas, and cucumber noodles and melon cubes tossed with cotija cheese in rice vinaigrette.
“The Fun Guy Pizza has Hamakua mushrooms, bacon jam, pesto sauce, goat cheese from Maui’s Surfing Goat Dairy and fresh arugula tossed in a bit of extra-virgin oil infused in lemon,” said senior sous-chef Andrew Koval. “Uncle Hills’ BBQ plate is named after Hillary Atai, who has worked with the culinary department for 15 years and is a local smoked-meat expert. His plate includes hoisin sticky ribs, honey-garlic smoked chicken, black-pepper barbecue pork, barbecue beef brisket and blackened Kauai shrimp — all with house-made sauces and kim chee.” Prices range from $11 to $19. Visit westinmaui.com.
The Pint & Cork in The Shops at Wailea is dark and cool with 17 flat-screen TVs for optimum Super Bowl watching. The name puts it right out there that it’s the place to imbibe premium spirits and wines. Prefer beer? Craft selections rotate on tap and bottles abound.
“We have enough whiskeys to choke a horse,” managing partner Scott Pacer is fond of saying. “Our new chef is Jason Sessions, who was born and raised in Kona and was executive chef of the Westin in Princeville on Kauai. He’ll roll out some new menu items sometime after the Super Bowl, such as ahi tako salad and blackened ahi tacos.”
The Shops at Wailea will feature Angela and Phil Benoit performing from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the free Jazz at the Shops concert. A four-hour parking pass for $5 will benefit Maui Food Innovation Center.
Longhi’s Wailea at the Shops reports that loooongtime GM Michael Rose has retired. Word has it that Gary Smith of the old Waterfront is now one of the managers.
INTERACTIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURE
Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is officially launching the Palaha Hawaiian Cultural Center this week on the lobby level near Cafe Kula and the retail shops. It’s a minimuseum and art gallery combined with interactive demos on poi pounding, kapa making, hula, ukulele playing and more for guests and residents. The Bailey House Museum in Wailuku and Maui Historical Society are partnering to loan pieces to the exhibit.
“I believe every hotel should have a cultural center,” said Director of Culture Kainoa Horcajo. “Artist Avi Molinas is displaying his amazing Hawaiian paintings, and Sissy Lake-Farm has loaned us part of the museum’s collection. Our new Hawaiian cultural ambassador, Kalei Uwekoolani, will lead the workshops, receptions, movie nights, awa ceremonies and panel discussions. It will be a Hawaiian think tank where we’ll speak to the deeper side of our culture.”
10TH-ANNIVERSARY PARTY
It’s hard to believe, but Three’s Bar & Grill in Kihei Kalama Village is 10 years old. All day and night Wednesday, get 25% off food and drinks (except for happy hour). Best buds, surfers and chefs Jaron Blosser, Travis Morrin and Cody Christopher have ridden the waves of ups and downs, including a kitchen fire, a partnership in catering Pacific Whale Foundation boat tours, a Food Network feature and the opening of Fork & Salad in Kahului and California. The trio will donate $3,333.33 that day to the Nabavi Legacy Fund, which supports several Maui nonprofits. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 879-3133 for more details.
KIHEI CAFE OPENS
The former Surfside Deli in the Island Surf Building in Kihei has closed. Now it’s called Surfside Cafe and has new owners. Open for breakfast and lunch Mondays through Saturdays, the cafe is getting raves for its Cubano sandwiches and spicy Mexican fare.
“We opened Jan. 1. Johnson Yung retired and closed the deli after 30 years in business,” said new owner- chef Preston Hope, a veteran in the restaurant industry. Hope has graced the kitchens at David Paul’s, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and the old Chez Paul, Mala Wailea and Renaissance resort establishments. He’s recovered beautifully from a heart transplant, just as his brother has, both done because of genetic defects, and now he’s ticking away with this great casual concept. His wife, Susan Hope, runs the front of the house.
“I had a little restaurant in Avila Beach, California, for nine years with a similar name. I’m 11 years after my transplant, and my brother is 13 years past his. I’m so pleased to be here,” Hope said.
Walk up to the counter and order avocado toast ($5), acai bowl with berries ($8) and a fresh fish sandwich on sourdough (market price). Or order takeout and hang across the street at the Cove at Kalama Park. It’s BYOB with specialty coffees and house-made lemonade.
“I do a little bit of Cuban; a little bit of local food like shoyu chicken, mochiko chicken and loco moco; and some American food. My specialty is the Huevos Motuleno,” for which two corn tortillas are topped with black beans, jack cheese, pork chili verde sauce and two fried eggs ($14). For more details, call 879-1385.
Veteran journalist Carla Tracy pops the cork on Maui’s dining and entertainment scene in her weekly column. Email her at carlatracy808@gmail.com.
