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Word is spreading fast that Sheldon Simeon — former “Top Chef” fan favorite and the main guy at Lineage in The Shops at Wailea — has moved on to spend more time with his wife and four young children.
“He remembers all the quality time he spent with his dad and uncles, and he wants to spend time with his own four kids,” said Lineage general manager Melanie Wicker. “Nobody on the planet is eating better than those kids right now. He makes them breakfast, packs their lunches and has dinner waiting when they get home. They are living large. “
Former Lineage chef de cuisine MiJin Kang Toride was promoted to executive chef. She’s been part of the team since August.
“While my departure is bittersweet, I am confident the team will continue to impress and will thrive under the direction of Chef MiJin,” Simeon said. “She has been able to come in and make the transition seamless.”
Toride has cooked at Terra and Morimoto in Napa Valley, Calif., Ame at the St. Regis in San Francisco and Ka‘ana Kitchen at Andaz Maui in Wailea.
“She’s amazing,” Wicker continued. “Honestly, I think that our food is much more approachable now, and people who come in ‘get it.’ People weren’t as familiar with our other menu. We now have whole fish, crispy or fried, flying out the door. We have Maui-beef rib-eye and our chicken (half fried and half huli, or roasted on a spit) is our top-selling item.
“Our profits are going up. Plus, we have new bar manager April Leslie from Kauai. Her family was fond of Chinese medicinal herbs and tinctures. She forages for natural ingredients and looks for ways to integrate plants with beneficial properties into her craft cocktails. Lineage is all girl power. It’s very functional and very exciting.”
For more details or reservations, call Lineage at 879-8800.
Fans of Simeon should stay on the watch for his upcoming cookbook, “Cook Real Hawaii: Local-Style Recipes From the Islands of Aloha,” set to be published later this year. He also owns Tin Roof in Kahului.
Elsewhere in Wailea, Oahu native Chris Kajioka, who earned acclaim at Vintage Cave at Ala Moana and the downtown eatery Senia, is now culinary director for Hotel Wailea. He still lives on Oahu and runs Senia, according to Hotel Wailea executive chef Zach Sato. Starting next month, the Relais & Chateau adults-only property will begin a slow rollout of new bistro casual-chic menu items at The Restaurant, a chef tasting menu in soon-to-open Secret Garden and a seven-course culinary experience in The Treehouse. For more details, 874-0500.
‘WINE 101’ FOR ALL
Some years, nurses and plumbers have outnumbered restaurant industry people among those enrolled in the “Wine 101: Increase Your Knowledge of Fine Wines” class at University of Hawaii Maui College in Kahului.
Paradise Beverage wine portfolio manager Alan Jahns started teaching this annual class 30 years ago, and it’s a winner. From 7 to 9 p.m. over the course of five Tuesdays, starting March 3, he will pour more than 50 selections from around the globe. Equal to the tastings is the education provided by Jahns. No one I know can take the snobbery out of wine while spelling it out in such informative and humorous gulps as Jahns.
“All major wine-producing countries are represented: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, along with USA’s California, Oregon and Washington,” Jahns said. “Last year we had a few couples and friends who made ‘Wine 101 Tuesdays’ their girls’ night out.”
In addition, an optional field trip on a Saturday in March (date to be announced) will take students to MauiWine in Ulupalakua to see the vineyards and how wine is made, graciously hosted by Paula Hegele, who heads the winery. The big news there is new winemaker is Krista Ehrenclous, who worked at Stag’s Leap in Napa Valley.
Wine 101 costs $249 per adult, which breaks down to about $50 per class. To enroll, call 984-3500.
By the way, I spotted retired UHMC culinary instructor Bobby Santos at the Pa‘ina Building food court on campus recently. He said he’s teaching a regular cooking class at Kaunoa West Maui Senior Center in Lahaina. The next one is March 24. To sign up or get on the wait list, call 661-9432.
GET SURREAL AT THE HUI
Influenced by Renaissance masters, surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dali was famous for his bold and bizarre images. And who can forget the striking dream sequence he designed for Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning thriller “Spellbound?”
“I don’t do drugs; I am drugs,” the artist once proclaimed.
From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center in Makawao will pay homage to the late, great Dali with Art Affair 2020. It’s the hui’s annual premier art auction and social event of the year. Proceeds benefit art programs for all ages and abilities throughout the year.
Sit down to a Spanish-influenced menu, dance to live music by Gretchen Rhodes, (she often fronts Mick Fleetwood and Dave Mason), and the House Shakers, and bid at live and silent auctions.
“It’s a very Spanish menu,” said Beverly Gannon of Celebrations Catering, who is creating the feast. “I’m really into cooking Spanish and Portuguese food right now. It’s my favorite. It has nothing to do with Pacific Rim cuisine that I did for so many years. I actually have a couple of Dali lithographs that I bought, like, 50 years ago and a cookbook he did. Some recipes are from that.”
Savor tapas of grilled octopus with white beans and roasted peppers, chorizo- filled dates wrapped in bacon, and manchego cheese-and-fruit skewers. Sit down to family-style bowls of gazpacho, warmed olives, albondigas (meatballs) in red sauce, garlic shrimp and desserts of flan and churros.
“The Hui encourages guests to embrace and celebrate in the spirit of the theme by dressing the part, taking ideas from Dali himself or his surrealist work,” said James Woodward, who oversees the event.
Standard tickets are $195 per person, and VIP admission is $250. Tables are still available. Full bar is included with ticket. Buy online at huinoeau.com/art-events or call 572-6560.
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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