Restaurants

by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl

The line is all part of the fun

When we landed last month in Maui, I was determined to be a good little food blogger and track down every shave ice place in Central and West Maui and report back to you the best on the island. My waistline was going to take one for the team. As it so happens, we came upon the best our second day in and I stopped my search.   Read More »

by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl

Beach in front of Mama

Traveling to Maui is expensive; first the airfare, then lodging, and finally food. However, there are ways to maximize your dining dollars while visiting this tropical paradise, and here are my 5 tips. Read More »

Mama's Fish House, Pa'ia, Maui, Hawaii

by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl

After surviving a trip on the Road to Hana, we decided a fancy lunch was in order, and fortunately, we were able to sneak into Mama’s Fish House in Pa’ia for that lunch experience. And sneak we did, since we had spent the better part of the morning scrambling up muddy hills in search of water falls! Read More »

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Hula Grill

It’s not enough to have landed on the Island of Maui, smack dab in the middle of tropical Hawaiian paradise. Now you have a handy guide to point you in the right direction when it comes to the best food and drink on Maui, Hawaii.

Best dining in Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii: My money’s on Hula Grill, located in Whaler’s Village. Chef Peter Merriman clearly has fun with his menu. From the Imu style bbq ribs to the crab wontons, you can make a meal of the appetizers. If Opakapaka (pink snapper) is on the menu, snap up this moist regional fish.

Tropica Prawns & Ono

Best lobster chowder with an ocean view: the Westin Maui’s Tropica has kept this favorite on the menu since the restaurant’s opening. The vegetable stone baked flat bread with Maui goat cheese is also a winner, as are the prawns and ono.

Best place for sunset drinks: The Sheraton Maui has a nightly cliff diving ceremony at sunset. After sunset, make reservations for dinner at Teppan-yaki Dan. Adults will enjoy the Japanese cuisine with Hawaiian influences, such as the Lobster chunks with macadamia nut butter, while the kids will like watching flying cutlery.

Teppan-yaki Dan

Best Hawaiian Luau: The Royal Lahaina Resort has the Hawaiian Luau and Kalua pig unearthing down to a science. The nightly show offers guests a cultural celebration of music, and is paced so that guests enjoy watching the dancers as the sun sets into the ocean. Children will appreciate the Keiki buffet.

Royal Lahaina

Best place for snorkeling with lunch included: Teralini Snorkel Adventures offers a five hour snorkel adventure, complete with lunch on a spacious catamaran.

Best casual dining: The newly renovated Umalu at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa has fabulous food and a view to match. Order the Maui onion rings, Island style hummus with goat cheese, vegetable lumpia or Kobe sliders. If you have room, the fish tacos are fresh and filling.

Lumpia at Umalu Restaurant

Best local ice cream: While I discovered Roselani ice cream at the Royal Scoop at the Royal Lahaina Resort, the island treat can be found throughout the Hawaiian islands. My favorite; chocolate with macadamia nuts.

What’s better than ice cream? According to locals, the Acai Bowl, a blend of acai berries, bananas, apple juice and ice is blended and put into a bowl topped with granola, sliced bananas and drizzled with local honey.

Best local cheese: While I didn’t get a chance to visit the Surfing Goat Dairy, this little company makes its presence known on the island.  Next trip to Maui, I’m going to visit those goats.

Best local beer: A favorite among locals and tourists, the Maui Brewing Company is the only microbrewery on Maui. I didn’t get a chance to visit the brewpub in Kahana, a popular dining location.

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

It’s a sad thing when you run out of actual restaurants in your own area to review and you have to venture out and check out new places. Not that I mind, but I sometimes have to work at my other job and run short on time. Hawaii is where I want to be right now, so Hawaii is what you get.

That said, if you are on the island of Maui and are getting ready to head out on the road to Hana, I know the perfect place to stop for breakfast. Colleen’s at the Cannery has a great selection of breakfasty items, but they are famous for their breakfast burritos. How do I know? It says so in the brochure that we received at the hotel.

A couple of things to remember about the road to Hana, 1. there are all kinds of great places to stop and play in waterfalls and hike back to. 2. All that activity will make you hungry. Well, that and the nail biting journey, especially so if you come across the locals. 3. There is little to no food once you get to Hana. Yes it’s beautiful, but why not stock up a hearty breakfast on the way.

We stopped and  partook of the famous breakfast breakfast burritos and a bagel with smoked salmon, tomato, onion, capers, cream cheese. Yes, it was divine.

The breakfast burritos were very good as well. It was chock full of scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheddar, green chile, salsa and sour cream wrapped in a toasted tortilla. How could that not be good?

In looking at the website I see that they’ve given themselves a little makeover. I hope they didn’t lose their charm and the locals with their new look.

Colleen’s was the first place I put brown sugar in my coffee and  then fell in love with the idea of brown sugar in my coffee. Next time I’ll try lunch or dinner, the menu looks delish.

Colleen’s At The Cannery
Cannery Marketplace
810 Haiku Rd.
Haiku, HI 96708

Tel (808) 575-9211
Email info@colleensinhaiku.com

Hours of Operation:
Everyday 6am to around 10:00pm      Photos-Courtesy of Colleen’s

Ferraro's at Four Seasons Resort, Maui

Maui is considered by many experienced travelers to be the best tropical island in the world; I sure know it’s one of my favorite places on Earth. One of the best luxury resorts on this Hawaiian island is the Four Seasons in Wailea. It follows, then, that the Four Seasons would have top-notch 5-star dining. My favorite high-end, special-occasion restaurant in Maui is Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante. Looking for a quiet, sophisticated, romantic adult dining experience? Ferraro’s is the best restaurant, in the best resort hotel, on the best island in the world. Not too shabby!

There are standard Italian dishes here, but you’re in Hawaii – get the local seafood. Grilled or pan-fried ahi, caught earlier that day, served with delectable sides are my favorites. There are also choices like lobster risotto, fillet of branzino, and perfectly prepared pasta dishes. You can’t go wrong. Lunch here is Hawaii casual, yet the spectacular setting and terrific menu selection makes it memorable. It’s pricey, as are most restaurants in luxury resorts. However, the best meal to enjoy at Ferraro’s is definitely dinner. Save up your vacation dining budget by eating lunch at a good, cheap Maui restaurant, and splurge on dinner at Ferraro’s.

Make no mistake: This is a classy, romantic restaurant, with a wonderful wine list and the freshest of

Four Seasons is One of The Best Resort Hotels in Maui

entrees. It’s classic Italian in terms of the menu, but the view is 100% Hawaii. The large open-air patio accommodates most guests for al fresco dining, which is key for the romance. Ferraro’s in the Four Seasons resort is right on the beach, close enough to hear the crashing waves and take in the sunset. Gently piped-in live music somehow manages to match the tempo of the waves, and as the sun sets and the music plays, well…it’s enough to fall in love all over again. Reservations are strongly recommended to get seated for sunset dining. Call ahead: It’s worth it. Ferraro’s, after all, is the best romantic high-end restaurant on Maui.

Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante
Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea
(808) 874-8000