chocolate peanut butter cheesecake happinessi have reached the conclusion that i would make an awful food blogger simply because snapping a shot of my meal is the last thing on my mind when my plate arrives. also, my camera skills are a bit lacking (an area i hope to remedy with a little practice). my trip home last week was far too fleeting and filled with family gatherings for any new culinary explorations, but i finally gathered up my notes and photos to file a report on the delicious dishes enjoyed during my springtime hop to maui.
first, let's start with an afternoon treat at paia's ono gelato which offers tempting scoops made with a "farm to fork" philosophy. deciding between a surfing goat dairy fusion or a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake concoction was my most difficult decision of the day, but the latter won my $5 plus change if only as an homage to the yummy frozen pie my southern granny would whip up when she visited the islands.
judging by the pollock-esque ice cream splatters along the sidewalk in front of the shop, it seems i was not the only one challenged to finish up my cone before it melted all over the nearest crosswalk. my advice: order up a cup instead of a cone and sticky fingers should not be an issue (although there is a wash room a few steps outside the gelateria's side door).
maui brewing co. sampler
. . . & beer battered onion rings
keg illuminationearlier in the day, the mister and i ventured out on the long drive to lahaina to check out maui brewing co. my resident beer geek started out with a sampler ($3.75) and ultimately gave the thumbs up to lucifer's angel. if you prefer bubbles without the buzz, i am happy to recommend the homemade root beer which is frosty and delicious!
we both find beer battered onion rings ($7) irresistible when listed on a menu and mbc's hearty offering, even with a slight sheen leftover from the fryer, became even more tasty after dipping each thick slice into the chipotle remoulade which added a spicy kick. rounding out our meal were an andouille sandwich ($12) for him while i, anticipating my upcoming gelato treat, selected kalamata sliders ($5).
while there's no view to speak of unless you count the myriad of televisions screening everything from surf videos to the sporting event du jour, the tap list was quite impressive making mbc a must stop for anyone who geeks out over beer. the decor is standard issue brew pub fare, but the industrial gleam of steel kegs smartly transformed into lighting fixtures hanging in the rafters was a fun design note.
t. komoda malasadason our way out of town the following day, we stopped at the t. komoda store to sample their legendary cream puffs which are quite deserving of all their accolades. we also couldn't resist a malasada stick stacked in a row of sugary delights (genius!) which was a nice balance between leonard's light and airy offering and the denser dough fried up at the tex drive-in on the big island.
alas, my camera failed to capture the giant house salad i ordered up (and quickly abandoned due to my woeful headache) and what the mister described as a super 'ono burger during our first night's supper at colleen's in haiku with the always delightful conn and john from cuckoo for coconuts. and, french fry lovers take note: conn shared a tip that the fries tend to be salty and recommends asking the kitchen to skip the final seasoning. my mister followed conn's lead and agreed they were still delish without the extra salt.
my colleen's salad ended up dressing up our takeout from paia flatbread (recommended by the cfc 'ohana) which, with its wood-fired crust accompanied by fresh and simple ingredients, was the perfect bite after rushing up twisty, curvy olinda road to our upcountry getaway to catch the sunset on our final day.
fyi: all of our stops were casual eateries so no fancy dress or reservations required.
bon appétit!
Feb 17 
happy anniversary!
. ($40; officially releases in jan 2011 but can be purchased at both of aw's 