Pau Hana Friday for May 30

Taste of Hawaii this Sunday at Smith’s tropical Paradise. Daniel Lane photo

Tasting Kauai

Happy Aloha Friday! We had an exceptional week and hope you did too. Today, read about what will be served at this Sunday’s Taste of Hawaii in “A Taste of Hawaii for food lovers” found in our “Tastes of Kauai” column in The Garden Island newspaper. If you want a complete listing of what will be served, check out our blog post “2014 Taste of Hawaii“. This Sunday, our “On the Farm” column features organic watermelon from Growing Strong Farm. Yum!

Kauai Beer Company

Kauai Beer Company is adding food to their craft brew menu. Building on the success of Truck Stop Thursday (see listing below under ongoing), we now have Finally Friday. Tonight’s menu is listed under events, but here’s what Larry, their “marketing guy” has to say:

“We are starting the food on Friday and we will work on that menu first. It will be primarily lighter offerings, allowing people to double up on a pork slider or to get a panini sandwich and salad, but each item will be priced somewhere between $9 and $5, staying with the theme of Finally Friday. We are thinking about carrying through with the nightly theme idea starting with the  place to go after work, at the start of the weekend. We’ve got a great idea for Saturday and I know it will work like a charm. When we get closer on that one, I will let you know, but we first want to get Friday up and running. Similarly, we have something in mind for Wednesday. Somewhere in this progression, likely after Finally Friday is humming along, we will introduce cocktails.”

Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple

Jude Huber and her husband Paul own Hole in the Mountain Farm and grow rare, white pineapple called sugarloaf. You can read my article “Not just a hole in the mountain“, but here’s what Jude has to say:
“Paul is busy planting new fields, again, and we are thrilled with the many happy customers who have taken the time to call and thank me for the greatest pineapple they ever tasted.  After the            compliment they often want to know when my next delivery will be to the newest promoters of our pineapple.  We now deliver a few times per week our Kauai Sugarloaf Pineapple to Living Foods Market at the Shops at Kukuiula and to Banana Joe’s Fruit Stand in Kilauea.  We try to keep them in supply on their shelves but alas sometimes we just don’t have enough to go around.”
Here’s an article about Hole in the Mountain Farm in Cool Hunting.

Sustainable Kauai Meetups

This month, Sustainable Kauai’s Meetups include:

Wailua Monthly Garden Share

Tuesday, June 17, 5 to 6 p.m.
Lydgate Beach Park
4470 Nalu Road
Wailua, HI
EVENTS:
Friday, May 30

Finally Friday

Kauai Beer Company, 3 p.m.
Pork Belly Steamed Bun
w/ House Made Pickles, Soy, Lihue Lager Glaze – Served With Kale Cabbage Slaw Topped With Toasted Fresh Coconut: 1 for $5 or 2 for $9
Brewer’s Fresh Salad
w/ Growing Strong Farm Green Lettuce, Spent Grain Pretzel Croutons, Confit Garlic Cloves, Shaved Smoked Gouda, Tossed with Kauai Glory Farms Avocado Dressing: $8
Beer Brined Jerk Spiced Chicken Panini
w/ Fresh Garden Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes and Scallion Lime Aioli Served with House Made BBQ Chips: $9
Spent Grain Pretzel
w/ House Made Mustard: $3
Sunday, June 1

Taste of Hawaii

11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Smith’s Tropical Paradise, $100 online or $115 at the door
The Taste of Hawaii is a Rotary Club of Kapaa fundraiser in its 26 year. As Kauai’s biggest foodie event, numerous local and state-wide restaurants prepare tasty bites and you can eat until your heart’s content. There’s also plenty of locally brewed beer, wine and Nani Moon Mead. The location is beautiful and breezy, but make sure to wear a hat if you’re heat sensitive. There will also be plenty of music. Next Friday, in The Garden Island newspaper, we’ll list who’s coming and what they’re serving. There’s going to be delicious, fresh flavors piled on top of loads of fun. For more information, read or visit the Taste of Hawaii website.
Friday, June 6

Dine with HAPA

Courtyard Marriott Kauai, 7 p.m., $125
Enjoy an intimate evening of farm-to-table seaside dining and music with HAPA. Relaxing ocean breezes cool while you dine on a 6-course meal with wine and beer pairings. Sponsored by Da Food Chain and served by the Courtyard Marriott Kauai. Join us for this kanikapila-style setting with HAPA sharing music by the sea. Call 808-320-3681 for reservations. Seating is limited.

Guests stroll through an exotic fruit orchard on A Taste of Kilohana. Daniel Lane photo

• Sake soaked Kauai Shrimp with Kailani mixed greens, Maui tropical pineapple, and sweet sesame ginger aioli
• Grass-fed Makaweli Meat Company beef tenderloin topped with port wine and a confit of Kauai’s Kaneshiro Farms pork belly and Island fresh Wasabi Crusted Opah with a lilikoi white wine vinaigrette, caramelized Ewa onion, jasmine rice, and a medley of farm fresh vegetables
• Rustic Wi and Molokai Uala Gallete

A portion of proceeds from Tasting Kauai’s food tours and book benefits the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch. To make reservations, visit A Taste of Kilohana. To see previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.
Monday, June 9

Lessons from Da Tax Man

State office Building, 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, June 17

Bartending Class

Take the first steps toward becoming a skilled bartender for a restaurant or your own home. Through hands-on practice, you will master the various techniques for creating mixed alcoholic drinks. You will also learn the history and background of the cocktails and liquors used, and be exposed to the laws and regulations of alcohol beverage service. Special lectures on wine and beer will round out this fun and informative course. For more Information call Peggy Lake at 808-245-8318.

Dave Power teaches guests how to make handcrafted cocktails on A Culinary Romp Through Paradise. Daniel Lane photo

A Culinary Romp Through Paradise

Various locations in Kapaa, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $140
Tasting Kauai’s Culinary Tour offers an intimate glimpse into the Garden Island’s culinary scene. We start with a farm tour and sample exotic fruit grown on Kauai. At the Kauai Marriott Resort, we join executive chef Guy Higa for an outdoor cooking demonstration and gourmet, four-course lunch made with Kauai grown ingredients. This tour ends at The Feral Pig where, Dave Power, co owner and bartender, will demonstrate how to make handcrafted cocktails. This is a special treat as Dave has been written up as one of Hawaii’s best bartenders and he excels at making drinks customized to individual tastes.
Sample menu:
First Course
Chef’s Garden Salad and Lilikoi Vinaigrette
Second Course
Kaneshiro Farms Crispy Pork Belly Plantation Style
Third Course
Kauai Shrimp, Wailua Herb Butter and Fresh Pasta
Fourth Course
Kauai Coffee Expresso Cheesecake with Poha Berry Sauce
To make reservations, visit A Culinary Romp Through Paradise. To check out previous tours, visit our Facebook photo album. Chef Higa donates proceeds from his portion of the tour to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen and Tasting Kauai donates a portion of tour and book proceeds to the Kauai Branch of the Hawaii Food Bank. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.
Wednesday, June 25 through Saturday, June 28

Red Clay Jazz Festival

Red Clay Jazz Festival is a week long event with concerts and workshops featuring some of Hawaii’s best musicians. The final concert includes plenty of delicious food made by local restaurants and this year, Koloa Rum Company is a sponsor. To get a flavor, read my article A Smokin’ Red Clay Jazz Festival or visit the Red Clay Jazz Festival website for the schedule and ticket information.

Guests Bonnie Ventis and Summer Stewart enjoy a Gaylord’s mai tai during A Taste of Kilohana. Daniel Lane photo

A Taste of Kilohana

Kilohana Plantation, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $130
A Taste of Kilohana is an exclusive, guided food tour that includes an off-the-menu, three-course, locally sourced meal that’s served in the Private Dining Room of Wilcox Mansion. Begin with a ride in a open-air train through the 105-acre orchard which has more than 50 varieties of exotic fruit trees. Guests disembark and feed wild boar, goats and chickens and stroll through the orchard with Kai, Kilohana’s expert in local fruit. After picking and eating exotic fruit, sit and relax as Kai demonstrates how to select and prepare tropical fruit, then taste the best of Kilohana in a super-fresh fruit salad.
After a short tour of the historic Manor House, guests settle in at Mahiko Lounge and learn how to make Gaylord’s signature Mai Tai. Meet Gaylord’s executive chef Todd Barrett while he explains the day’s preparations and enjoy a three-course, locally sourced lunch in the Private Dining Room. Lunch is always based on seasonal ingredients, but here’s what our guests enjoyed last month:

• Sake soaked Kauai Shrimp with Kailani mixed greens, Maui tropical pineapple, and sweet sesame ginger aioli
• Grass-fed Makaweli Meat Company beef tenderloin topped with port wine and a confit of Kauai’s Kaneshiro Farms pork belly and Island fresh Wasabi Crusted Opah with a lilikoi white wine vinaigrette, caramelized Ewa onion, jasmine rice, and a medley of farm fresh vegetables
• Rustic Wi and Molokai Uala Gallete

A portion of proceeds from Tasting Kauai’s food tours and book benefits the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch. To make reservations, visit A Taste of Kilohana. To see previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.
Friday June 20 & Saturday, June 21

Winemakers Weekend

The Cliffs at Princeville, $99
The Cliffs at Princeville just announced their 2nd annual Winemakers Weekend. Dan Tudor of Tudor Wines will pour some of his “Latest & Greatest” for all to try. His new releases will be poured on Friday evening on the bluffs of The Cliffs overlooking the Pacific. On Saturday, his classics will be paired with a special dinner. Reservations are requested as they will have limited seating. For reservations or information, email [email protected].
ONGOING:

Sunshine Farmers Market in Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

Farmers Market Tour

Wednesdays, 3 to 4 p.m., $30
Meet local farmers, learn how to select perfect produce as well as when it’s in season and how to cook with it during Tasting Kauai’s one-hour farmers market class. Farmers markets are an affordable way to immerse yourself in local culture and the best place to buy produce that’s so fresh, it was harvested that morning. But buying at the farmers market doesn’t always insure that it was grown on Kauai. It happens all over the world. In Hawaii, customers want mangos year-round. In Colorado, they want tomatoes in May. To make that sale, vendors buy imported mangoes or tomatoes and sell them as their own. Becoming familiar with growing seasons insures your dollars are spent on local produce.
There’s a whole world of delicious produce that many people never try. Let’s face it, some of it looks like it came from another planet. Once unfamiliar produce is demystified and cooking tips are shared, it may become a regular at dinner table. Many factors can make exotic produce expensive and the last thing you want to do is buy a pineapple that isn’t at peak perfection. This class will also teach you how to tell when produce is ripe as well as how to store it for best results. To make reservations, visit our Farmers Market Tour page.

Hanapepe Friday Night Festival and Art Walk

Hanapepe Town, 6 to 9 p.m.
Every Friday evening, Old Town Hanapepe bustles with people. A dozen art galleries stay open late and local crafters sell their wares. There’s also stilt walkers, classics cars, live music and entertainment. The Right Slice sells fresh-baked pie by the slice or whole. Midnight Bear Breads makes pizza fresh from a wood-burning oven. Aloha Spice Company serves samples of their Hawaiian sea salt and spice blends on grilled chicken. These spices quickly add fantastic flavor without a lot of calories and make wonderful gifts of aloha.
Haole Girl Island Sweets sells a variety of hand-made butter croissants, including grilled chicken and portobello mushroom seasoned with Aloha Spice Company blends. Other croissants are filled with local fruit, nuts, honey or vegetables. Samples are given just outside the parking lot, in front of the darling Aloha Spice Company building. Call 808-335-6469 for more information.

Kapaa Art Walk in Old Town Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

Kapaa Art Walk

Old Town Kapaa, 5 to 9 p.m.
On the first Saturday of the month hundreds of people party in Old Town Kapaa. The street is filled with the sounds of laughter and music, smells of delicious local food, and the work of Kauai artists. In front of the Dragon Building, Anni Caporuscio (owner of Small Town Coffee and Blue House Booksellers) sings to a three-piece band which includes a guitar player, drummer and washboard player. Art Cafe Hemingway and Java Kai open a new exhibit and serve food late. The Buttery hosts jewelers and other Kauai Made jewelry is available throughout.
A designated parking area is located at 4451 Lehua St., on a 3-acre spot next to Restore Kauai and Specialty Lumber. Cost to park in the lot is $3.
 

Kauai Culinary Market at Kukuiula Shopping Village in Poipu. Daniel Lane photo

Art Walk at Kukuiula

The Shops at Kukuiula, 6 to 9 p.m., free
An evening of fine art, fine dining and live music under the stars at The Shops at Kukuiula the second Saturday of each month. See May 10 listing for this month’s details.
Dining options include Merriman’s Fish House, Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill, Tortilla Republic, Dolphin Sushi, Living Foods and Lappert’s Hawaii. Plus, enjoy jazz outdoors by Hank Curtis and Steve Dubey and Latin rhythms by Manuel Mendes and Cary Valentine.
 
 

Kilauea Art Walk

Stone Building, 5 to 8 p.m.
Join more than 20 artisans on the last Saturday of the month at the Stone Building in Kilauea Town. There’s live music, original art, hand-made apparel, jewelry, photography, custom slippers, painted glass bottles, ice cream and unique creations. Face painting henna tattoos. Stop by Kilauea Fish Market for dinner.

Art and Wine Thursdays

Art and Wine Thursdays includes an art reception by Kauai based artists such as Donia Lilly, with original pastel, acrylic, and mixed media paintings from the “Oceans” and “Moons” and “Memories” series, along with prints and greeting cards. Wine tastings have included Buena Vista The Count Cabernet 2008; St. Francis Chardonnay 2009; Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2011; Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay 2011 and Lyeth Meritage 2010. Light appetizers of cheese, fruit and vegetable crudités are also available. Includes a coupon for a 15 percent food discount at the Naupaka Terrace with the purchase of any dinner entrée.

Black Limousine, Oktoberfest and Lihue Lager from Kauai Beer Company. Daniel Lane photo

Truck Stop Thursday

Kauai Beer Company, 5 p.m.
Every Thursday, Kauai Beer Company invites three  food trucks to serve food. Trucks park along the curb, the sidewalk is converted into a patio and hundreds of people enjoy food, conversation and each other. Since the trucks change every week, it’s a great opportunity to try something new. For a listing of this week’s trucks, check out the Kauai Beer Company’s Facebook page.

Photos for this blog post were contributed by Daniel Lane of Pono Photo.