Mother’s Day: OMG! She does know BEST!
Isle Restaurants will tempt Mom on Sunday
OMG! –as it turns out, Mom was right about everything — including not to text during a family feast, especially on Mother’s Day.
Mom is also right in wanting to be treated to a meal out and you will do her an honor by giving your full attention. Just remember Mother’s Day Sunday is the busiest dining day of the year. So make reservations now to ensure that the whole family will get a seat. As usual, restaurant chefs, owners and servers aim to please.
SOUTH MAUI
The opulent Grand Dining Room, overlooking the dolphin pools and the ocean at Grand Wailea, will dazzle with an elaborate buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Wake up to Belgian waffles; brioche French toast; Kona-crab Benedict with cilantro hollandaise; Nutella pancakes in whipped coconut cream; and omelets made to order.
Sink your teeth into roasted prime rib of beef in truffle demi; passion-fruit glazed pork belly; Upcountry lavender-glazed spiral ham; and salmon roasted in kaffir lime brown butter.
Pile on market fresh fruit, imported and local charcuterie, farm salads, Hawaiian ahi Nicoise, deviled eggs; and seafood such as shrimp, snow crab, oysters and assorted sushi.
Other compelling entrees are Meyer lemon ravioli with wild spinach; Kona lobster mac ‘n’ cheese; and Wagyu beef cheeks and roasted heirloom carrots. For desserts, delight in mango verinne; fresh raspberry tarts; chocolate pot de creme and citrus meringue. Keiki will want to do cookie decorating.
The cost is $90 for adults and $45 for keiki 6 to 12. Complimentary parking at the valet. Tips appreciated. Call Grand Wailea at 875-1234, ext. 51.
Seascape Ma’alaea Restaurant at Maui Ocean Center will make a splash with a Mother’s Day brunch buffet with seatings at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and a dinner buffet with seatings at 5 and 7 p.m.
Maui Ocean Center’s award-winning restaurant in Maalaea also dishes up ocean and harbor views and admission is not required to dine there. The entry is easily located on the Ma’alaea Harbor Shops side of the aquarium.
Let Mom start with salad bar and poke items as well as brunch classics such as smoked-bacon pancakes with berries and syrups and scrambled egg lasagna with roasted red peppers.
Hot entrees are garlic-and-rosemary scented prime rib; baked chicken with Madeira wine and mushroom jus; and Volcano-spiced ahi with tomato-avocado salsa. Desserts range from assorted fresh fruit and desserts to chocolate-covered strawberries to cakes.
Pricing for the daytime brunch runs from $40 for adults; $32 for seniors and $25 for keiki. The dinner buffet costs $49 for adults; $39 for seniors; and $27 for keiki. Call 270-7068.
Sink your teeth into a prime cut of steak; swirl and sip a big, red wine; and crunch steak house gourmet salads at Ruth’s Chris Steak House with two Maui locations: one upstairs in The Shops at Wailea and the other in Outlets of Maui in Lahaina. Crunch steak house salads, sink your teeth into sizzling petite filet and lobster tail, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and New Orleans bread pudding — all are house favorites at the famous steak house.
Special Mother’s Day enhancements will run from Friday through Sunday of guava sparkler drinks; chilled seafood towers in small in large; and Porterhouse steak for two people.
All moms who dine will receive a rose and a gift of a $20 dining card. Doors will open early at 4 p.m. on Sunday. For reservations, call Wailea at 874-8880 or Lahaina at 661-8815.
Located poolside at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea, DUO restaurant will offer a lavish Mother’s Day brunch buffet with seatings from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
The breakfast corner will let you wake up to omelets, pancakes and bacon. Then you may dive into the fish market with chilled crab claws, lobster tails, prawns, island ceviche, poke and oysters shucked in front of you.
Watch chefs carve beef Wellington with truffle jus; baked Hawaiian snapper; and slow-roasted pork loin. Savor clam and corn chowder; yellow Thai seafood curry; hand-cut fries and duck confit fried rice.
Appetizers, salads and entrees will also be available from roasted cauliflower with Green Goddess dressing to saffron orzo pasta to broccoli crunch to mini smoked salmon bagels.
Desserts include champagne mousse with marinated strawberries; hazelnut dacquoise of milk chocolate in whipped ganache; limoncello baba; and praline and pineapple entrements.
Cost is $111 for adults and $41 for kids 6 to 12. Add $20 for the Bloody Mary and mimosa station.
Kamaaina take note that today through Sunday, room rates start at $349; and you get 20 percent off spa, salon and Mother’s Day brunch at DUO.
For Four Seasons reservations, call the concierge at 874-2201.
Five Palms on Keawakapu Beach at the Mana Kai Resort in Kihei dishes up some of the best views on the island all the way from Puu Kukui to Lanai. Dine at the brunch buffet from 8 to 9 a.m. at the early-bird price of $49.95 for adults; or the regular seatings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $54.95 for adults and $26.95 for children younger than 12. Enjoy island fruits and salads; and seafood such as shrimp, green-lip mussels, sashimi and sushi from the lavish display; omelets made to order; eggs Benedict; freshly baked hot pastries with housemade jams and flavored butters; vegetable lasagne; and smoked salmon.
Chefs will carve leg of lamb and you may savor chicken with mushrooms and mac-nut mahimahi. Desserts are pies, cakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Reservations are recommended. 5 Palms will remain open for Mother’s Day dinner at 5 p.m. Call 879-2607.
Fred’s Mexican Cafe opens daily in south Kihei for breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m.; and its sister restaurant, Moose McGillycuddy’s, serves breakfast all the way until 3 p.m. in its upstairs spot that overlooks the beach.
Bring mom for some down-home fare of biscuits and gravy; chicken fried steak; corned beef hash; Hawaiian French toast and more. For more details, call 891-8600.
Want to go someplace intimate as well as hidden away? The Wailea Kitchen & Tap in the former Joe’s near the Wailea Tennis Courts is the place.
Treat mom to lunch or dinner of fish tacos; wedge salad with blue cheese; bowl of red chili or teri-town burgers and house wine — all at affordable prices. Those with a sweet tooth should try the cream pie. Call 878-3663.
CENTRAL/UPCOUNTRY
Tokyo Tei on Lower Main Street in Wailuku will be open for dinner only from 5 to 8 p.m. with its regular menu. Serving authentic Japanese fare since 1935, it’s famous for shrimp tempura, nabeyaki udon, fresh sashimi and pupu such as kinpira gobo and the hot and cold tofu. Call 242-9630.
Moms will love the sumptuous all-you-can-eat brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cafe O’Lei at the Dunes in Kahului. Views of the golf course and the West Maui Mountains may be seen from just about every seat in the large restaurant house.
Chefs will hand carve roast prime rib of beef and make omelets to order. Other hot entrees are sauteed island mahimahi in ginger butter with papaya salsa; chicken and seafood paella; honey and mac-nut roasted pork; and mac-nut crusted chicken in a lemon-caper-butter sauce. Specialty salads are Kula greens, Caesars and Asian blends. Indulge in an array of fine international and domestic cheeses, too.
Get a dessert rush from dark chocolate fondue; mango-apple cobbler; Bananas Foster and fresh seasonal tropical fruits and berries.
The cost is $36 per adult and $18 for children 4 and older. Reservations are always highly recommended. Call Cafe O’Lei at 877-0073.
It’s easy to “Think Italian” on Mother’s Day at Marco’s Grill & Deli in Kahului. Crunch Caesar salads; savor vodka-cream sauce rigatoni; mushroom chicken pasta; meat lasagne; and rich and creamy tiramisu. Walk-ins welcome. Reservations are not taken.
Marco’s is open for breakfast daily, too. Sunday, it’s served from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and lunch and dinner run until 9:30 p.m. Call 877-4446.
Home Maid Bakery on Lower Main Street in Wailuku sells decorated cookies, cupcakes, cakes and pies at its fast walkup counter. Hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Hot malasadas are now available all day long. Call 244-7015.
Tasaka Guri Guri at the Maui Mall in Kahului is an island institution. It’s open for Mother’s Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., serving pineapple or strawberry flavors of the icy treat similar to a sherbet but with a little dairy in it. Quarts are $6 to take home to eat or you can buy cups to enjoy at the mall.
“We sell Maui chips but the sherbet is our main thing,” says Gail Saito, owner of Tasaka Guri Guri with family member Cindy Tasaka-Ing. For further details, call 871-4513.
Hali’imaile General Store will appeal to Upcountry palates and those who want to dine on the slopes of Haleakala from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday with an all-you-can eat brunch buffet.
Dig into herb scrambled eggs, baked ham with pineapple chutney; chili street corn; salt-crusted prime rib of beef; Bev’s famous crab dip; heirloom cherry tomato salad; soba noodle salad; and crab canneloni.
Move to melon and prosciutto salad; Okinawan sweet potato tartlets, assorted cookies and bars. Cost is $48 per adult and $18 per keiki 6 to 8 years old. Call HGS at 572-2666.
Charley’s Restaurant & Saloon in Paia will serve its famous breakfast menu from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with limited lunch items after 11 a.m. The full lunch menu runs from 1 to 5 p.m. and then dinner goes from 5 to 9 p.m.
Sundays, the Bloody Mary Bar lets the house pour your choice of vodka or tequila (Bloody Maria). You add your mixes and garnishes for $5. The Sunday Mimosas are also $5. Call Charley’s at 579-8085.
Iconic Mama’s Fish House in Kuau serves continously from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and there are a few seats open for Mother’s Day lunchtime. Call now at 579-8488.
WEST MAUI
The Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa in Kaanapali will present a special brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday in the Swan Court, once named the “most romantic restaurant in the world” by host Robin Leach of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.” The opulent open-air dining room overlooks lush lagoons, waterfalls and colorful swans.
Highlights are prime rib; honey-glazed ham; smoked salmon; shrimp cocktail; local goat cheese and vegetable frittata; blueberry pancakes; spicy tuna sushi; fresh island fish; shrimp cocktail; prime rib carved to order; California and spicy tuna bowls; fresh local fruits; farm-fresh salads; artisan cheeses; breads; breakfast items and desserts.
Cost of brunch is $65 for adults and $33 for kids 5 to 12. Call 667-4727.
Black Rock Kitchen at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali will honor “the woman of the hour,” aka “Mom,’ with seatings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Enjoy views of Pu’u Keka’a, world-renowned as Black Rock, at the all-you-can-eat affair with make-your-own omelets; buttermilk pancakes and French toast; and chilled fresh Hawaiian poke; smoked salmon; snap-and-eat crab claws and oysters on the half shell.
The chef’s buffet features baby-back ribs; blackened mahimahi; steamed clams and shrimp scampi; and sides such as mashed potatoes and steamed rice. Desserts from Sheraton Maui’s pastry shop include tropical and traditional cakes and pies and bread pudding laced with Tahitian vanilla-bean custard and topped with raspberry sauce.
Cost is $62 per adult and $31 per child 6 to 12 years of age. Call 661-0031.
Diamond Resorts International, that pink pyramid of a hotel also known as the Ka’anapali Beach Club, will host its “Mom’s a Gem” brunch from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Crunch salads, dig into biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs; slurp miso soup; dive into poke and raw Polynesian ceviche; and enjoy specialty items such as crab cakes; chicken and waffles; salmon en croute; porter-beer-braised short ribs; and Tuscan quiche. From the bakery will come individual pies; mini tarts; brownies; muffins and croissants. The cost is $35 for adults and $13 for keiki. Call 438-2929.
Ka’anapali Beach Hotel will feature Lahui as entertainment with KPOA radio morning goddess Alaka’i Paleka as emcee at the Mother’s Day brunch complete with bubbly from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the oceanfront resort.
Feast on all-you-can-eat ginger-chicken and other fresh salads; kiawe slow-roasted prime rib and passion fruit-glazed ham; crab legs; oysters on the half shell; shrimp cocktail; ahi poke; and spicy-tuna salad.
Other highlights are chicken Cordon Bleu; roast pork with herb stuffing and gravy; beef tomato; sauteed salmon in vodka cream sauce; lobster mac ‘n’ cheese; lamb pasta; and Manila clams in broth. A host of desserts and a keiki station top it off. Cost is $57.95 for adults and $28 for children 6 to 12. Reservations are required. Call KBH at 667-0124.
The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua will once again be puttin’ on an elaborate Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in The Terrace.
From the ocean will be an ice display of chilled prawns and crab legs with lemons and limes and brandy cocktail sauces, house-smoked fresh salmon with condiments, California sushi rolls and ahi poke.
Indulge in imported European meats, artisan cheeses, grilled vegetable antipasti and party eggs. Garden fresh salads and Virgin Bloody Marys will add to the fun with pickled veggies, spiced olives and housemade hot sauce.
Made to order will be omelets, and seared scallops and creamy grits. Chefs will carve roast leg of lamb and prime rib. Six chefs will do childhood favorites.
For dessert, delight in rich slices from whole sheet cakes, candy petit fours and milk-chocolate caramel in individual serving jars. The cost is $75 per adult and $36 per child 6 to 12 years of age. Children 5 and younger may eat for free with a paying adult. Kamaaina save 20 percent with valid Hawaii ID. For reservations, call 669-6200.
Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu will take Mom back in time with its quaint and retro look. You may order her a sweet or savory pie in advance or come in for Mother’s Day and enjoy frittatas and chicken and waffles. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 662-3600.
Prefer to cook for Mom at home? Maui Prime Fine Foods at Emerald Plaza in Lahaina is the place to pick up an 8-ounce filet mignon sirloin and a 5- to 6-ounce lobster tail priced at $28.95 for the combo.
“We are taking orders again for our Maui Steamer Pots,” says Maui Prime’s Jason Mahon. “You keep the pots we fill with lobster tail, crab, clams, shrimp, local corn, white-wine broth for steaming and French baguette for dipping at $42 per person. Minimum of two people, please. Call 661-4912.
Last but not least, Plantation House Kapalua restaurant will get Mom excited about breakfast and lunch served from 8 a.m. all the way until 3 p.m.; and dinner from 5:30 p.m. to closing on Sunday.
A la carte brunch specials include crispy oyster Benedict; chicken Alfredo flat bread topped with Hamakua mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and cheeses; and deep-fried chocolate ice cream with fresh berries and mint.
For dinner, choose from Executive Chef Jojo Vasquez’s Haiku organic arugula salad tossed with Lahaina figs; 12-ounce Kona lobster tail with Kealoha tomato marmalade, shaved fennel and cauliflower vinaigrette; or 12-ounce hunk of porchetta (pork) with Kobocha squash, gremolata and natural jus. Or ask for the L’Ecole wine tasting menu. Call 669-6299.
Happy Mother’s Day to all Maui Moms!