HORSIN' AROUND . . . We heard lots of juicy scoop at last weekend's wine and food festival in Kapalua. Maui's well known Dean Frampton is now in the wine business . . . sad to hear the recently opened Vasi's Pan in Haiku has already closed its doors. But many of the dishes are available at her adjacent deli . . . Santa Fe Cantina is up and jumping at Lahaina Center and its owner Patrick Silva was having a grand ol' time at Kapalua. His food items include chilaquiles, menudo, green chile beef, Guadalajara shrimp and ensalada du casa.
Enough about the resort life. This week, the spotlight should shine on paniolo country and Makawao town as the annual parade and rodeo kick up their heels beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Preceding it will be the grand opening of Rodeo General Store from noon to 3 p.m. Friday with free hot dogs and soda. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Rodeo General Store will barbecue across the street in the parking lot with kalua pork, chicken and beef skewers. . . The new Cake bakery will be in the vicinity selling its dessert goods starting at 6:30 a.m.
Article Photos
Kapalua Wine & Food Festival host and master sommelier, Fred “the human liver” Dame, with celebrity Chef-winemaker Frank Ostini of the Hitching Post in the movie “Sideways” grill with kiawe wood and central coast oak of California. The consensus? Kiawe mo’ bettah.
The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
All Makawao restaurants will run specials Saturday, according to event publicist Judy Mertens. And, shops will do red, white and blue specials.
"Things are really decorated and exciting up here," she says. "We'll have a children's stick-horse race at 8:15 a.m., haku lei makers, face painting, pony rides and the special ice cream wagon from Lahaina."
In addition, Polli's Mexican Restaurant will open for breakfast at 7?a.m., so people may get situated before the roads close to accommodate the parade.
Stopwatch Sports Bar & Grill will do firecracker burgers topped with habanero jack cheese and jalapenos and paniolo burgers with bacon and barbecue sauce. Both will feature Maui Cattle Co. beef. They'll also sell steaming bowls of Portuguese bean soup . . . Cafe Del Sol will do mac-nut pancakes and paniolo French dips.
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM . . . We all scream for July, which is national ice cream month. Baskin Robbins just opened a new outlet at Lahaina Gateway. Along with its sister stores on Maui, it offers the new Soft Candy to go in mint-chocolate chip and very berry strawberry.
You may also purchase the Soft Candy in theater boxes at Blockbuster Video through the summer. Individually wrapped, they are perfect for the movies.
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali just debuted a stylish new ice cream dessert menu called A La Mode, meaning "in fashion," at its Cascades Grill & Sushi Bar.
"The new A La Mode menu utilizes local ingredients and unique ice cream flavors allowing our guests to indulge fashionably this summer," says the Hyatt's Executive Chef Matt Smith.
The couture ice cream collection includes flavors such as vanilla honey-bee, chocolate tiramisu, warm apple tart, Mediterranean coupe, strawberry parfait and the classic hot fudge sundae.
It's Sex and the Sea week at Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea and from 7:30 to 9:30 tonight, you may witness live spawning of rice coral at the aquarium after dark. There is an admission fee, but guests will be treated to coffee and desserts.
Wine guru Alan Jahns, owner of JMD Beverages, will offer the perfect chance to bone up on wine basics with "Intro to Reds and Whites" at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cafe Marc Aurel in Wailuku.
Lulu's Lahaina Surf Club & Grill will open in October in the former E&O Trading Company at the Lahaina Cannery Mall for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It will have pool tables, wines by the glass, multiple flat-screen televisions, a to-go deli case with everything from salads to wraps and a late-night supper menu and den area.
* Contact Dining Editor Carla Tracy at carlatracy@mauinews.com or 242-6342.
