AROUND THE TOWN . . . Calling all single men. Hundreds of hot women were spotted dining out Tuesday, all dressed up for the monthly Girls Night Out at the Melting Pot in Lahaina. Apparently they now come out in full force each month to celebrate birthdays and such and to dine on the four-course fondue meals, sip SKYY martinis, and enjoy fashion shows and fun. Mark your calendars for the next one Dec.16.
And it just doesn't stop. Girls Night Out in Makawao will be held Friday. Shops will be open late and serve light beverages, and Casanova Italian Restaurant will offer 10 percent off food to those with proof of purchase from a Makawao merchant that day.
Bartenders will pour martinis inspired by "Sex and the City," such as the Miranda, the Stiletto and the Carrie," says owner Giovanni Steven Cappelli. "That night we will introduce the new winter menu. The perfect ending of a long hard day of shopping in Makawao."
Article Photos
Customer Steve McErlane and server Erin McAmis in the new Lulu’s Lahaina Surf Club & Grill that opened in Lahaina Cannery Mall last week.
The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo
Choose from dishes such as the Insalata Siciliana with raw fennel, arugula and orange slices; to the Brodetto de Pesca of fresh island fish with seafood simmered in saffron broth with potatoes and zucchini.
Speaking of fun times, Hali'imaile General Store's 20th anniversary bash set for Nov. 29 is really shaping up to be a star-studded event. Beverly and Joe Gannon have snagged a slew of their chef pals to appear. They include Hawaiian Regional Cuisine legends Alan Wong, Amy Ferguson, Phillipe Padovani, Peter Merriman, Mark Ellman and George Mavrothalassitis, along with other superstar chefs such as Alex Stanislaw and D.K. Kodama.
"They will not be cooking their own food for once, but helping me to cook and serve, and then they'll PARTY!" says Beverly. In fact, "The fundraiser will be one big party. Each area of the restaurant and the outdoors will be transformed into different party themes."
We'll have more about the menu and other details in next week's issue. This will be THE haute party to attend and do bring your dancing shoes.
Now, here's something that really bites. The Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea will host its "That Bites" promotion for one week starting Sunday.
One of the chefs, Henry Tariga (named a Young Chef to Watch by Hawaii Hospitality Magazine and a 2008 James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee), will do a cooking demo featuring sustainable seafood at 10:15 a.m. Sunday and again on Nov. 29.
"The dish is pistachio and aji-nori furikake-crusted ahi with lemongrass-chardonnay beurre blanc, drizzled with sweet shoyu, topped with papaya relish served with jasmine rice and sauteed vegetables," says Maui Ocean Center's Kelsey Daimon. "It will be served for the whole week in the Seascape Ma'alaea Restaurant, for $16.95. Seascape is open for lunch daily, including Thanksgiving Day, from 11a.m. to 3 p.m."
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BITS AND PIECES. . . All the restaurants opening now and in the next few weeks disguise the fact that Maui's economy is on a downward slide. Unless, of course, you speak to a wine distributor, who says owners have "alligator legs" - short, stubborn and not stretching like tentacles to make future purchases.
But the new Lulu's Lahaina Surf Club & Grill threw a heck of a party with 400 people last week and the libations flowed when it opened in the old E&O location in Lahaina Cannery Mall. "We put a mai tai in a fresh pineapple on the menu and thought only tourists would buy it. But locals can't get enough and it costs $10," says one of the partners, Ron Panzo . . . MCC English professor Vinnie?Linares has offered to cook a dramatic dinner for six. It will be auctioned off Saturday at King Kamehameha Golf Course in Waikapu. St. Anthony High School is the beneficiary.
* Contact Carla Tracy at carlatracy@mauinews.com.
