I'M DREAMING OF . . . Something tasty to eat today. Here are some last-minute suggestions on where to dine. Longboard's Ka'anapali features an outdoor setting right next to the ocean and there will be photo ops with the 1947 Willie Woodie Overland and the colorful longboard collection.You may also dig your toes in the sand at the Sand Bar.
Executive Chef Peter Slavetinsky will present a holiday buffet with herb-seared opakapaka, butter-basted tom turkey and roast pork with caramelized apple along with vegetarian pastas, salads and desserts such as his spectacular Belgian chocolate fountain.
Zippy's Kahului is open 24 hours this Christmas Day. Its dine-in specials include roast turkey, baked ham, roast turkey and ham combo, and prime rib. Napoleon's Bakery inside the front door has cakes, pies, donuts and Napples for convenient purchase.
Article Photos
The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo
Stella Blue’s Catering Manager Cindy Eiting with son, Kainoa, and husband, Jeff. On Christmas Day, Stella’s is open for breakfast all the way until noon as well as for dinner from 1 p.m.
"Try our oxtail soup!" says Marketing Manager Jeanine Mamiya-Kalahiki. "And our holiday gift card promo runs through December 31. Purchase a total of $50 in gift cards and you get a free $5 certificate."
Plantation House in Kapalua is open all day today for both breakfast and lunch and you may order items such as eggs Benedict and Bloody Marys until 3 p.m. Dinner service starts at 5:30 p.m. and Executive Chef Alex Stanislaw has created a nice holiday appetizer sampler of bacon-wrapped scallops, sweet chili-glazed Pacific shrimp and Plantation House crab cake.
Yuletide fun may be had at Stella Blues Cafe in the middle of Kihei at Azeka Mauka. The freestanding restaurant offers plenty of seats and parking, is festively decorated and it's open for breakfast today from 7:30 a. m. until noon and for dinner from 1 to 9 p.m.
"We will offer some fun holiday drink specials such as the cranberry-mint mojito along with food items," says Catering Manager Cindy Eiting. "Martinis will include the Candy Cane, the Pumpkin Pie and the Spiced Pineapple. And for appetizers we'll do crispy crab cakes, fresh opah lettuce cups and homemade hummus with toasted pita. Salads are Caesar and festive Waldorf."
Stella Blues' hot entrees include traditional turkey dinner, honey-glazed bone-in ham, prime rib, surf 'n' turf, yellow curry and crab-stuffed mahimahi.
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BITS AND PIECES . . . Wow laulau. The first Wailea Nights dinner show at Capische? Saturday bowled the audience over with gourmet cuisine and island tunes by Eric Gilliom and Barry Flanagan. As if that wasn't enough, Mick Fleetwood played drums.
"Having Mick Fleetwood play almost the entire show this time was a thrill at our first 'Wailea Nights' at Capische," says Gilliom. "From the location to the food to the setting. Barry and I couldn't get over how gorgeous the whole night was. We are really looking forward to setting the calendar there for 2009."
Ring in the new year at the oceanfront Tropica in the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali. Chef de Cuisine Rich Hinojosa will present a five-course dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. with live entertainment. Choose from entrees such as seared Moulard duck breast and leg confit in cherry-ginger reduction to grilled Hawaiian snapper.
At Tropica's sister property, the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Pulehu Restaurant will present a seafood buffet New Year's Eve from 5 to 9 p.m. Executive Chef Tony Edington will present all manner of seafood such as king crab legs, grilled petit lobster tails, oysters on the half shell and fresh island sashimi. Desserts of mango cobbler with vanilla ice cream and bread pudding with creme Anglaise with take it over the top. Special villa and spa rates are available for kamaaina.
* Contact Carla Tracy at carlatracy@mauinews.com.
