Side Orders • April 13, 2017
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ON THE HORIZON. . . Mark your calendars for the 25th annual East Maui Taro Festival that will take root Saturday, April 29 at the Hana Ballpark. Admission is free and it includes 20 food booths, a farmers market, arts and crafts, live music and hula halau performing.
In addition, the Queen's Challenge Taro Competition is open to Mauians who grow wetland or dryland Hawaiian taro varieties. For more details, call 285-3947 or email ekupaku@gmail.com.
Westin Nanea Ocean Villas is Maui's newest resort that will open its doors on Saturday and so will its signature restaurant, Mauka Makai.
The restaurant will fuse Hawaiian traditions with modern culinary techniques. Inspired by the ancient Hawaiian way of life in the ahupuaa, Executive Chef Ikaika Manaku has designed a menu of whole crispy catch, garlic beef butter fried rice and natural prime ribeye, served on a hot pohaku stone that you finish cooking at the table.
Ben Marquez has joined the chef team, jumping ship from Andaz Maui. Handcrafted cocktails will be infused with spirits made on island include unique components, such as house-made hibiscus syrup and smoky local kiawe wood. Beer enthusiasts will enjoy crisp Maui made brews on draft.
Mauka Makai will be open daily for breakfast and dinner For reservations, call 662-6400.
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BITS AND PIECES . . . What do you get when you pair a James Beard Award winning chef with a movie star, author and restaurateur? Humble Market Kitchin, which will celebrate its grand opening April 27 as a fundraiser for Maui Arts & Cultural Center.
Situated in the newly renovated Wailea Beach Resort -- Marriott, Maui, it's owned by Roy Yamaguchi and Shep Gordon. The team will kick off the fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. with pupu and cocktails followed by a buffet dinner with chateaubriand, fresh catch, sushi, ahi poke and much more. In attendance will be Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, former NBA coach Don Nelson, surfer Kai Lenny and other celebs. Cost is $150 per person. Reservations are a must. Call 879-4655.
Last chance to get a ticket to the Famous International Festival from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the University of Hawaii Maui College's Pa'ina Building. Savor food from stations that are representative of Chinese New Year, Obon, Mardi Gras and Dia de los Muertes.
"Guests will be amazed by the variety of dishes that we will be featuring," says Mikiala Holley, a Culinary Arts Garde Manger student. "I'm excited to celebrate my success and the success of my classmates," adds student Jimmsie Stisher.
Cost is $75 general admission and $125 for VIP seats. There will be a cash bar for beer and wine. For tickets, call 984-3280 or visit www.opentable.com.
The Celebration of the Arts is happening this weekend and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua's Alvin Savella is the man to check out for some incredible food at The Banyan Tree restaurant at the resort.
I mentioned his name last week in this column as one of the winners of the Grand Taste event as part of the Maui County Agricultural Festival. After I wrote it, more info came in that he won "Fan Favorite" for his dish and his team with Zach Sato of Hotel Wailea and Noel Moose of UH-Maui College Culinary Arts also won the Live Chefs Challenge. . . Taste of School Gardens at Hotel Wailea was a success, raising $58,000 to support programs, with more than 325 guests in attendance. Mahalo to all who came to Grow Some Good's signature event.
And, UH-MC Culinary Arts Program continues to be in the news in this column. On Friday, Son'z Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa will host a special wine dinner as a benefit.
Montage Kapalua Bay will host a bartender competition today in conjunction with the U.S. Bartenders Guild and Bombay Sapphire. Come and check out the fun from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cane & Canoe bar. Montage will also present a complimentary mini-eye treatment and Hobbs tea tasting in its spa lobby from 9 a.m. to noon Friday.
Hey, shouldn't this be after the bartending contest? Call 665-8282.