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Side Orders • Oct. 24, 2013

SUGAR-COATED . . . Dessert lovers will want to mark calendars for Nov. 9, when the fourth annual Life is Sweet returns to the Shops at Wailea.The fundraiser for Best Buddies Hawaii is from 2 to 5 p.m., and celebrity hosts will be Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia from the classic '70s sitcom, "The Brady Bunch") and Oahu comedian/actor Andy Bumatai of the new TV show, "In The Car."Cost is $50 for your fill of gourmet desserts and savory entrees created by some of South Maui's top chefs. Call 242-6962 or visit www.bestbuddieshawaii.org.Mana Foods in Paia will celebrate 30 years Sunday through ...

Side Orders • Oct. 17, 2013

STARRY NIGHTS . . . Some of the biggest celebrity chefs in America's culinary world dined at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa's Mala Wailea on a recent evening."Bam!" They were Emeril Lagasse and Tom Colicchio, along with Sam Choy and Philippe Chin. The chefs were in town to check out Mala Wailea's new restaurant concept, Migrant, which will launch by the end of the year under the direction of Sheldon Simeon. They taste-tested his proposed dishes, so you know it will be good.Simeon also served as emcee at the Fil-Am Heritage fest Saturday at Maui Mall in Kahului. Island chefs of ...

Side Orders • Oct. 10, 2013

HOT STUFF . . . It was once again a ton of fun (and an honor) to judge the ninth annual Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety's Chili Cookoff at Maui Fair Sunday.Mauian Douglas Butler, an employee at Lowe's, won the roundtrip for two on Alaska Airlines merely by buying chili samples at the contest and having his name pulled from the basket of ticketholders.Several fire ladders were pitted against restaurant teams in various categories. Winning both the People's Choice Award as well as the Traditional category was the recruit class from Ladder 3, B Watch.Hula Grill's team just eked by ...

Side Orders • Oct. 3, 2013

NO GUTS, NO GLORY . . . In my younger days, that was the mantra on Ajax. We'd storm the bumps, glide the groomed trails, and end of day, schuss to apres ski food and drink in Aspen.In recent days, my weathered right knee clicks and clacks, and it's an uphill battle to get out of my desk chair. But I'm still just as eager to hit the restaurants and see what's new in the food and drink theater.For starters, we hear Sam Choy is coming back to Maui to open another restaurant. He, of course, is one of the original 12 Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs who put Hawaii on the world food map in the ...

Side Orders • Sept. 26, 2013

EMERALD ISLE . . . Just back from the brilliant land of leprechauns, where corned beef and cabbage doesn't exist. But I did find incredible cuisine that exceeded every expectation.From Gordon Ramsay in Powerscourt to Fade St. Social and The Cellar restaurants in Dublin, we dined fine on local, sustainable and farm-fresh ingredients. The pub fare also more than caught our fancies.Even saw Mike O'Dwyer of Mulligans on the Blue at the Shelbourne Park greyhound track in Dublin, where his dog, Hawaii Kinsale, ran at a rapid clip. Hmm. . . wondering if his visit there is why his Fabiani's ...

Side Orders • Sept. 5, 2013

AS MAUI TURNS . . .. . . I stopped by the Maui Coast Hotel in Kihei the other day, where epic restaurateurs Mike and Dana Pastula are busy getting ready to open their latest venture.Called 'ami 'ami after the sexy hula movement of the hips, it will be open for breakfast and dinner in the next few days, while the Pastula's Kamaole Poolside Cafe at Maui Coast continues to serve lunch, etc."Ta da! 'ami 'ami will have a dance floor!" says Dana. "There wasn't a fun lounge in Kihei before, and this will be it. We've built a large bar, have the beautiful courtyard lanai, Plumeria Room for ...