For 15 years Michael Sterioff flew to Italy and sold automotive gauges to high-volume manufacturers. It was during these trips that a romance with Italian bread rose like soft balls of dough, and left him smoldering long after he returned to his home in Michigan. “When I ate focaccia at a friend’s house it was [...]
Just as the sun comes up on Feb. 19, a line of cars stream into the Kaua’i Community College parking lots. The lots are nearly full and bulging with hungry folks queuing up for the American Culinary Federation’s 26th annual breakfast fundraiser. “Eh, you smell dat?” A lady behind me asks her friend. “It’s makin’ [...]
Red Salt opened in April 2009 with an executive chef who had cooked at Spain’s el Bulli, a restaurant acclaimed as the best in the world five times. Eight months later, Red Salt won a Honolulu magazine bronze Hale Aina award for Best Kauai’ Restaurant. The chef left, and the determined staff secured a Top [...]
Walking into Kaua’i Chocolate Company in Ele’ele is like curling up in a cloak of velvety comfort. The rich aroma of chocolate pierces your cocoa-loving heart, tawny-colored swirls cover the floor and glassfronted counters bulge with handmade bars, bricks, truffles and fudge. In the back, Joy Laborte (a 2007 Waimea High graduate) taps a mold [...]
“The dinner is a mystery,” says Collin Darrell, sommelier and creation director of Grow Culture. “The anticipation is part of the experience. It’s like building up to your first kiss.” I’m standing in the serene gardens of One Song Farm, listening to Darrell. There’s a buoyancy to his step as he approaches a cluster of [...]
It was just five months ago when I wrote about Hollan Hamid. As new owners of Caffe Coco, she and her husband put a heap of energy into updating the old cafe. Since then, there have been more improvements, including white linen tablecloths and a charming and rustic indoor dining area. Chef Peter Zimmer a [...]
For 23 years, Gaylord’s was a cherished institution on Kaua’i. After a twoyear stretch as 22 North, Gaylord’s at Kilohana reopened its doors Jan. 9. The new owner promises the same charming location and a few new additions. Fred Atkins, owner and managing director of Kilohana Plantation, lured brothers Dylan Scott and Jonathan Pflueger from [...]
It’s 9:15 a.m. at the Saturday farmers market in Hanalei. In 15 minutes, the market will open, and already a small crowd is waiting at the entrance. Cas Lutton, owner of Akamai Juice Company, doesn’t see them. She’s in the market’s commercial kitchen squeezing the last drop of juice from local, organic fruit and vegetables [...]
“Today I operated this grill, and I prepared chicken char siu, teri short ribs, and pork chops seasoned in the chef’s special sauce,” explains 26-year-old trainee JoJo “Purp Dog” Suarez. “It’s short for the color purple,” he adds to explain his name. “It’s a high school thing, and I’m a godfather to two of my [...]
A celebration of community is the underlying spirit at a new pub called The Feral Pig. Located on the ground floor of Harbor Mall in Nawiliwili, the pub is a snap to pop into for a quick meal or an old-fashioned cocktail, made to order. Owners Scott Kessinger and Dave Power renovated the old Tiki [...]
