An exquisite meal in a seaside setting

We first experienced the cuisine of Chef Alan Hess at his restaurant – Alan’s Table – in Waimea and were absolutely delighted with the food. He had opened the restaurant after being Executive Chef at Merriman’s in Waimea. Unfortunately, although the restaurant was hugely popular, the owners of the building wanted their own restaurant. As a result Chef Alan wound up at the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the Kohala Coast. We are extremely happy to be able to continue to enjoy his creative genius.

The setting of the restaurant is just mauka of the beach and since this area is usually very dry, most of the seating is outside where you can enjoy the sunset and ocean breezes. It makes for a romantic Hawaiian setting including local musicians playing slack key guitar. It definitely has a sense of place which you do not get often at hotel restaurants.

As usual we begin with a dram of single malt. There are four available so one can experience the gamut from peaty to a sherry cask aged. We chose Macallan 12 year old, as we usually do, and the pour was ample and the price very reasonable at $12.00.

The menu comes in two types of offerings: classic Hawaiian regional and contemporary plantation selections. Both feature local produce and have excellent choices. We started with grilled colossal citrus shrimp with a roasted poblano aioli, Mexican kimchee and refried taro. The shrimp were done to perfection and the aioli, kimchee and taro were an ideal accompaniment.

The decision for the main course was extremely difficult. Betty had the macadamia nut-crusted snapper because the snapper that night was opakapaka which is her favorite. I had the pulehu pork ribs since I remember the smoked meat that was served at Alan’s Table. Both dishes were delicious and nothing was left on either plate for a doggy bag.

We had the pleasure of seeing a green flash on the way to the restaurant. After dinner be sure to look for the heron which is fishing at the shoreline. It is there every night as they turn on lights to attract its prey.

The entire experience was excellent and to top it off, valet parking at the hotel is complimentary. If you are on or near the Kohala Coast, this is one restaurant you do not want to miss.

A neighborhood gem in Waikoloa

Good Italian food is almost impossible to find on the Big Island. That is why when Pueo’s Osteria opened in the Village of Waikoloa a few months ago we immediately drove up to sample the fare. The name is partly local and partly Italian. Pueo is the indigenous owl in Hawaiʻi and an Osteria is a restaurant that originally was one that served wine and simple food. The restaurant, which is in the Waikoloa shopping center, is quite picturesque as you approach it. We were there recently and it was crowded so reservations are a must.

The appetizers and salads are excellent. We are particularly partial to the calamari fritti, the antipasto board, and the romaine, walnuts and gorgonzola salad. All are large enough to share and will whet your appetite for the main course.

Choosing a main course is difficult because they are all so good. When we first went there with friends each of us had something different and we all admired each other’s plate. We decided at that point we had to return and work our way through the menu. You can view their menu at pueososteria.com. Our favorites are the wild boar pappardelle, cannelloni al forno, rustichella rigatoni Bolognese, Barolo braised short ribs, and veal parmesan. All are excellent and if you take home a doggie bag a few seconds in the microwave will give you an excellent meal the next day.

Of course, dessert comes next. The tiramisu is excellent as is the lemon-cello torte and the crostata. All are typically finished to the last bite (even shared around the table) and the coffee is also very good. The wait staff is particularly friendly and remembers us from time to time. The last couple of times we ate there we had Courtney who is extremely nice and attentive.

As we normally do, we begin with a drink before dinner. At this point we must insert a negative, the only one. The single malt menu is sparse and the Macallan 12 is overpriced, being $4.00 more per pour than at Merriman’s, which is definitely an upper class restaurant.  Also the wine menu, while extensive, is also overpriced.

Overall the experience is well worth it despite the scotch and wine. If you are on the Big Island and have a hankering for Italian food, Pueo’s Osteria is definitely the place to go.

Winter has arrived

Many people question whether we miss the change in seasons living in Hawaiʻi. However, the onset of winter does produce some very distinct aspects of Hawaiʻi that are not present at other times of the year. Just as in other areas, the temperature drops but certainly not as drastically. The daytime temperatures only drop a few degrees, but at night we have been experiencing temperatures in the low sixties at our house. That doesn’t sound bad but realize that we do not have heat so it does feel rather cool. In fact, we have an electric blanket that has been working all night for the past couple of weeks. We probably feel it more than visitors do, having acclimated to warmer temperatures over the past 20 years.

There is also a distinct change in vegetation. Just like in colder climes, we do have deciduous trees, only out here they are a variety of plumeria. They drop their leaves and do not flower, except sporadically in the winter. Many visitors don’t notice this, since most of the hotels plant a variety called Singapore plumeria which is not deciduous and does continue to flower in the winter. Also the hibiscus tends to flower more profusely in the winter. We also have poinsettias in full bloom at this time. In many areas the poinsettias grow wild along the edge of the highway, a sight most people are not used to. When we first moved into our house we were shocked to see bright red poinsettias appear in the yard during the winter. We didn’t even know they were there until they bloomed.

Of course, a big change is the number of people on the island. The winter is the time that many people want to get away from the cold weather elsewhere. While we have an influx of short term visitors in both the winter and the summer, this time of year brings the long term visitors, affectionately called snow birds. They come each year for several months. Therefore, we tend to have many more people on the island in winter than in summer. This means that you have to plan ahead for reservations at good restaurants, such as the ones we have reviewed. The beaches tend to be more crowded than in the spring or fall.

We also have an influx of humpback whales. They also like to come to Hawaiʻi for the winter, not for vacation but to have their young. They are prevalent along the shoreline and there are many cruises which assure you that you will see whales. You can sit on the beaches and watch the whales spout offshore. I can still remember the first time I was sitting in Hapuna Beach and looked out to sea and saw a humpback whale in a full breach. It came full length out of the water before splashing back down.  Just last week Betty was walking along the shoreline and had a whale surface and wave a flipper at her.

So yes, winter does bring changes to the island. The temperature changes, flowers change, the people change and the humpback whales arrive.

Do not miss Kilauea Volcano

Now that the New Year has begun and winter has descended in the Northern Hemisphere, many people are planning a trip to Hawaiʻi. Although many people would argue with me, as far as I am concerned if you want to visit the real Hawaiʻi, you need to come to the Big Island – the Island of Hawaiʻi. It has the requisite hotels and also the areas that are untouched by those who would exploit the tourist industry. It is as busy or relaxing as you want it to be.

When you come to the island you definitely should go to Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park to see Kilauea Volcano. It is billed as the most active volcano on Earth, having been in continuous eruption since 1983. However, don’t be confused by the eruption, as Kilauea is not undergoing a violent eruption, in fact the only active lava flow is virtually inaccessible except to view on a helicopter flight. Kilauea has often been called a drive-in volcano, since when lava is in an accessible area you can usually drive to a convenient location and take a short walk to see an active lava flow.

Even though you can’t see active lava, there is a location in the Park where you can see the smoke emanating from an active lava lake and at night witness the glow from that lava lake. It is a sight you do not want to miss. If you want to see the lava you can visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website and see real-time pictures of the lava lake and of the eruption that is going on at the inaccessible location. You can access those pictures at: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cams/ as well as get other information regarding the volcano.

Beside the ongoing eruption, there are many other things to see in the Park. One could spend days visiting areas in the Park and hiking on the many trails. Of course, to utilize your time most efficiently you really should have a personal guide with you to establish your itinerary and explain exactly what you are looking at. That is exactly the service we used to provide when we operated our tour company. It can be expensive and we no longer do that. However, you can have us with you to plan and explain the stops you should make. We have a guide book for the Big Island which gives detailed information about all five volcanoes that exist on the island. It is called “BIG ISLAND, HAWAIʻI GUIDE” and is available as a Kindle Book on Amazon.com. Just go to Kindle Books and search for Lee Meyerson. Even easier, it is available for readers to purchase here. The book is loaded with pictures, which makes it extremely expensive to issue in a print edition. It has been estimated to cost 5 times the $9.99 price charged on Amazon. Plus, being in Kindle format you don’t have to carry a book with you. It can be on your smart phone or tablet. As a friend of ours said, he has lived on the island for over 13 years, his wife is from here and they found things in the book about the island that they did not know.

We hope that you have a great time on the island and enjoy seeing all that is available whether you have us with you or not.