“Here, try this.” That seems to be the common directive I hear whenever I step into a local brewpub. I’m not much of a drinker, but since my husband brews his own IPA at home, I’ve become accustomed to the invitation to sample frothy, hoppy, sometimes bitter, sometimes sour batches of beers. This is what […]
On a corner in Kapaa, at a comfortable bar that was once Eastside Café, my taste buds are in a state of disbelief. “These are the best empanadas I’ve ever had,” I tell Erin Keller and José Cortez, husband-and-wife co-owners of The Local Kauai. And I’m not lying: Filled with purple Okinawan sweet potatoes, Hawaiian
Breakfast at Art Café Hemingway In plain sight on the main drag of Kapaa, a large, blue building spells out everything you’ll find inside: coffee, breakfast, deli and art. Sometimes overshadowed by the crowded American diner next door, Art Café Hemingway has more to offer than what meets the eye and proves to be a
We hadn’t expected this. A friend and I had planned a long weekend on Kauai, for all the things the island is famous for—the Napali Coast, the hidden beaches, the slower pace, an escape from the noisy Honolulu where we live. But we found something else. We landed in Lihue at 6 a.m., and, still
The view is so extraordinary you can’t take your eyes off it. Walking into St. Regis Princeville’s restaurant Makana Terrace, I’m immediately stunned by the panoramic views of the gorgeous, green Hanalei Mountains, named Hihimanu, Namolokama and Mamalahoa, with thousand-foot-high waterfalls flowing down their sides. It’s a view that can only be described as absolutely
On your trip to Hawaii, shave ice is a must-try and Wishing Well Shave Ice has been serving the quintessential Hawaiian snack in the heart of Hanalei since 1983. Happy customers have returned again and again for custom-made mounds of fluffy ice scrapes drenched in sugary, fruit-flavored syrups. But now, under new ownership, Wishing Well
I can’t remember a time when I’ve visited Kauai and someone—a coworker, a neighbor, my mom—didn’t ask me to bring back a brick of kulolo. You can find kulolo—a Hawaiian dessert staple made from mashed kalo (taro), coconut milk, sugar and little else—for sale on just about every Hawaiian Island. Most local grocery stores sell variants of
“If you drive too fast, you’ll miss it.” That was the sage, if succinct, advice I received from a friend several years ago when I mentioned I was headed to the small farming town of Hanapepe on Kauai’s south shore. She was describing a worn-down, faded green cottage on the biggest bend of the town’s
It’s raining, as it has been for the past few days on Kauaʻi. Cars swerve to avoid potholes and people are armed with hooded sweatshirts, umbrellas and newspapers held over their heads. The scene in Līhuʻe looks more like Seattle in the summer than Kauaʻi in January. Still, while the bus stops and parking lots
