Despite the economic meltdown that followed Sept. 11, many big-ticket food festivals will carry on in 2002. Isle food festivals cooking
up goodies for 2002Star-Bulletin staff
But first, the bad news: Cuisines of the Sun, which has drawn top chefs and winemakers each summer for more than a decade, has been canceled by the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows.
Changing its approach is the Kea Lani Food & Wine Masters series. In past years, the Fairmont Kea Lani on Maui has hosted such superstars as Ming Tsai, David Rosengarten, Thomas Keller and Gary Danko. This year's events focus on Hawaii chefs.
Opening the series this year on March 22 and 23 will be four founding members of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement: Amy Ferguson-Ota, Mark Ellman, Beverly Gannon and George Mavrothalassatis. Pastry chef Mark Okumura of Alan Wong's restaurants will handle desserts.
The chefs will hold luncheon cooking demonstrations ($45) and five-course dinners ($125) each day. The series continues Oct. 11 and 12, with another set of local chefs yet to be announced. Call 800-798-4552.
Several other prominent events, however, will go on as they have in the past:
The Ulupalakua Thing!: The Maui Agricultural Trade Show & Sampling, held at Ulupalakua Ranch and Tedeschi Vineyards, is in its 10th year of showcasing new Hawaii-made products and island agriculture. This year's Thing! is on April 27 and will feature local chefs working with island ingredients in cooking demonstrations, plus floral and cooking contests. Admission is $8 in advance (available in April), $10 at the gate. Proceeds provide scholarships for agriculture and culinary students. Call 808-878-6058 or visit the Web site www.mauiag.org.
Dolphin Days: The Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island hosts the festival June 27 to 29. Events include an Aloha Friday Luau and Saturday's Great Waikoloa Food, Wine and Music Festival, featuring more than 20 guest chefs from throughout the state and performances by prominent jazz artists. Prices have not been set; proceeds will benefit Shriners Hospital for Children and the Pacific Marine Life Foundation. Call 808-886-1234 or visit the Web site www.dolphindays.com.
Kapalua Wine & Food Festival: This event has grown from featuring primarily Maui restaurants to a greater emphasis on fine wines with the inclusion last year of master sommelier Andrea Immer. Immer will be back at this summer's festival, July 4 to 7. The festival includes seminars, tastings, winemaker dinners and the Kapalua Seafood Festival. Call 800-KAPALUA or visit the Web site www.kapaluawineandfood.com.
Big Island Bounty: Dates and details for the two-day event at the Orchid at Mauna Lani have yet to be set, but it will take place in August as a fund-raiser for the Aloha United Way. Call 800-845-9905.
Dining out
Martinis & Eggs: Martinis made of gin, vodka and cognac will be served with appetizers featuring eggs of all kinds, from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, at Sam Choy's Diamond Head. The menu includes Duck Benedict with Poached Quail Egg, Seafood Beignet with Caviar Remoulade, and Truffled Egg Linguine with Applewood Smoked Bacon. The cost is $25. Call 732-8645.Aloha Friday Lunch Buffet: The Sheraton Moana Surfrider's Beachside Café has reinstituted a Friday tradition, a Hawaiian lunch buffet. Selections include lomilomi salmon, limu salad and poke, kalua pig and cabbage, chicken long rice, laulau, pulehu-style beef and, of course, rice and poi. Desserts include macadamia nut cream pie, taro haupia pie, haupia cake and guava chiffon pie. The cost is $19.95 (children $11.75), 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekly. Call 922-3111.
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