---

Ham to go

If you'd rather spend Easter morning dying eggs than basting a ham, the Kahala Mandarin Oriental will ham it up for you.

Expanding the concept of Thanksgiving turkey-to-go to another holiday, the resort chefs are offering a complete ham dinner, takeout. It's actually drive-through takeout -- you don't even have to get out of the car to pick up your food.

The menu feeds four to six and includes ham glazed with poha berry and five-spice, poha gravy and sauce, baked yams, roasted corn, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, pine nut rice pilaf, artichoke and mushroom salad, hot cross buns and cinnamon apple cobbler.

Cost is $120. Reservations required by noon March 23. Pickup is on Easter Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and may be scheduled on the hour or half-hour. Call 739 8742 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Spring tastes

Also at the Kahala Mandarin, Hoku's is offering "A Taste of Spring" dinner through Saturday, featuring produce, meats and shellfish of the season.

Highlights include Prince Edward Island mussels with elephant garlic or grilled veal chop with spring vegetable tart. Blood oranges, rambutan and hearts of palm are among items featured in the a la carte dishes.

Call 739 8780.

Chardonnay showcase

Padovani's Restaurant and Wine Bar celebrate the chardonnays of California with two events this week:

Three of California's biggest chardonnays -- Kistler, Kongsgaard and Peter Michael -- will be showcased in a tasting Friday. Cost is $28 for three half-glasses. As an alternative a flight of white burgundies -- Joseph Drouhin Meursault, Latour Meursault Premier Cru and Latour Chassagne Montrachet, Premier Cru -- costs $22.

The same chardonnays will be featured in a Big Chardonnay Dinner Thursday through Saturday. The menu: Seafood Bisque, Beggar's Purse of Dungeness Crab in Avocado Sauce, entree choice of Salmon Confit or Moi in Lemongrass Broth. Cost is $115 with a full glass of each wine, $88 with a half-glass, $60 without wines. Call 946-3456.

Wine and underwear

Pinot noir is the wine of the season, thanks to the film "Sideways." Formaggio Wine Bar celebrates the trend with a tasting of more than 20 pinot noirs. "Passion of Pinot Noir & the Elegance of Lace" takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. March 21.

The "lace" part refers to a lingerie fashion show by LuLu Lackey.

Wines will include Acacia, Argyle, Au Bon Climat, Brewer Clifton, Chalone, Chehalem, Crossings, Domaine Drouhin, Edna Valley, Erath, Esser, Mellville, Samantha Star and Whitcraft.

Cost is $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Formaggio is located next to Fujioka's Wine Times in the Market City Shopping Center. Call 739-9463.

Sansei celebration

Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kapalua, Maui, celebrates its ninth anniversary next Sunday with a party that will extend from the restaurant out into the courtyards at the Shops at Kapalua.

Executive chef Ivan Pahk, sushi chef Masa Hattori and owner D.K. Kodama will provide the food, against a backdrop of live music.

The event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $40. It's all-you-can-eat with a cash bar. Call 808-669-6286.

PBS benefit

PBS Hawaii members can pick up on a two-for-one lunch offer through March at Tiki's Grill & Bar. Bring your membership card and collect a free entree when purchasing a second. Call 923-8454.

Tiki's employees helped staff phones during Thursday's on-air membership drive, offering a pupu party for 20 in exchange for pledges of $1,000. Free Kalua Pia Quesadilla appetizers went to anyone calling in a pledge.

Brunch bunch

Dixie Grill's Ward Avenue outlet has added a Weekender Brunch, available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The Southern-style menu includes Country-Fried Steak and Eggs, Blueberry Double-Stuffed French Toast and Dixie Done Waffle Benedict. Barbecue and seafood dishes are also available. Call 596-8359.

---