News and reviews of made on Maui products and Maui-based companies and success stories. Also featuring island shopping guides

Posts tagged ‘Food’

Bring Home a Jar of Maui – Maui Preserved

Maui Preserved was started by two chefs, transplanted from New York City, with the goal to take Maui’s height of season produce and crafting pantry items to make the harvests last.  The company was launched in June 2010 by Maleta Van Loan and Anthony LaBua, with the goal of creating products and flavors that are both traditional and extraordinary.  Their products range from pickles and hot sauce to jams, syrups, whole vanilla beans, and more!  In the June 2013 issue of Sunset Magazine, Maui Preserved’s Sweet and Spicy Pineapple was featured in the article ‘100 New Reasons to Love the West’.  Maleta LaBua, owner and operator of Maui Preserved, tells us how that mention came about, and shares a bit more about her sweet company.

Sweet Spicy Pineapple Sunset Magazine

The Sweet and Spicy Pineapple is one of the Reasons to Love the West

Maui Made: How did the write up in Sunset Magazine happen?  

Maleta LaBua: Our press really comes about from someone from a magazine tasting our products that are either gifted to them or they pick up at one of the many events we participate in, farmer’s markets or state-wide retailers.  All of our printed press was local until this article.  It’s important to get your product out there because sometimes one person can make a big difference in sales. We always make sure to stay connected with writers who support us.

MM: Did that increase sales for you? 

MB: Yes, it increased online sales and of course increased our fan base for future sales as well.

pickled beets maui fresh jar

Maui Preserved’s Pickled Beets make a unique and delicious burger topping

MM: What are your top selling products? 

MB: Hot Hot Sauce, Vanilla Powder, Sweet & Spicy Pineapple, our Pickled Beets are up there as well.  We started selling Pickled Pohole Ferns this year and it is steadily growing in popularity!

MM: Are all your products online?  

MB: Our selection depending on seasonality and availability.  We also offer seasonal gift packs.  Our retailers (currently on Maui, Kauai, Oahu and in New York) are listed on our website so customers have the option to visit a shop that carries Maui Preserved near them! Customers are always welcome to send us an email  if they can’t find one of their favorite products.  We provide excellent customer service and are always happy to help our fans out!

MM: What sets your product apart from others? 

MB: I think it’s our intention.  Maui Preserved is deeply rooted in the idea that eating well and sustainably is also delicious.  Many customers keep telling us that our hot sauce is the best they have ever had.  I think that also comes from Maui Preserved’s ability to modernize the classic cuisine and ingredients of Hawaii.  There are so many climatic zones in Hawaii and we select the best ingredients from a region.  We work on a recipe until its a winner!  You can’t fake passion and we love to cook and most importantly eat!

Mauw Grow Some Good non Profit Group

Chef Anthony LaBua teaching a cooking class to students at Kihei Elementary through the nonprofit organization Grow Some Good.

MM: Any tips for someone starting a small business on Maui? 

MB: Do your market research in regards to the local community versus the tourist community, and start with a solid business plan.  It’s a small pool of business owners as well and its vital to work together and support each other.

Maui Hot Hot Sauce Preserved Gift Idea

Maui Preserved’s Hot Hot Sauce is made with the local Hawaiian Chile Pepper

MM: What’s next for Maui Preserved? 

MB: We are developing a co-packing side of the company which is really exciting because it furthers our mission to serve local food to as many people as possible and to continue to support our local farmers as much as we can.  This showcases our background as chefs and the skills and talent that we have worked hard to develop.

MM: Anything else you want to share? 

MB: Maui Preserved was a way for two chefs to give back and contribute to the local food shed of Hawaii.  It is the community that keeps Maui Preserved thriving.  We just want to thank everyone who supports our business and allows us to do what we love!

Follow Maui Preserved on Facebook 

grilled romaine salad beets onion maui

a grilled romaine salad topped with Maui Preserved’s Pickled Beets and Pickled Maui Onion

Category:

Food and Beverage

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Eat like a local with Tour Da Food

When it comes to vacations, there are three kinds of people.  Some people go on vacation to relax, some like to explore, and some people just want to eat.  Fortunately for people that come to Maui, with a fascinating history of global cuisines and an abundance of fresh fruit, fish and other foods, Maui’s culinary options will keep your palate happy for the entire length of your stay.   And you haven’t really been to Maui without sampling a plate lunch, enjoying fresh poke, and you really can’t miss our famous shave ice.  With all the options, won’t you feel better knowing you’ve had the best?

Maui's Best Local Food Tour Activity

The Plate Lunch – The Signature Local Food in Hawaii –

If you are one of those foodie travelers, you’re second call after booking your flight should be to Bonnie Friedman.  A serious foodie herself, Bonnie established Tour Da Food in 2008 as the island’s first food tour and the only tour that focuses solely on ‘local food’.

Bonnie currently offers four tours – ‘Wailuku’, ‘Upcountry’, ‘Noodles, Dumplings & Dim Sum’ and perhaps Maui’s most unique tour, ‘GAS-tronomy’, a tour of four of Maui’s best local foods found in gas stations.  Every tour includes transportation from and back to the central meeting place; all food; a goodie bag; and a list of additional off-the-radar eating places.    And for foodies who would rather go it alone, Bonnie can provide a personalized list of recommendations through her website at Cuisine Confidential.

Eat Maui Local Food Guide

Explore Maui’s ‘hidden’ food treasures with Tour Da Food

Bonnie has built close personal and professional relationships with Maui’s chefs, farmers and food producers during her decades spent in various careers on Maui. She is herself a certified Pastry Cook, and has co-authored two cookbooks for Ten Speed Press.

Having just returned from her own foodie trip to Italy (which we jealously observed via Facebook!), she answered some of our questions about her unique activity :

maui's best shave ice tour

Shave Ice Caps off Each Tour

Made Made: How did you come up with this idea? 

Bonnie Friedman: I have to give credit to my friend/colleague Keli’i Brown, the PR director of the Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau. He took a food tour of Chinatown in NYC in the mid-2000s. When he came back to Maui, he told me about it – VERY excitedly! – and said “You need to do this in Wailuku.” It took quite a while – about 18 months – to do all the research and plot out what I considered to be an excellent local food tour. I launched Tour da Food Maui in May 2008.

MM: What’s your most popular tour? 

BF: I think Wailuku is still probably the most popular tour with Upcountry a close second.

MM: Any favorite moments or experiences?   

BF:  For me, the best moments are connecting with visitors, especially first time visitors, and introducing them to real local food. And they all really seem to love the experience. Most rewarding is when my guests and I become friends. It’s happened several times. There’s a family I see every year when they visit Maui and a couple I have at least one meal with in NYC when I travel there.

 

Maui's Best Manapua...

There’s nothing like a Manapua – It’s worth the trip to Maui just in itself…

MM: Anything else you want to add? 

BF: A few words of my “local food philosophy” – we have some excellent fine dining in Hawai’i, no doubt about it. But for me, the one thing we have here that no other place in the world has is local food. I think we learn a great deal about a place and its culture through its food. That’s the experience I hope I give my guests.

Mahalo to Bonnie for making us hungry answering our questions, and don’t forget to check out her tour options on your next visit to Maui!

Category:

Food and Beverage, Tours

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Shop Makawao Part 2 – Art Galleries and Restaurants

(click here to view part 1: Clothing Boutiques and an Apothecary)

According to the HVCB website: This charming town was once named one of the top 25 arts destinations in the United States. 

And, unlike Maui’s other art capital, Lahaina, most of the art you’ll find in Makawao is actually made on Maui, and you’re more than likely to meet the artist as well.  Here is a virtual tour/shopping guide to Makawao’s art galleries.

Art Galleries:

(In Alphabetical Order – click on the name to view the website, if applicable, and click on the shop link to see what’s available to purchase online!)

Hot Island Glass: 

See the amazing artwork of talented glassblowers Chris Richards and Chris Lowry at this combination gallery and studio.  On most days, visitors will find them there creating new pieces right before their eyes.  Set back a bit off Baldwin Ave., (near Makawao Steak House), make a point to check out this gallery.

Visit their online shop

See live glass blowing most days at Hot Island Glass

Jordanne: 

If you’ve been to Lanai in the past decade, you may recall Jordanne’s artwork as the Artist-In-Residence for both Four Seasons Resorts from 2003-2012.  In 2012, she moved to Maui to focus on a new collection of work and Plein-Air shows across America.  Jordanne is known for her paintings of Hawaiian landscapes, plantation homes, bouquet arrangements and signature gold-leaf pineapple paintings.

Visit her online shop

Kapalua Bay Original by Jordanne

Julie Galeeva:

The interesting thing about walking into the Julie Galeeva art gallery, right on the corner of Makawao Avenue and Baldwin, is the great variety of works and styles. There’s abstract, impressionist, realist, fantasy…  so I asked the guy painting away if this was all Julie’s work, “Yes, she can do anything,” he agreed.  He pointed to one corner, “But that’s mine, she lets me have that section… she’s my mom” he added.  Wow, two talented artists in this family!

Kirsten Bunney Gallery:

Originally from Australia, Kirsten Bunney has been living and working on Maui since 1987.  Kirsten combines pen and ink with gouache and watercolor to express the bright, tropical beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.  Kirsten’s unique sense of style and color has been developed from a mix of cross-cultural influences, particularly times spent living in Bali.

Maui Hands :

Now back where it started- in Makawao, Maui Hands represents over 300 fine artists, artisans, jewelers, woodworkers, glassblowers, potters and sculptors, all 100% local to the state of Hawaii.  There’s something in every price range, and don’t miss the jewelry counters.  Did we mention the jewelry? Maui Hands has three other locations – Paia, Lahaina and Kaanapali.

Visit their online shop 

Sherri Reeve:

If you’ve been around Maui at all, you know the artwork of Sherri Reeve.  If not, your next stop in Makawao will change all that.  Known for her vibrant and playful watercolors, Reeve opened her Makawao gallery in 1997, where she can often be found greeting her faithful fans and new followers.  Her shop is so colorful and cheerful that you just want to stay for a while.   Besides wall art, you can find Sherri’s designs on mugs, mousepads, playing cards, soap and more!

View her online shop 

Chorus Line

Viewpoints:

Another must-see stop in Makawao is Viewpoints Gallery.  There is a constantly changing featured show at this gallery, with the current theme : “It’s all about Hawaii”, which runs June 28 – August 7, 2013, and features the iconic painters Betty Hay Freeland and Suzy Papanikolas.  Each artist in this gallery must also be a current resident of the island.

Zforrest:

This carefully curated gallery has only been open 4 months, but I hope it will be around for a long time.  Just a few of the fun pieces that are made on Maui are Wicked Ono bags, cyanotype on silk pillows and scarves by Gwen Arkin, and these cute journal earrings by Julia Spector.

Wicked Ono Crossbody Bags
Silk Cyanotype Scarves by Gwen Arkin
Cyanotype Silk Pillow by Gwen Arkin
Wicked Ono Bags
Journal Earrings

And another gallery I didn’t get the chance to visit this time: Piero Resta

Food & Snacks:

To keep this from being the longest blog post ever (and it might be, anyway) – I’m just going to hit the highlights of food and beverage in Makawao – all this shopping is bound to make you hungry.

Best use of local ingredients: Market Fresh Bistro – open 9-3:30 (2 on Sunday), some days for dinner (call 572-4877 to confirm hours).

Best Donuts: Komoda’s- there’s no sign near the door of this hole in the wall, when you smell the deliciousness, you’ll know you are there.  (closed Wednesday and Sunday)

Best place to sit and enjoy colorful Makawao/catch up on all the local gossip, while enjoying a coffee: Casanova Deli’s outdoor porch (daytime)

Best Wood-fired Pizza: Casanova Restaurant (nighttime- although I do think they serve the pizza for lunch too, I’m just too busy sitting on the porch)

Best Chips & Salsa: Polli’s

Best on-the-run/take-out: Rodeo General Store

And don’t forget to check out Makawao every Third Friday for the evening Town Party

Casanova Makawao third Friday town party maui

What’s your favorite art gallery/food in Makawao?

Category:

fine art, Food and Beverage, Shop Local

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Maui Brewers Festival

This Saturday marks the 5th Annual Maui Brewers Festival at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, one of the Center’s fundraising events. This year, the event starts off with a Beer Fest Dinner at the MACC on Friday night. The five course meal by Chef John Memering of Oahu’s Cactus Bistro will feature locally sourced ingredients, and each course will be paired with a craft beer from Maui Brewing Company, one of the event sponsors. Tickets are $140 per person.

This year’s Brewers Festival takes place from 4-7pm.   Admission includes eight samplings (4 oz.) of over 30 craft breweries from around the country, and appetizers from many of Maui’s favorite restaurants and food trucks.  Tickets are $50 for general admission or $60 for that day.  Plus, live music of course!

Each of the breweries in attendance will feature two of their brews.  Maui Brewing Co, as event sponsor, will get four :

BARREL AGED RED COCK DOPPEL BOCK,  LEMONGRASS SAISON, MAUI MAIBOCK, and PAU HANA PILSNER SHIFTING WINDS IPA

Other breweries in attendance will include Rogue, Stone Brewing, Dogfish Head and Lost Coast.

Some of the pupus include Buffalo Chicken and Veggie Flatbreads by Flatbread Co. and gelatos by Ono Gelato. Both of these companies always feature locally sourced ingredients and the freshness is always evident in every bite (and the lines out the door!)

I was unable to attend the festival last year but heard that there were so many last minute ticket purchases that the food vendors were unprepared and food ran out quickly.  Let’s hope that this year everyone plans a little better, and I’m not sure if it’s new, but this year’s increase in ticket prices for day-of purchases should help a bit.   Also, I asked on the MACC’s facebook page and they confirmed that there is a ‘designated driver’ ticket if you dont want the beers (there is root beer!) for $40, but not sure if its available online or in person or phone… but good to know!

Here are the breweries and restaurants in attendance this year (subject to change!)

Which Beers and Foods are you looking forward to the most?

maui-brewers-festival-breweries-2013

maui-brewers-fest-2013-beer Maui Brewers Festival Menu 1 maui-brewers-festival-2013

Category:

Event, Food and Beverage

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