Maui’s Best Thanksgiving Options: East, West, South and Sea

By Vanessa Wolf

Courtesy image

If you’re wondering what to do next Thursday, Nov. 28 for Thanksgiving, the good news is you have multiple options.

Out West

From 4 to 8 p.m., feast at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa’s Thanksgiving Dinner.

Starters include Waipoli mixed green salad and Kula baby lettuces, specialty garden salads, soup and bread.

There will also be sushi and seafood with snap and eat crab legs, oysters on the half shell, fresh ‘ahi tuna sashimi, ‘poke and sashimi.

The carving station features oven-roasted thanksgiving turkey, slow-roasted Farmer John ham, gravy and mashed potatoes as well as oven-roasted loin of pork stuffed with chicken apple sausage, spinach, and Surfing Goat cheese and pan-seared mahi mahi.

If you’re still hungry for more, enjoy grilled leg of lamb with sweet ginger plum glaze, penne pasta with smoked salmon, edamame and garlic cream, sautéed brussels sprouts with pancetta or assorted steamed dim sum.

For dessert, dig into some Pumpkin-Ginger Cheese Cake, Kula Berry Mousse Parfait, Bread Pudding with Brandy or Seasonal Pies

The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa is located at 2605 Kaanapali Parkway
Lahaina, Maui, and this feast costs $56 per adult and
$27 per child ages 6 to12. For reservations, call 808-921-4600.

At Sea

For a unique Maui-style way to celebrate Thanksgiving, enjoy your holiday feast on the ocean at a Thanksgiving Dinner Cruise with Pacific Whale Foundation.

Choose a 2 p.m., 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. departure, the latter two offering sunset views while you dine.

The dinner features locally-grown, natural and organic ingredients and includes roasted turkey with giblet gravy, roasted island ham with guava jelly, Portuguese sausage stuffing (traditional thanksgiving stuffing with Portuguese sausage), whipped garlic potatoes and corn on the cob.

There will also be upcountry greens with Maui onion dressing, grilled island vegetables, fresh baked taro and soft rolls.

For dessert enjoy pumpkin haupia squares, mini pumpkin pies and double chocolate brownies.

Adult guests with valid ID can enjoy up to three alcoholic beverages, including local Maui brewery beer, wine and mai tais.

There’s unlimited soda, filtered water and juice for everyone.

Pacific Whale Foundation is located at 300 Ma’alaea Road in Wailuku.

Adults are $84.95. Children 3 to 12 are $59.95 and infants zero to 2 are one free per each adult.

Call 1-800-942-5311 ext. 1 to make reservations.

Far East

Travaasa Hana’s Ka’uiki Restaurant. Courtesy photo

For those of you in or headed to Hana for the holidays, Travasa Hana’s Ka’uiki Restaurant is offering a special Thanksgiving prix fixe menu.

Dining begins with your choice of New England seafood corn chowder; seared beef carpaccio; Kula mixed greens “garden salad” with “Hana herbs” pohole fern, guacamole, corn salsa, and sweet potato; or miso cured smoked salmon.

For dinner, enjoy your choice of roast turkey and gravy with Maui’s Uncle Louie Portuguese sausage stuffing, kabocha pumpkin flan, buttered corn and Kula asparagus; baked crab-stuffed hana fish with Haiku “Tamimi” tomato coulis and saffron vegetable risotto or grilled peppered filet of beef with savory bacon bread pudding, glazed baby carrot, and broccolini.

Vegetarians can partake in kabocha pumpkin flan with roasted Brussels sprouts, and baked local Hana banana tamales served with Romesco Sauce.

Dessert is equally elegant with a choice of Hana pumpkin pie, Hana Myer lemon meringue pie, or coconut haupia chiffon cake.

Travasa Hana and Ka’uiki Restaurant is located at 5031 Hana Highway in Hana.

The dinner is $90 per person and $45 per child under 8 years of age.

Deep South

Makena Resort’s Executive Chef Marc McDowell and Executive Sous Chef Steve Avergonzado prepare their signature Sage and Thyme Brine Roasted Whole Tom Turkey For the resort’s annual Thanksgiving Buffet.

The Makena Beach & Golf Resort celebrates Thanksgiving two ways this year. For those who wish to bring the culinary talents of the resort’s chefs to the comfort of their homes for the holiday, the Makena Resort offers Turkey’s To Go, a complete Thanksgiving meal with a turkey and all the fixings available for pick up on Thanksgiving Day.

Offered at $120 plus tax, the Thanksgiving meal is perfect for a family of four and includes:

• 10-12 lb Turkey
• Stuffing
• Mash Potatoes
• Giblet Gravy
• Green Bean Casserole
• Makena Seafood Chowder
• Citrus Ginger Cranberry Sauce
• Artisan Bread and Cranberry Butter
• Caesar Salad with Parmesan Cheese, Croutons and Dressing
• Individual Mini Pumpkin Pies

The resort also offers their signature annual Thanksgiving Buffet on Thursday Dec. 28, 2013 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Molokini Bar & Grille.

Makena’s Turkey’s To Go meal also includes a Makena Logo Apron and Chef’s for those who wish to fake that they prepared all this deliciousness themselves.

The meal will be available for pick up on Thanksgiving Day, but reservations must be made by tomorrow, Friday Nov. 22.

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In addition, the resort will also be holding its annual Thanksgiving buffet from 2 to 8 p.m.

It will include sage and thyme brined roasted whole tom turkey with traditional giblet gravy, cranberry relish, Portuguese sausage, coconut cornbread stuffing and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. Pig out on Kumu farms certified organic greens with passion and balsamic vinaigrette, grilled vegetable artichokes and tortellini salad, or banana chicken and Molokai sweet potato salad. Still got room in there?

There’s also Tammi tomato, strawberry papaya and house-made mozzarella caprese, pates and seafood terrines.

They’re not even close to finished with Pacific Northwest oysters on the half shell, tiger prawns and snow crab legs, fresh island sashimi, rolled-to-order sushi and a Bouillabaisse station.

Meat-eaters can feast on guava-honey glazed ham, herb crusted prime rib, South Maui BBQ ribs, cilantro and macadamia nut crusted island catch, wagyu beef and prosciutto and truffle pecorino stuffed roulade of chicken.

Dessert features mini pumpkin pies, apple crumbles, pineapple rum colada bites, crème brulee, and white and dark chocolate mousse.

Makena Beach and Golf Resort is located at 5400 Makena Alanui in Wailea/Makena.

The buffet will set you back $65 for adults, $35 for children ages 5-12. For reservations call 808-874-1111.