Maui Hosts Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival Oct. 19-21

Lobster Tamale Pie with Paddlefish Caviar by made by Chef Pyles at the festival last year. He will be one of the chefs at Spiked! at Sheraton on
Oct. 20. Courtesy photo.

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival expands its reach on Maui this year with the addition of a fourth event—Keiki in the Kitchen Kā‘anapali on Oct. 21. Set in picturesque Kā‘anapali, the festival offers something for everyone, from a chance for kids to meet famous chefs and taste Kula-grown tomatoes to an indulgent sit-down feast under the stars for discerning adults.

Last year, Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival’s landmark seventh-annual event raised a record $414,000 for 23 non-profit beneficiaries, including several from Maui.  The 2018 events attracted more than 10,000 attendees for the first time, boosting total giving from Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival to more than $2 million in a span of seven years.

Maui is clearly a food destination; here are the events scheduled for the Valley Isle between Friday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018:

Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival Roy’s 21st Annual Golf Classic

WHAT: Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival Roy’s 21st Annual Golf Classic
WHERE: Kā‘anapali Golf Courses, 2290 Kā‘anapali Pkwy
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., dinner 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
COST: Registration for threesomes starts at $1,500

Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival co-founders and chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong tee off at last year’s Roy’s Golf Classic. It’s happening this year on Oct 19 at Kā‘anapali’s Royal Golf Course. Courtesy photo.

The festival kicks off—or rather tees off—its run on the Valley Isle with its Roy’s 21st Annual Golf Classic on Friday, Oct. 19. Created by chef Roy Yamaguchi to benefit IMUA Family Services, the event has raised more than $850,000 for the organization that helps children and families in Maui County. Corporate teams, chefs, PGA pros and volunteers all band together for a day of fun on Kā‘anapali’s Royal Course, where food and beverage stations are strategically set up along the way. This year players will enjoy bites by such chefs as Abby Ferrer, new executive chef of Star Noodle, Joey Macadangdang of Joey’s Kitchen, and pro surfer-turned-chef Tom Muromoto of Kā‘anapali Beach Hotel as they make their way through the links. Then players go from the course to Roy’s Kā‘anapali for an awards ceremony and sumptuous sit-down dinner with chef Roy Yamaguchi himself. Kā‘anapali pro David Havens and his team have won the last three years—Golf Classic regulars are wondering if he’ll ever be beat!

Spiked!, Oct. 20, Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa

WHAT: Spiked!
WHERE: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, 2605 Kā‘anapali Pkwy
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 20, 6-9 p.m.
COST: General admission $200; First Hawaiian Bank Mastercard preferred access $200; VIP $300

Spiked! dining event, happening Saturday, Oct. 20 at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. Courtesy photo.

At the walk-around event Spiked!, on Oct. 20 at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, chefs will show off their spice and seasoning skills. With that in mind, the heavy-hitter chef lineup includes three pioneers of spice-rich Southwestern Cuisine—Robert Del Grande of Café Annie in Houston, Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas, and Stephan Pyles of Flora Street Café in Dallas. Also in the mix is headline-grabbing chef Brandon Jew, who mixes traditional Chinese cuisine with contemporary California ingredients at his Mr. Jiu’s in San Francisco. On the wine front, Salvatore Ferragamo, who is part of the famed luxury shoemaking family, will be on hand pouring his acclaimed Il Borro wines. And top Hawai‘i bartenders Chandra Lucariello, Kyle Reutner, Jason Vendrell, and Alicia Yamachika will be shaking up signature craft cocktails.

Keiki in the Kitchen Kā‘anapali, Oct. 21, Whalers Village

WHAT: Keiki in the Kitchen Kā‘anapali
WHERE: Whalers Village, 2435 Kā‘anapali Pkwy
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
COST: Free with advance reservation at www.hfwf.me, $5 at door

Keiki in the Kitchen will debut on Maui Sunday, Oct. 21 with cupcake decorating, chef meet-and-greets and more family-friendly fun. Courtesy image.

This year, the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival’s popular Keiki in the Kitchen® event makes its Maui debut Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Whalers Village in Kā‘anapali. Headlining the free event is perky YouTube baking star Rosanna Pansino, known for her series Nerdy Nummies. She will lead two cupcake-decorating sessions for kids—at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.—using her signature unicorn cupcake decorating kits (the activity is limited to the first 120 children who arrive). Pansino joins 17 celebrity chef guests for a day of food and fun for the whole family. The many activities for kids include making grab-and-go snacks with Monkeypod Kitchen, screenprinting with Crazy Shirts, tomato tasting with Kula farmer Justin Teixiera, and crafts with Ben Franklin. At a photobooth, kids can have their picture taken with world-famous chefs. See the full schedule.

Symphony of Flavors, Oct. 21, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa

WHAT: Symphony of Flavors
WHERE: Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Dr.
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m.
COST: General admission $250; VIP $500

The Symphony of Flavors sit-down dining event is hosted by Hyatt Regency Maui on Sunday, Oct. 21. Courtesy image.

Seven chefs will make hearts sing with a six-course sit-down dinner on a grand terrace overlooking Kā‘anapali Beach. Diners can watch each sumptuous dish being prepared by an all-star lineup behind the counter of the “Kitchen Stadium” that Hyatt Regency Maui creates just for this event. Virtuoso Maui-based violinist Don Lax will fill the air with the classics. James Beard Foundation Award–winning Blaine Wetzel of Willows Inn on Lummi Island returns to the festival, joining David LeFevre of Fishing with Dynamite in Manhattan Beach and Rick Tramonto of Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans, along with Hawai‘i’s own Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush of Senia, Michelle Karr-Ueoka of MW Restaurant and Greg Grohowski of Hyatt Regency Maui.

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival is the premier epicurean destination event in the Pacific. The Festival features a roster of more than 100 internationally renowned master chefs, culinary personalities, and wine and spirit producers. Co-founded in 2011 by two of Hawai‘i’s own James Beard Award-winning chefs, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, the Festival showcases wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, and exclusive dining opportunities with dishes highlighting the state’s bounty of local produce, seafood, beef and poultry. Proceeds support local beneficiaries committed to sustainability and cultural and educational programs in Hawai‘i. In eight years, HFWF has expanded from a three-day festival with 30 chefs in Waikīkī to a three-weekend culinary celebration spanning three islands that attracts more than 10,000 attendees. The festival boosts Hawai‘i’s reputation as a culinary destination with prominent national media coverage valued at $12 million.

Get tickets and stay connected on the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival’s website or follow HFWF on Twitter/Instagram @HIFoodWineFest and Facebook at hawaiifoodandwinefestival.