Maui Food And Dining

The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua is getting ready to serve up a menu of “magical moments” with culinary, wine and music events during next month’s 43rd annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival.

The Maui portion of the 14th annual Hawaiʻi Food and Wine Festival is scheduled for Oct. 25-27 in Kaʻanapali, according to an announcement.

University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges with culinary arts programs were among 14 beneficiaries of $195,300 donated by the Hawai‘i Ag & Culinary Alliance, founder of the annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.

To help increase local menu offerings in school lunches, three dozen public schools on Maui, Moloka‘i, Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i will be offering fresh local poi as an accompanying lunch menu item to students and staff this month in honor of May Day. 

Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair is getting ready to kick off its 15thyear—and presenter Maui County Farm Bureau (MCFB) is celebrating by bringing back “Taste Education.” This special series features Grown on Maui guests and was part of AgFest’s beginnings back in 2010, and will once again delight ticket holders at this year’s AgFest on Saturday, June 1, at War Memorial Special Events and Baseball Fields.

Maui Mall Village today announced that Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya will open at the center in early fall 2024. The restaurant, which operates four locations on Oʻahu, offers fresh, gourmet and affordable Japanese ramen and bar-style dishes. It serves traditional flavors in a chic modern environment with an array of options, from build-your-own ramen to a selection of signature dishes. Tanaka Ramen & Izakaya will open near Center Court with seating for about 40 guests. 

Families can treat mom this Mother’s Day with a brunch experience at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kāʻanapali on Sunday, May 12 with two seatings available, either at 10 a.m. to noon and from noon to 2 p.m. The resort’s outdoor Aloha Pavilion will be transformed into an extensive buffet that will present a culinary journey. In addition to the grand buffet filled with brunch delights, the resort will also showcase live entertainment.

Nalu’s South Shore Grill owner, Ron Panzo was honored as the winner of the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2024 Hawaiʻi State Small Business Person of the Year award. This award acknowledges outstanding achievements and contributions of small businesses across Hawaiʻi and the nation.

Sergio’s Cantina was supposed to open in fall 2023, but the Lahaina wildfires delayed plans. Several months later, on Jan. 3, 2024, the restaurant opened at the Honokōwai Marketplace with a refreshed ambiance.

The proprietors of 808 Deli have embarked on a sweet new chapter with the launch of 808 Sugar HI, offering an array of handcrafted treats like custom cookie and gelato sandwiches, sundaes, handmade milkshakes and more.

Fresh Help Maui and Maui Eat Local Magazine gathered 100+ food and drink recipes from West Maui’s most loved chefs and restaurants to pay homage through a new project, “The Lahaina Cookbook.”

Student teaching assistant Ryan Chang will earn two associate of applied arts degrees in May (one specializing in culinary arts and the other specializing in baking and pastry). He played a key role in the college’s emergency production of thousands of meals in the aftermath of the August wildfires. 

Wolfgang’s Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener made its long anticipated debut on Maui at The Shops at Wailea last week.

Approximately 1,200 restaurant, bar and hospitality workers have received one-time $1,000 disbursements from the Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund, according to an announcement from the Hawaiʻi Ag & Culinary Alliance.

Foodland Super Market today launched Project Keiki, a new monthlong statewide community giving program that will help provide lunches and meals to Hawai‘i’s children on days they don’t have access to school lunches. Support will go to the Hawai‘i food banks on four islands to fulfill this mission.

Throughout the month of March, at select Raising Cane’s locations across Oʻahu and Maui, parents and their keiki can enjoy a new or classic book read by one of the stars of The Hawaiʻi Comedy Festival while learning how to engage with each other while reading. A Maui event takes place on March 24 at 10 a.m. at the Raising Cane’s in Kahului at 176 Hoʻokele St.

The 43rd Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival returns June 6-9, 2024 to Kapalua Resort. Celebrate, learn and experience culinary trends and viniculture with the return of celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and luncheons.

Placing an order in the month of March benefits Special Olympics Hawaiʻi, enabling the organization to offer year-round sports training, competition and health, wellness, and leadership initiatives for more than 3,400 athletes across the state with intellectual disabilities.

The Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund for Maui will benefit from two “Experience the Magic of Napa Valley” fine-dining events Feb. 23-24, hosted by Chef Thomas Keller and Chef de Cuisine David Breeden, at the French Laundry at Hotel Wailea.

Tails Up Maui, a restaurant in Paukūkalo, reopened on Jan. 26 after a transformative period of community service.