Sad reporting the closure of one of Maui’s beloved Italian food spots Aroma D Italia. It was neither pretentious or expensive, and will be missed.

Luckily I can say I ate there in the month before they closed. Did you eat at Aroma D Italia? What was your favorite item? My last meal there was good old spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.

Michael Capuano and Brandon Pazilla at Just Wing It

A friend of mine from Texas who was living on Maui once told me, “Man, the only food I really miss from home that you can’t get here is chicken wings.” Now I like chicken wings just as much as any other, especially when served with a beer, but it was an eye opener to discover that wings have such a fanatic following.

Thousands of restaurants serve them and it’s become trendy to open a niche restaurant revolving around just that one menu item. In fact, Just Wing It, one of Maui’s newest restaurants, is banking on those wings fans but plans to make some converts, too. The key is in their menagerie of house-made sauces.

They renovated and opened in the old Dairy Queen spot at the food court next to Kihei Safeway. Restauranteurs and owners Michael Capuano (Wow Wee Candy Bars) and David Gamberdell (Fiesta Time Wailuku) felt the time and space was right to introduce their chicken-wing-plus-sauce-and-sides concept. The casual eatery features eye-catching bright yellow and red, from the logo to the wall menu to the walls themselves, which are also printed with chicken footprints.

The wings come fast from the fryer since they pre-bake them so they heat through quickly. Then they take your wings and toss them in the sauce of your choice. These little boned bits of meat are juicy, and their size is generous.

Wings with Buffalo Sauce

Just Wing It’s saucy business is addicting. They feature so many sauces for juicing your fried wings and other things that it’s difficult to choose just one. They are all made there, from the garlic parmigiano, which is a thick, tangy and cheesy combo, to their chunky bleu cheese and volcano made with blended habeneros. I lost count at 12.

Then there’s the wasabi garlic ginger–an amazing concoction that we couldn’t stop dipping everything into. It features a bright horseradish zing with garlic and ginger and a very light, thin consistency. It would be great on sashimi, too. Of course, if you just want traditional brown barbecue sauce, they offer a great kiawe honey barbecue.

“Our bestseller is hot,” says Capuano. “And we pre-cook the wings so you can be in and out in about five minutes. All of our wings are going to be tossed in the sauce of your choice, and all of them are made from scratch here. We try to put our own spin on things, like our coleslaw has just a hint of wasabi, and we make our own baked beans. We cater, too: we’re doing an order for a wedding of 600 wings.”

Boneless Skinless Tenders

They also offer boneless, skinless wings, but before you think you’re saving any calories there, remember that they’re marvelously panko-breaded and fried crispy. The same goes with their shrimp–the panko breading is light and crunchy.

The pieces are sold by the the number, starting with servings of five. Wings (bone in or out) are $6.49, and shrimp is $6.99. They also do a combo where you can add a drink and a side for an additional $2.

Kiawe Barbecue Sauce

It also doesn’t matter if you can put the whole wing in your mouth and then extract just bones, or if you delicately pick the meat off of the bones: saucy wings like these are messy. But don’t let that scare you. Plenty of napkins can combat that. What should concern you though is proper sauce pairing: Buffalo, wasabi, sweet Thai chile, tequila mango habenero, lemon pepper, ranch…

Fried Pickles!

French fry aficionados will also be impressed by the Rainbow Fries, a conglomeration of white, red and yam potatoes, all fried crisp. The restaurant has a hearty list of sides, like nice, big onion rings that have been panko-breaded, potato mac salad, coleslaw, celery and carrot sticks with ranch and, straight from the south, panko-crusted, fried pickle slices. At first I thought they were zucchini slices, since they’re very similar in texture, but when you bite in it’s dill pickle crunch all the way. All sides run $1.49 for small, $2.69 for large and “ohana” size is $7.49.

Just Wing It may be the opposite of a health food lunch, but they do include some options that keeps your food out of the fryer. If you prefer your wings baked, they have those, as well as a few salads and wraps. They also have baked beans, and plain black beans, too. They also offer an artichoke and olive salad made with marinated chokes. What’s more, any of their wraps can be made in spinach or tomato tortillas with or without added tenders or shrimp.

But keep in mind they also make their own desserts: hand-dipped caramel apples were the sweet treat of the day when I went. Capuano says they like to get creative with the desserts, but he also sells the very popular Wow Wee Candy bars for chocolate lovers.

Just Wing It

225 Piikea Ave, Space #9-96

Kihei, Maui 96753

808-875-WING (9464)

Sweet Paradise Chocolate, Melanie Boudar Chocolatier Images Courtesy of Sean Hower

There is more to eating chocolate than just grabbing a Hershey bar at the checkout stand at the market. A lot more, like the fact that the cocoa industry is mired in slave labor issues and the quality of cheap chocolate is questionable because of corn syrups and chemical fillers. But satisfying your chocolate cravings is easy: just go to the new Sweet Paradise Chocolate shop in Wailea, where master chocolatier Melanie Boudar’s artful chocolate creations reside.

The shop sits next to Pita Paradise Wailea, and Boudar said she loves the location at Wailea Gateway. It’s a hub of gourmet offerings with Guava Gouda and Caviar across the way.

Champagne and Chocolate

Inside the bright red walls, the shop is decked out with a full-size piano and red carpets. It’s hard to stand there and not to feel the romance of chocolate. In fact, I half-expected a winged cherub to fly down from the ceiling and pop a chocolate in my mouth.

When I walked in Boudar was decorating for Valentine’s Day by filling trays with red heart-shaped confections. The chocolate pieces are quite dry to the touch, they don’t melt instantly to your touch. Boudar said they’re room temperature stable and will last up to about three weeks in a cool place indoors–even in Lahaina!

When you bite into one, it’s the perfect chocolate moment. Seriously, there’s nothing like it. The harder exterior on the truffle gives way and the silky innards melt on your tongue. Then a tang of passion fruit, or a zing of chili, or a drop of citrus gently fills your mouth. Then another bite, and the exhilarating moment is over. You want more. You need more. Thankfully, Sweet Paradise is a melting pot of sweets: chocolate-covered mac nuts, body paints, bars and even gelato and sorbets.

Boudar’s affinity for chocolate has been lifelong, which is clear to see from the childhood image of her and her cousin eating frozen Milky Way bars that adorn the shop’s walls. But her ability to create some of the most decadent chocolates on the planet is more recent.

“I was in the jewelry business and I would travel to Belgium to buy diamonds where there is a chocolate shop on every corner,” Boudar said. “I got hooked.”

Soon, she was making chocolates for her bed and breakfast clients. Later, she sought formal training as a chocolatier. She also traveled to Belize and Venezuela to see the cacao farming process in action.

Cacao pods grow on the trees and must be harvested by hand. Then the pods are opened, revealing a white pulp with seeds on the inside. This is scraped out and fermented for a short time, and then the remaining brown beans are dried out to make raw cacao. Chocolate fans rarely see what the chocolate pod looks like, but Boudar has a larger-than-life photo mural on her wall so we can stay connected to this pleasure plant.

The influences of her jewelry background linger. Sweet Paradise confections and their packaging are as close to edible jewels as you can get. Intricate paintings, edible gold dust and precise, uniform shapes glint and bedazzle. Her Valentine Box is sheer bliss–Boudar says she crafted special flavors for the heart-adorned window box: red velvet, essence of rose, lavender honey, salt caramel, nipples of venus (champagne chocolate) and red heart passion fruit. In fact, Boudar can infuse passion fruit, pineapple, lavender, macadamia nuts and virtually any local island ingredients into her chocolate.

Boudar is as passionate about making her chocolates as she is about where she obtains the raw product. Which is good, because not all chocolatiers utilize fair trade chocolate: shortly before last Halloween, advocates called out Hershey for using slave labor cacao in their products.

“Chocolate is grown 20 degrees north or south of equator, and the largest producer of chocolate is Africa, but it is often not fair trade and may use child and slave labor,” Boudar said. “We source our raw products from Latin American countries that we know are producing fair trade beans.”

Sweet Paradise goes through about 150 pounds of chocolate a week. They can do chocolate fountains, events, and ship chocolate around the world. The shop also carries other local chocolate products like the Wailua Chocolate bar, which is made on Dole’s 18 acre cacao farm on Oahu.

“The flavor of Chocolate is affected by terroir,” Boudar said. “Cacao grown in Hawaii tends to have a fruity flavor. If you have tasted a smoky chocolate that is probably from Indonesia where they use smoke in the process.”

As for the price of chocolate, that relates to the health of the world’s cacao plants, which are very susceptible to disease. Boudar says there’s a current chocolate shortage, due to devastated crops and that have driven up prices. Most chocolate is grown in poor countries and they aren’t the quickest to respond to disease. It’s critical to save the different genetic varieties of cacao.

Sweet Paradise makes their chocolate at the Maui Tropical Plantation and plans to eventually grow cacao there. A Maui-grown chocolate is also in the works. But for now, you’ll have to get her chocolate in Wailea, where Boudar takes the sweet treats very seriously.

As I was walking out with a bag of chocolate booty, Boudar called out to me. “Don’t put it in the fridge,” she said. “I am an extremist. Some people eat them straight out of the fridge cold but I won’t do that.”

GROUND HOG DAY: This week, you’ve got a pass to pig out

Chee hoo–Ground Hog Days are here again, bu! Gotta love one holiday wea–according to ancient supahstitions–if you eat plene kine ono pork grinds on Feb. 2, da winter surf going las’ six weeks longah. Plus, your team going win da Super Bowl. Guarans ball bearin’s, brah!

So in honor of dese events (but really, jus’ one excuse fo’ ham it up), dis little piggy’s penned-up some tasty info jus’ fo you. Enjoy!

Translation: Friends, rejoice! With this weekend sandwiched between Groundhog Day and the Super Bowl, I’d say The Man’s giving us license to party n’ pig out. (No worries, the six percent of Americans who call in sick on Super Bowl Monday have got our backs.) But let’s have a little foodie fun with the folklore (I’m sure Pennsylvania’s Germans won’t mind), seeing as the closest thing Hawaii’s got to marmots are mongoose–and if winter lasts longer, mo’ bettah. Hey, we’ll make any excuse to exalt good grinds…

TEN HEAVENLY PLACES TO PORK IN PARADISE

“NUMBER ONE”
ICHIBAN RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR (47 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului; 871-6977). Tonkatsu with rice and miso soup ($Market)

“OUT OF THIS WORLD”
STAR NOODLE (286 Kupuohi St., Lahaina; 667-5400; starnoodle.com). Steamed pressed pork buns with hoisin, shiitake and cucumber ($10)

“OH-SO ONO”
SOUTH SHORE TIKI LOUNGE (1913 S. Kihei Rd.; 874-6444; southshoretikilounge.com). BBQ kalua sandwich with fries, side salad, coleslaw or rice ($10)

“NOW WOULDN’T YOU, BORICUA”
DA PUERTO RICAN FOOD TRUCK MAUI (“bright white truck with the silver back driving around the island”; dapuertoricanfoodtruck.com / @daPRFT on Twitter). Pulled “boricua” pork marinated in traditional herbs and spices with rice and beans or arroz con gandules ($8.95)

“HAWAIIAN STYLE HAM”
OLD LAHAINA LUAU (1251 Front. St., 1-800-248-5828; oldlahainaluau.com). Kalua pua’a is the centerpiece of their huge buffet menu, alongside all the essential local fixins like lomi lomi salmon, pahole (fern) salad, ahi poke, poi and haupia ($98 general / $68 kama’aina)

“TREAT YOURSELF”
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN (Wailea Gateway, 10 Gateway Pl.; 891-2322; monkeypodkitchen.com). Bulgogi pork tacos with pickled carrots, handcrafted kim chee, jalapeno and Asian pear aioli ($14.95)

“AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING”
MAIN STREET BISTRO (2051 Main St., Wailuku; 244-6816; msbmaui.com). Lightly smoked roasted pork loin with pork gravy risotto ($15)

“BOAR SNACKS”
KAHULUI ALE HOUSE (355 E. Kamehameha Ave.; 877-9011; alehouse.net). Three kalua pork sliders on toasted buns with tropical slaw and BBQ sauce ($7.95)

“SO SMOKIN’ IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL”
FAT DADDY’S (1913 S. Kihei Rd.; 879-8711; fatdaddysmaui.com). Smoked pork spareribs ($25 full rack / $14 half rack)

“BROKE DA MOUTH”
DA KITCHEN (Triangle Square, 425 Koloa St., Kahului; 871-7782; da-kitchen.com). Kalua pork plate lunch with side salad and scoop rice ($12.49)

PIGSKIN PAGEANTRY

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT FOOTBALL THAT MAKES U.S. HUNGRY
Move over baby Jesus and the American Revolution–Thanksgiving’s the only food consumption event that tops Super Bowl Sunday. Last year the big game had more than 111 million viewers (an all-time record, reported by The Nielsen Company), which means about 43 percent of our countrymen tuned in–and chowed down.

AS FOR THE OTHER WHITE MEAT
We live on a planet where the National Chicken Council’s 2012 Wing Report is a real thing–and it projects that Americans will eat 1.25 billion wings (totaling 100 million pounds of wings) on Super Bowl Sunday, saying, “If the wings were laid end-to-end they would circle the circumference of the Earth more than twice–a distance that would reach approximately a quarter of the way to the moon.”

ANOTHER KIND OF CONSUMPTION
The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently released results from its 2012 Super Bowl Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (conducted by BIGinsight, Jan. 4-11 with “a margin of error plus or minus 1.0 percent”), which projects that Americans will spend $11 billion on Super Bowl-related stuff. The NRF’s senior vice president, Mike Gatti (in an audio interview with MarketWatch.com) says this $11 billion figure includes TVs, home furnishings, team apparel and trinkets “like football shaped ashtrays.”

PS (PORKSCRIPT)

PORK THIS IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT
Got the munchies? Bacon flavored rolling papers ($2) are available at Maui’s only record store, Requests (10 N. Market St., Wailuku; 244-9315; requestshawaii.com) ■

I haven’t eaten at Fabiani’s but I have already heard my first rave about it via twitter. I stopped in when they first opened to scope it out. It is located in the former Kiwi Roadhouse spot, looks like its opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their dinner menu is pictured here below, their chalkboard of specials pictured above really made my mouth water.

[flickr-gallery mode="photoset" photoset="72157628681562593"]

Wondering what to do for Christmas Dinner?

If you have no intentions of firing up the oven, and no plans to make house calls on other kitchen slaves: I have scanned my emails to find the most mouthwatering christmas day offerings. Enjoy!

Dog and Duck, 808 879-9669

They have got an amazing line up for dinner and its just $18 bucks! Bonus: they have Yorkshire pudding, I absolutely adore that stuff.

Menu:

Potato salad or asparagus soup

rost beef and yorkshire pudding or roast pork and stuffing or turkey with sausage and bacon

fruit trifle or apple crumble and ice cream

all dinners include: roast potato, mashed potato, vegetables, gravy and sauces

Served from 11 am to 10 pm

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KAANAPALI BEACH HOTEL

Bring the ‘ohana (family) together and come celebrate this holiday season at Hawaii’s Most Hawaiian Hotel, Kaanapali Beach Hotel.

CHRISTMAS EVE: Saturday, December 24

Worship Service

On Christmas Eve the Living Ministry, with Reverend Laki Kaahumanu will host an evening service under the stars in the courtyard starting at 9:30 p.m. This is a non‑denominational Christian service and all are welcome. There will be special worship performances in song and hula.

CHRISTMAS DAY FEAST: Sunday, December 25

Reservations 667-0124

Reservations are a must for this extravagant Christmas Buffet with over 60 items prepared by Executive Chef Tom Muromoto. Highlighting the menu are Macadamia Nut Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb, Rotisserie Roasted Goose with Poha Berry Chutney, Kiawe Smoked Pepper Crusted Prime Rib, Roasted Turkey with Shiitake Mushroom and Corn Stuffing, a Cold Seafood Buffet with all-you-can-eat Crab Legs, and lots more including a special keiki station complete with hourly visits from Santa himself.  And remember the fabulous array of favorite holiday desserts.

Seating for the Christmas Buffet luncheon starts at 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with pricing of $42.95 for Adults and $22.00 for children (ages 6-12). Dinner seating is from 3:00-7:00 p.m.  The price for adults is $46.95 for adults and $22.00 for children (ages 6-12). Children 5 years and younger dine free (one child per paid adult).  For reservations call: 667-0124. Holiday parking charges apply. 

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Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

XMAS EVE:

Ocean Pool Bar & Grill

Three-Course Prix Fixe

5:00PM-9:00PM

First Course

duck terrine with pistachios, port wine

gelee, brioche toast

Second Course

filet mignon and lobster tail,

braised endive, gratin of potato,

green peppercorn sauce, saffron

hollandaise

Third Course

kula strawberry success

$48.00 per adult

Complimentary – children 3 and under

Pulehu, an Italian Grill

Four-Course Prix Fixe

4:30PM-9:00PM

Insalata

haiku baby greens, roasted beets, surfing goat

dairy mousse, honey tangerine vinaigrette

~cascinetta vietti, moscato d asti, piedmont, ttaly 2010

Zuppe

cream of arugula with molokai prawn

~sonoma-cutrer, chardonnay, russian river ranches 2009

Classico

grilled filletto di manzo, porcini mushrooms,

balsamic jus, three cheese potato gratinee

~decoy cabernet sauvignon, napa 2009

Dolci

chocolate zabaglione cake, amarena cherries

For the Keiki

turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, gravy

$53.00 per adult

$25.00 additional for wine pairings

$15.00 per child (ages 4-12)

Complimentary – children 3 and under

XMAS DAY

Ocean Pool Bar & Grill

Delightful Buffet

3:00PM-8:00PM

Island Seafood & Starters

chilled dungeness crab legs, yuzu aioli

oysters on the half shell, asian pear

mignonette

chilled shrimp, guava cocktail sauce

island ahi poke

spicy tuna & california sushi rolls

watercress goma ae

brussels sprouts kimchee

domestic & international cheese

rustic bread and crackers

Salads

honey roasted fennel, orange and

quinoa couscous salad

candied macadamia nuts, lilikoi

dressing

haiku organic greens, kula tomato,

sesame crusted goat cheese, herb

vinaigrette

baby romaine, caesar dressing,

foccacia croutons

thai lime chicken salad, baby spinach

Carvery

slow roasted prime rib of beef

horseradish, rosemary jus

hoisin lime bbq rack of pork

ginger apple chutney

Entrees

broiled miso citrus island catch,

cilantro butter

roasted turkey, giblet gravy,

sourdough and sage dressing

macaroni and cheese with shrimp

and truffles

wilted local greens, apple wood

smoked bacon

rum glazed sweet potato

whipped potato

shiitake scallion fried rice

Desserts

pumpkin pie

crème brulee

coconut cake

chocolate mousse

fresh fruits tart

holiday cookies

tropical & seasonal fruits

$48.00 per adult

$24.00 per child (ages 4-12)

Complimentary – children 3 and

under

Pulehu, an Italian Grill

Delectable Four-Course Dinner

4:30PM-9:00PM

Primo

carpaccio of beef, shaved grana padano, hamakua mushrooms and shallot slaw, horseradish aioli

~innocent bystander, pinot gris, south australia 2010

Secondo

hirabara farm spinach, candied marcona almonds, chopped egg, warm pancetta dressing

~borsao, grenache, spain 2009

Terzo

rosemary roasted turkey, porcini stuffing, mashed potato, broccoli rabe with prosciutto, roasted garlic jus

~3 saints, pinot noir, santa maria valley 2006

Doci

christmas registro tiramisu

For the Keiki

turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, gravy

$53.00 per adult

$25.00 additional for

wine pairings

$15.00 per child (ages 4-12)

Complimentary – children 3 and under

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Westin Maui, Kaanapali

December 31, Saturday- New Year’s Eve

Let’s Celebrate!
Tropica Restaurant & Bar 10pm to 1am (dinner opens from 5 to 9.30pm)
Ring in the New Year with a live DJ, delectable hand crafted cocktails and a fabulous 2012 count down including a champagne toast. Tropica diners will gain free entrance to the celebration with proof of a receipt otherwise cover charge will be given. Late night event is reserved for guests ages 21 and over.  A la carte menu available with a prix fixe menu including Braised Pork Belly and House-Made Gnocchi served with a New York Steak and Prawns finished with a Maui Pineapple Tarte Tatin.

Reservations are recommended.  Call 808-667-2525 or visit westinmaui.com for details.

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Stella Blues

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Buzz’s Wharf:

HOLIDAY TASTING MENU 

CHRISTMAS DAY 2011 

 $65/person

(Regular Menu also Available)

APPETIZER Choices

Coconut panko prawns

Prawn & Crab Claw Cocktail

Buzz’s Baby Back Ribs w/ Mango BBQ Sauce

SALAD Choices

Buzz’s Signature Caesar Salad

Buzz’s House salad

Prawn & Mandarin Orange Mixed Green Salad

ENTRÉE Choices

Petite Filet grilled to perfection & Savory Lobster Tail

Ginger Steamed Snapper w/ Baby Bok Choy & Shitake Mushrooms

Flame Broiled Ribeye Steak & Tahitian Prawns

DESSERT Choices

Fresh Strawberry or Chocolate Sundae

Mango Upside-down Cake

Banana Lumpia

Make your reservations today 808.244.5426

The Kihei Elementary School Garden is incredible, I spent one inspiring afternoon there and fell in love with their operation. Help make this school garden a great example of what our community can do when they come together. I think this is a great way to get involved.

Slow Food Maui is sponsoring one of the Work and Learn Days at the Kihei Elementary School Garden on November 12, and we need volunteers! Work starts at 8:00 a.m. and they usually finish up about 11:00 a.m., but people don’t need to be there the whole time.

Here is what is expected from sponsors:

Bring local, healthy snacks for about 20-25 people. (Fresh fruit, baked goodies, etc.) Nothing too fancy as they are in the garden! There are no kitchen facilities available.

They’ll supply water, but if we want to bring some other drinks, that’s great. They’ll supply cups, napkins, plates and silverware (as needed.) Finger food usually works the best!

They love it when their sponsors get dirty with them in the garden. Please bring hat and gloves, and wear close-toed shoes.

Be prepared to tell people about Slow Food Maui and how they can get involved.

They usually have a mix of community volunteers, teachers, parents and kids.

We need your help! Please contact us if you’re able to lend a hand for this great cause!

via Slow Food Maui — We Need Volunteers at Kihei Elementary School Garden on November 12.

Its tit for Tatt at the Tiki Bar.

Time for the tattooed to come out of the woodworks and into the Tiki Lounge for an ink appreciation affair. In an incredible pairing of skin art and sippables, the Maui Brewing Company is taking over the taps to feature a spread of their luscious seasonal ales for just 3 bucks all day, for tattooed and non-tattooed alike. Some of these beers have never been available in Kihei ever before.

Two time MauiTime Best of Maui Bartendress winner Sarah Stern will be hosting and hopefully showing off her gorgeous tattoos at this this skindig that starts at 8pm. Sarah’s own Pizza creation of Tiki’s house made red sauce topped with hawaiian sausage, basil, tomato, goat cheese, mozzarella and white truffle oil will be on special: A large pie will be $20 and you can get the personal size pie for $10.

Maui Brewing Company Beers:

Pau Hana Pilsner

La Perouse

Kula Pumpkin Harvest

Amber Reign

Pueo Pale Ale

Wild Hog Stout

 

At 10pm DJ Slackin’ will shake things up with old school fun tracks. No cover all night but its 21 and older from 10-closing.

Belia and Douglas Paul

I’ve always had this foodie fantasy about owning my own food truck. I would consummate my steamy love affair with food by creating gourmand meals in a tight space, but I also know full well that it would basically be a hot mess. The chefs that do actually get behind the wheel of Maui’s food trucks are damn near saints as they slave over a tiny, boxed-in kitchen to bring the hungry gourmet grinds at a reasonable price. Maui’s newest food truck, called “My Office” and run by Douglas and Belia Paul, now serves home style breakfast and lunch from their spot in the parking lot at the Park Plaza in Kihei’s Tech Park.

While you and I leisurely live out our Sundays, Belia and Douglas are up in their truck, roasting chickens, making soup and figuring out their specials for the coming week. My Office is nested in the back of the parking lot that wraps around the Park Plaza building. The kitchen inside is gorgeous. The Pauls tell me that it’s eight feet by 20 feet, but with all of the commercial kitchen accoutrements it looks smaller when you are standing inside. But you don’t need a huge space to create food; you just need quality ingredients, and that is exactly what they are doing.

The truck offers a stunning view of Ulupalakua. The morning I show up it’s blazing hot – so much so that I almost didn’t order a hot coffee. Stiff county permits and regulations for food truck establishments mean these guys can’t build a seating area or even a shade tent; they know it’s hot, but they just can’t do anything about it. Their food is strictly to go. Since they serve the 500 or so folks that are in the tech park, where most people eat in courtyards or their own offices, it’s not a problem.

“So far the breakfast burritos and spam musubis have been our popular morning items,” Douglas told me. “Our soups are flying out the door. For lunch, the ‘Big Maloney – a barbecue pork sandwich that was named after a dear friend that passed away – has been very popular. He is the one who encouraged us to get a food place going up here. He worked for Pacific Rim Land Company.”

The breakfast burritos start at $3.75 and contain eggs, potatoes, cheese and salsa. If you want additional protein like bacon, Chorizo or Portuguese sausage, your burrito’s cost will rise to a still very reasonable $5.75. The Chorizo burrito I sampled was fantastic. Everything from the potatoes to the scrambled eggs were freshly made and you can’t beat the flavor. The Pauls know they are up against Subway and other fast food grabs for breakfast and lunch and have priced their offerings accordingly. But the fast food joints cannot compete with the taste and quality of ingredients offered at My Office.

For lunch, the lure of lox was great – glossy salty smoked salmon is such a treat. The lox and bagel sandwich was scrumptious, with the sprouts and cucumber adding a nice touch of delicate greens that enhanced the salt and bread standard. The sandwich cost less than $6.

The quiche is baked in the truck and by Thursday morning they were already out. The Office always has a vegetarian soup as well as a meat soup on the menu, and they are amazing. You might just want to start with the 24oz helping so you can take some home.

The lunch menus includes a nice list of sandwiches and wraps. There’s the Italian sub, turkey, chicken salad, turkey or beef burger, with fries or salad for a side. The salad list is epicurean, with chicken couscous with pine nuts, watercress with tofu and bow tie pasta with feta and artichoke hearts. These are the kind of dishes I want to bring for lunch but don’t want to spend so many hours preparing.

There’s always a dally plate lunch special as well with the protein, salad and starch combo. My Office is also well stocked with fresh baked cookies, hummus, veggies and fruits for snacks. On the horizon the Pauls plan to offer take-home dinners so you can grab something healthy on your way home.

Douglas was a pastry chef at Spago and knows his baking chops. Now he’s turned that into his own business.

“Being your own boss is such an uplifting thing,” he said. “If someone wants a half sandwich, no problem. If someone wants a different kind of salad with their sandwich, no problem. It may cost them extra or less but I don’t have to check with the owner or go beg the cook to do this for me just this once. We just do it!”

My Office

808-280-9201

Park Plaza Building

1300 N. Holopono St.

Kihei, Maui 96753

Monday – Friday 7:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Breakfast served all day; Lunch begins at 11:00 A.M.

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My Office Menu

Breakfast items

Bagels-Toasted $1.50

Lox & Bagel-Cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, onions, cucumbers $5.95

Eggel Bagel: Cream cheese, swiss cheese, ham and fried Egg $5.75

Add: Cream Cheese $1.00, Sprouts $.50, Tomato $.50, Cucumber $.50, Smoked Salmon $2.00, Egg $.75, Meats $2.00

Breakfast Burritos-Basic $3.75 includes 2 scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, fried potatoes, fresh homemade salsa.  Add: Bacon, Portuguese sausage, or chorizo $2.00

Maui OMA Coffee SM. $1.50, LRG $2.50, Refill Mug $1.50

MY OFFICE REFILLABLE MUG $12.50

Spam Musubi $1.95

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich $2.25 on Maui Crunch Bread

Fruit Cups & Cottage Cheese $3.50 includes mixed or choice of fruit and 4 oz. cottage cheese.

Assorted Pastries inquire daily of what’s available

Granola and Yogurt $3.50 includes granola topped with sliced almonds and 4 oz. Vanilla yogurt.

Quiche of the Day $4.25 posted daily on board

Side of green salad $2.50

Hard Boiled Eggs $0.75

 Whole Fruit $1.25

Homemade Soup

One Vegetarian and One Meat Daily

8 oz. $4.00   16 oz. $8.00   24 oz. $12.00

Posted on the board daily may include: Chicken Tortilla, Thai Beef Stew, Pork Chili Verde, Turkey Chili, Vegetable, Coconut Chicken, Tomato-Basil, Pork and Spinach, Carrot Ginger, Split Pea and Ham, Corn Chowder

Salads & Plates

Chicken Couscous Salad

Cucumber, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, Basil, Green onions, red wine vinegar, olive oil.

$5.00

Watercress Salad

Red onion, tomatoes, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, spun carrot, red cabbage, cucumbers, sesame seeds, Asian dressing  $6.75

Add: chicken or tofu $2.00

Cold Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Tossed in basil pesto with feta cheese, grape tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts and toasted pine nuts. $6.75

Daily Special

Will include: protein, vegetable/salad, and starch $12.00

Ready to grab

Hummus and veggies $3.00

Individually wrapped Cookies $2.75

Turkey Chili and Rice SM. $3.25   LRG. $5.75

Fruit Cups $3.00

Candy Bars $1.00

Sandwiches, Wraps and Burgers

Served with small green salad or french fries

Italian Sandwich-Wheat Hoagie roll, hard & Genoa salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, chopped pepperoncinis, red onion, Italian herb Vinaigrette. $8.25

Turkey Sandwich-Maui Crunch Bread, turkey breast, cranberry-mayo, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, sprouts, red onion. $7.25

Chicken Caesar Wrap-Spinach tortilla, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, caesar dressing. $7.25

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich-Maui Crunch bread, Craisins, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, red onion, celery. $7.25

The Big Maloney Sandwich-Hoagie roll, BBQ pork, crunchy slaw. $7.25

Beef or Turkey Burger-Maui Onion Bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise and mustard. $6.75

Add-Cheese $.50, Extra Pepperoncinis $.35, Sprouts $.50, Avocado $.75

Take Home

$4.00-$12.00

Soups

Daily Special Plate

Chips $1.00

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