B on Hawaii

Every June, we return home from Maui with a renewed spirit. This, thanks to Barry Rivers and the crew who put on the absolutely stellar Maui Film Festival—a one-of-a-kind experience that allows film buffs to screen big budget (and some not so) movies at venues that include the outdoor Celestial Cinema and SandDance Theater.

A few months ago, we opened up the B on Hawaii inbox, and amidst the tide of emails from around the globe found one that caught our attention—from a fella who called himself "The Surfing Swami". Once again, the "B" network proved invaluable; we were quickly swapping stories of global galavanting, while hearing what our enlightened friend was up to in the surfing world... in India.

If you need an excuse to get out and eat on Maui, then here it is: Restaurant Week is back at Wailea, and the deals abound between Sunday, May 23 and Saturday, May 29, 2010. In addition, a portion of every prix-fixe menu at the sixteen participating restaurants will go towards feeding the hungry at Maui Food Bank.

Maui lovers rejoice! Perhaps one of the best "steals" out there in the accommodations scene is the newly announced kama`aina rates (for local residents) at the Kapalua Villas. Now managed by Outrigger Resorts, the Villas are currently being offered at $159 per night.

It is one thing for a celebrated chef to participate in community events; yet it's quite another for him to draw attention to educating our children (at a time when The State doesn't care to) while spotlighting the sustainable farm system.

Robby Naish is a 24-time World Champion wind surfer. He's the Michael Jordan of surfing with a sail. It's debatable if anyone, ever, will mimic the achievements Naish has made on the competitive circuit—which began when he was 12 years old. Yet, if it wasn't enough, Naish has built a business of wind, Stand-Up, kite and surf gear that is top-tier.

New Menu Items a Homerun at Mama's Fish House

Once in a great while someone will email us asking why we cover the same restaurant twice before choosing to write about others. Well, when you talk about a high-caliber dining experience like that of Mama's Fish House on Maui, there really needs no explaining.

Fairmont Hotels are edging to become the islands' most eco-conscious large-scale resort group with yet another move to improve the 'aina. The Kea Lani (Maui) and Orchid (Big Island) just announced that they would participate in a global environmental event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Saturday, March 27, whereby the hotel will "go dark" for one hour at 8:30 p.m.

The start of a New Year never fails to excite chefs and restaurateurs to get things off to a booming start. We've come across three such events in the coming few weeks that, if your palate is one that needs to be stimulated, you might want to consider attending.

Those that have been following the developments at Kapalua know that here, in one of the most spectacular locales on Maui (and the entire island chain), things have been evolving for the better part of two years.