Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s $180 Million Makeover :: Maui pt.2
Kapalua Wine & Food Festival
Since we were there during the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, I didn’t get to try many of the restaurants, since I had my hands (and stomach) full just trying keep up with the many wine and gastronomic events that filled our glutinous weekend. For example, on Sunday we woke up still full and a wee bit hung-over from our haute cuisine wine dinner at The Banyan Tree. In other words, we were the perfect guinea pigs for the “Day After Alchemy” event in which sommeliers and chefs created their most reliable hangover helpers—which inexplicably involved a lot more food, wine and liquor. We had just enough time to splash a little cold water on our faces, loosen our belts, and then on to an informative guided pairing of some astounding Walla Walla wines and cheeses. I wriggled my expanding girth into a swimsuit, swam some laps and actually burned off a few nibbles of cheese. Then on to the grand epicurean finale: the Kapalua Seafood Festival. Maui’s top restaurants all turned out to present their “best seafood dish” in hopes of winning the coveted award, which was acquired by the Ritz-Carlton’s Kai Sushi Bar, for their impeccable Kona Kampachi Carpaccio w/ Spicy Ponzu sauce and Shiso Maui Onion Relish. (If you’re drooling, now would be a good time to put down next year’s event which will be held June 24 – 27, 2010.)