Haile Maile General Store 20th Year Celebration

If you’ve been to Maui I certainly hope you’ve been to Haile Maile. It’s kind of the middle of noplace–a lovely spot overlooking the North Shore, equidistant from Baldwin Ave and the Haleakala Highway, just below Makawao. Haile Maile General Store is a destination restaurant in the purest sense. You have to be going there to get there. It’s worth the trip. I’ve never had a bad meal there, or a drink I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. There was a brief period when they were fiddling around with pork shanks that i wasn’t completely thrilled with dinner, but the worst it ever was, was darned good instead of really great.

I recently attended the 20th year anniversary party, a charity event for the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center and the Maui food Bank. Diane was supposed to go, but she took ill at the last minute, so I went by myself.

Spectacular food, fine music, superb wines to taste, and a martini luge. The Martini Luge was my downfall.

I got there a few minutes early, talked with some friends who work there, and finally it was six PM and time to see what Bev Gannon had tossed together. Bev was there of course, working the room as always, looking worried and driven. When you run a restaurant as well as she does I suspect that’s pretty much how that perfection happens.

In the rear dining room was a wine tasting area and a giant rotating glass disk with an ice sculpture in the middle and hundreds of elegant shot glasses on the frosty surface. The shots were individual tastes of lobster, or crab salad, or tiny oysters with a dab of spicy/smoky sauce. I spent quite a bit of time there.

Behind the restaurant were two beautifully decorated, huge tents. The first had a giant projection screen, a huge fruit and salad area, a large bar, and along one wall were carving stations serving amazing pork at one end, fork-tender beef at the other, and wonderful vegetable and condiments between. In the middle were both stand up and sit down tables to enable the crowd to enjoy the food and chat. The second tent had what I’d describe as an Italian section with truffled lobster ravioli, a long macaroni-like pasta with pulled beef, some canolini-like stuffed thingies that I really enjoyed, and other delights. Against the far wall was a huge sushi station with four of five sushi chefs busily constructing a wide variety of delicious sushi. Sushi has always been a Haile Maile strong suit, and this was some of the best I’ve had. Against the back wall was a stage and dance floor with a great band playing. At the opposite end were the martini luges. A devilish construction that should be forever banned. Two lovely bartenderesses were fiendishly constructing martinis and pouring them into the luges about as fast as they could. Both the sushi and the luges had a steady stream of customers–with me prominent among them.

I hung out in the sushi-italian-luge area for quite a while, listening to the band and talking with folks. then i wandered back into the front of the restaurant, pausing for a few more oyster and lobster shots on the way, and discovered that I’d walked right past one of the major attractions. there was a lot more food in various stations, though by now i was not particularly hungry, but they were also cooking several varieties of tiny “hamburgers” including some with foie gras mixed in. These were simply unbelievably good, and each tray that appeared on the counter emptied in seconds.

I had a few.

I worked my way to the bar to get some water and perhaps another martini (yeah, I really needed another). While I was hanging out there a guy said “Hey, are you Bill Babcock from Portland?” Turned out to be an old acquaintance and former customer of my company from Portland. What a coincidence (I wonder if I can write this evening off as a business meeting?). We talked old times for awhile, then I wandered back for more sushi.

I arrived in the stage/dance floor tent just as Kenny Rankin was setting up to play. He sat down with an acoustic guitar and started playing and singing. The group in the tent was too deep into their conversations to pay much attention, but I was mesmerized. What a musician! I walked to the front of the stage and plunked myself down on the dance floor to listen. Never have been all that shy. I thought others might join, but nobody did. He finished one spectacular piece on the guitar, switched to a key board, did two more songs and then quit. I suspect he was a bit peeved that no one was paying much attention. I don’t blame him, but I sure wish he’d played more. I was having a great time.

After that a DJ started playing dance music. Good, danceable stuff at first, and then as it got late he switched to things that only the double-jointed could enjoy. A clear signal that it was time to go home.

So I did.

If you search for Haile Maile general store on Google, the first or second result you’ll get is a review I did on my old Ponohouse site several years ago. I’ll save you the search. Here’s the Ponohouse review:

Haile Maile General Store

Haile Maile is superchef Beverly Gannon’s wonderful place, and unlike most celebrated chefs you’ll find her there often, shepherding the place to make it run wonderfully. It’s not inexpensive, and it’s not easy to get reservations despite it’s challenging location–totally off the beaten path part way up Haleakala. But it’s great.

First is the decor. Whoever does their flower arrangements is a genius and an artist. When a lumpy 250 pound guy who dresses in board shorts and grubby T shirts takes note of the flowers you know there’s something special going on. Nice art everywhere too. I really like their bar and they always have great bartenders. Last week we decided to eat at the bar instead of the table we had reserved because we were so enjoying our conversation with the bartender, a nice guy named Tim Garcia. The couple sitting next to us who were on their way to the airport immediately after to return to Florida made the same decision. We had a grand time and great meal. Turns out Tim is a very talented sculptor–we’ve seen and enjoyed his work. You can see some at http://www.mauisculpture.com .

Haile Maile has fabulous Mango Magheritas. I’ve never been able to duplicate the flavor, though I have the precise recipe. I always tend to have the fish curry, though I also love the duck tacos, I guess they do them as quesadillas now. Duck confit in a taco. Yikes.

I’ve also had the ribs–they were spectacular–and we go sometimes for lunch and I enjoy their soups. The lamb is great too, in fact I haven’t had a meal at Haile Maile that I could describe as anythying but excellent. The wait staff makes fine recommendations, they have a good wine list and wonderful desserts.

Midwest SUP

People are definitely catching on that SUP is great for inland lakes and rivers. Here’s an article from the Minneapolis Star about SUP in local lakes and a company that’s doing a good job of selling and publicizing SUP as a core workout and fun activity.

Stand-up paddling

Stand-up paddling melds a surf sport with a core-strengthening workout. No waves required.

By STEPHEN REGENOLD

Last update: August 4, 2008 – 10:08 A

Lake Calhoun is a choppy mess, little swells and whitecaps whipping up as windsurfers drift by in the breeze. I’m standing on the water, legs spread, feet solid on the deck of a surfboard.

Sunlight cuts through green water, seaweed gliding by beneath. My hands grip a paddle for propulsion, long reaches and pulls moving my upright frame through the wind, away from shore.

“You got it!” shouts Tara Krolczyk, owner of LakeSUP, a Minnetonka-based surfboard reseller. “As easy as standing on a sidewalk.”

It is a Wednesday evening in mid-July, and I’ve come to try a sport new to the Midwest. Stand-up paddle-surfing has roots in Hawaii, where the discipline was created decades ago as a means of flat-water transportation. Over the past three summers, stand-up paddling — SUP, for short — has sent waves through the surf industry.

“SUP is probably the fastest-growing current trend in surfing,” said Sean Smith, executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association in Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Smith attributes the sport’s popularity to its versatility. It can be done when there are good waves or no waves at all. It’s also great exercise, he said.

Further bolstering the sport, surf stars such as Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama have embraced SUP. ESPN recently reported that World Cup skier Julia Mancuso cross-trains standing up on a surfboard.

Hollywood types including Matt Damon, Jennifer Garner and Pierce Brosnan have been caught on camera SUPing, drawing populist fuel to the fire.

SUP scene in Minnesota

Krolczyk formed LakeSUP in May after a family vacation to Florida. A former professional dancer and Radio City Rockette, Krolczyk, 38, fell in love with SUP after just two hours on a rental board off Key Largo.

“It was an amazing core workout,” she said.

LakeSUP sells stand-up surfboards and paddles on its website (www.lakesup.com). Krolczyk runs free monthly demonstration clinics on area lakes and travels to give private lessons.

Related Content

Tara Krolczyk founded LakeSUP in May after spending a couple hours on a board in Key Largo, Fla.

Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

Standup Journal Joins With Kenalu.com To Host The 2008 Maui Sup Board And Paddle Showcase.

We have a big announcement: Standup Journal – the first Sup print magazine – has joined with us at Kenalu.com to host the 2008 Maui Sup Board and Paddle Showcase. [Read more]