Need to recruit some Hawaiians … Vacation season coming up… Need their expertise
E, Sgee, Aloha:
How can I be of help?
Aloha,
Kaleo
Any recs for an upcoming Kauai trip would be great.
Mahalo!
Oh, you can find my specific recs over on the formerly-great Chowhound.
If you’re going looking for haute cuisine, the pickings are slim and bound to disappoint from the perspective of SF Bay or NYC foodies. With a couple of exceptions, I prefer dives, the Plain People places on Kaua’i. IMO, anyplace that puts you in real contact with real residents is worth 10x the price. Make friends with shopkeepers, farmers’ market vendors, museum staff, servers, guides, etc., and see where they eat. Charter a fishing trip or buy a hula lesson for someone, and don’t treat it like it’s a transaction, and it’s pretty easy. You may find you get invited into homes, and have some amazing doors opened to you. A tiny bit of cultural sensitivity pays huge dividends.
It’s not a guidebook, but I would recommend you buy Chipper Wichman’s (think the movie “The Descendants”) “Placenames of Kaua’i” and Edward Joesting’s “Kaua’i: The Separate Kingdom” for background. If you’re a glutton for punishment, read Judge Fornander’s account of the pre-contact battle of Maha’ulepu (near Po’ipu) and its aftermath, and you will have a different opinion of that Neolithic time.
Enjoy your stay!
Aloha,
Kaleo
Aloha…
Was in PHX for a week and just got back.
I will email K-man and a few others on the Hawaii board.
