QUICK BITES
Winter Wine Escape makes a comeback
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
The Mauna Kea Resort has announced the schedule of events for the 10th annual Winter Wine Escape, a festival of food and wine Nov. 14-16 at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.
The event was canceled last year in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks but is back with an anniversary-oriented program that includes opportunities to recall or even re-experience past Winter Wine Escapes.
This festival has been characterized by its intimate nature — lots of opportunities to interact individually with winemakers, winery owners, sommeliers and others — and by an off-property event that's always a one-of-a-kind adventure and often a rollicking good time.
The excursion some years ago that took everyone into Waipi'o Valley for a full-on multicourse luncheon alongside a taro lo'i has become legendary (I'll never understand how they got all those wine glasses down that rutted, narrow road without breaking the whole bunch!).
This year, there's a tasting lunch at Kawamata Farms in Waimea and a repeat of a popular event inaugurated in 2000, a "talk story" time in which a small number of guests pair off with a favorite winemaker.
Also planned: a prelude event during which 50 vintners and wineries will offer their latest bottlings and reprise the best they have shared in the past, a seminar on the impact of organic farming on wine quality, a cooking class with four renowned French chefs, a seminar on home entertaining and another on vineyard practices and their effects on wine, a champagne reception and formal dinner and the finale event, a tasting on Mauna Kea's South Pointe Lawn.
Tickets are on sale now; events are individually priced or there is an all-inclusive package for $2,200 a couple, including two tickets to all events, a three-night stay at either hotel and buffet breakfasts each morning. Call (808) 880-3023 or check www.winterwineescape.com.
Kitchen honors
- Executive chef Thomas Muromoto of the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel's Tiki Terrace Restaurant took top honors at the 11th annual A Taste of Lahaina and the Best of Island Music last weekend with his "Banana Caramel Eruption," which won the dessert category and also the Best of Show Award.
Pacific'O and i'o restaurants received the Judges Award. Saturday's Best Decorated booth awards went to The Ka'anapali Beach Hotel's Tiki Terrace Restaurant in the hotel category, and The Pioneer Inn in the restaurant category. Erik's Seafood Grotto won Sunday's restaurant award.
- Chef George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro restaurant was honored by the American Culinary Federation's 808 Hawai'i Diamond Head Chapter with its first Honored Active Member award, which is meant to recognize a chef who is highly respected by his or her peers and has demonstrated a commitment to assisting and training young culinarians.
The award takes the form of a year's membership in the organization, which is new in Hawai'i, having begun organizing in January.
Fresh endeavors
- A new Kalihi Kitchen Training Facility is near completion at the Pacific Gateway Center, designed to enable eligible would-be entrepreneurs — immigrants, refugees and low-income Islanders — to create new food-based businesses (it's not a training center for culinary students, despite the name).
There are 12 commercial kitchen areas in the $3.9 million center on Umi Street. Information: Pacific Gateway Center, 845-3918.
- Teresa Gannon Shurilla, longtime pastry chef for her parents' acclaimed Hali'imaile General Store, Joe's Bar and Grill and Celebrations Catering businesses on Maui, has joined the faculty of the Maui Community College Culinary Arts program.
A founding member of the Hawaiian Island Chefs group, which represents innovative younger chefs, Shurilla has lectured at the college and presented seminars there but is now a full-time faculty member.
Send items of culinary interest to Taste, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: taste@honoluluadvertiser.com.
