QUICK BITES
New chefs join Cafe Laniakea
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Chef Ed Kenney, formerly of Café Monsarrat, is new executive chef and general manager of the Richards Street YWCA's Café Laniakea. And Barbi Meinel, formerly executive pastry chef of Roy's in Hawai'i Kai, is Café Laniakea's pastry chef/manager. Their motto at the lunch spot (formerly open only on weekdays but now every day) is: "Local first, organic whenever possible and with aloha always." The restaurant has a Mediterranean-meets-Pacific theme with a price range of $5 to $12; lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The pair also oversee Café Y, a culinary arts and life-skills training program for troubled high school youth.
Also newish is The Cafe at Pzazz, open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays by reservation only at Pzazz, the consignment shop on Wai'alae Avenue. Offered are an assortment of sandwiches ranging from stuffed pitas to bruschetta, and a sampling of desserts. The complete menu is $15, or $7.50 for desserts only. Call 732-5900.
Teaching role for Lani Moo progeny
Oh, that Lani Moo. Her 'ohana just keeps on growing. Now, the Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaii bovine mascot has introduced her son, Kawika Moo — born Sept. 29 at 104 pounds (ouch!) and now living with his dad at Paumalu on the North Shore. His task will be to visit elementary schools throughout the island, working with fourth- through sixth-graders. Hauling a farm animal to schools may seem a little silly, but anything that helps young people make the connection between food and its sources is a good thing.
Compadres serves 'Irish quesadilla'
Compadres Bar & Grill is featuring an "Irish quesadilla" this month: jack cheese, sauteed cabbage and potatoes, corned beef and horseradish mustard sandwiched between two flour tortillas and sizzled on a comal (Mexican griddle). ... In Hilo, Hawai'i's first drive-through Starbucks window is opening in mid-April. Hey, we love Hilo, but what about someplace with a little less-relaxed lifestyle and a little more need for speed — like Honolulu? In any case, the new Big Island store will be the largest in the Islands with more than 2,200 square feet at 438 Kilauea Ave. It will be the 35th Starbucks shop in Hawai'i.
Tickets on sale for Kapalua event
Tickets are on sale for the Kapalua Wine and Food Festival (formerly the Kapalua Wine Symposium), July 10-13 at the Kapalua Resort on Maui, featuring more than 100 wineries, 16 top Hawai'i chefs, host master sommelier Andrea Immer and celebrity chef Ming Tsai as a special guest.
A four-day festival pass is $750 and covers all events, including: The Grand Tasting July 11 on the ocean-front lawn at the Kapalua Bay Hotel and Ocean Villas with a menu by executive chef Noah Bekofsky; the Kapalua Seafood Festival July 13 at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua's Aloha Pavilion; a cooking demonstrations by Immer July 12 and Tsai July 13. Four-day pass holders also will be guests at an opening reception July 10, an author brunch July 11 and a Hawaiian Gala Dinner on July 12. Individual-event tickets also are available. Information and tickets: (800) 527-2582 or www.kapaluamaui.com.
Food editor Wanda A. Adams welcomes food news. Write her at The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Call 525-8036. Or e-mail taste@honoluluadvertiser.com.
