Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tropical Dreams of Ice Cream
Tropical Dreams ice creams have spread out over the island, and North
Kohala is where the line began. Across the street from Bamboo,
Kohala
Coffee Mill and Tropical Dreams Ice Cream,
Highway 270, Hawi (
&
808/
889-5577
), serves their upscale ice creams along with sandwiches, pastries,
and a selection of island coffees, including 100% Kona. The Tahitian
vanilla and lychee ice creams are local legends, but we also love the
macadamia-nut torte and the lilikoi bars, made by a Kohala coast pastry
chef. Jams, jellies, herb vinegars, Hawaiian honey, herbal salts, and
macadamia-nut oils are among the gift items for sale. Residents meet here
to start the day, in the afternoon for an espresso pick-me-up, and at all
times in between. They are open Monday through Friday from 6:30am to
6pm, Saturday and Sunday from 7:30am to 5:30pm.
Roy's Waikoloa Bar & Grill
PACIFIC RIM/EURO-ASIAN Families
will love the great food at Roy's. Don't let the strip mall location fool you. Roy's
Waikoloa has several distinctive and inviting features: a golf-course view, large
windows overlooking part of a 10-acre lake, and the East-West cuisine and
upbeat service that are Roy Yamaguchi signatures. This is a clone of his Oahu
restaurant, offering dishes we've come to love: Szechuan baby back ribs, black-
ened island ahi, and six other types of fresh fish prepared charred, steamed, or
seared, and topped with exotic sauces such as shiitake miso and gingered lime-
chile butter. Kids have their own menu to choose from, with items ranging from
pasta to grilled cheese. Yamaguchi's tireless exploration of local ingredients and
world traditions produces food that keeps him at Hawaii's culinary cutting edge.
In the Waikoloa Beach Resort, Kings' Shops, 250 Waikoloa Beach Dr.
&
808/886-4321.
www.roys
restaurant.com. Kids' menu, highchairs, cushions, crayons. Reservations recommended. Main courses $8-$14
lunch, $17-$27 dinner; kids' menu $4.95-$12. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-9:30pm.
Moderate
Cafe Pesto
MEDITERRANEAN/ITALIAN Fans drive long miles for
these gourmet pizzas, calzones, and fresh organic greens grown from Kealakekua
to Kamuela. The menu is pricey but worth it. The herb-infused Italian pies are
adorned with lobster from the aquaculture farms on Keahole Point, shiitake
mushrooms from a few miles mauka (inland), and fresh fish, shrimp, and crab.
Honey-miso crab cakes, Santa Fe chicken pasta, sweet roasted peppers, and
herb-garlic Gorgonzola dressing are other favorites. Kids have their own menu
(but pizza still reigns).
In Kawaihae Shopping Center, at Kawaihae Harbor, Pule Hwy. and Kawaihae Rd.
&
808/882-1071.
Also in
Hilo, in the S. Hata Building, 308 Kamehameha Ave.
&
808/969-6640.
Kids' menu, highchairs, boosters,
crayons. Main courses $10-$26; kids' menu $5.95-$6.95. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat
11am-10pm.
Merriman's Market Café
MEDITERRANEAN/DELI Peter Merriman,
who has long reigned as king of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine with Merriman's in
Waimea (p. 186), has opened this tiny “market cafe” featuring cuisines of the
Mediterranean, made with fresh local produce, house-made sausages, artisan-
style breads, and great cheese and wines for a fun place for lunch or a light
dinner. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant and deli features full-service indoor
and outdoor dining in a casual atmosphere and a gourmet deli with daily spe-
cials. Lunch ranges from salads to sandwiches. Dinner consists of small plate
