Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
land's best burgers on the breezy, beachside porch of the Beach Tree on a perfect Hawaii-
an day? Not much. Lord, does this kitchen know what it's doing. Thin-crust brick-oven
pizzas come with toothsome toppings (try the Hamakua fungi or mac nut and gorgonzola
creations) and sit alongside a variety of surf-and-turf delights, including a fierce paella
The setting is equal parts romantic and casual; sunset on the sofas accompanied by tra-
ditional Hawaiian music, cocktails and
pupu
is highly recommended.
ʻUlu Ocean Grill
HAWAII REGIONAL CUISINE $$$
$$$
MAP
(
325-8000; mains $24-38; 6:30am-11am & 5:30am-9pm daily)
ʻUlu means 'breadfruit,'
and the ʻUlu Grill is all about that local plant (the breadfruit chips are pretty great). Actu-
ally, the ʻUlu is about local plants in general, as well as locally sourced meat and fish;
70% of its menu comes from the Big Island. The atmosphere is fine dining, but fun fine
dining, with glass-ball partitions and lots of local artwork.
And the food? It's presented as a mix of
makai
(sea) and
mauka
(mountain); the
former may get you curried Kona mussels and lobster wonton soup, while the latter of-
fers heirloom tomato salads and
lilikoʻi
barbecued wild boar. The cherry on this sundae
(or toro on the rice) is an excellent 10-seat onsite sushi lounge.
It's located ocean-side between King's Pond & Sea Shell crescents
Hualalai Grille
HAWAII REGIONAL CUISINE $$$
$$$
MAP
(
325-8000; Golf Clubhouse, Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; mains $30-56; 5:30am-9pm)
Nicknamed the 19th Hole, the Hualalai Grille is the upscale, 'resort casual' dining option
at the Four Seasons. Your menu basically runs from surf (sauteed yellowtail, pan roasted
snapper) to turf (ribeyes, ribs and hanger steaks). The Grille offers some very fine fine-
dining, but we tend to prefer the beachy ambience of the Beach Tree.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kiholo Bay
With its pristine turquoise waters and shoreline fringed with coconut trees,
Kiholo Bay
(
7am-7pm)
is yet another off-the-beaten-track Big Island beauty. It's more of a series of
beaches than one contiguous stretch of sand.
The main beach (near the parking lot) is pebbly and swimming is fine when seas are
calm. Follow a trail south (left if facing the water) over the lava to find secluded pockets
