The VFC team: Lindsay Haworth, Ralph Giles, Daniel Southmayd, and Benjamin Rodriguez. Not pictured, Jil Powers
Vineyard Food Company
1951 E. Vineyard St.
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-243-3663
Monday – Friday 10 am -3pm
Twitter handle is @chefgiles
Yet another food establishment has opened in Wailuku lacking a proper sign. I know all the vague bureacratic policies of proper county signage can be daunting, especially when your forte is food, so I can’t hold it against them. Although I had a selfish thought to keep this place all to myself, I can’t keep a food secret. The best way to find and spot the Vineyard Food Company located on Vineyard is by the rainbow flag hanging off to the side of their double doors. Their modest cream colored building sits between Market and Central cross streets, just down the way from Four Sister’s Bakery.
Their small dining room has limited seating but most of their clientele work in Wailuku and take their lunch to go. Bottled drinks from the fridge case feature Honest Teas, Dasani water and a few sodas. Their specials vary week to week, and you can sign up to be on their email list to get the specials update. Lately the new popular items on the menu have been the Vineyard Cheeseburger and the Italiano and Reuben sandwich.
Their deli menu was well crafted and focuses on the fresh. Chef Giles says, “My favorite food is Deli food. It is good food fast, but not fast food.” All the sandwiches range from $6.75 to $7.25, and can all be ordered as wraps, and they have plenty of choices of bread from baguette, ciabattta, onion to wheat. I have to admit I am stuck on wraps right now, i love their simple texture, and how they easily give way to the proteins and vegetables without filling you up. Their mahi mahi sandwich is tempura fried with a lemon caper aioli, I had mine rolled in a herbed wrap that was phenomenal. The crisp exterior of the fish held up inside of the wrap, lettuce and tomato lightening the load, then the lemony aioli juicing up the flavor throughout. ($7.25)
My go to lunch is their chicken salad, a very special concoction of roasted chicken, almonds, raisins, and curry, served with tomato and cucumber. I don’t really like raisins in my food but here they work in this classic curry flavor combination ($6.75) that has sweet, savory, crunch and tender bites all in one. If you are hankering for a more substantial lunch then their stick-to-your-ribs Vineyard Street ($7.25) may interest you, where their tangy homemade mango barbecue sauce drips off of thinly sliced warm roast beef on an onion bun, like a gourmet sloppy joe.
The deli also offers a full line of classic salads, ceasar, tuna, garden, chef, and greek. The seared ahi salad is gorgeous, with a generous portion of spicy crust seared tuna, sliced and layered over kula greens topped with kula onion slices. Its a steal at $7. Their list of specials keeps growing so much so that I have noticed a new larger chalkboard. There is always a pasta or two to try out as well as some soups. Their sweet baked good are also fantastic and baked in house, without breaking the bank. The aztec brownies have cinnamon and orange, and their regular brownie is dark and delicious. The Mac Nut Shortbread is really exceptional, a crisp coating of toasted coconut graces the top of their fine textured shortbread, and it is glazed lightly to stick it all together. All these desserts are just a $1.50.
This week they will be getting into the Wailuku First Friday spirit by making beignets and home made hot chocolate. Then for superbowl sunday they are offering their sandwich platters and pasta salad platters so you can skip the prep and just enjoy the game.
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