The Maui Film Festival explodes over the next four days with shorts, documentaries, surf flicks, dramas, kids movies, and more in both Wailea and the Castle Theater at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in Kahului. The festival is also famous for bringing a glut of celebrities to the island to enjoy the limelight with their awards and premiers, this year its Josh Radnor, Tim Bonyton, Mark Magidson, Ron Frike, James Marsden and Elizabeth Banks. But for me and other Maui foodies, the most remarkable things at the Film Festival are the foods and foodie events.
When Celestial Cinema geared up with its grassy bowl of film fanatics with BYOB bottles and screen light picnics on blankets under the stars, we fell in love with the outdoor venue even when they ran out of popcorn or the lines got long for hot coffee. Now we have neighboring Gannon’s Restaurant catering hot entrees, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and vegetarian options. Maui Gelato is there with fresh baked croissants, pastries, iced and hot tea, coffee and snacks.
The festival gets smothered in chocolate at the Four Seasons at the signature Taste of Chocolate event Friday night at 10pm after the Celestial Cinema. Four Seasons chefs put together the most decadent menu of cacao sweets that can send even the most seasoned chocolate lovers over the top. Six chocolatey tasting stations serve up souffles, waffles, ice creams, cones, cake pops and donuts. You can dunk your taste buds in cacao at the fountain with marshmallows, cake, cookies on a stick. Willy Wonka never dreamed this big. The chocolate’s powers are enhanced with strolling violinist Andrea Walls.
After your chocolate hangover recovery, it’s time to step up your game. Saturday evening’s Taste of Wailea has an impossibly good looking spread waiting for you. Plenty of beverage too: Ocean’s Vodka will be making exotic farm forward cocktails; Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde beers on draft; and a selection of wines.
Last year Chef Cameron Lewark basted a whole pig on a spit in front of his restaurant’s tent, and by the end of the event, they were serving this beast. Mulligan’s always has a long line of folks clamoring for their fish & chips, but this year the Irish prove they have a trick up their sleeve: chilled watermelon gazpacho with anise crème fraiche and avocado as well as blackened ahi on Togarashi wonton with edamame and Sunomono cucumber.
Dr. Nat and Emily Tavo will provide entertainment along with the striking sunset views from the David Leadbetter Private Golf Academy on the Wailea Gold & Emerald Golf Course. The event starts warm, the white table cloth seating is nearly blinding in the sun at first. As the sun goes down, and your belly gets full, the rosy glow of the sun is captivating. Since tickets include entry to the celestial cinema showing after the event, there is chair and blanket parking off to the side. The Taste of Wailea shuttle begins at 4:15pm. After the sun goes down Taste of Wailea attendees walk off a little of that satiation with a short jaunt to the Celestial Cinema.
Sunday night’s late event is the Starry Night Moondance. There festival attendees can shmooze and dance the night away with the Freeradicals Projeckt. Mulligans has a tasty line up, too: signature corned beef and fish & chips and passed pupus as well as drinks by Oceans Vodka and Stella Artois. For tickets to any of these events and films see mauifilmfestival.com or call 808-579-9244.
TASTE OF CHOCOLATE
• “Cold Stones” White Chocolate Ice Cream
(Fillings: Brownie chunks, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Homemade Rocca)
• Bananas in Rum, Chocolate Fudge, Caramel Fudge
• Chocolate Waffles
•Mint Basil Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream – Made a la minute with liquid nitrogen
•Mini Chocolate Souffles Raspberry Sauce
• Mini Donuts
(Toppings: Cinnamon Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, Strawberry Compote)
• Chocolate Fountain
(with Homemade Marshmallows, Lime Madeleines, Chocolate Chip Cookie Lollipops, Angel Food Cake, Fresh Pineapple, Strawberries and Bananas)
• Chocolate Pavé with Brown Butter Powder
• Oven Roasted Strawberries with Panna Cotta Foam
• Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
• White Chocolate Grand Marnier Cheesecake
• Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cones
• Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Emulsion with Grape Chamomile Reduction
• Chocolate Tubes: Banana, Strawberry, Milk Chocolate
• Dark Chocolate Cheesecake, Green Apple Fluid Gel,
• Liliko’i Cake Pops dipped in Dark Chocolate
******
TASTE OF WAILEA
BISTRO MOLOKINI
• Risotto of Pancetta: Preserved Lemon, Grilled Radicchio, and Mascarpone
• Shaved Ice with Pineapple Basil Sorbet topped with Mojito, Lava Flow, and Mai Tai Syrups
CAPISCHE?
• Olive Oil Poached Kona Kampachi, Parsley Pesto, Patty Pan Squash Ratatouille, Meyer Lemon Oil
• Crispy Laulima Farms Beet
• Surfing Goat Cheese Ravioli
• Roasted Beets, Capische? Garden Greens with Aged Balsamic Vinegar
FOUR SEASONS
• Pork Milanese: Sylvetta Arugula, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil
• Island Crudo: Fresh Local Catch, Chive Oil, Hawaiian Sea Salt, Mauicello
• Homemade Liliko’i Soda
GANNON’S
• Thai Turkey Sliders with Cashew Butter and Sweet Chili Slaw
JOE’S
• Fresh Island Fish Crudo with Radishes, Capers, Tomatoes and Olives
• Red Veal Meatballs with Stroganoff Sauce
KO
• Spicy Ahi Poke with Orange Tobiko, Kaiware Sprouts and Nori
• Kula Ali’i Lavender Honey Macadamia Nut Shrimp
• Wailua Estate Chocolate Custard with Kula Strawberry Gelato
MALA WAILEA
• Ahi Bruschetta with 20-year-old Balsamic Vinegar
• Mediterranean Plate: Hummus, Babaganoush, Olives, Grilled Pita
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN
• Bulgogi Pork Tacos: Pickled Carrots, Hand-Crafted Kim Chee, Jalapeno, Asian Pear Aioli
• Kale and Macadamia Nut Salad: Maui Onions, Golden Raisins, Oranges, Miso Sesame Vinaigrette
MULLIGAN’S ON THE BLUE
• Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho with Anise Crème Fraiche and Avocado
• Blackened Ahi on Togarashi Wonton with Edamame and Sunomono Cucumber
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE
• Veal Ravioli
• Seafood Gumbo
SPAGO
• Whole Roasted Lamb with House-Made Naan, Coconut Saffron Rice and Tomato Bengali Chutney
• Lamb Tagine
TOMMY BAHAMA
• Pork Street Tacos: Slow Roasted Kalua Pork, Kula Cabbage Slaw, Pickled Red Onions, Salsa Verde, Queso Fresco Cheese, Blended Corn Tortillas
• Kula Spinach Salad: Upcountry Strawberries, Surfing Goat Dairy Cheese, Crispy Maui Onions, Moloka’i Prawns, Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
******
STARRY NIGHT MOON DANCE
(at Mulligan’s on the Blue)
HAND CARVED
Mulligans Succulent Slow Cooked Corned Beef Brisket. Horseradish Cream Sauce or Lakeshore Mustard, Hawaiian Sweet Bread Slider Buns
FRY EXHIBITION
•Local Catch Dipped in a Light Harp Larger Batter, Fried Crisp and served with Irish Steak Fries
PASSED
• Tender Makawao BBQ Pork Ribs, Sticky Teriyaki Glaze
• Hamakua Mushrooms and Boursin Herbed Cream Cheese on a Crisp Flatbread
• Kona Fresh Water Lobster and Rock Shrimp Corndogs, Maui Mango Ketchup
• Baked Russet Scoops with Sour Cream and Sharp Cheddar Mash,
• Red Cabbage Slaw and Local Avocado, Lime Drops
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