Who’s Who Archive

Plein Air Artists Reception 2013

Red Carpet Mystery

Hali‘imaile ‘Aipono Wine Dinner

2012 Maui Book Trust

Noble Chef 2012

Held at the Fairmont Kea Lani, the 2012 Noble Chef would have been memorable even without a looming tsunami. The gala was filled with energy, excitement and tremendous support for the beneficiary, Maui Culinary Academy. Then came the announcement: Guests would have perhaps an hour to enjoy dinner before heading to higher ground. As academy students zipped about, serving courses and clearing plates, guests quickly ate, bid on auction items, and grabbed take-home containers of what was supposed to be a leisurely dessert buffet. Abbreviated to one-third its scheduled time, the Noble Chef still managed to raise nearly $100,000 for the Academy—and provide anecdotes guests will be recounting for a long time to come.

Wailea Food & Wine

Lovers of art and gastronomy united this November in a benefit for Hui No‘eau Visual Arts Center, hosted in the elegant Anuhea Room at Hotel Wailea. Proceeds from the event support the art center's Open Studios program, which gives emerging and established artists access to the Hui's facilities, where they can develop their work an artistic careers. Supporting restaurants included Capische?, Catering from Soup to Nuts, Vineyard Food Company, Spago and many others, while Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants provided exceptional wines from the Paso Robles region of California.

2012 Art Extravaganza

On November 17, Book Trust Maui held its first annual Art Extravaganza at Mala Wailea, where Maui's art connoisseurs gathered for a night of food, friendship, and an extraordinary auction featuring the works of Maui's finest artists. The evening raised more than $60,000, providing funds for more than 4,200 Maui children in need to purchase books of their own choosing. One picture is worth 1,000 words? Many pictures are worth 1,000 books! For more information about Book Trust, contact Ann Nicol at ANicol@booktrust.org.

Ka‘anapali Fresh 2012

Kaanapali has long been known as a place where "the world comes to play." The launch of Kaanapali Fresh adds to the resort's reputation as a place where the world come to dine. Over Labor Day weekend, Maui farmers and resort chefs joined forces to celebrate all things culinary. At Friday night's "dine around," guests enjoyed courses at three separate hotels, topped off with a selection of desserts served by moonlight. Saturday night a sumptuous array of dishes challenged a panel of judges to pick the Best of Fest. With votes tallied, Chef Francois Milliet of the Westin Kaananapli Ocean Resort Villas won with his Molokai sweet potato gnocchi. Superb wine, music and food provided first-time festivalgoers with full tummies, lasting memories, and anticipation for next year's Kaanapali Fresh.

Kapalua Wine & Food Festival 2012

It's not just wine that gets better with time. The longest-running event of its kind in the Islands, the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival uncorked a four-day celebration in June of all things epicurean, culminating with the popular Seafood Festival at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. Maui No Ka ‘Oi's publisher, Diane Haynes Woodburn, and dining editor, Marti Rosenquist, helped jundge the Best of the Fest cook-off. When the palates cleared, Mark Ellman's ahi bruschetta had won. It was the second honor in as many months for the Maui restaurateur, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this spring's ‘Aipono Awards.

Photos by Jose Morales

Soiree at Spago 2012

The stars aligned on June 16 at Maui No Ka ‘Oi magazine's second annual Soiree at Spago, held as part of the Maui film Festival at Wailea. Hollywood luminaries Elizabeth Banks and James Marsden joined the VIP cast of attendees for an evening filled with live music, custom cocktails, and appetizers by Cameron Lewark, ‘Aipono Awards' 2010 Chef of the Year. Topping off the night, MNKO publisher and birthday girl Diane Haynes Woodburn was joined by friends and family in blowing out her celebratory candles.

Photos courtesy of Michael Kovac with Getty Images and Jose Morales