Puunene Reunion 2007 Documentary

Saturday, December 29, 2012

10 Maui People BIG on Pinterest -- A Collectible Delight!


Got the Pinterest bug yet?

Here are some Maui people who are into Pinterest in a BIG way. The numbers are as of this date, and they change quickly, I notice. These pinners are (luckily for us) serious!

Pinners are listed by number of pins in ascending order.

Criteria: at least 500 pins, located on Maui, and solid:

1. Peter Liu. 27 boards, 564 pins, 443 followers. "Professional photographer, social media consultant, scuba diver, techie, tinkerer, mindwalker, lifelong geek."

2. Georgie Hunter's mauihunter collection. 35 boards, 801 pins, 137 followers. "I am a Maui Realtor who likes to take pictures and get creative with them. Been living on the north shore since 1981 and loving every minute of it."

3. mauijamee. 47 boards, 831 pins, 402 followers. "Living on a volcano on Maui with my cute little goats and making Beachy Boho inspired jewelry <3"

4. HanaMauiCreations. 26 boards, 1224 pins, 196 followers. "We are a mother daughter team creating beach inspired jewelry, baskets and art."

5. Lahainarental. 52 boards, 1621 pins, 890 followers. "Beautiful vacation rental in the heart of historic Lahaina. Upstairs unit is surrounded by lush landscaping and overlooks the beautiful garden pool."

6. AMauiblog. 71 boards, 1816 pins, 657 followers. "Aloha! I am Liza Pierce . I wear many hats: Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, Social Media Consultant, etc. I love to laugh. I use smiley a lot."

7. Luana Fukumoto's mauimonmpreneur collection. 48 boards, 2000 pins, 256 followers.  "Raising a family & running a business in paradise. Life is good on Maui!"

See Luana's recent blog post: Pinterest Christmas Fever.

8. Travel to Maui - 29 boards, 2392 pins, 448 followers. "Travel to Maui is a Hawaii based travel agency located on the island of Maui. We specialize in honeymoons and destination wedding travel packages to Hawaii and Tahiti, including tours and excursions."

9. Maui Feng Shui by Kanoe. 60 boards, 4956 pins, 2092 followers. "I am a feng shui consultant, interior decorator & home stager, who also loves essential oils, being creative, organic gardening, healthy cooking and living a beautiful, happy life from the inside out!"

10. MybuddyonMaui. 35 boards, 8981 pins, 954 followers. "Your Local Connection on Things to do in Maui".

As you can see, the boards range from personal to business, and everywhere in between. And of course, this list is by no means comprehensive. I chose these pinners because they caught my Pinterest fancy, and I'm now following them.

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Thinking about starting your own Pinterest collection? Here's a fantastic tip article:

(this article has 211 comments, so you know the info is good).

Me? I'm small potatoes, casual -- a dabbler.

mauilibrarian2, 7 boards, 35 pins. "Learner-reader/teacher-librarian, ed tech tester, videographer, grandma. Inquisitive and happy to share." My Celebrate Maui board has my favorite blog posts.

Enjoy!

(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui


Monday, November 26, 2012

Kula Bistro is as good as they say!

http://www.kulabistro.com/Graphics/kula_bistro_restaurant_02_watercolor_crop.jpg

Finally made it to Kula Bistro the other night to celebrate my (cou-gh)th birthday and it is every bit as good as I had been hearing.

The menu is huge.

Taking a family member's suggestion, "I don't know what it's called, but there's scallops in it," we started off with the Scallop Bruschetta.

One minute here,


The next minute gone. ... Yum!


The surf-and-turf special (prime rib, shrimp, potatoes, vegetables) was soooo tasty, and too much for one person. "Outstanding" was Beau Joe's pronouncement.


Three of us had sandwiches: cajun chicken, kalua pork panini, and (mine) crab cake panini. Ono, and not too heavy. The fresh caesar salad was just the right complement.

My Dad tried the Seafood Stuffed Mahi Mahi with Light Champagne Sauce. Good? Nod of the head as he picked away. This is a high compliment coming from my 90-year-old Persnickety Dad.

Daughter had an internal struggle: Chicken Marsala or Shrimp Scampi over Paradelli Pasta? The Scampi finally won out and she enjoyed every bite.

What a treat!

All of the pastries are made right there, and of course we had to try some. Two crème brûlées, two banana cake slices (one to share), and a piece of chocolate mousse cake later, we were stuffed to the gills, and very very satisfied.

Banana Banana Cake

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Crème Brûlée

And Persnickety asked for a crème brûlée to go.

Are we going back? You bet!

Here are more reviews:

Maui Nei, Ron Youngblood, Maui News, March 1, 2012
Kula Bistro - Upcountry Goes Italian, Maui Now, March 14, 2012
Trip Advisor - Kula Bistro


(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui


Kula Bistro on Urbanspoon


Monday, October 15, 2012

NYC: Highlights and 4 Surprising Things We Found While Walking

This was our second time to the Big Apple -- the first trip was in 1997, for pleasure (museums, circle bus tour, the Hilton, a walk through Central Park, etc.). This trip was mainly for business, with a little bit of time allotted for pleasure.

We stayed in the Chelsea District at The Gem Hotel (low-key, lovely) this time, a very short walking distance to the Google Building on 111 8th Avenue, where I spent two days training at the Google Teacher Academy.

The Google Building, NYC

We bought tickets for a Broadway show (Nice Work If You Can Get It with Matthew Broderick -- hilarious!), and ate at Sardi's as recommended by my boss.

A passing diner offered to take a photo of us after our fantastic meal.

We visited the Empire State Building, because we had missed it last time.

Bird's-eye view from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building

We dined at the iconic Capital Grille in the Chrysler Building, courtesy of our kind and generous high school classmate Lei, a Manhattanite for 20 years now.

After our magnificent dinner, and before our short trek to the Grand Central Station.

We enjoyed breakfast daily at the New Venus Restaurant,  a little diner just across the street from The Gem.

And the weather was open-toed shoe and layer-free beautiful.

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As we walked around the City, four things struck us:

1. Manhattanites absolutely love their dogs! There were dog walkers everywhere. (According to the New York Dog Walking blog,  a dog walker can make $900 per month per dog.) Many of the pet shops were thinly-disguised dog shops. We even saw a doggy day care center called D is for Doggy!

There was a human behind the glass, on the floor, keeping the doggies company at D is for Doggy.

Yelp notes that there are 5 dog daycare centers in Chelsea, and 57 in Manhattan. Dogwalkers? Seventeen are listed in Chelsea, 196 on the island.

2. Dry cleaners do a thriving business in the City. Okay, maybe this isn't surprising given the plethora of office buildings. But many of these are mom-and-pop stores, one or two on every block.  Little holes-in-the-wall, really, and all crammed with dry cleaning ready to be picked up. Yelp reports 53 establishments in the Chelsea neighborhood alone, and 1098 in the entire city. Wow!

A dry cleaning spot, in a shored-up building.

3. There's building renovation everywhere. Scaffolding, detours, and walk-arounds on every block. Why? We asked Lei. "New York is a pedestrian city. Building owners are required by law to maintain their buildings."

4. We didn't see one hot dog cart! Where did they go? Instead, we saw many Halal (Middle Eastern) food carts, such as this one.


Six in the Chelsea area and 131 total in Manhattan, according to Yelp. We didn't have time to try the food, though -- next time for sure.

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Considering this was mainly a business trip, we did quite a bit in a few days! There were surprises at every turn.

If I have the opportunity to return to the City a third time (I'd be ready in a New York minute), I will
•definitely visit the 9/11 Memorial (almost made it this time, but a minor upset stomach foiled us; we did, however, make a small donation)
•take the New York River Taxi as recommended by Tommy
•walk the High Line as suggested by Jon (so close, yet so far), and
•maybe enter the Saturday Night Live ticket lottery. 
And that's just for starters ...

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Thinking of a trip to the Big Apple? Do it! There's so much to see and do, just like they say.

NYC is a cosmopolitan city that's abuzz 24/7. So exhilarating, and most definitely worth your while.

--Linda
(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

P. S. A big shout-out to Hawaiian Air, with its direct flight from Honolulu. To and from were smooth and relaxing, and the price was right, with meals included. You can sign up for their newsletter to keep up with unadvertised low fares and special deals.


Friday, September 28, 2012

Sharing Rare Red Bananas From My Back Yard


Red bananas are rare in Hawaii, and they're considered specialty produce.

They can be eaten raw or cooked, the latter being what they're known for. I meant to try cooking one or two, but they went quickly, just like that.

Sharing these bananas turned out to be so much fun, I couldn't help myself.

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The bananas snuck up on me.

My gardening is, ummm, shall we say, sporadic, accidental, and occasional? Witness my lilikoi post.

Yes, I knew the banana plant was there. My Dad had gotten a keiki plant from his friend in Haiku. And, yes, I did water it once or twice when I was on that side of the house. And I did observe the banana bunch in its beginning scrawny stages of growth. Otherwise, that plant was pretty much out of my realm of consciousness. It was my Dad's banana plant, after all.

[Hence, no photo here of the bunch on the tree]

So, when Dad said he was going to cut the bunch down, and then plopped 5 hands of these monster red bananas on our kitchen table,  I was astonished!

These bananas were HUGE! And they were RED. Never saw anything like those before.

What do you do with 5 hands of unusual bananas? Share them, of course!

But were they edible raw? They were substantial, solid, an unusual color, different ... almost intimidating, I would say.

A Google search assured me that I could eat them raw.

So I sliced a piece from what looked like a ripe banana (the color was a little lighter than the others and the banana was softer) and pronounced it not quite ripe enough, but definitely edible.

In fact, Delicious! Kind of like apple bananas, but sweeter. I learned that they're also called strawberry bananas.

I brought a hand to school a couple of days later, and introduced the bananas to my 7th grade advisees. I warned them that these bananas were for adventurous eaters only,  those willing to try something new, risk takers.


The response was overwhelmingly positive. Yes, these bananas were definitely winners.

I cut up the rest of the hand and placed the pieces at the library door for other students to try. Success again -- "Soooo good" murmured the students, some coming back for another piece.


There were bananas for anyone who expressed the smallest bit of interest. "Take a piece. You can't eat a whole one -- too much. You gotta try it."

Always the reluctant, puzzled look. Then, a variation of "Wow! Those bananas are Big, and they're Red." Then after a bite, always the pronouncement that these bananas were indeed special.

We feasted on those bananas for several days.

The bananas even sprouted a delightful thank-you card with red bananas on the front, from a colleague. 



And five hands later, the red bananas were gone. Just like that.

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Pfft -- you say. Okay, so they're red bananas and they're rare, what's the big deal?

Here's my take on my red banana experience:

Yes, I could have kept those bananas for myself, frozen them, and made fancy delights like Banana Flambe or Creamy Red Banana Pie. I could have made them l-a-a-a-s-t.

But sharing nature's bountiful, unadorned, simple gifts with those around me just felt natural and good. Period.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Banana trees do fade away after they've given up a bunch, which is a bummer.

"But another plant is shooting up," my Dad announced. 

So I wandered over to take a peek.


Sure enough. A keiki sprouted and it's looking like it's going to take. So maybe someday soon there'll be another bunch of rare red bananas to share.

What about you? What simple gift have you unexpectedly received, and shared? I'd love to hear your story.

(◕‿◕) @Celebrate_Maui








Sunday, August 5, 2012

Celebrating Plantation Life: Kumiai Day at the Kaunoa Senior Center

Just a little post to give a shout-out to the people who organized Kumiai Day at the Kaunoa Senior Center on Friday!


Took a short stroll down memory lane with my Dad and we enjoyed it so much!

This is part of the display that greeted us as we entered the grassy area of the Center.
You had to take a bango number in order to win a door prize.
There were some great prizes!
There was an entire room of photos and artifacts to enjoy.
Lots of people huddled around the camp diagram books.
Here's the Hamakuapoko camp diagram.

Our house was #1588, across from St. Ann's Catholic Church.
Any H'Poko people out there who can ID their homes?
We had a washboard like this one.
During my time we upgraded to a wringer washer, kind of like this one.
Here's a portion of the display of home-made toys.
There was a table to try the games. Remember those paper hats?
Strawberry ice cake, just like the good old days!
There was also boiled peanuts, lilikoi juice, and pieces of sugar cane to try.
And after that came lunch: huli huli beef, hot dog,
salted cabbage, macaroni salad, and rice.
Dad met up with another H'Poko old-timer.
Emcees Mary and Manuel Tunta made us LAUGH!
Kanikapila with Aunty Penny & Kevin was so relaxing and fun!
My favorite was when we sang along to "There's a Hole
in the Middle of the Sea"!

If there was someone else to go up with me, I would have
jumped up and danced to "Aloha No Ia Maui" :)
Maybe next time. Hopefully there will be a next time!

I think they should make this an annual event!

(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

Thursday, July 19, 2012

There's a Maui Friends of the Library Used BOOKSTORE at Kaahumanu Center!

I had to see it for myself! A Maui Friends of the Library used bookstore in the Queen's Center? How would that work?

After all, there are already two other MFOL used bookstores on the island, right? -- the original (awesome) Pu'unene store, and the recently opened MFOL Used Books Lahaina in the Wharf Cinema. Could Maui support three? And, what's more, one that's smack dab in the middle of Central Maui's busiest shopping center that specializes in all things NEW?

I'm happy to report that this bookstore is a can-do sort of business that can work very well indeed, thanks to a dedicated cadre of volunteers and support from the Maui community. And the answer is -- ta-daaaah! the store already fits in very well at the Center!

The soft opening was on Saturday, July 14, and the response from the community so far has been fantastic, according to Alika, who took time out from setting up to chat with me. Alika is responsible for the store's window displays.

Alika, who's a floral artist, event coordinator, and Hawaiian clothing designer,
created this beautiful Hawaiian-themed window display. While I was there,
a lady plucked a book from the display and purchased it.
Expect to see more fabulous windows like this one!

The grand opening for the store will be sometime in October, to coincide with the Centennial Celebration of the founding of the Friends of the Library organization on Maui.

Activities for children are planned at the store -- hurray! I talked to store manager Machele Stabler on the phone after my visit and she said news of that will come after the store is more established.

The shelving was built by Machele's engineer husband Tom.
Notice the live tropicals and the great green overhead reading lamps.

Right now the front of the store, which has a shelving capacity of 2,000+ books, is very nicely set up with floral arrangements throughout, and inviting indoor-outdoor furniture smack dab in the middle. (Sorry, no photo of the furniture. I didn't want to disturb the readers there). When the entire store is stocked, there will be room for 30,000 books -- hurray again!

The prices? Paperbacks are 50 cents and most hardbacks are $1! The only books that are priced at full value are the Hawaiian books that the Friends purchased new, mainly for tourists. How can you beat those prices? All books are hand-picked, from donations received.

This photo taken at the cashier's table sums up
the ambiance of the store: down-home and inviting!

How could this seemingly impossible dream work, I wondered? Well, I found out that a venture like this one does indeed take a village. Everyone working at the store volunteers their time (the dedication of these people seems to know no bounds), 99% of the books are donated by readers like you and me, and since MFOL is a non-profit organization, they have some sort of modified contract with the Center (confidential, of course). What a great model for Doing Good for Literacy, with everyone getting involved!

The lease is for a year. A lot can happen in a year, and I hope the people of Maui will support this worthy way of celebrating books and reading!

How does one donate books? Easy!-- just bring in your in-excellent-condition books to the store!

Where will the profits go? All profits from all three stores benefit Maui's public libraries. From their mission statement: "The Friends use these monies as well as membership dues to fund various items and programs for Maui County Public Libraries ..."

Thrilling news for me is that MFOL will be able to provide five $2,000 scholarships to students interested in pursuing a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science (UH Manoa or UH Maui). MFOL was able to offer only two scholarships last year, so the future looks bright!

You can buy these bags -- another way to support MFOL.

What is the store's greatest need right now? Machele is looking for evening volunteers. Right now 22 volunteers work during the day, but none work during the evening. The hours to fill are from 3:30 to 9:00 pm.

If you're interested in volunteering, give Machele a call at 877-2509 with any questions you might have, or you can go directly to the store to fill out a volunteer form. Store hours are 9:30 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday (to 9 pm if they can get volunteers), and 10:00 am to 5:00pm on Sunday.

The store is located a couple of doors down from Sears, mauka side. The spot started out as the Book Cache (now that would be a cool blog post, about how things come full circle). Most recently it was the Whaler's General Store, hence the great green tin roofs you'll notice as you enter.

The book and reading ecosystem on Maui is feeling more balanced to me now, thanks to the superb work of MFOL!

Now if we could just get a bookstore in central Maui to replace the much-missed Borders .... is that dream so impossible?

(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Here are 2 news stories about the store:

New Maui Friends of the Library Bookstore opens at Queen Ka'humanu Center | mauivents.com
Friends of Library to open a bookstore at mall in Kahului | Maui News

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

And here are two great articles from other Maui bloggers about the store:

Books are back  at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center | MauiShopGirl

Maui Jungalow: A New Used Book Store

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Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Shout Out to Puk Sup in Upcountry Maui!

Just a spontaneous mini-post to celebrate Pukalani Superette, affectionately known to many as Puk Sup.

So many people shop at Puk Sup!



Here's a great video about Puk Sup:



I happily spread the word on Twitter this morning:



There are a lot of things I like about Puk Sup (especially the fresh produce, the interesting sides, the bento section, their hot daily specials).

And the history of Puk Sup is so interesting!

So happy that this mom-and-pop store is doing so well!

(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa'u Parade in Lahaina, Maui [VIDEO]

One of my "labor of love" projects has been documenting the pa'u riders of Maui who ride in the Kamehameha Day Parade in Lahaina every year.

This year, I decided to do a top-to-bottom video of the entire parade. Grandson Jordan and I filmed, and we had a GRAND time!

I had the opportunity to watch KPOA Morning Goddess Alaka'i Paleka weave her announcer magic up at the Lahaina Pizza Co. Commentary Station. That was a treat! Alaka'i's the voice on the video. (BTW, the pizzadilla, chicken salad, and calzone at Lahaina Pizza Co. were ono!)

I pushed myself this time, committing to finishing the video within a week. Being on summer vacation does help.

So at the same hour that the pa'u riders were getting ready for the parade last week, I offer the video to all Maui pa'u riders and to anyone interested in learning about this lesser-known Hawaiian cultural experience.




(You can order the scene-selectable DVD.)
 

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

If you want to know more about the history of pa'u riding and the Maui women riders, here's an introductory video I did several years ago:





And yes, pa'u riders, I'm still aiming for a broadcast-quality piece to celebrate pa'u and you ...

--Linda

(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Winner winner (Mexican) chicken dinner -- at Puk Sup!

Today's Hot Entree Special ~ CHICKEN ENCHILADA $4.99 lb.: Today's Hot Entree Special ~ CHICKEN ENCHILADA $4.99 lb.





(◕‿◕)
@Celebrate_Maui

Guacamole anticipation ...

Looking forward to guacamole from this Haas avocado tree in my back yard!

The 20-foot tree sprouted from a seed on my kitchen window sill.

Not bad for an accidental gardener! (◕‿◕) @Celebrate_Maui

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Maui play 'Lesser Ahi' is funny, touching, REAL!





The plot: Fraternal twins Andrew and Anden Ahi haven’t spoken to one another in six years. As the ohana gathers for Anden’s wedding, we meet a circle of friends and relatives who want the brothers to heal their rift before the wedding. 

The Playwrights: Derek Nakagawa and Francis Tau'a (both born on Maui)

The Director: David C. Johnston
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

My friend Sally really really really wanted us to see this play!

Irene noted on FB, "We saw it last night and laughed till we cried and sometimes just cried! The play will have two more performances, they decided to extend because of popularity. A must see for anyone who grew up in Hawaii and/or those who know Hawaiian/Local culture. Go to Maui Academy of Performing Arts for tickets - NOW!"

Irene's testimony was the clincher -- we knew we were in for a real treat.



The line at 6:59pm just before the doors opened (go early)

Did we recognize ALL of the characters? Yes.
Was the pidgin spot on? Yes.
Was it just like looking at ourselves? Yes.
Did we laugh? Yes, yes, yes.
Did we cry? Well, let's just say I am a cry baby,  but I wasn't the only one ...



Mommy and Daddy, two of the 21 characters played by Francis Tau'a 
and Derek Nakagawa - Photo: Melanie Agrabante


YES, we absolutely loved 'Lesser Ahi' and we would recommend it to anyone who grew up on Maui! (check out the reviews below)

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

I Facebooked Francis Tau'a this morning, with questions that he so very graciously answered:

What is the title "Lesser Ahi" all about?
The title is a take on "Greater Tuna", a play where two actors play multiple characters in a small town in Tuna Texas. (Director) David Johnston came up with the title and told Derek and me to write a story with LOCAL flavor based on that concept. 
How long was this play in the making?
The play was written in 5 months. Between Derek and I, we came up with the characters that we wanted and went from there. 
Who wrote the awesome song at the end?
I wrote the songs. The last song "The Brother's song BROKEN" was written on a plane ride from Portland Oregon as I was coming home in '09. I missed Maui and my family and felt lost.
The costumes were amazing! Any story behind them?
MIN's costume was a Work in Progress. When the boots arrived, they necessitated a change in the top. Once I had the wig, the leopard print top and those boots on, I 'FOUND' the character. I was the one who wrote that scene.
(Note: the scene with Min and Andrew was my beau Joe's favorite)
Andrew and his ex-girlfriend Min at her beauty salon. Photo: Melanie Agrabante.

Francis noted that "After rehearsals, (which had ALL of us giggling and guffawing as Derek and I kept "Adding" things which had us trying to make each other break like Harvey Korman and Tim Conway from the old Carol Burnett show) DAVID (Johnston, the director) would be talking pidgin! We knew then that we had a SHOW.

Bernadette puts the moves on Monty. Photo: Melanie Agrabante.

Yes, the laughs were definitely a draw, but the story, a universal one about the importance of family and the power of love, really touched my heart.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

There are only two more opportunities to catch "Lesser Ahi": Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12, at 7:30 pm. Call NOW before it's sold out! Ph. 244-8760, Extension 228. Or you can reserve online at mauiacademy.org. Or you can go to the customer kiosk at Queen Kaahumanu Center.

There are rumors that the show might go on the road throughout the islands. I think that's a fantastic idea!

"Lesser Ahi" is a cultural experience too good to end after next weekend. It demands a larger audience!

(◕‿◕
@Celebrate_Maui
_____________________________________________________
Reviews:
MAPA presents 'Lesser Ahi,' an original play about local life - Lahaina News, April 19, 2012
MAPA's Lesser Ahi - Maui Family Magazine, April 20, 2012
'Lesser Ahi' remains fresh from start to finish - Maui News, April 26, 2012 (written before the sell-out crowds)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Beautiful He Ha'upu Aloha Day

Photo courtesy of Dawna Richmond


Aloha 'Ia No Maui. Photo courtesy of Emily Davis.

Today was a beautiful day, for many reasons.

(◕‿◕
@Celebrate_Maui

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Da Scoop about Da Puerto Rican Food Truck (and KULA FOOD SLAM coming up!)


Where can you get authentic Puerto Rican food in upcountry Maui?

Well, for the last few months, Da Puerto Rican Food Truck has been parked outside Long's upcountry - Thursday and Friday for lunch from 11-3 and dinner from 5-8, and Sunday and Monday for lunch from 11-3. (Also in Kihei at Kamaole III on Saturdays, and at Waiko Baseyard in Waikapu on Wednesdays). Those are the official hours but it's basically until the food runs out.


Yes, business is booming, says owner Jose Antonmattei, who hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico. And it's all because of word-of-mouth and social media advertising, nothing else.

You can follow @DaPRFT on Twitter. And Da Puerto Rican Food Truck is on Facebook (go ahead, LIKE them -- I did).

Two weeks after Da Puerto Rican Truck opened, Jose's wife Amanda invited the Maui Twitter Foodie Flock for lunch in the Kahului Industrial area.

"Wait -- let's get grooving first!" Jose told Amanda.

Not to worry, the Foodies gave Da Truck a multiple thumbs up.

Maui Time Weekly's review

While Amanda takes care of all the advertising, Jose likes to spend his time chatting with his customers.

Jose explains how to do tostones (fried plantains) to two of his regular customers.




Sooo, what about the food?

I ordered the Cuban Sandwich, a customer favorite:
"Our delicious pulled pork marinated with traditional herbs and spices, served with ham, swiss cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard, on a fresh French roll and pressed to yummy perfection. $8.95 add side and a drink $11"
The side I chose was arroz con gandule. I pronounce the entire plate ... ONO!

Jose with my Cuban sandwich meal

Yes, Da Truck carries the must-haves: gandule rice and pasteles (those were for special occasions in Puerto Rico, notes Jose).

Pastel y arroz con gandules

The most popular item is -- guess what -- not officially on the menu!

"Gandule rice ball - take rice, make a ball, stuff with jack cheese, bread it, deep fry it, serve it with a little garlic aioli sauce. Can't make enough of them." Jose beams.

Jose recently added apple pie empañadillas to the menu. The dish was inspired by his son.

Apple pie empañadillas

Sweet goodness!

Here's the official Menu.
◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

What brought Jose and his wife Amanda to Maui and how did the Da Puerto Rican Food Truck come to be?

Jose was an art therapist in San Juan. He had earned two Masters and was going for his PhD. He needed a little break, and encouraged by friends, he took a year's sabbatical and he and Amanda came to Maui. They stayed, and it's been over ten years now that they've made Maui their home. (Yes, the surf did have something to do with his decision to come here.)

Jose and Amanda had dreamed of doing something with food. And why not upcountry, where places to eat are few?

A food truck became available a few months ago, and Jose and Amanda's dream became reality.

The food truck concept is popular on the mainland, remarks Jose. He, the Pulehu Pizza people, and others want to bring food trucks to Maui.

So, mark your calendars, because on Saturday, April 28, there's going to be a KULA FOOD SLAM.

"The food trucks are coming!" upcountry to Morihara Store. @DaPRFT and Pulehu Pizza will serve from 4 to 8 pm and there'll be relaxing acoustic music. "It's the first monthly," says Jose's wife Amanda.





Sounds like a whole lot of relaxing, delicious fun for the whole family on a Saturday evening in Kula! YES, I'm definitely heading up with Beau Joe.

See you there!

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@Celebrate_Maui

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