Date and time: Saturday 25th October, 3pm. Where: St. Raphael's Catholic Church Dress code: Smart summer casual Address: 3011 Hapa Rd, Koloa, Kauai. Phone: (808) 742-1955.
Directions: Take the Maluhia Rd exit from the Kaumualii highway, head for Koloa. Turn left to Koloa rd and soon after right into Weliweli Rd. Vear right into Hapa rd and continue to the end where the church is located. See map.
St. Raphael's, the oldest Catholic church on Kauai, is the burial site of some of the first Portuguese immigrants to Hawaii. The original church, built in 1854, was a lava rock and coral mortar with walls three feet thick. When the church was enlarged in 1936, it was all plastered over and it now has a more typical whitewashed appearancce. I would recommend visiting this old Catholic church.
Directions: Just off main highway, in between Kapaa and Wailua. Turn left at the Kauai Coast Resort just before Coconut Marketplace. Keep left for parking lot for restaurant. See map.
If you are looking for a true "taste of Kauai," look no further than Hukilau Lanai in Kapaa. Hukilau comes from the Hawaiian words "huki" meaning pull and "lau" meaning net. Traditionally, the community would gather to pull the fishing nets to shore and celebrate with a festival! This ancient Hawaiian tradition even inspired a famous Hawaiian song, "Going to the Hukilau".
You could say Hukilau has a festive feel, with open lanai seating, lit by tiki torches, overlooking the grounds of the Kauai Coast Resort, flush with tropical plants and exotic flowers. The atmosphere is comfortable, yet refined, with crisp white linen tablecloths and hand blown glass votives on each table, likewise, guests will feel comfortable in casual aloha wear or dressed to the nines. Owners Paige and Russ Talvi and Roberta Wallace also own Kauai’s popular Gaylord’s restaurant at Kilohana Plantation. Hukilau has been open for nearly six-years and the mix of atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, wonderful food at reasonable prices, and live weekly entertainment has kept what some call "Kauai’s best kept secret" thriving.
With a name like Hukilau, one would expect stellar seafood, and luckily they live up to their name. The Mixed Grill offers guests a sample of spectacular fresh-caught fish including Mahi-Mahi, skewered shrimp, and the famed "butter fish" or Wahoo. Guests may also enjoy a very reasonably priced six-course wine paired dinner nightly. For desert, the star of the show is the decadent "Warm Cake," a special-made chocolate cake that takes up to 20 minutes to prepare (so order accordingly!). Hukilau is full of local touches, from island made goat cheese to delicious Kauai grown salad greens, all the way to the locally-made hand-blown glass votives that adorn each table. With all this, a full bar, and live entertainment Friday through Sunday, this is one restaurant not to be missed whether visiting or a full-time resident of Kauai.
