Kauai Guidebook Launch – Cocktail Parties Set for Holiday Season
The new edition of our restaurant guidebook is now available and Viviane Gilbert Stein, the book’s editor, wrote the following article. During this season of thanks, Dan, Michelle and I would like to express our gratitude for your support. We have enjoyed sharing food with you during our food tours and cultivating new friendships and keeping in touch. It was humbling last year, when some residents drove clear across the island, just to meet us and get a signed copy of our first book. We’ve enjoyed conversations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and hope you’ll be able to join us at one of these parties. And now, I’ll pass the keyboard to Viviane …
Foodies, rejoice! The latest version of “Tasting Kauai: Restaurants 2015 — An Insider’s Guide to Eating Well on the Garden Island” has been released, just in time for the holidays.
“I’m really excited about the second edition of our restaurant guidebook,” said Kauai food writer Marta Lane, who wrote the 150-page book, lavishly illustrated with photographs by her husband, professional photographer Daniel Lane. “There is so much great food on Kauai, which is made by hand with local ingredients, and I’m thrilled to be able to share my favorites.”
A series of cocktail parties will be held around the island to celebrate the book’s launch, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Celebrating during the holiday season makes perfect sense, “because the books make excellent gifts,” Lane said.
The expanded and updated book is meatier than the last, and includes a number of tasty new additions, sure to please the palate of fine diners, sustainable food enthusiasts or those simply looking for a great lunch. There are 30 new listings, for a total of 93, an introduction to the Hawaiian language, a new category for eateries in the Central zone, and a glossary of Hawaii food.
Dave Power of The Feral Pig. Daniel Lane photo
The entries are also longer. That means more mouth-watering descriptions of food, and deeper insights into the artisans who craft those delicacies.
“In the first edition, the descriptions were short, but readers wanted more,” Lane explained. “This turned out to be a good thing because I was able to include things like family history and inspiration. We also added tips and quotes and all of these add a deeper layer, or as a food writer would say, complex flavor.”
And there are even more gorgeous, full-color photos of food, glorious food.
“Daniel’s photographs are sprinkled throughout the book and include a warm combination of the people who make the food as well as the food they make,” Lane said.
Lane highlights those who are dedicated to real Kauai cuisine — from food trucks to the finest dining rooms. She has a passion for sustainable agriculture and applauds those who work hard to source fresh, local food.
As she clarifies in the book’s introduction, “As a full-time food writer, many people think of me as a food critic. But I like to call myself a food profiler. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong, I choose to focus on what’s right.”
Readers will have a chance to meet the creative couple, as well as some of the island’s top chefs, at the book launch cocktail parties.
“We want to include residents, as they have told me they really appreciate the first edition,” Lane said. “I know it’s tricky for folks to go to a different part of the island, so we are coming to them.”
36 hour braised pork belly at Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill. Daniel Lane photo
“The cocktail parties will be quick and on weekdays,” Lane explained. “Everyone is welcome to order additional pau hana cocktails at the cash bar, or stay for dinner. Just make sure to reserve a dinner table with the restaurant.”
Book launch cocktail parties
Central: Friday, Nov. 28 The Feral Pig in Lihue, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Meet Dave Power, co owner and according to HONOLULU magazine, one of Hawaii’s most influential bartenders.
North Shore: Friday, Dec. 5 Tiki Iniki in Hanalei, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Meet Michele Rundgren, owner, former singer with The Tubes and wife of rock star Todd Rundgren.
East Side: Wednesday, Dec. 10 Hukilau Lanai in Kapaa, 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. Meet owners Krissi and Ron Miller. Ron is also the executive chef of Hukilau Lanai.
South Shore: Friday, Dec. 19 Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill in Koloa, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Meet owner Jean Marie Josselin, one of 12 pioneers of Hawaii Regional Cuisine and owner of the recently opened Jo2 in Kapaa.
“Tasting Kauai: Restaurants 2015 — An Insider’s Guide to Eating Well on the Garden Island” is available on amazon.com and on-island at several dozen Kauai locations. Suggested retail price is $15.99. For a complete listing of local businesses selling the book, visit tastingkauai.com/books.
Lane writes two food columns for The Garden Island newspaper, including “Tastes of Kauai” in the TG!F section and “On the Farm” in the Sunday issue. She also features Kauai food-related news and events on her blog.
In addition, Tasting Kauai offers three weekly food events: two food tours and a farmers market class. Lane created the exclusive tours in partnership with farmers, chefs and food artisans, and describes the tours as “playful, educational edible experiences that are based on the seasons.”
Tickets are $37 plus Hawaii G.E. tax and merchant fees. A portion of all sales go to the Hawaii Food Bank, Kauai Branch. When registering, feel free to donate an additional $5, $10, $25 or $50 to help feed Kauai’s hungry during this holiday season.
Reservations are required and must be made here.