Author: Tour Guide Sabrina Petrov
Tropical Dreams on Kauai
Welcome to Tropical Dreams, an establishment with a name that lives up to the experience! As soon as you enter you’re greeted by friendly faces and an expansive, colorful array of ice cream flavors. Good vibes only in here, and of course everyone gets extra feels when ice cream is involved. Located in the heart of Kapaa, next to Safeway, Tropical Dreams is known for its high quality and expansive array of unique ice cream flavors. This hidden gem of a shop has been in operation close to 8 years. Currently run by Erik, it is a family owned and operated local style spot with its own flavor and style.Locally Sourced
Every week Erik picks up the freshly made to order ice cream from The Big Island for Tropical Dreams. The ice creams and sorbets are made with Hawaiian fruit and cane sugar, keeping the ingredients as island focused as possible! This super premium ice cream shop is the only one in state that boasts the Hawaii Agriculture Seal of Quality. In addition to decadent ice cream, Erik also prides himself in offering sorbets and other dairy-free, vegan options. You can also find locally made Ono pops here, our favorite farm to stick pops, so good!The goods
Customers are allowed to taste test before they choose, so I of course took full advantage. I sampled the oreo cheesecake + graham crackers, the lilikoi cheesecake, and the chocolate peanut butter brownie. Lilikoi, often considered the sweetheart of fruits in Hawaii, won out. Lilikoi or passion fruit has a delicious tart and slightly acidic finish that makes it the perfect complement to any sweets, baked goods or cocktails. This is a perfect stop for those of you with a discerning sweet tooth. Finish off your next nice, sunny beach day on the East Side here, you won’t regret it!Let us know if you enjoy this spot as much as us! You can check out more about Tropical Dreams on their website: https://tropicaldreamsicecream.com/about-us/our-company
- Tucked away in Kapaa
- Lilikoi + Oreo – Yum!
- Homey touches
Tag Archives | Kauai
Kauai
Will Drive for Pastry – Midnight Bear Breads Perfects Artisan Baking
Hanapepe Town
Walking down the quiet, dusty main street of Hanapepe town can take you back in time. You could just as easily be sauntering through 1926 as 2018, simply ignore the few modern cars that dot the lane. Visitors and island locals alike often fall in love with the town for the feelings of Old Hawaii that it evokes. The Western Plantation style architecture remains the same as it was 100 years ago, and things move slow. Halfway through the town, you may have the urge to start following your nose. There seem to be cartoon-worthy smells wafting through the screen doors of a small, artisan bakeshop. You have arrived at Midnight Bear.
Pastry Heaven
Midnight Bear Breads
Owners Evan & Ursa have been operating since 2012 and are committed to bringing you the best local product that they can. Everything in the shop is done from scratch, no shortcuts. Midnight Bear brings a touch of modernity to Hanapepe while still maintaining connections with the lush valley surrounding the town. Farms in the valley grow anything from taro and sweet potato to apple bananas and cacao. We were lucky enough to visit Evan in preparation for the Coffee & Chocolate Festival that happens every Fall, and he shared with us the cacao he was utilizing. The cacao came from his local farmer, and he was doing all of the work to break it down, ferment it, roast and stone grind it there in the shop. Getting to try fresh harvested, roasted cacao nibs is an experience everyone should strive to have at least once in their life.
In the shop you will find their famous artisan breads, real deal layered croissants and delectable surprises each week. Using the croissant dough they create danishes filled with things like West side mango, homemade papaya jam from the back garden and vibrant dragon fruit. Only Hawaiian coffee is served in house, if you get there early enough in the morning you will be rewarded with a cup of their slow brew low acidity coffee, fresh warm bread and pastries.
Our Tasting Kauai team is very excited to have Midnight Bear as one of our tasting stops for our Hanapepe tour, book your tour to get to try some of the mouthwatering items described above here: Hanapepe Tour . Whether you can join us on our tour or not this trip, be sure not to miss out on your way out to the West side of the island. Visit Midnight Bear’s website for shop hours and to learn more about what they do here: Midnight Bear Breads
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- Hawaiian Coffee
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- Prosciutoo
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- Getting spoiled
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- Tasting Platter
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- We are so lucky to have so MANY edibles here on Kauai
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- Chocolate Bread
Kiawe Roots – The Sunny South Shore’s New Favorite Eatery
Clearly, this is a restaurant we at Tasting Kauai are very excited about. We had already ramped you up for the opening, see earlier post for some information about Chef Mark Ruiz and wife Tricia, founders of Kiawe Roots here. This new local’s favorite hangout is located in the Shops at Kukui’ula above Tortilla Republic. This will be your new favorite place for local food in Poipu. Head over on a Wednesday afternoon to do your shopping at the culinary farmers market, then wander upstairs to try out some of their delicious happy hour cocktails and treats. A personal favorite – Coconut luau dip honoring the most iconic plant on Kauai, taro. Their dip is made with sauteed taro leaf and coconut milk, then served up with fresh taro chips. Yum!
Beer + Pupus = A great afternoon
A quick side note on the name of the restaurant, and a few fun facts about what kiawe is here in Hawaii. Prosopis pallida is a perennial that belongs to the mesquite & mimosa family. It is commonly referred to by its Hawaiian name “kiawe” (pronounced “kee-AH-vay”). First introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s by a Catholic missionary, the Kiawe tree quickly took hold and spread. They require minimal rainfall to stay alive and have been a highly successful invasive species here on the islands. The wood is also one of the hottest and longest burning in the world. This is great news for all of the barbecue masters here on the islands!
Kiawe is open every day for brunch. I had the pleasure of trying out their Veggie Benedict – the vegetable of the day was charred kabocha. This was served over focaccia bread with a perfectly done egg and a light local green salad drizzled with lillikoi vinaigrette. My husband had the half rack of ribs, that fell off the bone, served with cantaloupe namasu, grilled squash and rice. These are just a couple of mouth watering (and affordable!) options on their daytime menu. Don’t miss your chance to try out their beautiful, simple fare that combines childhood comfort foods with modern culinary influences. There’s nothing better than supporting local people, making local food. From the friendly front of house service to the perfectly executed dishes coming out of the kitchen, this is a new stop you don’t want to miss on your next trip to Kauai!
Healthy Holiday Tips from Life Foods
A locally sourced salad with Noni Ranch and Gomasio. Daniel Lane photo
The holidays can be both so fun and lovely, but if you are worried about maintaining a wholesome diet during the parties, dinners and events it can also seem daunting. But you don’t have to sacrifice your love of good foods to enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer. Here are some of our favorite tips from Andrea Bertoli, marketing director, chef and educator for Life Foods. Continue Reading →
Papalani Gelato Releases Organic Sorbetto
Some of the best gelato you’ve ever tasted is right here on Kauai
Kauai-based Papalani Gelato has released a line of organic sorbets. With two shops on Kauai and two in Florida, owner Marck Shipley says they are the first national gelato brand to offer organic sorbetto. Papalani Gelato’s sorbetto is a dairy-free, GMO-free, gluten-free vegan dessert made only with real fruit and wholesome natural ingredients. Continue Reading →
