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 | what to do in kauai
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 →
Get Into the Holiday Spirit with Winter Elixirs from Tommy Bahama
Worker Bee by Tommy Bahama. Contributed photo.
Tis the season at Tommy Bahama! The iconic island lifestyle brand has crafted three new cocktails to help you celebrate the holiday season. The Worker Bee is truly unique using the warmth of bourbon as its base mixed with St. Germa Elderflower and Aperol which gives it the red holiday hue. Tommy Bahama puts a twist on the much-loved eggnog with its Coconut Eggnog Martini that has nice kick with the addition of coconut rum and bourbon. The Pomegranate Mimosa is a cheerful Champagne cocktail that uses Pomegranate syrup, fresh orange juice and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur which brings new flavor and meaning to ‘mimosa.’ Continue Reading →
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. Continue Reading →
