Aspiring Kennedy: maui

Showing posts with label maui. Show all posts

Maui, Hawaii: Mama's Fish House

I probably had 30 people tell me to eat

at Mama's Fish House

when we annoucned we were going to Maui.

So, we did
after spending the afternoon
in the cute little town of Paia.

And it was amazing.

Now, I'm adding to the chorus

of people singing this place's praises.

Please, go if you are in Maui.

It's just such a special place.

All the Hawaiin kitsch you could imagine

and yet, the seriously best fish

you've ever had in your life.

I had the Panang Curry.
Tyler got the mahimahi stuffed with crab and lobster.

Mmmm...

Oh, and the dessert is really good, too.

Try the banana & macadamia nut crisp
with tahitian vanilla ice cream.

Ohmygosh.

So good.

And the beach outside...

It's so gorgeous.

PS. If you're imagining a small shack

with mama cooking you her special recipe,

you would be wrong.

This is an expensive dinner in a nice setting.

In fact, I was totally blown away with how big and nice
the restaurant is considering it's location.

Dress cute and plan to spend some cash.

It's worth it though.

(You know I wouldn't steer you wrong.)

* * *

Mama's Fish House
799 Poho Place
Paia, Hawaii 96779

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Maui, Hawaii: Cheeseburger in Paradise (Lahaina)

Most people feel the need to check this establishment

off their Maui bucket list.

I'll admit, it's not the best burger I've ever had...

But, it's also not the worst.

(And it's a million times better than 99% of all British burgers. Sorry, UK.)

If you're in Lahaina, you might as well give it a try

and knock it off the list.

While it is, admittedly, a tourist scene,

let's talk about the perks:

The oceanside view is awesome.

Ask for a table upstairs, if possible.

The kobe burger is pretty tasty.

I didn't love the actual beef,

but the grilled pineapple, bacon, avocado, grilled onions

helped make it pretty tasty.

Obviously, I was slightly disheartened to not a find

"a big kosher pickle" served with my burger.

Skip the sweet potato fries... they're just cold and bit blah.

Apparently the Mai Tai's are legendary...

I can't vouch for them

but the glasses + umbrella are pretty cute.

Also, the live music and friendly staff

make it all a pretty decent experience.

If you're in Maui for a week,

I say "Go."

Just, you know, don't expect it to be Shake Shack or In-N-Out,

because you'll be disappointed.

Expect it to be fun place

in a gorgeous food

that also happens to serve some okay burgers.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

811 Front Street

Lahaina, Maui HI 96761

808.661.4855 (no reservations)

Aloha (again) from Hawaii.

This time, I saying "Aloha" with a bit of sadness...

as I'm saying goodbye to the wonderful week

we have had here in the sun.

We have explored, played, celebrated,

and eaten a lifetime's worth of fish & hula pie.

My parents were here, too, and it was fun to share this with them.

They brought me with them to Maui

when I was about a year old...

and now, Viola gets to have the same fun

at the same age.

But I'm not just sad because

it's the end of a wonderful week and wedding...

I'm also sad because

we are flying back to London today...

...from Hawaii.

Woof.

* * *

We are flying from Maui to LA,

LA to NYC,

and NYC to London.

Yuck.

But, it'll all be worth it.

We'll grab our bags,

catch a night's sleep

and hit the road the next morning

for a Eurostar

and 10 days around the South of France

with my new semester.

So while I get a bit of tired head

thinking about the long travel days ahead,

I get really excited to think

that there are some young college students

about to have their worlds' explode

by studying overseas...

.... and that I get to be there for it.

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy

Maui, Hawaii: Betty's Beach Cafe (Lahaina)

I think that breakfast is one of the best parts of a vacation.

Or brunch, for that matter.

I'm an equal opportunist here.

Hear me out...

In your normal life,

when else do you get to lounge around

for the first meal of the day?

In our lives, breakfast is scarfed, slurped and solo

before we rush out the door.

But on vacation,

it's a meal that's shared

and the place to plan the day's adventures.

Plus, it's just so freaking delicious.

When we woke up on our first day in Maui,

the first thing I did was google

"best breakfast in Lahaina."

One of the places listed was for

Betty's Beach Cafe

and, as we had nowhere else that sounded better,

we decided to check it out.

Oh man.

I'm so glad we did.

I'm going to be pushing for a repeat visit before the week is over.

Not only is the beach setting gorgeous,

but, hey, the food is good, too!

Their banana & macadamia nut pancakes are the best-seller...

and we loved them, too!

If (and when) they ask if you want the coconut sauce for them,

replying with a resounding YES.

It's a game changer, in my non-professional opinion.

Also add the huevos rancheros to your "must eat" list.

They're really, really good.

(And that's not a compliment this Texan hands out lightly.)

On the weekends, mimosas & champagne are $2...

Twist up the normal OJ + bubble combo

with pineapple, guava or POG juice in your mimosa

for the same price.

We loved this place.

I hope you get a chance to like it, too!

Betty's Beach Cafe

505 Front Street

Lahaina, Maui HI 96761

808.662.0300

Aloha from Maui!

I'm blogging in my swimsuit

with sunglasses on

while I sit on the balcony of our room

overlooking the gardens of our hotel

and drinking an iced chai latte.

Basically, I'm doing the furthest possible thing

from my normal blogging scenario.

(Read: In sweats on my couch with a cup of tea

while I hide from the grey drizzly London sky.)

We landed in Maui after our 8.5 hour flight

(which was a surprise to me... I had it in my head it would be around 5?),

made a brainless decision to grab dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Lahaina

and cruised on to our hotel room and crashed after the loonnng day.

We woke up this morning ready for adventure,

jumped in the car and headed north along the west coast of the island.

The funnest and most beautiful day

unfolded for us in no time.

Not to mention we discovered some delicious places to eat,

but I'll share those in separate posts later for you!

Starting tomorrow, the wedding festivities will be starting
for Tyler & Amber's big day.

(I'll be instagramming the fun with #mickelsonsgetmauid...)

So before the chaos ensues,

I just wanted to say "Aloha!" from a land that is truly magical

and share a few pictures from our day.