Acclaimed Chef Bev Gannon opens another Maui restaurant

This is the first restaurant review I did while currently freelancing for MauiTime. ENJOY!!

Gannons
Acclaimed Chef Bev Gannon opens another Maui restaurant
by Sabrina Dreyer

Gannon's
100 Golf Club Dr., Wailea
875-8080

Acclaimed Chef Bev Gannon is noted for being one of the founders of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement. On Maui, she's the force behind the famous Haliimaile General Store and Joe's Bar & Grill in Wailea. Given her reputation, her new South Maui venture—in the former Sea Watch location—has a lot to live up to. The good news: it meets, and perhaps even exceeds, expectations.

Upon entering, you're greeted by ultra-modern décor and a warm, inviting atmosphere. The light fixtures alone are something to marvel at. Bev credits this feature to her husband, a lighting technician who spent his career lighting rock shows.

Seating is either inside or out on the lanai. If you come before 6:30pm, choose the lanai for a blazing Wailea sunset and spectacular view of Molokini.

If you've dined at one of Gannon's restaurants before, you won't be let down; if this is your first experience, you'll be wowed. A must-try is the crab, lobster and tomato tower. Cucumber avocado rolls are topped with a wasabi-vinegarette glaze and succulent crab salad, fresh heirloom tomatoes and, finally, lobster. Cutting into the tower gradually is "the only way to fully enjoy the richness of each layer," Gannon says.

The wine list is extensive enough to satisfy even the staunchest connoisseur. If you like reds, the Sinskey Merlot is a full-bodied selection that will compliment any of the meats on the menu. If you lean more to the white side and/or are ordering fish, I'd recommend the crisp, sweet Laird Family Estate Pinot Grigio.

On the night my date and I dined, the special was walu (Hawaiian Butterfish), seared and served with mushrooms, bacon and onions, plus mashed potatoes drizzled in a lemon butter sauce. Never having tried walu before we didn't know what to expect. It was succulent, flaky and cooked to perfection, while the mushroom, bacon and onion gave it that little extra kick. For the second entrée, we went with the venison loin with Parmesan risotto and smoked corn nage. The venison was cooked medium rare—a little too rare for my taste—but was tender and juicy, letting the full flavor of the meat come through. The creaminess and richness of the risotto provided the perfect complement.

Last stop, dessert. I have a huge sweet tooth anyway, and it doesn't help when the menu has treats like chocolate cake, Kailua black coffee mousse and vanilla bean ice cream cake. For research purposes (of course) we decided to cave in to the chef-recommended ice cream cake with cherry compote. It tasted great, and revealed an unexpected fact about Gannon.

"I remember growing up with vanilla bean ice cream cake and it was my absolute favorite," the famed chef told us. "Plus, I've never really been a big fan of chocolate." Who knew?

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808 All Day

Here is my second restaurant review!

Food & Drink
808 Bistro
808 All Day - Popular sandwich guys try out a bigger location and a whole new menu
by Sabrina Dreyer


808 Bistro
2511 S. Kihei Rd., Kihei
Open 5-9pm daily
879-8008

You probably know Josh Richardson and Mitch Edwards as the guys behind 808 Deli, the popular little sandwich joint next to Fred's/Moose's on South Kihei Road. Now they're branching out, moving into the spacious confines formerly occupied by the now-defunct Greek Bistro. The new venture—dubbed 808 Bistro—is good enough to lure patrons away from the long wait for Taco Tuesday at Fred's.

808 Bistro has open-verandah seating with modern, sleek wooden tables and nice sunset views. Once seated, you're served toasted bread and exemplary creamy pesto butter. Appetizers run the gamut: baked crab dip, buffalo shrimp with gorgonzola cream dipping sauce, Johnny Wellington, smoked salmon and steak kabobs.

There were three in our party, so we opted for the crab dip, served with a toasted baguette, and the Johnny Wellington. The dip was rich, with the shrimp flavor standing out the most. Though it paired well with the crunchiness of the baguette, I preferred the dip by itself to let all the flavors come through. Meanwhile, the Johnny Wellington—lamb in a puff pastry served with tzaziki (yogurt and cucumber) and mint sauce—was delicious. The lamb was cooked to perfection and paired perfectly with the tzaziki sauce.

Richardson suggested the Maui Cordon Bleu—herbed panko-crusted chicken breast stuffed with ham, Swiss, spinach and a fresh pineapple glaze. The ham, Swiss and spinach complemented the juiciness of the chicken, but it could've used more of the pineapple glaze. We also tried the mahi mahi, served with jasmine rice and vegetable du jour with a choice of three sauces; we selected the restic tomato buerre blanc. Fish: flaky and cooked perfectly. Vegetable du jour: delicious, sautéed veggie sticks. Sauce: creamy and ties it all together.

Finally, we sampled the New York Steak, served with bleu cheese apple gratin and vegetable du jour. The steak came medium rare and was accompanied by a balsamic vinaigrette mushroom reduction. It was one of the best sauces I've tried on Maui—and I'm not usually a fan of mushrooms.

For heart-healthy foodies there are a variety of soups (the carrot, coconut curry sounds the best) and salads. Have a sweet tooth? How does lilikoi cheesecake or sorbet sound? Macadamia nut gelato? Sweet Hawaiian bread pudding?

During dinner, I spoke to a couple that has been to the restaurant three times since it opened (808 Bistro is only three weeks old). I asked them what brought them back. "It's like eating at a gourmet restaurant at half the cost," they said. They also praised the staff, and even said they liked the current BYOB policy.

Richardson and Edwards personally visit each table with a smile; you truly get a sense of the owners and the restaurant. "It's about the atmosphere," Richardson said. "We greet everyone, serve excellent ingredients and bus tables ourselves. Everyone leaves happy." Sabrina Dreyer, MauiTime