Hello, Seattle!

We are happy to announce that Chris is officially the new Associate Art Director of Seattle Met magazine! Chris will be joining a highly-talented team including Design Director André Mora & Editor in Chief Katherine Koberg and company this July. I’m really excited about this great opportunity and can’t wait to get up there and get to work! Get ready to hear much more about this award-winning publication in the weeks to come…

Some words, from Chris: But, as excited as we are about new beginnings—it’s a bittersweet feeling leaving such a great team behind. MauiTime has been an amazing place to work, and I can’t say enough about what a wonderfully talented group of people they are—and what an amazing product they produce each week. When you see what goes on behind the scenes you gain a new respect for the hard work and dedication that it takes to make such a great weekly happen. They haven’t been just co-workers, but a family here for both my wife and I. So to all my MauiTime peeps—I wish you guys (and gals) the best of luck going forward—although I know you won’t need it. Mahalo, and aloha to our friends.

2011 Pele Award Winner!

This weekend I had the humbling honor of accepting the Special Judge’s Award for Design at the 2011 American Advertising Federation (AAF Hawaii Chapter) Pele Awards for our “Best of Maui 2010 in 3D” special issue. This was really exciting because it was a top honor (right under Best Of Show) at the awards, and also because it was completely unexpected and surprising due to the amazing amount (and quality) of work in the show this year. In our category—Complete Publication Design—we received an Award Of Merit (Bronze), losing to the Best Of Show winner Clifford Cheng of Voice Design for Hawaii Skindiver Magazine. A big thanks goes out to our team at MauiTime for all the hard work on this issue, as well as Brad Parker for his amazing illustration work.

You can read the story from the Honolulu Star Advertiser here. Or read the MauiNow.com news story here. Or see the Coverjunkie.com post about it here.

You can also watch a video from the ceremony—including a message from the Head Design Judge Stefan Bucher of 344 Design—here.

Designed by Chris Skiles

Artwork by Brad Parker

On a side note: We made a whole weekend out of going to the ceremony because it was on Oahu. We have been on Maui for almost 2 years and hadn't visited any other island so it seemed like the perfect time. We were kind of missing the big city life BTW. We stayed in Waikiki; didn't rent a car; walked everywhere; visited the Honolulu Zoo(sooo much fun!); did a lot of shopping because that is one of the things Maui likes; ate some really good food (Wolfgang Puck Express; Epic Restaurant, local places and of course Chili's) and of course had our share of libations :) We had a great time and Christopher winning the Special Judges Award meant so much!

And The Results Are In

Christopher Skiles has won another award in the design world: he placed second at the National Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) awards for Best Cover Design!!

Click here to see the designs and for more information!

I can't even begin to express how happy and proud I am of the incredible work Chris has been doing here. What I like best about him, among many other things, is that he sets goals for himself and he accomplishes them. That says so much about a mans character and traits. I am proud to call him my future husband. Look out design world.... he's only just begun!

Many congrats to Chris and the whole 'ohana at MauiTime! Super excited to see the Best of Maui 3D issue!

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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