Julia’s Best Banana Bread
If you or your traveling partner has nerves of steel, you should drive around the West Maui Mountains from Kapalua to Wailuku. The views are unbeatable, the land wild and rugged, and the trade winds blowing in from the west make the air on this side crystal clear. When you hit Kahakuloa (Kah hah koo LOH ah), the teensy fishing village, look for the green roadside stand. If it’s before 2pm, Julia may still have some bread for you. Made with local bananas, it’s succulent, moist, and sweet. Is it the best in the world, as the signs proclaim? Not necessarily … but it’s delicious in its context, and if you’re driving out this way, you should get a loaf or two.
The coconut candy is also very good. If you don’t want to drive out to Kahakuloa, you can order the bread from her website (so this century) or you can try Julia’s bread at Flatbread in Paia. They heat it in their fiery, wood-burning furnace and top it with chocolate sauce and macadamia nut ice cream as a dessert.
It’s not as yummy when it’s not as hard-won, perhaps … but at least you don’t have to make the drive.
Address: Honoapiilani Highway, Kahakuloa, West Maui
Location: past Kapalua where the highway gets very narrow
Meals: Snacks & Treats
Hours: Daily, 9am – 5:30pm or when sold out
Parking: Lot
Website: www.juliasbananabread.com