The Here and Now of Eating
Back in my east coast days, I’d try to escape the winter freeze by heading to sunnier lands. If you have ever done the same, the following may ring a bell: You journey to a tropical destination where charming, little, old women in quaint villages weave sombreros out of palm fronds, and you think “Lovely! Delightful. I’ll take one!” You spend the rest of your vacation ambling along white sand beaches and turquoise waters, your eyes shaded from the bright sun by this fabulous, eco-friendly, green hat. Then, suddenly, almost cruelly, you find yourself back under the cold, florescent lights of the luggage carousel area surrounded by urbanites dressed in chic black, and what felt “just right” on that isle now looks completely silly and out of place. Okay. Maybe that’s just me, but I’m sure you have an inkling of that to which I refer.
The other day it dawned on me that I’ve struggled with a parallel issue having to do with foods and libations. Though I live in a land of beauty, I confess to the occasional moaning and groaning for the delicacies I left behind in New York. Then I realized that there is a time and place for everything, included good old food and drink. The truth is that a Nathan’s hot dog tastes best when consumed in Coney Island. It doesn’t just taste like a hot dog there; it’s flavored with the salt air, the creaky roller coasters, and the old Russian couples sitting on benches staring at the sea. And while I do sometimes crave honey-roasted nuts, do I really want them in Maui’s 80-degree weather? No. But on a wintry day in the city, the crinkly, wax bag heated from within by the roasted nuts soothes my cold hands, and the warm, sweet almonds make the blasting, Arctic wind seem, well, romantic. Food is not just food, after all. It is closely tied to life’s many adventures.
I’ve decided to make a new and improved effort to live in the here and now when it comes to the local fare on this lovely island. Maui, for instance, is the perfect place for a mai tai, and it comes with an umbrella! Any day of the year will do. (I highly recommend the one at Mama’s Fish House. Also, though the mai tai at the Sheraton Ka’annapali comes in a plastic cup, it also comes with a sunset torch lighting and cliff diver. ) Then there’s the fabulous shrimp curry at Cafe Des Amis that tastes especially lovely when eaten in the outdoor courtyard under the cozy, glow of big bulbs strung overhead. My sister still talks of the day I picked her up at the airport five years ago and took her straight to Milagros for a late lunch of fresh, fish tacos and an ice-cold Corona. On the subject of tacos, I’d like to mention Fred’s shrimp variation in Kihei that I also find delicious. And, even though this contradicts with the notion that a well-balanced meal is a multi-colored one, after a day of sun and surf I cannot get enough of Aloha Plate’s coconut shrimp plate, especially the ubiquitous scoop of rice and accompanying macaroni salad. Somehow the sweetness of the rice and the mayo in the salad perfectly compliments a day spent frolicking in salty waters.
I’m convinced; whatever your day has in store for you, there’s the perfect eats to match.