A Team Trivia Tangent (Somewhat Related to Tiki)

At our weekly pub trivia, the categories I shine on are usually related to chefs/food or reality television. But this week we had a “Lost in Paradise” themed round where some of my accumulated tiki knowledge actually came in handy.

One of the questions was ‘Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, is located on what island?’ Yeah, you probably already know this from Geography class or traveling or just basic common sense, but how was I so sure it was Tahiti? Because I remembered reading about the Papeete Room from Stephen Crane’s Ports O’ Call restaurants! (Each of the four dining rooms was inspired by an “exotic” locale—the others were Saigon, Macao and Singapore.)

Another question was something to the effect of ‘On what island was the British explorer Captain Cook killed by natives?’ I can’t really pinpoint the source of why I guessed Hawaii (though I wasn’t sure of which particular island), but I lucked out in that it actually was Hawaii (the Big Island).

Yep, this is all somewhat off-topic but I just felt like sharing. It’s not often that I can answer something that stumps my teammates!

The Mai Tai Lounge – Lahaina, HI

The Mai Tai Lounge

I think that The Mai Tai Lounge offers quite possibly the most beautiful views of any of the restaurants on Lahaina’s main drag, and the food’s not too shabby either. When we visited last summer, the restaurant had been open for a few months and didn’t seem to be nearly as crowded as its more well-established neighbors like Kimo’s.

Ocean view
This worked in our favor as I was able to call ahead on our way there and reserve one of the tables right on the edge of the balcony. So gorgeous!

Menus at The Mai Tai LoungeA peek at the drinks menu, with versions of the Fogcutter, Blue Hawaiian and, of course, their namesake drink. Not the most extensive selection, but it does have the classics. Plus, for another $7 you could keep the Mai Tai mug, which I did. You can probably trace the beginning of my tiki collecting back to this lovely July evening.

Hawaiian style Caesar Salad

Our waiter said there were some recent additions to the menu, including the Hawaiian style Caesar Salad which he highly recommended. And I’m glad he did because it turned to be one of my favorite things that I ate in Hawaii—and I hate salad! That is, unless you make it with grilled Romaine lettuce and sweet, delicious Maui onions…What looks like seagull poop on the plate is actually awesome goat cheese from Maui’s Surfing Goat Dairy.

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The fried calamari with rice ($12) was doused with a Thai chili sauce that was tasty but unfortunately made the dish soggy. We also ordered the macadamia nut encrusted mahi mahi with vanilla bean sauce and wasabi mashed potatoes ($29)—the fish was fine, if a little dry—plus a side of Maui onion rings with chipotle ranch sauce ($8). However, you couldn’t really taste the same distinct flavor of the onion as in the salad. (Supposedly the best Maui onion rings are to be found at the Grand Wailea Resort…may have to make that drive next time.)

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A view of some of the tikis and modern Oceanic Arts-esque design on the upstairs terrace. As the night wore on, this space filled up with folks ordering drinks at the bar, including a couple of friendly Hawaiian dudes who entertained us for the rest of the evening. But that’s a story for another post…

The Mai Tai Lounge
839 Front. St.
Lahaina, Maui, 96761
808-661-5288
www.lahainamaitai.com

Editor’s note: The Mai Tai Lounge closed in March 2013 and is now Koa’s Seaside Grill

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