After spending the past year taking care of COVID patients, I was in dire need of a break. Enter “the best Hawaiian island to visit if you want to relax” (per Google. Is this true? We’re not really sure), but we packed our bags and said Aloha to a sight other than San Diego for the first time in a long time.
If you’ve never heard of Maui, you should probably stop reading immediately and go watch Moana. If you’re still not sure what you’re looking at, a simple Google search will tell you that this second-largest Hawaiian island boasts great beaches, bougie golf courses, hair-raising, windy roads galore (if you’re a first timer like I was, I would highly recommend investing in some Dramamine before arrival), and most importantly, strong coffee, juicy seafood, and the creamiest ice cream pie I’ve ever tried.
CENTRAL MAUI
Immediately after landing, we started our food tour in central Maui, where a friend recommended Geste’s Shrimp Truck. We chowed down on the pineapple shrimp plate, which came with crab mac n cheese and sticky white rice. Though I was instantly blown away by how much larger the Hawaiian version of “jumbo” really is, the mac n cheese is actually what stole my heart. After a quick stop at Espresso Mafia and a killer mocha (guys the mochas in Hawaii put San Diego to shame. I don’t know why, but just do it), we drove to the Upcountry / Makawao region.
I fully planned on milking goats at the Surfing Goat Dairy Farm, but sadly, tour cancellations are yet another thing that COVID has ruined. Though the tours weren’t an option, you can still check out the creamy, fruity goat cheese truffles, a variety of award-winning cheeses to die for (quite literally if you’re as lactose intolerant as I am, but I digress), cute merchandise, and most importantly – baby.goats.everywhere. After stuffing ourselves with a variety of amaretto and citrus truffles, we took on Maui Winery, a smaller yet beautiful little piece of land specializing in pineapple wine (not even going to lie to you guys, we loved this wine on round one, but apparently it does NOT age well).
I couldn’t pass up on any opportunity to eat seafood, and Paia Fish Market was definitely the highlight of this day. I can confidently say if we had one of these in San Diego, I would be significantly larger. We got calamari strings (not rings, which was new to me, but I didn’t hate it), mahi mahi on a bed of roasted potatoes, and some bomb cod fish & chips that were crispy on the outside and soft as a feather on the inside. Because I have no self control, I just had to round it all out (literally) with Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice. The mango and tiger’s blood combo over a creamy custard swirl brought me right back to my childhood swim team days.
CENTRAL / EAST MAUI
Day 2 took on us on the Road to Hana, which is definitely where your Dramamine comes in. This long, windy road takes you from Central to East Maui and offers a wide variety of adventurous activities along the way, but the highlight for me was the banana bread. You can stop anywhere along the road in Maui, as banana bread is popular everywhere you go. This stuff is melt-in-your-mouth, banana-y, “I-just-ate-a-stick-of-butter” goodness, but in a semi healthy way. 10/10 would recommend.
On Day 3, we visited the Kahului Coffee Company, which had my favorite bagel of the trip. We got the lox and bacon, avocado, and tomato bagels on everything. In addition to the bagels being the perfect mix of bready and crispy, the store also boasts a wide variety of merch, exhibits by local artists, and an extensive coffee selection.
WEST MAUI (LAHAINA)
It was the perfect fuel as we made our way to Western Maui and the Lahaina area where we gorged on happy hour drinks at Captain Jack’s (get the lava flow if you like strawberry creamsicles in drink form) followed by dinner at Cool Cat Cafe, a family style restaurant with my absolutely favorite fish tacos on Maui (and trust me, I tried several). The vibe is also very relaxing, as they have live music (I should say “lit” music, as our musician ended up taking shots with a family nearby by the end of the evening). Do you boo!
Bottom: Lox bagel
Top: Tomato, avocado, bacon bagel
Mahi mahi fish tacos 
Banana bread on the road to hana
I’m going to say something bold here and mention that day 4 on Maui contained my favorite day of eating and my favorite restaurants. Get coffee at Cafe Vigilatte, a small coffee cart located inside a shopping center off of Front Street run by two awesome people. I’m so sorry I didn’t take photos of the coffees for you guys, but oh.my.god. are you kidding me with the Nutellacino and the Cafe Bon Bon right now?!
Other highlights of day 4, you ask? Crab cake eggs benedict at 808 Deli (be prepared to wait in a long line and listen to people get spicier the longer they wait) and… drum roll please… (100000% would recommend) Hula Pie and drinks at Dukes. If the concept of Oreo cookie crust, macademia nut ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream don’t sound good to you, please seek psychiatric help. You know I’m just kidding… but seriously try it anyways and thank me later. Down The Hatch also offers a lobster grilled cheese that I sometimes see in my dreams (but in a cute way)?
Lobster grilled cheese from Down The Hatch 
Hula pie view from the top 
Lobster grilled cheese with a view 
The inside of the beautiful hula pie
We finished our trip on day 5 at Cafe Cafe Maui (I’d skip this one), The Market Maui with a great ahi tuna wrap for a quick lunch on the go, and a dinner cruise in Lahaina on the Hula Girl Catamaran. This sunset cruise served up beautiful views, great people watching, and a sweet brownie sundae for my husband’s birthday. We would highly recommend checking them out if you’re ever in Maui!
All in all, I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Maui, hopping around at various beaches to see every turtle you can find (thanks Andy), and if you love feeling uncomfortably full, you’ll eat at Paia Fish Market, Vigilatte Coffee, Duke’s, Ululani’s, and Down The Hatch.
Mahalo for reading, and here’s a photo of a baby goat to hold you over until you get to see them in person!
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