Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [176]
Coffees ‘n’ Epicurea (328-0322; 83-5315 Hwy 11; 6:30am-6pm) A coffee-tasting room is an unlikely place for this sublime patisserie with flaky pastries, delicate éclairs and gorgeous pies. (The baker defected from the Kohala Coast resorts.) There’S also a gift shop. It’S on the makai side at the 106-mile marker.
Adriana’S (217-7405, 936-8553; Kealakekua Ranch Center, Hwy 11; meals $3-6; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) These days, coffee pickers tend to hail from Mexico and Central America, which explains South Kona’S several good taquerias. Adriana’S mom, Juanita, rules the kitchen, serving delicious enchiladas, tacos and tamales from a takeout window. Cash only.
Super J’S (328-9566; 83-5409 Hwy 11; plate lunches $3.50-9; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat) Stop in for takeout plate lunches of laulau, poi and kalua pig at this simple but friendly Hawaiian food stand. It’S south of the 107-mile marker; cash only.
Kona Seafood (328-9777; 83-5308 Hwy 11; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun) This tiny storefront is a must for fresh poke and other local specialties, plus fish and seafood to cook yourself. It’S at the 106-mile marker.
Big Jake’S BBQ (328-1227; Hwy 11; meals $6.50-16; 11am-6pm) Next to Kona Seafood, Big Jake’S serves a flavorful pulled pork sandwich, along with other deliciously greasy delicacies cooked in the fat black barrel smoker out front.
Manago Hotel (323-2642; Hwy 11; breakfast $4-6, dinner mains $8-14; 7-9am, 11am-2pm & 5-7:30pm Tue-Sun) Like Teshima’S, Manago’S dining room is a quintessential South Kona experience. Part of its scuffed charm is that it still feels like a roadhouse, with a menu board and food rolling out on metal carts. Large Hawaiian and Japanese families know the dishes by heart, and the swift efficient service is based on a simple premise: order a main dish (fish, steak, teriyaki, burgers or the famous pork chops), which comes with several sides of the kitchen’S choosing. Typically, it’S some combination of pickled ogo (seaweed), potato-mac salad, baked beans, sweet black-eyed peas, a vegetable and white rice. The fish is excellent, but the lightly breaded and fried pork chops are Manago’S signature; the owner says the secret is the pans, which were purchased in the 1920s from the Hilo Iron Works and are never used for anything else.
Coffee Shack (328-9555; 83-5799 Hwy 11; meals $9-14; 7:30am-3pm) Perched precariously next to the highway, the Shack is famous for the insane views of Kealakekua Bay from its open-air deck; you may never have a cup of coffee with a view to rival this one. However, the service and the food (omelettes, pizza and salads) can be inconsistent, and the prices high. It is definitely worth stopping, but save your real appetite. It’S between the 108- and 109-mile markers.
Senor Billy’S (323-2012; Hwy 11; mains $9-14; 11am-9pm) Turning this former fast-food joint inside out, Senor Billy’S is an upscale taqueria with a groovy beach-shack vibe and a menu featuring a dozen tasty specialty burritos. No place in South Kona stays open as late, it mixes margaritas and other cocktails, and the black beans are flavored with whole garlic cloves – what’S not to like?
South Kona’S largest grocery store is Choicemart (323-3994; Kealakekua Ranch Center, Hwy 11; 6am-9pm Mon-Sat, to 8:30pm Sun).
Shopping
Art Farm (323-3495; Hwy 11; 10am-5pm Mon & Wed-Fri, 9am-4pm Sun) If this feels like a San Francisco art gallery, that’S because the owner – who creates weird sheet metal paintings – hails from the ‘City by the Bay.’ The unique works by local artists will have you scratching your head, reaching for your wallet, or both.
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HONAUNAU
pop 2450
Tiny Honaunau has no true village center; for travelers, it’S more a loose collection of businesses along the highway, and is indistinguishable from Captain Cook.
Sights
ST BENEDICT’S PAINTED CHURCH
John Berchmans Velghe was a Catholic priest who came to Hawai’i from Belgium in 1899. Upon taking responsibility