Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [455]
Brick Oven Pizza (332-8561; Kaumuali′i Hwy; 10-/12-/15in pizzas from $11.50/16/24; 11am-10pm Tue-Sun, 4-10pm Mon) Why did Brick Oven become Kaua′i’s tourist mecca for pizza? Its pies are fine, but real pizza aficionados might be underwhelmed. That said, vegetarians will welcome the truly meatless combo piled with premium veggies and stock-free sauce. And hot pizza does hit the spot after hiking the canyon.
Pomodoro (332-5945; Rainbow Plaza, Kaumuali′i Hwy; mains $16-27; 5:30-9:30pm Mon-Sat) Unless you know it’s there, you’d never expect such a romantic restaurant in an unmemorable business mall. But locals always cite Pomodoro for traditional dishes such as veal parmigiana ($27) and linguini with white or red clam sauce ($22). With candlelit tables and white tablecloths, the setting is intimate yet neighborhood-casual.
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WESTSIDE
Kaua′i doesn’t get more local than the Westside, where revered traditions and local-style family pride reigns supreme. Here, you’re more likely to hear fluent Hawaiian, spot real-life paniolo (cowboys) and see old-school fisherman sewing their nets from scratch. Deep, riveting red canyons and a seemingly infinite expanse of ocean offers the widest range of atmosphere and ambience found on Kaua′i. The least touristy and the most tried and true, the Westside isn’t for everyone; it’s good like that.
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′ELE′ELE & NUMILA
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You might pass the small town of Numila and its bigger, albeit still small, neighbour, ′Ele′ele, without much thought. A pleasant, rural area, it offers a few convenient stops at the ′Ele′ele shopping center, including a post office (8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9-11am Sat), as well as a divey (but decent) eatery, Toi’s Thai Kitchen (335-3111; ′Ele′ele Shopping Center, 4469 Waialo Rd; mains $13-20; lunch 10:30-1:40pm, dinner 5:30-9pm Tue-Sat). The most noticeable of the bunch of small shops and restaurants is Grinds Café (335-6027; www.grindscafe.net; ′Ele′ele Shopping Center, 4469 Waialo Rd; breakfast $5-10, lunch $5-12; 5:30am-6pm) – it’s usually busy on weekend mornings, so better to go for a dawn-patrol espresso or Sunday-afternoon latte.
Though it lacks the cachet imparted on the reputable Kona coffee, Kaua′i Coffee Company (335-0813, 800-545-8605; www.kauaicoffee.com; Halewili Rd; 9am-5pm) produces a sturdy cup of joe. Take the self-guided tour of the well-manicured plantation, which functions on 100% renewable energy. The drive once you’re off the highway might seem long, but take in the eye candy, as it’s adorned by neatly placed coffee trees and ablaze with bougainvillea.
Partnering with sustainable farmers, Malie Organics Boutique (866-767-5727 4353 Wai′alo Rd; www.malie.com; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) has a claim to fame in its succulent body butters and exquisite essences. Try the Koke′e-inspired fragrance; a portion of the proceeds from that Koke′e line go specifically towards the preservation of Koke′e State Park.
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PORT ALLEN
Though the area is developing to take advantage of its exquisite waterfront, Port Allen remains mostly an industrial area that serves as a departure point for most Na Pali tours.
Sights & Activities
GLASS BEACH
Trash as art – many a visitor has pored through the colorful well-worn remnants of glass along the shoreline of the aptly named Glass Beach, east of Port Allen. Glass ‘pebbles’, along with abandoned metals (some with newfound patina, some not so much), have washed up from an old dumpsite nearby, showing that decades of weather, too, can make art. To get to the little