
Chef of the Year: Cameron Lewark, Spago at the Four Seasons Resort Maui
Restaurant of the Year
Gold: Pineapple Grill, Kapalua
Silver: Mama's Fish House, Kuau
Maui County Farm Bureau’s Friend of Agriculture: Flatbread Company, Pa'ia
Excellence in Sustainability: Market Fresh Bistro
Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert Santos, Maui Culinary Academy
The ‘Aipono Awards are the first high-profile restaurant awards devoted entirely to Maui. They are awards of honor and distinction determined by our readers, the residents and visitors of Maui. The prestigious Chef of the Year title is decided by peer review, voted on exclusively by Maui chefs and industry insiders.
The annual ‘Aipono Awards Gala is a benefit for the Maui Culinary Academy. Guests are regaled with wines and spirits by Better Brands and Grand Crew, sumptuous pupu (appetizers) prepared and served by Academy students, and a fabulous gourmet dinner hosted by three ‘Aipono-winning restaurants. Students enjoy the invaluable experience of working alongside sponsor restaurant chefs on the day of the event, in preparing the gala’s dinner. Ticket sales generate valuable unencumbered funds for the school, as well as scholarship money for deserving students. At this event—everyone’s a winner!
Throughout the year, the ‘Aipono Winemaker’s Dinner Series brings the industry’s top winemakers to ‘Aipono Award-winning restaurants. Dinners are designed to be intimate and educational, with personal appearances by winery owners and/or representatives. Proceeds benefit the Maui Culinary Academy.
Join our ‘Aipono ‘ohana (family). Help us support the champions of our dynamic food and hospitality industries. Become a sponsor of the Awards Gala. Host a winemaker’s dinner at your restaurant. Donate auction items or money to fatten the student scholarship fund. Contact us today: (808) 244-8331: info@mauimagazine.net
Days before being named 'Aipono's Chef of the Year, Cameron Lewark turned out a terrific wine dinner at Spago, while Better Brands served special bottles from California's Russian River. Proceeds benefit Maui Culinary Academy.
Let Them Drink Cake! The 2010 ‘Aipono Wine Dinner Series started on a high note in February at David Paul’s Island Grill. Award-winning chef David Paul Johnson teamed with Dennis Cakebread to present an evening of exemplary food-and-wine pairings. Guests sampled Cakebread wines—among Napa Valley’s finest—with pan-seared halibut, braised veal cheeks, and sweet-potato gnocchi. The vintner gave a humorous account of his family’s business; then Maui Culinary Academy Director Chris Speere accepted the evening’s sizable contribution to the school. When the event sold out, Chef Johnson opened three additional booths and donated the entire proceeds of those tickets to the school.
This year's 'Aipono Awards Gala, hosted by the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua resort was our most glamorous yet, by far! Congratulations to all of the winners, and to the students of Maui Culinary Academy--the beneficiaries of the evening's proceeds.