And then there’s The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea—one of Maui’s most romantic fine-dining experiences.
In our two years as parents, “dining out” has meant taking turns eating and holding a baby, and having to order drinks, entrées and the check all in one fell swoop. On this night, however, Heather and I did our best to impersonate a sophisticated couple without a care in the world, ordering pūpūs, glasses of wine, a main course, and even dessert!
Over starters of kampachi crudo and smoked Kamuela beets, we actually had time to talk to each other—and listened as our server described the Coravin wine system. Instead of popping the cork (and committing the customer to purchase the whole bottle), Coravin uses a needle to puncture the cork, allowing diners to enjoy rare vintages, yet still order by the glass.
“Mmmm,” Heather murmured. “It’s been way too long since I’ve had a good glass of wine.” Sniffing, swishing, and taking a sip, I agreed we’d definitely stepped it up from the table wine we’d become used to.
After my beef tenderloin and Heather’s ‘ōpakapaka—but before the molten lava cake—the waiter appeared with an intermezzo of mango sorbet and Prosecco, a crisp, sweet, palate-cleansing surprise.
