Fleetwood’s on Front St.
Chris and I sit at the Roof Top Bar, sipping a Lime in the Coconut cocktail while Scottish bagpipes fill the air. Views of the West Maui Mountains, oceangoing vessels, and the island of Lana‘i surround us. An American flag flaps in the breeze, an incongruous sight in a restaurant named for and owned by British rock star Mick Fleetwood.
General Manager Eric Waddell stops by our table, nods at our cocktails and says with a mischievous smile, “It’s hard to stop at one; they’re so good!”
He’s right, but we restrain ourselves and descend the stairs to the second-floor dining room, whose embossed tin ceilings, double-hung windows, and wood paneling give such a warm, homey feel, it’s as if we’ve entered Mick’s home. In fact, all the artwork comes from his years of travel, beginning with a photo of his first one-man-band tour in the seventies, when he landed in Ghana with a four-track stereo, two batteries and a drum kit.
Fleetwood’s Chef Eric Morrissette rocks a menu showcasing seasonal ingredients from Hawai‘i to the East Coast. My first course reflects his commitment to quality ingredients: tender cauliflower and baby arugula served on a piquant caper-sunchoke puree and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The second course pairs Fleetwood’s award-winning chardonnay with plump New Bedford scallops that have been seared to a golden caramel, lightly dusted with fennel pollen, and served alongside a saute of earthy Pa‘uwela carrots harvested from Maui’s North Shore. Truffle oil sows the panzanella salad with the aroma of black “gold” as I dig into its roasted peppers, summer squash and burrata. My entree, tender beef short ribs braised for seventy-two hours, is the best I’ve ever had. It’s served on smoked, butter-infused polenta with an umami-rich demi reduction that has me thinking, “Morrissette, I love you to the moon and back!” Fleetwood’s took home a 2015 Gold ‘Aipono Award for Best Bar, but don’t stop at the cocktail — dine there, too!
744 Front Street, Lahaina
808-669-6425 | FleetwoodsOnFrontSt.com
