Danny Hashimoto Courtesy of Taste of Hawaii website
By: Melissa K. Ha’o
Kaua`i Staff Writer
(Kaua`i)- Aloha all! Have you tried to make reservations for Mother’s Day Sunday brunch only to find you couldn’t make one, cause you waited to long? Well my husband seems to have that problem every year. Sunday brunch is by far my favorite thing to do! And let me tell you, you do not want to miss out on the Taste of Hawaii, held annually on Kaua`i.
This event is known to Kauaians as the Ultimate Sunday Brunch! And with more than forty chefs from restaurants covering different Hawaiian Islands and more than 15 beverage venders (make sure you bring your ID, there will be wine and hopefully beer too) the name fits this event perfectly.
This year will be the twenty-fourth annual event put on by the Rotary Club of Kaua`i, and if you are on our Garden Island this weekend, this is an event you should plan to attend. I have personally worked one of these events with Lappert’s Hawaii (the best ice cream on Kaua`i, and maybe the world) and have attended one as a guest. I can not begin to express how excited I am to attend one as a reporter. Between the food, which the sight alone will make you drool, the live music, and the silent auction- this event is a once in a life time (unless you live here) opportunity to experience one of the things that makes Hawaii so awesome, THE FOOD!
But for this Ultimate Sunday Brunch, its not just the food and atmosphere, its also the ambiance. The Taste of Hawaii is held at the Smith’s Tropical Paradise, an unbelievable 30 acres of lush green gardens. There are huge trees for shade, beautiful bridges over stunning ponds, exotic birds, hopefully some cool breezes, and plenty of space for the hoards of people that will descend upon it this Sunday starting at 11:30am. These are the smart ones. And if you purchase a ticket, you will not be sorry.
The event isn’t just food for the stomach, it will also help to benefit many different organizations on our little island. The Rotary Club of Kaua`i puts on this event to raise money for different scholarship programs, to recognize outstanding humanitarians, for community projects (i.e. youth programs, programs for the homeless, fixing up the community), and for youth services (i.e. Kapa’a High School’s Interact Club, Kaua`i Community College, the Rotary Youth Leadership Association). Even if you do not plan to attend this event, all of the organizations listed above can benefit from your contributions.
You can learn more about this premier culinary event, purchase tickets (hurry the event is Sunday June 3, 2012), see pictures of the Smith’s Tropical Paradise, watch a video of last years event, and see who were the 2011 award winners at http://tasteofhawaii.com/index.php Hope to see you there!