HAWAI'I – The Hawaiian Islands offer a tantalizing treat for foodies eager to explore gastronomy that tingles the taste buds and leaves lasting memories. As a melting pot of cultures, Hawai'i stirs up some of the best culinary delights in the world, from traditional Hawaiian dishes to innovative Pacific Regional cuisine, which blend palates from Asia Pacific and western regions.

Synonymous with more than just the iconic pineapple crop, the Hawaiian Islands' lush agricultural landscape and rich tropical waters produce some of the world's most famous culinary ingredients, including coffee, vanilla, chocolate, grass-fed beef, seafood, tropical fruit, taro and more.

Cultivating Hawai'i's natural resources stems back to the ancient Hawaiian ahupua'a land division system, which utilized native resources from the mountain to the sea in order to produce a sustainable living. Today, local farmers, fishermen and chefs have renewed this tradition to elevate agricultural awareness and sustainability. Now known as the farm-to-table movement, locally grown products are gaining popularity and prestige through fresh dining experiences.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority supports unique culinary experiences by supporting various events and tours throughout the year, including:

• Hawai'i Food and Wine Festival: Extended in 2013, the third annual event will be held Sept. 1-9 at various resorts on O'ahu featuring locally grown ingredients prepared by celebrity chefs from Hawai'i and around the world. Proceeds from this event will benefit local non-profit organizations that help to sustain agriculture and support culinary endeavors in the Hawaiian Islands. http://www.hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com/
• Anytime of the year, visitors and residents can savor the flavors of the island of Kaua'i by booking Tasting Kaua'i Farm to Fork Culinary Tours. Featuring different facets of Kaua'i's tasty hot spots, the Kaua'i Culinary Tours offers two tours, “A Culinary Romp Through Paradise” and “A Taste of Old Kaua'i”, and Farmer's Markets Classes. http://www.tastingkauai.com/culinary-tours/
• Ka'anapali Fresh, A Culinary Experience in August introduces Ka'anapali chefs paired with Maui farmers during a two-day culinary event full of fresh flavors that your taste buds will savor. Spread throughout the Ka'anapali Resort area, the event features A Progressive Dining Experience, “Grown on Maui” Farmers Market at Whalers Village, a Ka'anapali Agricultural Tour, a Signature Food & Wine Festival featuring “Farm to Table” experiences with local farmers, chefs paired with an amazing selection of wines, and award-winning entertainment. www.kaanapaliresort.com
• Mealani: A Taste of the Hawaiian Range & Agricultural Festival on Hawai'i Island is an agricultural festival that originated in the ranching town of Waimea. The October event features a diverse array of talents at culinary stations, ag/product booths and educational displays allowing guests to graze their way through local produce and products home grown on Hawai'i Island. www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com

Kaua'i

• Common Ground, a transformed guava plantation,offers a true field-to-table experience. Its open-air Garden Caféoffers breakfast and lunch using ingredients found in the many fields found within the 46-acre site. Adjacent to the café is The Market, a retail shop selling locally-made Kaua'i goods, like Lotus Fudge's Chocolate Macadamia Nut Butter, Black Dog Farms spices and liquid seasonings, Nanea Hawaiian Chocolate, Second Skin Jungle Shield, Mamalani Organic Body Powders, Hawaiian Mamaki tea, Noni Land Noni Powder, Noni Leaf Tea, and more. Common Ground looks to support other programs and businesses committed to building a self-reliant community. Farms tours are available.
• If you've seen the black and green bumper sticker that says, “Keep it Local,” you've seen some of the work of this non-profit organization. Malama Kaua'i strives to create a healthy Kaua'i on many fronts—environment, economy, culture and society. Their efforts include community workshops on gardening, composting, rainwater catchment and more; the establishment of community and school gardens; an online cookbook featuring locally-sourced ingredients; a bi-weekly radio show on KKCR; and a “Green Map” for visitors that highlights local businesses that have met specific criteria in the areas of sustainability and education.
• Waipā Foundation: The entire 1,600-acre ahupua'a, land division, of Waipā, just north of Hanalei, is owned the Kamehameha Schools and serves as a community gathering place and educational center. Here, poi is pounded on a weekly basis and a farmers market is held every Tuesday. Music and film festivals and other community events are held throughout the year.
• Nani Moon Meadery specializes in tropical honey wine, also called mead, made in small batches from Hawaiian honey, fruits, and spices. Owner and founder Stephanie Krieger sources 100% of her fermentables locally. Her mead is chemical- and sulfate-free and produced, bottled and sold on-site at Nani Moon Meadery & Tasting Room in Kapa'a. The Wine Garden in Puhi, Princeville Wine Market in The Princeville Center, and The Wine Shop in Kōloa also offer regular wine tastings.
• Kaua`i is the natural home for the Kōloa Rum Company. Carefully and skillfully handcrafted from the finest sugarcane and the pure, abundant water sources on the island of Kaua`i, the award winning, premium rums are twice distilled in single batches. Visitors can sample the rums at a plantation-style Tasting Room & Company Store, located on the grounds of the Historic Kilohana Plantation. The Company Store features premium rums and a variety of Kaua`i Made, island-style gifts and souvenirs.
• Kilohana Plantation is an agricultural park supports agri-tourism with its authentic train that runs through the 104-acre property. The Kauai Plantation Railway provides a glimpse into the life of a 1930s working sugar plantation while at the same time featuring the vegetable gardens and tropical fruit orchards of today's micro-farmers. The Tudor-style mansion around which the plantation is centered has been retrofitted into shops and a restaurant, Gaylord's, serving locally-inspired dishes.
• Guests at The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas can delight in a refreshing day of golf, wine and island cuisine with the resort's “Nine, Wine and Dine” program. The weekly event invites guests for a special nine-hole outing at the Makai Golf Club, followed by a wine tasting at Nanea Restaurant and Bar. End the evening with a delectable five-course Tasting Journey dinner that highlights local farmers, fisherman and flavors.
• Voted by Travel + Leisure as one of the most romantic restaurants in the U.S., Beach House Restaurant in Po`ipū recently completed a $500,000 renovation. Along with interior accents and upgrades to the décor and furniture, the bar and kitchen areas were also renovated to create improvements in efficiency, maximize space and highlight Kaua`i's stunning natural beauty. www.the-beach-house.com
• Sheraton Kauai Resort welcomed its new executive chef, Roger Liang who will be overseeing all of the resort's food and beverage operations, including one of the south shore's newest hotspots, Rum Fire Poipu Beach. www.sheraton-kauai.com

O'ahu

• Local chefs are taking advantage of the bounty of the sea and the land of Hawai'i providing visitors with dishes made from the freshest local ingredients. Visitors can experience the island's exotic historical and cultural background through the unique blend of cuisines. From Hawai'i Regional Cuisine restaurants such as Alan Wong's, Roy's or Chef Mavro's to the hidden gems such as 12th Avenue Grill and Tango, and plate lunch at Kaka'ako Kitchen and Nico's at Pier 38, diners can enjoy a multitude of epicurean experiences.
• On the last Friday of every month, O'ahu's popular food trucks gather together in Kaka'ako for “Eat the Street.” Over 40 local food trucks serve up the best island street grinds from 4-9 p.m. www.streetgrindz.com
• After closing the popular Chai's Island Bistro at Aloha Tower, Chef Chai Chaowasaree has opened Chef Chai at the Pacifica Honolulu tower on Kapiolani Boulevard. The new restaurant features an intimate setting and upscale modern décor to go with a new and healthier menu focusing mainly on seafood and vegetarian dishes; everything can also be prepared gluten-free. www.chefchai.com
• Nico's Pier 38, known for its delicious fresh fish, is now open for dinner seven nights a week and has added prime rib to their dinner menu. Enjoy Sunday evenings on the Pier 38 waterfront with live music and cocktails in a laid back atmosphere. www.nicospier38.com
• Green and Vines, Honolulu's first full-service raw and vegan restaurant serves up delicious meals using all organic ingredients. Green and Vines prides itself on serving no meat, dairy, grains or sugar, and using no open flames to ensure a raw food experience.

Maui

• Wailea Resort proudly announces the return of their popular bi-annual dinner promotion, "Restaurant Week Wailea" in May and November 2013. This celebration of Wailea's finest cuisine takes place at participating resort restaurants throughout Wailea Resort. Wailea's acclaimed chefs will once again create remarkable three-course, pre-fixe menus for just $29, $39 or $49 per person. Proceeds from the special menus are donated to the Maui Food Bank. www.wailearesortassociation.com
• The Makena Beach & Golf Resort continues its Winery of the Month Series in 2013. Makena will feature a new vineyard/winery each month with upcoming partnerships with Brewer-Clifton, Alexander Valley, Frank Family and Vine Cliff Vineyards. Makena Resort's Food & Wine Education Series partners again with Master Sommelier Patrick Okubo with a whole year of new monthly food and wine tasting events. www.makenaresortmaui.com
• Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. World-renowned winemakers and Hawaii's hottest chefs are showcased throughout The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua at wine tastings, seminars and gourmet dinners, every June. www.kapalua.com
• Whalers Village Fine Shops & Restaurants in Ka'anapali hosts and celebrates the grand Maui Onion Festival, in honor of Maui's own sweet Maui Onion, each spring. A dynamic event, summoning the creativity of Hawai'i's greatest chefs and drawing a crowd for free culinary samples, this event is truly a fun-packed day. www.whalersvillage.com

Lana'i

• Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay - Nobu by the Pool: Set cliff side, overlooking a protected marine preserve, globetrotting epicureans are invited to discover Chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa's latest culinary offering - Nobu by the Pool. The first of its kind, the poolside sushi bar offers the Chef Nobu's world-famous flavors and technique in a more casual daytime setting. Open nightly for dinner, 6 – 9:30 p.m. www.fourseasons.com/manelebay 

Moloka'i

• Kanemistu Bakery reopened last November to the delight of locals and visitors alike. A "Molokai institution," the beloved restaurant and bakery offers breakfast, lunch and a wide variety of pastries and breads. Their "midnight bread run," where locals and visitors alike line up after hours to get piping-hot loaves of fresh bread is legendary. Be sure to order their famous onion-and-cheese bread and slather your half loaf of bread with jelly, butter, cream cheese or cinnamon. It's a Molokai must.

Hawai'i Island

• Hawai'i Island's own Chef Ippy Aiona, a finalist on last year's Food Network Star, recently opened two new restaurants The Three Fat Pigs at The Kings' Shops and Ippy's Hawaiian BBQ at the Queens' MarketplaceFood Court, both located at the Waikoloa Beach Resort. The Three Fat Pigs is Hawai'i Island's first gastropub and charcuterie bar, providing visitors and locals alike a delicious fine dining option. The bar on the second floor features a large variety of craft beers on tap. Ippy's Hawaiian BBQ offers more casual fare, presenting Chef Aiona's special twist on the iconic Hawaiian plate lunch. www.kingsshops.com or www.queensmarketplace.net
• 'ULU Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge is the breathtaking new oceanfront fish and seafood restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, where Executive Chef James Babian's acclaimed “R.S.A. - Regional, Seasonal and Artisanal” cuisine is served in Hawai'i's most beautiful setting. A lively, informal setting where guests are inspired, surprised and delighted by the flavors of the Pacific, through an innovative menu with playful tableside presentation, 'ULU's cuisine is oven roasted, flame grilled and wok fired, complemented by an extensive wine list. The sushi lounge and ocean view bar feature the Island's freshest sushi, craft cocktails, sake and Japanese beers. www.fourseasons.com/hualalai
• Under the guidance of Chef de Cuisine Darren Ogasawara, Norio's Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar at The Fairmont Orchid unveiled a new menu concept in 2012 featuring 21-31 dry aged meats from Kulana Farms, free range chicken and long line caught sustainable Hawaiian Islands and Pacific seafood. All entrees are served on our signature cedar plank with your choice of house made sauce, accompanied by succulent sides such as truffle fries and crispy macadamia nut coated asparagus. Open Thursday through Monday, reservations are highly recommended. www.fairmont.com/orchid
• Whether for casual drinks and pūpū (appetizers) around the cozy fire pits or for a special dinner at sunset, dining oceanfront at Honu's Restaurant at the beautifully renovated Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is a must try. Executive Chef George Gomes Jr.'s new dinner menu creatively incorporates locally grown fresh produce, meat and seafood from Hawai'i Island with a sophisticated twist yet true to the indigenous flavors of the island. Be sure to try the sustainable kampachi and wild ahi sashimi, the house favorite Charred Beef “Tataki” or Chef's colorful version of Chicken Paillard. For reservations, call (808) 331-6388.
• Hilton Waikoloa Village introduces a unique on-the-water experience, Ports of Call, inviting guests to relaxing happy hours every day at participating locations. Beginning at Boat Landing Cantina after 2 p.m., retreat to the first stop of Ports of Call with tropical margaritas and snacks. Guests can also enjoy the Kona and Kohala pool bars and Lagoon Grill, for specials and discounts on cocktails, beer, and finger foods. As the afternoon winds down, Dona and Toni's offers mouth-watering pizzas during happy hour from 5-6 p.m., and guests can continue into the evening with live music and drinks at Malolo Lounge, featuring discounts on drinks and wines.  www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com

Established in 1998, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the state's tourism agency, is responsible for strategically managing tourism to optimize benefits for Hawai'i that integrates the interest of visitors, the community and visitor industry. Tourism is our state's leading economic driver and largest employer and the HTA continually works to ensure its sustainability well into the future. For more information on the HTA, please visitwww.hawaiitourismauthority.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@Hawai'iHTA).

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Media Contact:       

Andrea Oka

Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations

Phone: (808) 523-8802

Email: andrea@strykerweiner.com